Loaded Day Pack Weight ??

Skybuster1329

Member
Feb 21, 2011
84
0
49
Oregon City, OR
I'm just wondering how much peoples packs weighs that they would carry for a day pack. I'm a little embarrased how much mine weighs. I'm carried a full tripod and big spotting scope, but still. (20 lbs) Am I crazy ??
 

wolftalonID

Very Active Member
Mar 10, 2011
679
0
Idaho
HaHA..no not crazy. A day pack should always support a full uninterrupted night out, plus emergency kits too. Mine can weigh in at 20 to 30 lbs at times. I pack in more water if I am unfamiliar with an area just to make sure I have enough. I dont pack in a tent, but I do have a light cover that works in a pinch. One full MRE works for enough energy for 24 hours if needed.
If your comfortable with a side arm, that adds to it, or an AR or even a shorty shot gun. These can weigh in on a pack too.

The guys you hear stories of that never came back or barely made it are the ones that didnt think it was necessary to take in needed preparations.
 

mcseal2

Veteran member
Mar 1, 2011
1,172
195
midwest
Maybe more information than you wanted, but I've had a thread going for over a year on another forum on what to carry for a mountain daypack list. Here is where I'm at after getting everyone's input. It is much more thorough and lighter than my original list. I also got a postage scale to verify weights last spring, and all weights are rounded to the nearest ounce.

-Sog Revolver hunting knife (4 3/4"blade + 4 1/2" bone/wood saw) 7oz
-Benchmade folding knife 4oz
-Smith pocket sharpener (carbide V sharpener and small steel) 1oz
-Garmin GPS/2 way radio with lithium AA batteries 9oz
-blaze orange windshear fleece baclava 4oz
-GI rain poncho (doubles as tarp) 10oz
-Marmon 800 fill down jacket 12oz
-Cabelas windshear camo windbreaker jacket 18oz
-Spare wool socks 3oz
-Sitka Traverse bottoms estimated 10oz
-cabelas dry plus 40gr thinsulate gloves 4oz
-wool liner gloves 2oz
-2 7hr handwarmer packets total 2oz
-Contractor trash bags(2 for groundcloth, rain, or packing meat) 3oz
-compass & map of hunting area 4oz
-2 Mammut S-lite headlamps (1 AA battery each) total 4oz
-spare lithium batteries (4 AA) total 2.5oz
-camera w/ 2AA lithium batteries (can be stolen as spares) 6oz
-10 rounds ammo in camo sleeve 1.1oz each for total 11oz
- 20oz gatorade 22oz
- 20oz water in stainless steel water bottle (can boil water in it) 26oz
-4 Cliff bar energy bars total 10oz
-bag of jerky 4oz
-Stoney point rapid pivot bipod sitting & prone models total 19oz
-wind meter 2oz
-rangefinder w/battery 12oz
Survival/misc/overnight kit
-Adventure medical bivy sack 4oz
First aid kit total 6oz
-1 roll bright orange vetwrap (can use as ace bandage, trail marker)
-4 big safety pins
-small roll athletic tape
-antiseptic towlette
-1 tube neosporin
-quickclot sponge
-5 4x4 gauze pads
-50ft bright yellow paracord (marking trail or use as cord) 3oz
-30yds 143lb braided nylon rope 1oz
-15yds 262lb braided nylon rope (good spare bootlace) 1oz
-Frontier water filter straw & potable water tablets combined 1oz
-blank CD (signal mirror)
-firesteel & small lighter on lanyard 2oz
-pill bottle of vaseline coated cotton balls (over 1hr of burn time) 1oz
-Esbit cook stove with 4 fuel cubes (12 min burn time/cube) 5.5oz
-Snow peak mug w/following total 11oz
-4ft folded aluminum foil (windscreen for stove, etc)
-3 hot tea bags
-1 hot chocolate pkt
-ziploc bag meal of rice/jerky/bullion cube
-shortened spoon

If I added right, with this list I pack 248oz or 15.5lbs not counting the pack itself. I don't think that weight is to bad including water. I still would like to switch to a separate tarp and rain gear, but the poncho will work for now. I'd like to get a Kifaru paratarp, but haven't spent the money yet.

Also on my person I carry binoculars, 4 rounds extra ammunition and a 4oz Altoids tin with a firesteel, tinder packets, striking surface, waterproof matches, oven bag (for water), and water purification tablets are carried in my pocket.
 

jenbickel

Veteran member
Feb 22, 2011
1,064
1
35
Sheridan, Wyoming
www.facebook.com
I always get made fun of for how heavy my pack weighs... Probably around 20-30lbs. I carry a lot of drinks, I drink water like its goin out of style. Plus, after getting lost one time while I was hunting.. i carry a lot of stuff juuuuust in case I get lost again... even though now i never leave my house without a GPS. I was born without a sense of direction :)
 

SDbowhunter

Active Member
Feb 21, 2011
163
0
Winner, SD
I always carry what I think I will need in a bad situation, better to have it and not use it than need it and not have it, If I'm in good enough shape I'm not worried about being to light I don't think 20-30lbs is to much especially when you are carrying a side arm and optics a pistol, spotting scope, tripod, and binocs are going to add quite a bit of weight even if they are light weight models
 

RUTTIN

Veteran member
Feb 26, 2011
1,299
0
Kamas, Utah
I always pack everything I might need to spend a night in the field, and to take care of any animal I might get lucky enough to harvest. My pack goes with me whether I might be 300 yds or 3 miles from the truck. And it probably weights in around 25 lbs. with water.
 

Coyoteman

New Member
Aug 14, 2011
10
0
Wrong side of ND.
Mines pretty light and minimal. Most of my weight is spotter/tripod and water. 20 lbs would be a good load for my day pack.

Spotter/tripod (nomad and high country....under 4.5 lbs)
Small medical kit (nothing much, band aids, alcohol swipes, suture kit, butterflies, advil, moleskin, matches and lighter).
Flashlight and/or headlight
25' 550 cord
knife and stroker
Rain gear (if needed, I WILL leave this behind)
ziplock of snacks (jerky and trail mix)
water
compass and gps
game bags (the cheesecloth type ones)
 

elkmtngear

Member
Feb 21, 2011
83
0
My elk hunting Daypack goes about 20 to 25 lbs, depending on the weather/temps:

Headlight
Knife
lighter and waterproof matches
space blanket
small medical kit
Peanut Butter and Bacon Sandwich
pepperoni stick
trail mix
GPS/Radio (Garmin Rino)
Nalgene Bottle
Steripen
Wind puffer
extra calls
Small HD Video Camera
Gorilla Super glue
I use XXXL ladies panty hose for game bags (4 pairs does one large bull)

Best of Luck,
Jeff
 
Last edited:

squirrelduster

Active Member
Apr 26, 2011
183
0
Sebastopol, Ca
I hunt for blacktails mostly and need a lot of water. Daily temps are in the 90's+ so I pack a 100 oz bladder full. I have used an entire one in a day several times. My pack weighs in at 28 pounds. Set of Kaibab binos and tripod included.
 

BobcatJerry

Member
Dec 28, 2011
73
0
Westerville,Ohio
elkmtngear, Have you used your Steripen much. I have one, but where we have hunted have a lot of free range cattle stomping in the creeks. I trust my MRS filter pump here, but haven't pulled the trigger during my trips with the Steri Pen, being afraid of getting sick. Would like to hear from anybody using it extensively. It's a lot easier than pumping. I don't think I would have such a problem if the cattle were out of the area. I pack it as my back up.

Jerry
 

Bitterroot Bulls

Veteran member
Apr 25, 2011
2,326
0
Montana
Jerry,

I have the Steripen Opti and use it as my primary sterilization method. I still have a filter, but didn't use it at all this year.

Once I found out that municipal water treatment uses UV light, I was confident the Steripen treated water was safe.

I have noticed it saves more effort than time. I really like it.
 
Dec 25, 2011
144
0
Big sky country
Mine is pushing 30lbs...for a day I like to be prepared...if I have to camp on the hill I can do it...always enough water...food for a couple of days if something happens...gloves, hat, entra socks, rain grear, dry shirt, plus everything to take care of an animal if I get one. I am only out for a day so not too worried about weight.
 

Montana

Veteran member
Nov 3, 2011
1,097
385
Bitterroot Valley, MT.
Mine is pushing 30lbs...for a day I like to be prepared...if I have to camp on the hill I can do it...always enough water...food for a couple of days if something happens...gloves, hat, entra socks, rain grear, dry shirt, plus everything to take care of an animal if I get one. I am only out for a day so not too worried about weight.
Hey Branden, What pack did you have in the video? Was that a Mystery ranch? But then I thought I saw saw some Black Gold logo on there. Looked like a good pack.
 
Dec 25, 2011
144
0
Big sky country
It is a Mystery Ranch Crew cab...had one of my Goldtip logos on it! I need to get a better patch for the pack..the MR logo is small!
I can day hunt out of it...and pack a whole mule deer...a bear...or elk quarters out with it....I also camped out of it for a week this fall on a Sheep hunt!
Love it...