First backpack trip to D9

[chache]

I will be making my first backpack trip to D9 on opening weekend this year. I will be going in with 2 guys who are familiar with the area and we will hike in on friday afternoon and out on monday night. 4 hour hike each way.
I recently bought the eberlestock x1 and am pleased with the pack due to the abillity to use it on shorter trips as well. Although, due to the limited size of the pack I'm not sure what are the absolute essentials and what can be left. I am used to drive in campsites where I can pack the truck with more than enough gear and food and hike in and out of camp during the day. We will hike in the week before to cache water.
Here is a list of the gear I have compiled so far. Please critique on what can be left behind and what is missing. All opinions are welcome, just remember...first backpack trip.
Gear in pack: rain poncho, pillow cases, latex gloves, trash bags, toilet paper, 3x socks, light shell jacket, sweatshirt, gloves, extra shirts, sleeping bag, food,.270 rifle and 20 rounds, small gerber ax for pelvis bone, bone saw, 3 knives and sharpener, scissors, 100' paracord, 50' rope, firstaid kit, compass, gps, wp matches, purification pills, chapstick, snakebite kit, bugspray, headlamp, flashlight, sunglasses, hat, beanie, multitool, hardcandy, extra batteries, range finder. . I think that is it.
I will have my binos strapped to me so no weight to the pack.
I want all the extra room possible for obvious reasons.
Thanks i advance.

[fishnhuntfreak]

how many days? how far in? 20 rounds is to much to pack in, i just take a full magazine. i don't know how many days but i never bring more then one extra pair of socks and don't bring extra shirts or pants. i have never broke open the pelvis, im sure it makes thing easier but that is to much extra weight to carry. you wont need 150' of para-cord/rope. do a search theirs tons of info on gear lists on this forum.

[oldflint]

Chache,

First off, what one packs for the backcountry is a very individual thing. It's all about what works for you. That being said, if you've never done it, then you're on the right track asking for what works for others. This is just what has worked for me. Take a look through it and try to guess what might apply to your situation.

General gear specific to backpacking:
Internal frame pack
Hydration bladder for pack
water bottle
Sleeping bag
Foam pad
Straps to attach pad/bag to pack
tarp or space blanket

stove/fuel
titanium pot
plastic mug
spoon
soap
hand sanitizer
toothbrush/toothpaste
stuff sack for use as bear bag
food

compass/gps/maps
SPOT Tracker
water filter
2x bic lighters
emergency firestarter
whistle
sunglasses
sunscreen
headlamp
spare batteries
insect repellent
pocket knife
small first aid kit
100' paracord
repair kit: heavy thread, 3 safety pins, 3 needles, 3 ft duct tape
toilet paper
lightweight plastic shovel
camera/memory card

1x pair zip-off pants
t shirt
2x non-cotton hiking socks
bandana
water repellent wind breaker top and pants
thermal underwear top and bottom
fleece mid-layer top
beanie
gloves
down jacket in stuff sack

Gear specific to hunting:
rifle/15 rounds
bi-pod for rifle
tags/license
2x pens
rangefinder
binoculars
folding saw (clear shooting lanes/deer pelvis)
surefire flashlight
camo daypack
game bags
latex gloves
thread/needle
2x knives
sharpener
Orange vest (I put on dead animal, don't like getting sucking chest wounds)
25' small rope (drag animal with rope)
10x large zip locks
2x black trashbags

camo ski mask
blaze orange beanie
camo head net
camo gloves
camo cap
camo pants
camo over shirt
wool liners

What sort of clothes you bring depends a lot on the elevation you're going to be at. I was backpacking in the Eastern Sierras last weekend at 9500ft and it was 28 degrees around 5:30am. Everything was frozen. Water filter had to have boiling water poured over it, any water bottle not put in sleeping bags was partly frozen, and my buddy found his sleeping bag frozen to his tent wall when he tried to roll over in the morning. As soon as the sun came over the mountains, we all stripped down to t-shirts and light pants and it heated up to 80 pretty fast. If it had been windy, it would've been real cold. As it was, I was wearing everything but the thermal bottom and my down jacket until about 10min before getting the sunlight.

Also, some people will not sleep or hike in to their spot in their hunting clothes, not wanting to smell them up. Personally, I don't like to advertise that I'm hunting when starting at a poplar hiker trailhead. If starting from somewhere more remote, I figure I won't be getting a shower with any scent removing stuff and I'm going to be all sweaty anyways, so why not just leave the non-camo behind?

If you have any questions about the above, or want to know why I bring any of this stuff, then let fly.

OldFlint

[I'M DK]

I could babble for far to long about backpacking.
To save us all time here's my 2 best suggestions.

Leave the snake bite kit behind.
More damage is done by using the kits than by the snakes.
Read up on it & you'll agree.

Go here & do all the reading & question asking you can.
BACKPACKING Message Board Discussion FORUM
You'll lighten your pack load & improve it's utility.

Best of luck to you.

DK

[chache]

thanks for the input guys. especially flint, really heplful. hopefully the weather won't be that cold at night, but i wouldn't be suprised. from the sound of it you were in the x zones and at a much higher elevation. thanks again, and if anything else comes to mind let me know.

[easymoney]

Great points all,
One point to always keep in mind when hiking into the high country, is the weather can and will change dramatically. Don't scrimp on quality and be prepared.
IMHO, pack as light as possible to ensure a good first trip, leave the box of ammo and take just five rounds. And I like flint says what you take is a very individual choice, but you would be surprised what you don't really need...

[CHAD PEZZLE]

Once you do your first backpack trip you realize what you can and can't live without. After a few trips you'll figure out the necesities.

Last October a friend and I packed into Idaho, I swear my pack weighed over 60 lbs and I hadn't loaded it with deer yet. I'll never do that again. I brought extra clothes and never wore them. My clothes did get damp from hiking through snow, but nothing our fire didn't dry out in less than an hour. I'm pretty sure I cut my weight nearly in half by leaving stuff at home, and my back has thanked me every step of the way.

Make sure you have a good mat and sleeping bag, even with moderate temps at night the ground really sucks your body heat.

Also with three guys you should figure out what each one is bringing, because not all of you need rope/paracord. Split up the duties and don't double or triple up on things you don't have to.

[bpnclark]

Originally Posted by chache

small gerber ax for pelvis bone, bone saw, 3 knives and sharpener, scissors,

I would just take one knife (your best one) and the sharpener. You’ll probably just bone out the meat, so you really don’t need all of these.

A small rangefinder tip – Tie the rangefinder to your bino strap. You can put the rangefinder in your pocket and it will feel like you’re not even carrying it. Plus when you need your rangefinder, all you need to do is pull it out.

Good luck on your trip!

[quack_head]

D9 in Sept. Shorts and t shirt. You won't need sweater, jacket, or ax. D9 is relatively small. Thick country binos, I would have not much use for range finder. Most opportunities are going to be within 150 yards. The less you carry the less you carry out. One good bit of info is don't take a lot of trash in the back country. I don't take any plastic wrappers of any kind back. The less footprint you make the better. Good luck. A quality pack is worth its weight in gold. Badlands, sitka, crooked horn.

You know for backpack hunting I don't gut the game. I quarter it and then bone it out. If it is a trophy then the work begins. I see alot of people doing this type of dressing now. No gutting dressing. I swear I invented it. I did this 20 years ago. I don't waste the meat either.

[Sasquatch619]

Any tutorials on how to gutless dress the dear Quack?

[TikkaNuts]

I will add this:

Don't forget that extra pair of underwear. When nature calls and you can't make it in time, that extra underwear is priceless. Trust me, I have learn the hard way.

[easymoney]

Two things:
First, weigh your gear, what you think it weighs or what it's advertised to weigh and reality are often very different. And you will be surprised just how much all that gear adds up to.
Second, do a back search on the gutless boning method as it has been discussed and described many times. It is the only method I ever use and it saves enormous weight when you are back in a long distance from your rig.