What do you take with you when hunting?

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What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by ThePlinkster » 21 Dec 2020, 7:23 pm

Hey guys

I hope that everyone is well

I'm just about the get into hiking/hunting
(I'm pretty excited about it, I can't wait)

I've been doing a bit of research in terms of what I would need to carry with me whilst being on a hike/hunt

And here is the list that I came up with:
- Hiking BackPack
- Gaiters
- Good Pair of hiking shoes
- Water & Food for the day
- GPS, Map and Compass
- Hat
- First Aid Kit
- Hiking Stick
- Waterproof matches
- Knife
- Flashlight
- Emergency Pop Up Tent
- Portable phone charger
- Light weight sleeping bag (if possible)
- Personal Locator Beacon (maybe)

What do you guys think about my list?

Have I missed anything important?

Do you guy a bring anything else with you whilst being on a hike/hunt?

Please note;
- It's The Firearm Enthusiast here, I just changed my username
- I don't plan to camp over night just yet, I just plan on doing all day hikes essentially to start with
- I also will have a friend or two with me during my 1st few hikes
:thumbsup:
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by bigrich » 21 Dec 2020, 7:34 pm

that's a pretty comprehensive list mate , i reckon ya got everything .it would add up in weight but . i would leave the sleeping bag behind for a day trip , a good fire in a sheltered spot out of the wind would work if you had to stay out overnight . sunscreen is a neccessity up in queensland

a mule to haul the gear would be handy but ;)

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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by ThePlinkster » 21 Dec 2020, 8:02 pm

bigrich wrote:that's a pretty comprehensive list mate , i reckon ya got everything .it would add up in weight but . i would leave the sleeping bag behind for a day trip , a good fire in a sheltered spot out of the wind would work if you had to stay out overnight . sunscreen is a neccessity up in queensland

a mule to haul the gear would be handy but ;)

:drinks: :drinks: :thumbsup:

A mule would be handy, that's right bigrich :lol:

I'm glad that you confirmed that my list is complete for a day hike/hunt bigrich
Thank you

I can't wait to get into it
:thumbsup:
:drinks:
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Farmerpete » 21 Dec 2020, 8:59 pm

See if you can find something easier to carry than a pop up tent and sleeping bag,

they'll take up so much space you'll end up leaving them behind. Carrying shelter is a P.I.T.A. but its more important than food if you get stuck.

You may be in for a crap night but its better to have an emergency blanket with you than a sleeping bag in the garage at home.

The same applies to how you dress, you can always take a jumper off but you can't conjure one up if you need it.

If you're not taking a plb. Then definitely add a life straw or other means of processing water to drink.
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by animalpest » 21 Dec 2020, 10:06 pm

Spare batteries for the GPS. They only last one full day
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by bigrich » 21 Dec 2020, 10:17 pm

i just had a thought, one of those plastic emergency rain poncho's that compress down to nothing would be handy. clothing is a consideration . a 3/4 length drizabone is a handy thing to keep water and wind out . it won't keep you warm in a really cold enviroment , but that's what fire is for . a broad rimmed hat will keep you dry and stop water running down your neck as well as taking care of the sun
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Skinna » 21 Dec 2020, 11:29 pm

What immediately springs to mind, is If you feel the need to take a whole tent instead of basic shelter for case of emergency, then you need more than one days supply of water & food...

Add in a small mirror & a whistle...!!!...both potentially good for communicating if lost &/or stuck/unable to move...
Take 2 knives & maybe a multi tool...
Length of rope/ paracord...

maybe a small portable stove AKA jetboil type thing or smaller...
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Oldbloke » 22 Dec 2020, 3:55 am

Less is more......

Pair of hiking shoes
Decent hat, clothes for the weather fly net
Water & Food for the day
Map and Compass
Mobile, with More to Explore
Waterproof matches or lighter
Knife
head lamp
Plastic garbage bag (rain coat)
5 rounds ammo

Elastic bandage, (snake bite)
Whistle
String/cord
2 Bandaids, & 2 panadol
Last edited by Oldbloke on 22 Dec 2020, 9:53 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Blr243 » 22 Dec 2020, 7:36 am

Only once Did I hav to spend an unplanned night in th bush ...it was in New Zealand thar hunting ....survived with no emergency equipment but I’m very glaD I had a lighter to make a firE. My first thoughts about your list is that most of it is unnecessary and th weight of thes thing S add up very quick
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Blr243 » 22 Dec 2020, 7:39 am

Food is nice but it’s a heavy luxury ....water is essential. Th only first aid I carry is a snake bite bandage
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Blr243 » 22 Dec 2020, 7:42 am

I do carry a tiny torch an a day trip in case it tuns into a night because I hatE the thought of trying to move thru bush in th dark trying to find my camp It’s a light Weight singl aaa battery pen light
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Blr243 » 22 Dec 2020, 10:15 am

My mini backpack is smaller than what a primary school kid would carry ...you Can get gps in a watch Other than a rifle and my phone for taking pics I only carry a cigarette lighter for checking wind direction. I don’t think I can stalk quietly and thoroughly observe my surroundings if so much of my energy is taken up carrying weight. Young blokes tend to carry big Bowie knives. But as u get older you start thinking of weight reduction...I can’t remember ever having to fight of 17 grizzly bears one after the other ... I will carry a small lightweight pocket knife if I carry one at all
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by womble » 22 Dec 2020, 11:27 am

Binoculars
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Oldbloke » 22 Dec 2020, 11:31 am

Weighs 1.5 kg. For a few hours fox whistling. It changes a bit. Toilet paper?

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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Peter988 » 22 Dec 2020, 6:34 pm

It will also vary depending on your walking plan. Most hunters I know shoot early morning or late evening. Not during the middle of the day. So you only walk for an hour or two in the morning going out from where you camp/park. Then an hour or two return. Don’t need a lot of gear.
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by womble » 22 Dec 2020, 6:56 pm

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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by ThePlinkster » 22 Dec 2020, 7:00 pm

Farmerpete;
I have a farmer friend
He showed me this "emergency pop up tent" that folds itself into like a really small compact piece of cloth
I was amazed at how small it became once it was fully folded onto itself
Really small
Really practical
That type of "emergency pop up tent" wouldn't be a nuisance at all to carry on a hike/hunt
It would take such little space
So that type of emergency pop up tent would be okay
The sleeping bag would be annoying to carry though, I agree with that
The Life Straw is a good idea, I will definitely look into that
Thank you for the idea

Animalpest;
Spare batteries for the GPS, that is a great idea for extra peace of mind
Thanks for that

Bigrich;
A plastic rain poncho
That's not a bad idea at all actually
It'd be great against the rain

Skinna;
Small mirror + Whistle
Those are great ideas
Thank you for that
I probably will buy a portable stove once I get into camping
I wanna get confident in hiking/hunting 1st before getting it camping

Oldbloke;
Thank you for the idea of a Head Lamp
A head lamp would actually be a better idea than a torch
This way you'd keep your hands free whilst hiking
Great idea
Regarding toilet paper, I would definitely take that once I start camping overnight etc
But for a day trip, I should be okay without toilet paper

Blr243;
Yeah, I have a lot of stuff on my list
However, I'm gonna go hiking/hunting with 1x or 2x other people
So those 1x or 2x other people can easily help me carry everything
We would literally be sharing the load lol
That's why I don't mind being extra prepared just in case
Especially for my 1st few times
Yeah that's right
Once I get more experienced
Once I get more confident hiking/hunting etc
Then I will definitely start to reduce weight
Ideally I would like to carry as little as possible whilst still having everything I would need in case of emergency
But yeah, once I get more experience/confident, I will definitely look at reducing weight, that's for sure

Womble;
Thank you
Binoculars is an obvious item that I missed
Thanks for that
Don't have a dog lol
My hiking buddy does have a dog though

Peter88;
For me
As I'm not ready yet for camping over night etc
I'm happy to hike/hunt all day long
I love being in nature anyway
I find being in nature to be so grounding, so calming and so soothing
So I don't mind hiking/hunting all day long to start with
I'd be happy to spend the whole day in nature
I will then get into camping later on once I gain more knowledge and experience
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Blr243 » 22 Dec 2020, 8:37 pm

If you choose not to take toilet paper a cloth cap is better to have than a synthetic mesh cap
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by boingk » 22 Dec 2020, 10:52 pm

Depends mate. I'd keep a daypack under 6kg and a full trek under 15kg, but if you can go under 12kg then that is pretty good. Depends on how big a fram you are and what luxuries you want.

For a daypack I'm lazy as f***. I take a small pack, leatherman, water, ammunition, lighter, UHF and phone and a snack or two. If I'm really in some sort of crazy country I take a map and compass... but thats rare. Hole kit could fit in a lunchbox most times, exclusing the water.

The two-night kit is a bit more elaborate.

Pack (1.2kg)
Tent (2.3kg)
Sleeping bag (1.3kg)
Thermarest (900g)
Trangia & fuel (1kg)
Leatherman / lighter / UHF / phone (500g)
Water (2kg+)
Food (2kg+)
Ammunition (variable)
1st Aid (pfft)

Most first aid kits are just expensive luxury items. You don't really need bandaids and gauze and ointment in an emergency, what you need is a tornique or two, well chosen medication and a good sharp knife. I'd recommend taking what you like to take and know you'll need - I tend to whittle my kit down to a tornique, 4x bandaids, 6x antihistamine tabs, 6x aspirin, 6x codeiene painkillers, 2x single-use Zaditen eydrops (or anything with ketitofen as the active ingredient) and thats about it. It'll all fit in a playin-card size pouch.

The trangia is a beautiful stove and great for hiking. Their 25-2 kit is about all anyone would ever need and not overpriced, very lightweight, great to use and packs up into itself. It runs on metho, too, or unleaded petrol in an emergency, and will cook in any weather conditions. I've out-paced very expensive MSR pressurised fuel stoves with this thing time and time again, often ending up finishing my meal and a coffee before the other guy had cooked his properly. Highly recommended. LINK TO EBAY

The tent I favour is an Outer Limits 'Backpacker' I bought almost 20 years ago. Two man tent, 2.3kg, all-weather and quite compact. Single pole to set up which helps if you're doing it in the dark. Outer Limits has since been aquired by Oztrail, but they still make the tent. You can find one on ebay or at Barbeques Galore outlets, or most places which sell Oztrail gear. Check here: LINK TO EBAY

My Thermarest is a foam insulated inflatable matress, 38mm thick when inflated. Doesn't sound like much but its amazing how mucn comfort and ground insulation it provides. It weighs about 900g but is worth every scrap of that weight because you have a decent nights sleep. Its also lasted me about 20 years so far. I don't know what the market is on about these days but I assume there would be good alternatives.

My sleeping bag varies but is usually a cocoon-style rated for 5'C. For colder weather I take a heavier bag.

Rainwear? Take a few big garbage bags.

For the pack I'd recommend a 50L style with some sort of frame in it. Even if its just a plastic stake thats all you really need. Make sure it has a chest strap and hip belt.

Again, if you can get all that in 15kg you're doing well. If its under 12kg thats epic. This will vary depending on water and food taken, too. I do like to take a few luxuries (coffee, punger cup, shake-n-bake pancake mix, McD's butter and syrup, 200ml bourbon spirits of some kind) but I'm a big framed person and happy to carry the extra kilogram or so. You may not be.

Anything else just ask.

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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by bigpete » 23 Dec 2020, 10:40 am

Knife,ammo,rifle,first aid kit,firesteel. Water if its hot. All depends on terrain,weather,etc.
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Peter988 » 24 Dec 2020, 11:12 am

ThePlinkster wrote:
Peter88;
For me
As I'm not ready yet for camping over night etc
I'm happy to hike/hunt all day long
I love being in nature anyway
I find being in nature to be so grounding, so calming and so soothing
So I don't mind hiking/hunting all day long to start with
I'd be happy to spend the whole day in nature
I will then get into camping later on once I gain more knowledge and experience


Yes but think logically. There is no such thing as “hunting all day long”. You are just wasting time and energy if you are hunting after 0930 and before 1530. It’s different if you are hiking to just discover new areas.

For day trips.
Find an area within reasonable distance of where you park. Arrive before daylight. Walk a route that gets you back to the car by 1000 hrs. Settle for a couple hours in the shade. Read a book. Have lunch. Have a snooze. Go back out around 1500 hrs and get back to the car on dark. You maximise shooting time and you rest when the animals rest. You only need carry water, a snack, GPS, toilet paper, binoculars, basic first aid and some matches. Do that for a few trips and you will quickly learn the logistics of longer trips.
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by JimTom » 24 Dec 2020, 11:59 am

Just a small daypack with plenty of water, GPS and batteries, rudimentary first aid kit, torch, matches, PLB, and a knife.
Have plenty of kit back in the car, so just enough to keep me out of trouble if something unexpected happens.
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by ThePlinkster » 24 Dec 2020, 6:17 pm

Boingk;
Thank you for your in-depth response man
I appreciate that response so much
I'll make sure to check out everything that you have listed there prior to starting to hike/hunt
I reckon I'll get into it in Jan
Like I mention before as well
I wanna be extra prepared to start with, just in case
Then, as time will go by
The more I will get more experience etc
I will then take less and less with me I reckon
Ultimately, I will want to carry as little as possible
Being as light as possible does sound pleasant to me
I honestly don't need any luxuries
Being submerged in nature whilst being as light as possible
That sounds perfect to me
Sounds like a perfect way to spend the day

Bigpete;
Thank you for your response
I like your list
Nice and simple
Short and sweet
I like it
I'd like to get to that stage at some point
That's for sure

Peter988;
When I say "Hunting all day"
What I mean is: "Hiking all day" but then if I stumble accross a few rabbits/hares aong the way
Then so be it lol
I agree that I would limit my opportunities hunting during the day as rabbits and hares are nocturnal and crepuscular animals
But hiking during the day sounds nice, I will just see how I go I suppose
Thank you for your advices by the way Peter988
You've given me sound advice
Thank you for that
Very informative

JimTom;
That sounds good
I like your list too JimTom
Short and sweet
Nice and simple
Practical
That's great
I like your list
That sounds good to me
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by boingk » 24 Dec 2020, 7:23 pm

ThePlinkster wrote:Boingk;
Thank you for your in-depth response man


No worries mate, happy to help. There are many different approaches and lots of good advice here.

One thing... make sure you pre-pack and check the weight on your back. If you can't walk easily around the block at a brisk pace with the pack on then its way too heavy. If you can do 2km with only moderate effort then it's probably about right. This is for an overnighter, though - a daypack should only be a few kilos max.

If you take all that gear I suggested (or similar) you will be very well prepared for a few nights away. I've done 40km+ multi-day treks on foot through the Snowys with that exact kit.

Cheers - boingk
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by ThePlinkster » 27 Dec 2020, 4:27 pm

Boingk;
That's a great point
Before I go out into state forests with all my gear in my backpack etc
I should definitely try it out 1st by walking around the block with it to see how I go first in terms of weight etc
Thanks for that advice
That is very logical
:thumbsup:
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by ThePlinkster » 27 Dec 2020, 4:53 pm

Thank you to everyone who commented/contributed to this list

This thread right here is probably a great thread for those who are starting out in hunting and hiking
(Where beginners are trying to work out what they should bring with them for their 1st hike/hunt etc)

The final list that we all came up with is;

- Good Pair of hiking shoes
- Hiking BackPack
- Gaiters
- Water & Food for the day
- GPS
- Spare batteries for the GPS
- Map
- Compass
- Hat
- First Aid Kit
- Hiking Stick
- Waterproof matches
- Lighter
- Knife
- Flashlight
- Spare batteries for the Flashlight
- Head Lamp
- Emergency Pop Up Tent
- Portable phone charger
- Light weight sleeping bag
- Personal Locator Beacon
- Life Straw
- Small Mirror
- Whistle
- Binoculars
- Toilet Paper
- Strapping Tape

I suppose everyone can pick and choose from that list what items they deem to be most suitable for them

They can then come up with their own list specifically tailored for them
:thumbsup:
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by bladeracer » 29 Dec 2020, 6:48 pm

I haven't read the entire thread so somebody may have already suggested it.

One thing I think is important to have in the bush is at least one good compression bandage, a simple sprained ankle can really screw up your day in the bush. Carry a bandage and learn how to strap an ankle so you can get yourself back home. It can also double as a wound dressing, splint strapping, or tourniquet among other uses, well worth having.
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by bigpete » 29 Dec 2020, 9:42 pm

That would be in a first aid kit
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by Oldbloke » 29 Dec 2020, 10:06 pm

bigpete wrote:That would be in a first aid kit


If he carries half this gear he won't need a GPS. Will be worn out after 1km. Lol
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Re: What do you take with you when hunting?

Post by bladeracer » 29 Dec 2020, 10:12 pm

bigpete wrote:That would be in a first aid kit


Indeed, but listing the contents of a first aid kit will require another thread of it's own :-)
I carry a fairly comprehensive kit.
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