Checklist

thelostboy · Oct 11, 2014

Hello I new to the forum and have some questions. I am a long time whitetail hunter and I am in the process of planning my first archery mule deer hunt. It is now time to gather the gear. A friend and I will be heading to Idaho. We will be camping out for 3 to 5 days. Obviously a tent, sleeping bag, stove. The questions I guess I have are do need a spotting scope and binos? Can I run a 10x Bino on a tripod or is spotting scope a must? Pack suggestions? I liked the kuiu icon 5200. How warm of sleeping bags do you guys run? I am sure I am missing a lot and if a search would be better please just advise.

Thanks lostboy

trophyhunter · Oct 13, 2014

Get a bag to -20F minimum.something like or compareible to Northface. Leave the spotting scope home. To much weight. Pic up a Bivvy Sac 2.0 emergency bag or equivalent. If you get a down bag put it inside the Bivvy Sac to keep it dry. We purchased the polyester Northface because if they get wet you can still use them and stay warm. Down is useless if it gets wet. Take a good stove like a jet boil. Pick up some insulated bags that are made to keep the Mountain House food bags warm while it is sitting in the hot water. When you pick your food do a 2 man meal for one person. Hard hunting you will be rewarded at dinner

Take 500 feet of para cord cut in 100ft lengths in each backpack. Good around camp plus can hang up game bags in trees after your kill. Alaska Game Bags. Deer we use 8 comes in 4 pack. Elk we use 12. Take some first aid stuff you make up yourself. Need 4x4 in type stuff for serious injuries, tape , bandages, and Quick-Clot emergency bleeding stopping packet. You can order it from
Halazon tablets in case you need to purify water.
one set of extra cloths and socks in case you get wet.
Good luck,
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trophyhunter · Oct 13, 2014

Take some black heavy duty trash bags can be used to store gear to keep it dry if you can't put everything in your tent. Hang garbage in trees 150 yds from camp in black bear country and 500 yds from camp in Grizz. Country.

Good LED head lamp and extra batteries. Same with GPS.
Been lots of thunderstorms...don't camp on top of a ridge, mountain or in a drainage.....take a big caliber pistol. Something nasty comes to your tent at night your going to need it. Everyone we hunt with in Idaho archery hunting is pack'n. Been into bears and lions....so far no wolves.

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thelostboy · Oct 13, 2014

Thank you very much. All that info is very helpful!!

Phantom Hunter · Oct 14, 2014

Good info above. Add to those listed, GPS, Topo Maps, good warm gloves and cap/balacalava, rain gear, well broken in boots with good grade socks, moleskin and duct tape to treat foot blisters. Think it all through and pack well. Have a great trip.

trophyhunter · Oct 14, 2014

Get some Smartwool socks....expensive but worth every penny when hunting Idaho in October. Could be in the 60-70's or 10 degrees if a storm blows in and you get some snow. Maybe a bit of plastic on a roll that you could ancher over your tent to keep things dryer if in a squal. We have had the rain push right in through the zipper in heavy rain and high wind. Lots of good quality waterproof matches. The good ones that stay lit in the wind. Take some type of flame resistant material we use that fabric that you can put on a wall to soder pipes and not catch the wall on fire. You can pick that material up at a hardware store. If it storms you need to have something so you can put your stove on the tent floor to cook inside without burning a hole in the floor.

Military quality warm long johns.....Gortex gloves,our pants are Gortex lined or Cabelas Dry Plus so we can eliminate the need for rain pants. Then we carry the Cabelas MTO50 packable rain jacket. That way we stay dry all the time. Reduces weight in the backpacks.
Good luck,
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trophyhunter · Oct 14, 2014

Lastly, we purchase those Hunter Specialities "field wash cloths". We use them for wipe down bathing to get back as much as possible to be scent free as all our cloths are Scent-Lok. Takes two wash cloths per bathing. Every other day ...do the math. One large pack of wash cloths split between you guys should do it to cut down on weight.

MSR Water purification filter.....or compareible.....

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BeanMan · Oct 14, 2014

Better have a decent pre-filter (MSR makes one) for your water filter.

thelostboy · Oct 14, 2014

Thanks again. Making a list

trophyhunter · Oct 15, 2014

Hey, on the roll of plastic to cover your tent. I would purchase a light small poly. Tarp. And ditch the plastic. With the premade tarp it has eyelites that you can knock some tent stakes through the holes. You can do the same with plastic...it's your call.
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