Extreme Bivy Hunting - Minimal Gear

[EROCK1313]

I was reading some great threads on those who like to "Do-It-Yourself" Bivy hunt deep into the Backcourty, but what I failed to see is anyone that used their Hunting Envrionments to provide most of their needs like Shelter, Warmth, and food.

So my Questions:


- How many of you, Bivy hunt without all of the fancy gear like tents, tarps, stoves, and Mountain House meals etc??

- What are the bare essentials to make this type of hunt possible?

- What are some of your tips and tactics for this type of hunt?


I definitely don't consider myslef a minimalist like Survivorman - Les Shroud, but the idea of bringing in less gear to wear and tear on my body after mile and miles treaded; is very appealing. Thoughts???


?-ERock-> ?

 

[runamuk]

The more comforts you can reasanable pack the better.
Bivy huntin ain't all fun and games, I you spend a few nites out
and don't sleep well or have plenty of the right foods the fun tends to wear a little thin.
A good bag, bivy sack and Mtn house meals are worth there weight in gold..

 

[dillon]

I don't know about Bivy that much but I have taken up backpacking and all I know is that I love my one pound hammock. My wife and I keep those packs as light as possible at all times. I just need a water filter and I will be just that much lighter carrying less weight. I have always wanted to bowhunt way back yonder in the middle of nowhere but because of school and work I have never been able to go for for than two days at a time. I am hoping that this is the year to go way off into the boondocks and slay a monster.

But the one thing I have learned is that packing light is not always pleasant when the weather flops.

Dillon

 

[adamsoa]

I do it different than some but here are a few things that I use:

Clarks Jungle Hammock--This is awesome. It is very light and small. It isnt really any bigger than a Bivy but you dont need a sleeping pad and it brings a huge level of comfort.

Light weight sleeping bag

Small Brunton Stove and MSR titanium pot. The stove and fuel fit into the pot and I think it holds about 2 cups. Its great for heating everything from instant oats to water for freze dried dinners. Which make up the majority of my food

Small Head Lamp

Trail mix and Jerky

Water purifyer

hydration pack

Extra sox

Good backpack that you are comfortable with. I have used quite a few but My Kifaru and Jim Horn are my favorites.

My first year backpack hunting my pack weighed 97lbs. No one at our camp could believe that I would pack that much in that far. I didnt have anything light weight and I was afraid to not have something. Needless to say I havent done that again.

Over the years I have upgraded my gear trying to get the best/most comfortable/lightest stuff that I felt comfortable with. I've slept in Bivies and used light weight tarps. If you had to tie me down to the one peice of gear I cant do without its my Hammock. Its my chair, recliner and comfortable bed. I was amazed how much better things were after a good comprtable nights sleep.

Clothes are also a biggie. I think that you can really save on weight and stay ready for anything by going for quality on this. I use lightwieght hiking clothes. Most of the time they are great quality, very warm and dry fast. I have ASAT camo that I can put on over anything else that I wear so I tend to look at some of the tree hugger stuff for clothing. I also have some friends who really like Sitka gear too. Just make sure that it is good, warm and light.

Always have a small kit with everything you need to get by for a day or two tucked away in your pack. Make sure that it has first aid gear, asprin, FIRE STARTING MATERIAL, some energy bars and whatever else small you would need to make it through a night. This needs to be something small that you ALWAYS have with you.

I learned my lesson on that the hard way. Opening day of the archery hunt last year I took my daughter up into the High Uintas with me. It was the middle of August and looked to be a great day. For some reason I forgot my safety pack in the truck. We hiked in a few hours and were hit by a blizzard. It was a white out. I have good gear and was just fine. My daughter didnt and was a little cold and wet. I grabbed my pack and noticed I had forgotten my safety pack with matches in the truck. Nothing life threatening but it would have been much nicer and we would have dried her out 10 times faster with a good fire. Its something that I wont forget again.

By the way all of my packs now have a swedish fire steel attacked to them. I found these after that hunt and got a few. I think they are the very best fire starter out. They work wet or dry and are awesome. I have an old pill bottle stuffed with cotton balls dipped in petroleum jelly. I put these and a Swedish firestarter in a small bag. Its light and will start a feir anywhere and in any condition that I have tried so far.

Just a few of my thoughts.


respect my authorita

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Once you start trying to "live off the land" I think you're shifting the goal or challenge to surviving instead of hunting. To find the amount of calories you need per day in the wilderness would be a full time job in most places and run you ragged, not leaving you much time to focus on hunting. One of the reasons for bringing in lighweight shelter/food is so you don't have to worry about that when you get to whereever it is you are going, and so you can maintain the energy to keep hunting for more than a couple of days.

 

[7]

A good source of information is David Longs book "Public Land Mulies". I try to buy the best equipment i can afford especially when it comes to sleeping bags & tents. Going in light for a few days of hunting or scouting is tuff no matter how good of shape you're in. The biggest problem in my opinion is finding water. Equipment that's to heavy is just gonna wear you down after a few days. I think if you have an opportunity to read Davids book it will answer most of your questions.

7 Mag

 

[gb22]

I've done what you're describing (backcountry solo hunts) for over 35 years. Over time, the equipment has REALLY improved and so has the comfort level (which enables old guys like me to keep doing it). I've now acquired llamas, which make it possible for me to go 10 days (or more) ANY place I want...AND bring back the game.

I agree with the previous comment that living off the land (except shelter) necessarily changes your focus from trophy hunting (not worth packing a 3-point from back there) to food gathering.

I strongly recommend getting the best and lightest-weight equipment you can find...it will allow you to concentrate on WHY you wanted to walk uphill all that distance.


Within the shadows, go quietly.

 

[LuckyShot]

I've done it all. I lived for two weeks naked in the mountains above Salt Lake eating rocks and mud.....oh...and I was tazered twice by unsuspecting hikers......I spent 13 days above timberline in the Tetons with only a golf ball and three thimbles....dont ask. In the summer of '06 I survived an early monsoon in the high country of Colorado by eating six of my own fingers and cutting one arm off....it wasnt mine, but thats not the point. Last fall I left my truck for three weeks at a trailhead with no name and disappeard into the bush for more than a month. Nobody has heard from me since. Next summer I will go to Alaska and live amongst the coastal browns with no gun...I will swim with them, talk with them and live with them and I will film the entire adventure.....I'll let you know how that one works out.....

 

[HKShooter]

HIMTN +1. That isn't hunting, it is surviving. Big difference. And Lucky you are a funny mofo I LMAO.

HK

 

[EROCK1313]

There are some great points made and the point about "Surviving" versus "Trophy Hunting" is excellent reasoning as why to being light weight gear.

But what about the perspective of "Caching" necessary and essential items? Would this seem like a reasonable solution to my quandary and if so, what precautions or tips etc for this?? It seems like this might kill two birds with one stone...Minimal Pack Weight and Essentials readily available. Do many of you do this?


?-ERock-> ?

 

[wvbowhunterinalaska]

Cameron Hanes book "Backcountry Bowhunting" is another good read. give that one a little look see.
WVBOWAK

 

[GotBowAz]

I just bought Cameron?s Backcountry Bowhunting book at the expo here in Arizona last weekend. I haven't had time to read it yet but I am looking forward to it.

I agree with much that has been said. While it is true you want to be as light as possible you don't want to have to be surviving as well. It will take away from your hunt. However I backpacked into a wilderness area for 8 days back in December. It was awesome but that 60 lb pack was heavy. While I was where I hunted I found a nice cave real roomy and I had the same thoughts on caching essentials there as well as using it in place of a tent. It would also save on time setting up a camp and it wasn?t too far from a water source. It would take a little work to close off the face initially but it would be nice and comfy. However living in Arizona there are creepy little critters (SNAKES) I would be afraid might make it a home. It would still be nice and a weight saver to have something like that if you hunted the same area year after year. Just my thoughts on it.

GBA

 

[sab]

Caching can be a touchy subject. It is not always a legal option (check regulations before you decide to do it), and when it is legal, it needs to be done responsibly. This subject came up on another forum last hunting season, and the debate got heated at times because people have found all sorts of strange items "cached" in wilderness areas (one man's trash is another man's treasure sort of thing).

 

[HiMtnHntr]

I have done some "caching". During late scouting (about a week before the season), I have packed in some gear. In addition to a tent, I packed in some dehydrated soups and other items, which I stored in milk jugs and hung them high above the ground off of tree limbs. It snowed a foot over the week and when I went in with a friend from out of state I thought some a-hole stole my tent, only to find that the snow had collapsed it. Luckily, the poles were of good quality and it bounced right back up. I've also packed water into relatively dry areas. Water is heavy, so I don't recommend packing it in unless absolutely necessary. It helps when packing light to get into a "lightweight frame of mind". This means shaving weight off of anything and everything, from unnecessary map material to straps on your backpack, to pockets and tags on your clothing. I jettison all stuff sacks save for my sleeping bag sack, which hangs on the outside of my 3000 ci pack. Let your pack act as your stuff sack and save yourself from packing all that unnecessary weight (ie: camera case, tent sack, other sacks, etc . . .) Use a folding knife without the case, don't carry a saw, cartrige holder, or any other unnecessary items. You'll be suprised at how much weight you can save when you get into this frame of mind. The only things not to skimp on are sleeping bag/pad. Your extra clothes can double as a pillow, along with a few quarter bags, which can also act as padding for breakable items such as cameras. Don't carry bino cases, spotting scope cases, etc . . . I've backpacked with a lot of guys and most carry too much stuff that they don't need, like full length tooth brushes, full rolls of toilet paper, pillows, etc . . . It may sound silly, but all that stuff adds up to weight you will be carrying. Truly hunting with your camp on your back is extremely difficult, and going over every inch of your gear will make the experience much more enjoyable . . .

 

[HardcoreOutdoor]

My Bare Minimum

In addition to the things I am wearing and carrying in my pockets this is what I have in a small pack for when I might have to sit on something over night or just want to do a two day out and back bivy hunt. Anymore than two nights bivy style take a toll on me, I am getting old.

Western Mountaineering Flight down jacket
? length ThermaRest
48oz Nalgene bottle of water
Ultralight, compact umbrella
Basic fire making kit
License, ID card, lion tag, map
Food-dried fruit chips, Cliff Bars, hard candy, Ensure Powder
Basic First Aid Kit-Benadryl tabs, EpiPen, Ibuprofen tabs,
Pepto Bismul tabs, duct tape, combat bandage
Insect repellant towellette
Sunscreen towellette
Garmin Foretrex 101 GPS
Suunto wrist compass
Petzl Tikka Plus 2 headlamp
Toilet paper and wet wipes
Commando wire saw
Disposable heat packets
SPOT Satellite Messenger gen 2
OR Fleece Balaclava
Nylon meat bags

This weighs right at 8 lbs not counting the pack.

Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com