Backpack hunting is a great way to access areas with less pressure. Hunting off your back is both a freeing but also challenging way to hunt. An important aspect of backpack hunting is to load your pack properly to ensure your gear doesn’t wear you out over the course of a long hunt. Here are some strategies to help set up your backcountry pack.
Load Distribution
One of the first things to consider when loading your pack is how you want the load distributed. The first and most obvious is that you want to keep your load balanced. Constantly having to over come the load leaning to one side is exhausting and can lead to injuries. It is also more difficult to traverse broken terrain with a lopsided pack.
Another consideration is where you place the densest parts of the load. You want the heavier items to be carried about midway up your spine and as tight to your back as possible. This means that your heaviest items shouldn’t be located in the very bottom or the very top of your pack. Use lightweight items such as sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and clothes to fill space to hold heavier items like food and water tight to your back and midway up your pack.
Also, most purpose built hunting packs like the Stone Glacier, Exo, and Mystery Ranch packs have a shelf between the frame and bag for meat. One option for extended duration hunts is storing extra food or water in the meat shelf. This places these heavy items in the ideal location for packing, at the tradeoff of slower access.
Gear Access
While optimal load distribution makes carrying gear easier, it should not come at the cost of effectiveness in the field. Making sure that critical equipment is available at a moments notice is essential to making the most of opportunities. Items like tripods and rifles should be strapped to the outside of the pack where they can be accessed quickly. Other items can be stored based on their likely urgency of access.
For example, my sleeping bag is never accessed in a hurry so it is stored at the bottom of the pack. Conversely, that days food, water purification, and insulating layers are stored near the top for quick access. Rain gear usually goes on an external pocket, because when you need it you need it quickly. Go through your gear and optimize its location in the pack based off of it’s density and how quickly and often you need to access it.
Closing Thoughts
In conclusion, backpack hunting opens up a ton of new hunting ground. A properly filled pack lets you access these areas without undue strain on your body. Make sure to keep your densest equipment tight to the midpoint of your back. Furthermore, prioritize gear by how often and quickly you need to access it and make sure you can get to it quickly when you need it. These tips will make you more effective when you’re miles from the road.