Packs/Bags

[ChrisS]

While hunting, what works best for you?
Do you strictly use a possibles bag, or do some use a more modern waist/belt pack?
If you use a possibles bag, what separates a good one from the others.
Thanks.

 

[Pork Chop]

I use a game vest with a lot of pockets. That way, I can always reach for what I am after without having to dig through junk...

 

[rabjr]

Depends on how traditional you want to be. Also just what you want/need to carry. You really don't need to carry a whole lot on a days hunting trip so a belt pouch would be perfect for most people. But you can't beat the feel carrying a nice bag/horn with ya out into the woods. :thumbsup:
http://www.nimrodsplace.com/deerharvests.html

 

[BrownBear]

I started out using pockets and belt pouches, but was getting pretty frustrated. It was hard to remember what was in which pocket from one hunt to the next, and really easy to go off and leave something at home.

My belt pouches kept getting bigger and more and more of my stuff went in there rather than scattered around my pockets. But I also started thinning the gear I carried.

There came a point when the belt pouch (or fanny pack) was big enough that it was often in the way or out of reach in tight brush like I hunt.

I finally got around to trying a possibles bag, and based on practical considerations only, it made more sense and worked better than anything I've tried.

One thing is happening now, though. I've kept on paring back what pack, and the possibles bag that used to seem too small is now too big with stuff rattling around in it. My next move will be to a smaller possibles bag.

Powder horns tend to be way too big, too. On deer and big game hunts if a horn is big enough for more than half a dozen charges, it's too big.

 

[Rancocas]

I use a longrifle or sometimes a fowler and carry my shot bag with all the accoutrements necessary to keep the gun working, plus a powder horn - but, I generally just wear modern clothes and boots.
For one day hunts I use a small daypack (backpack) to carry my lunch, a book, water bottle, camera, map, camp saw, rope, maybe an extra sweatshirt or rainjacket, and a square of canvas to sit on. I don't like electronics, and won't use them, but I always have a compass in my pocket.
I often take longer hunts, overnight or over several nights, and hike back to some remote areas. For these trips, I made myself an "Alaska Packboard" and use it to carry all my camp gear. I use a 8'x10' tarp instead of a tent. (like a diamond shelter, except of modern material.)
Sometimes I use a canoe to get into some remote creekside areas or large islands, for camping and hunting. The canoe makes it easy to carry lots of stuff, and easy to carry out a deer or even something larger.

 

[flintlock75]

When I hunt Big Game I have a heavy wool belt bag that has 2 pockets, the rear pocket holds a powder flask and a small canvas bag with gun tools and short starter. The front pocket has 10 balls and patches, and 5 speedloaders. Light and simple, its out of the way and makes no noise going through brush. I also carry a canvas haversack, this holds all my trail gear and lunch, everything I need for several days in the woods as needed. If I am out for a day of small game hunting I carry my traditional over the shoulder shooting bag with powder horn and shot horn. + my haversack, I never go to the woods without the haversack.

 

[tg]

I just use a shooting bag about 8x8 inches, in which I carry balls/pathces loose in the bottom and extra flints and cleaning worm and turn screw wrapped in leather,a clean rag, a folding knife, and tin of lube, a powder measure hangs from a thong and is put in the bag, If I am going out for the day I will carry a haversack or knapsack with food/drink,rope, firestarting kit, and misc goodies as meet my fancy for the day, I carry one horn of 3f to charge and prime, I usually wear full traditional clouthing but on a quick trip may just wear my wrap coat over regular pants and shirt.

 

[Robert Egler]

For every hunt I carry

1)a shooting bag (balls, patches, shot, jag, extra flint, powder and shot measures),

2) a possibles bag: flint and steel kit (I sometimes just eat a squirrel for lunch rather than take him home to cook)a towel, a small first aid kit (which gets used a lot, actually!) compass, map, food (usually just some bread and cheese for a day hunt.)

3) powder horns (prime and charge horns)

4) a canteen.

5) a small tomahawk, and a smallish (8 inch total)belt knife.

of course if I'm going out for a couple days I also take a home made wood-frame backpack with a tent, a sleeping bag, a small kerosene lantern, and more food.

And I'll admit it, when I going someplace new or that I'm not that familiar with, if the area is large, like a national forest, I take a hand held GPS. :surrender:

 

[oletymepreacher]

When big game hunting, I like to hunt in wilderness areas here in Colorado. If on foot, all the gun stuff goes in the shooting bag, over the day's chow. Possibles bag is on left hip and carries gear I can't live without, spare socks, sewing kit, extra bandanas- and other stuff loaded to the gills. I'll usually packbasket the camp, as I'll usually climb/hike at least five miles into prime spots.
If horseback, I'll have the shooting bag and possibles bag on me and the horse gets the rest along with panniers rolled up that will fit over the riding saddle on the off chance I'll kill something, and a more comfortable camp will be packed in his saddle bags which are mounted behind the cantle, and another set mounted on the pommel. Much prefer the horse carrying everything.

 

[Bountyhunter]

You sort of have a dichotomy here. Most states require you to wear X~number of inches of hunter orange plus a hunter orange cap. Sorta defeats the fun of wearin skins. So,

I just dress normal and take my ML rifle. I wear a USAF pilots survival vest with necessities of life just in case under my coat. But still, you have to wear that stupid, crackling, flopping, plastic orange vest even when you hunt on your own land.

 

[Pork Chop]

But still, you have to wear that stupid, crackling, flopping, plastic orange vest even when you hunt on your own land.

I bought a new small game vest this year (tired of blood on my pants from small game...). It is designed for turkey hunters, so it is all camo. Normally I avoid camo, but this was a deal. To meet the orange requirement, it has 4 straps that you flip out the back that have sufficient coverage. I thought it was neat. It also has a built in seat and back cushion for sitting on the ground. All in all, it is nice. We will see how well it works.

 

[paulvallandigham]

The requirement is that the upper body be covered in blaze orange. I have several jackets and vests make of soft fabrics that are blaze orange, and do not crackle, or make noise like plastic does. If you look just a little, I am sure you can find a softer substitute, and get rid of that road worker blaze orange, plastic vest, made to be worn in the heat of the summer.

 

[Stumpkiller]

For all shooting I have a relatively small bag that contains just what I need to load and clean my rifle. 30 to 60 shots depending on my plans. I carry a seperate haversack (either a gussied up Calico Jack version with leather trim or a cheap $12 Jas. Townsend version) for the other necessities.

 

[longcruise]

I've done it all different ways. Sometimes just three or four plastic tube speed loaders in my pocket along with a few wiping patches in a cap tin to wipe with and to keep the caps from clinking.

Lately I use a shooting bag with one small inner pocket. The inner pocket has a lost patch retriever, a nipple wrench and some wiping patches. In the rest of the bag is a short starter, a small bottle of lube and whatever number of balls I might need. I have put up to 50 balls in the bag for a match but for hunting a dozen is more than enough. Patch knife in a sheath sewn to the bag strap and powder horn hanging off the bag straps and under the bag. Measure and leather capper are on the same thong hung around the neck with the capper and measure pushed into a shirt pocke to keep them dry and out of the way. Patch material is hung either from button on my shirt or is interwoven with the powder horn buckle on the front strap.

With that set up I can stand on a shooting line and shoot all day or hunt for four or five days and never go wanting for shooting gear. Only addition for shooting on a firing line is a wrought iron rifle support and a range rod. The range rod only to minimize bore wear.

The simpler the better!

 

[Robert Egler]

Here in NC you are only required to wear an orange hat, which is all the orange I wear.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Illinois recently began requiring upland game hunters to wear blaze orange hats, and it reduced our hunting accidents where the shooter " didn't see his buddy " and managed to injury a member of his own hunting party at distances of under 50 yards. Since the head is the highest part of the body, its has the best chance of being seen over brush, and through trees, or standing corn. If I had to pick one or the other, wearing a blaze orange hat would be the biggest contribution to personal safety. I wear a knitted hat, in the style of a french voyageur's hat, in blaze orange colored yarn for most of my hunting. I also have a blaze orange hooded sweatshirt, baseball caps, and even a hard synthetic insulated hat with ear flaps, that sheds water well, for cold, rainy, or snowy hunts. On bright clear days, I wear the baseball hat under my wool knit hat, so I can shade my eyes to see better. The hooded sweatshirt is word on cold mornings when I expect the temperature to rise into the 40s, and 50s during the day. The hood keeps heat around my face and ears as I walk out to my stand. I use the baseball caps ONLY when hunting upland game in the early fall when temperatures are often in the 50s-70s.

My vests include insulated ones, and pull over shells, the hooded sweatshirt, and even a blaze orange camo shell I wear with a solid BO vest if I am going to be stalking, to break up my out line and impede seeing arm and hand movement by using the camo sleeves to challenge the depth perception of deer.

On very bright days, I use a standard camo face net to reduce my image and break up my outline. It works. I have had deer come very near to me, and pass by without noting my location. I have had coyote walk under me when I was standing on a tree limb six feet off the ground. But, understand, I always also wear our required 400 sq. inches of BO body cover, and a BO hat.

Back in 1989, I went on a boar hunt near Monterrey, Tennessee, on January 1. It snowed the night before we left, and there was still snow on the ground in Tennessee when we arrived( rare event). It was below freezing the next morning so I climbed into my insulated, BO overalls, and trekked up the side of a wooded hill on the property to take a stand I was assigned. The rest of the part of 7 killed boars that first day, with all kinds of guns, and bows and arrows. I saw very few boar up on the hill, but my friends spent the afternoon down below looking up in the bright sunlight, trying to find me. When I stood absolutely still, they could not see me in the trees, even with the 6 feet of BO covering me. Oh, I had that warm wool hat on, too. Only if I moved were they able to locate me.

From here comments I learned that practicing being ABSOLUTE STILL is the most important skill you can master to be a better hunter. For safety, NO amount of BO is going to protect you unless you do move. AND, you are more likely to move your head than the rest of your body. So, wear that BO hat.

If you are an archery hunter, and can hunt in modern camo, wear a BO Hat going and coming from your stand, so you are seen by other hunters.

You can always take that off, and put another camo hat or mask on when you get to your blind or stand. :hmm: :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

But still, you have to wear that stupid, crackling, flopping, plastic orange vest even when you hunt on your own land.

I don't know if they still make them, but at one time Pendleton made bird hunting vests, cruiser vests and jackets out of international orange wool. I snagged a bird vest and gave it to a friend, but always regretted not picking up more to wear in states that require the orange. The wool is sure a lot quieter than the plastic. It might be interesting to get some of their wool and make a coat or vest in a style that better suited a ML hunter.

 

[XXX]

I find myself going lighter and simpler with each season and within the season. The traditional aspect of this hobby has lead me to question the need for all the gearhead trash people think they need for a day in the woods and once you go light, it is hard to go heavy again. I keep a specific possibles bag for every ML and it only contains what is required to service the weapon. I only take enough powder and ball for a few shots, which means some speed loaders and a flask are all that is required. Everything else either goes on the belt or in a pocket. It is satisfying to get the Cabela's catelog in the mail and think to yourself while fipping through it that you don't need any of this heavy, expensive, "stuff" before the season starts.

 

[BrownBear]

I don't know if they still make them, but at one time Pendleton made bird hunting vests, cruiser vests and jackets out of international orange wool. I snagged a bird vest and gave it to a friend, but always regretted not picking up more to wear in states that require the orange. The wool is sure a lot quieter than the plastic. It might be interesting to get some of their wool and make a coat or vest in a style that better suited a ML hunter.

I just checked the Pendleton site and they've yuppied out. No practical work clothing and no orange fabric. Drat!

 

[BrownBear]

Good ole Google.

Here is an interesting one if red is okay.

This one is orange, but looks like the fabric is not wool.

If a jacket appeals, this one is right up there.