Comprehensive Prep for Self-Sufficient Wilderness Hunts
What do I need for a backcountry hunt? I love diving deep into the wilderness in pursuit of wild game, carrying everything I need for a weeklong hunt on my back. The solitude, the unpredictability, and the rawness of chasing animals on their turf keeps me coming back year after year. You may be new to hunting or afraid to take a trip alone. I’ll share my gear list that I’ve spent many years finetuning with hopes it’ll help you in preparation for your own adventure. While some items change depending on the season or target species, the core of my kit remains consistent.
Clothing: Merino socks, merino boxer, base layer bottom and top, lightweight active pant, windbreaker jacket, insulation jacket and pant, rain gear jacket and pant, beanie and hat, down socks, fingerless wool gloves, wool mittens, deerskin mittens, crocs, boots, and gaiters
That system allows me to be comfortable for whatever weather gets thrown my way. I will always pack one extra set of socks, nothing else I pack extra of.
Sleeping System: Tent and stakes, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, inflatable pillow, and tyvek sheet
I like running a floorless tipi. Early season, I will only pack in the tipi. When I expect cold weather, I pack in my titanium stove. If you don’t like bugs, pack an enclosed tent. I stuff my clothes and sleeping system minus the tent into a dry sack.
Cooking and Food: Daily food bag, jet boil and fuel, titanium cup, titanium spork, water filtering system, steripen, coffee filters, bladders for storing water, and two water bottles (wide mouths)
I have a breakfast and dinner with a snack bag all equaling 3,500 calories per day. Mix it up, don’t eat the same thing over and over and take food you enjoy eating. Coffee filters are nice when it’s late season and everything is frozen. Gravity filters don’t work due to freezing, so melting snow and filtering it through the coffee filter down into your water bottle and then using a steripen has worked great for me.
Kill Kit: Game bags, license/tags, rubber gloves, two knives with a sharpener, rope, and tape
Glassing: Bino harness, binos, wind checker, glassing pad, tripod, spotting scope, and adapters for recording
Other Gear: Backpack, first-aid kit, solar charger, battery pack with charger cords, Garmin inReach, tarp, contractor bag, small saw, trekking poles, two headlamps, small tent lantern, two polymer twist cable ties, sidearm, fire starters with two lighters, dude wipes, toothbrush and paste, gold bond, eye drops, cough drops, q-tips, and ear plugs
Weapon: Rangefinder, calls, your weapon of choice, and tools for fixing problems
My pack typically weighs around 65 lbs. To prepare, I train with a 90 lb. pack during the off-season so that by the time hunting season arrives, I’m fully conditioned for the load. If you are interested in specific brands of each item I use, you can find a gear link on our website or feel free to reach out to me for specifics.