Colorado Elk Hunt...what gear?

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xmanpike

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So after my last thread on here, my friend and I decided on a Colorado Elk hunt. We have started gathering things we need, but figured I would ask you fine folk. We will be backpacking in and camping out for 5-6 days. We both have good packs already and are both training and conditioning as well.

What sort of tent, boots, sleeping bag, stove, etc?

Thanks

MC
 
What hunt code area are you going to be in? Elevation and date are the questions you need to answer. How many trips will you make to hike your gear in and out?

Have you ever done any backpacking?

When backpacking I prefer a super-light single burner stove with at least two fuel cans per. Coordinate your purchase with you hunt partner and get the same stove, that way you can get away with only 3 cans fuel combined. Cooking at altitude takes about 40% longer as boiling point of water at 11,000 ft is ~190. How close is your camp to where you want to hunt? If a mile or more you may be able to get away with cooking over a fire (you'll still probably want (1) stove for water in the mornings). How far from water source will you be? You'll drink 1-2 gallons each per day and still probably piss very little. Packing in 10 gallons of water is a bitch. I'd recommend a good filer AND a purifier so you can use stream/creek/river water.

I'm guessing you are going for second/third rifle season, might be cold might be warm. Last year was freezing, year before was ~70. I don't need a serious bag and use a 0 degree that I've had for 19 years. My hunt partner needs a -15 bag, your call. Backpacking: I don't use a tent, I use a bivi sack or non-at-all and bring an extra tarp and build my own. This is a great way to go with a partner as rope, two large tarps, a downed tree and some evergreen branches should suffice for shelter.

How far from your vehicle do you plan to stay? Thought about the effort needed to drag a 500 lb animal that far? Hope for cold temps, I lost 1/2 the critter that year it was so warm due to spoilage.


Weight weight and weight. Give us more info and we can better tailor the responses. Best of luck!
 
Havent decided on which unit yet. We are going to do that soon as apps are due by April 6. We are planning on going 1st rifle season. Non resident guys with 0 prefernce points, so we are still deciding where we think we should go.

Think we are going to hike in 5 or miles from vehicle. There is a real possibility that 1 or 2 more guys may join us, not to hunt, but just for the experience and to help out with the meat if we get lucky.

Currently we have our packs, am thinking about a Marmot trestle 0 degree bag. Ordered Katadyn (Vario) water purification system already.

Date will be mid october I think is when 1st rifle is.

Thanks
 
Well-broken in boots, waterproof, good ankle support, insulated and as light as you can find - outside of your rifle, probably the most important thing. Good wool blend socks that wick moisture away - several pairs. When I lived in Rifle, October was a time of change with VERY good chances of snow in the surrounding areas - silks, newer thermal blends, etc. Typical day-time temps can start cold, get warm, and get cold again very quickly, dressing in layers is paramount. Carrying space blankets worked when caught by a sudden snowstorm.,

Things that can have multiple purposes work wonders - TP - not only for the obvious, but decent firestarter, etc - you get the idea. Weight is your enemy - if you're maxed out, then you add the meat, it will be a major chore

Good luck
 
We are planning on going 1st rifle season. Non resident guys with 0 prefernce points
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Probably not going to work out too well for you, 0 points and first rifle usually mix as well as oil and water.

What tag; Bull, Cow or either?
 
Amazingly enough, I use a Marmot Trestles 0 degree bag. I prefer synthetic for hunting (even though it's heaver) because if you're out there and your down bag gets soaked, you're screwed. Last year it got down to about 16 degrees at night, and the year before it got down to 12. My alarm tells me.. "It's 5:30 am. 12 degrees." :\ The bag itself I honestly think is a 0 degree bag, because in the teens I was very cozy. Make sure to bring a lightweight closed cell foam pad for under your bag. Open cell is no bueno when it gets that cold.

Try to hike with your boots & a heavy pack to see how it goes. My Danner boots are extremely comfortable with no pack, however with a fully loaded frame pack they will chafe my heels a bit. Take a roll of Duck Tape for blisters & general purpose.

Plan on boiling & drinking (hopefully clean) stream water. Carrying water sucks. Elk drink too, so you won't be too far away from a drainage.

If you don't rent pack horses or mules, plan on boning out your kill. A bull hind quarter is one of the heaviest things I've ever carried on my back.

Good luck. :) The other guys all have good advice as well.
 
Methinks you should post your complete gear list. It may get torn apart and you'd learn a lot, or maybe you'll find out you're well prepared. And have you ever done a week long backpacking trip? Up elevation? In the mountains where it gets cold even in the summer? Every pound counts on long trips...
 
I think the idea of bringing a few friends along as pack mules is a great idea. They get to have a good time without the pressure of killing anything and you get some extra backs for packing stuff out.
Be nice to them and keep encouraging them to come.
 
This is a short list of things that would be good to have. When picking your gear think what is a need and what is a want and also think worst case scenario.


small day pack(pick your pack after you pick your gear that way you don't get to big of a bag and fill it up with gear you don't need.

Blanket of some kind and or a small tarp like Visqueen (clear plastic for painters). you just need something to keep the wind and weather of you you and 5X10 is more than enough.

Water purifier, Find at least a water bottle with a built in filter at minimum, a hand pump filter is best.

Fire source, a source if ignition and something to sustain flame. small and simple is best.

Small first aid kit. Nothing you don't know how to use. Keep it simple. Include an anti histamine Advil-Tylenol, and Midol(altitude sickness), and chocolate(altitude sickness)

Survival food, some thing you don't like to eat. That way if you need it you will have it. If it is something you like it is likely to disappear after lunch.

GPS and compass do have them and do you know how to use them? If not learn. If you are going with your brother then look into getting a set or Garmin Rinos. Very good GPS unite combined with a very good two way radio system.

Send for maps of the area, even though you are going with a guide you should still study maps of the area and learn the lay of the land a little bit.

A really good set of boots should be bought first thing in the morning and you should start breaking them in yesterday. Plan on insulated boots and non insulated. Bad boots will ruin your hunt so fast it will make your head spin.

Good luck and have lots of fun.

as far as tents go I like my Kelty, it is light and strong. I have a gunison or gunderson or something like that it sleeps 4, Its not as big as you think but only two poles and it sets up fast and works good. I also like MSR stoves, I have had mine since 1994.
 
Thanks for all the info so far guys. Here is a short list of the gear I have and the gear I think I still need.

HAVE:
Blacks Creek Canadian Pack(with day pack), my buddy has a Just one eberlestock
Just bought a Katadyn (Vario) water purification system
Garmin GPS
Danner Pronghorn 600 gram thinsulate waterproof boot, broken in
under armour or nike base layer underwear
fire piston, windproof lighter
MRE's

THIGS IM PLANNING ON GETTING:
Thermarest sleeping pad
synthetic fill sleeping bag (Marmot Trestle 0 degree)
tent....not sure yet which one
lantern?
Jetboil Flash cooking stove
Hiking Staff? Walking Stick?

Feel free to pick this apart!
 
Only you can answer that. Better try it out before you get out there and realize you can't carry everything you wanted.

Was thinking more of a complete gear list. The short doesn't tell us much.

2nd, 3rd source of fire? Flashlight? knives? para cord? There are so many things to think about...
 
I would suggest that you get all your needed gear together and then find a pack that can just hold that gear. My reason for that is if you have a pack larger than your gear you will fill up the space with gear you don't need.

Make sure that you have plenty of socks I would say that if you splurge on any thing make it socks. Being able to change socks at lunch after a day of hiking is such a great feeling. Make sure you have a sock system that will keep your feet dry or you will have blisters like you have never seen.

I did not see compass on your list. Make sure you have a compass and you know how to use it.

Topo maps of the area get some good maps of the area before you go.

Don't buy a real fancy stove, keep it light and simple.

fore go the lantern and get a head lamp.

Look into this web sight for your garmin maps http://miscjunk.org/ You need map source to use this but the topo detail is 100 times better than map sources maps.

Look into the Kelty line of tents. They are good quality stuff.
 
I agree. Leave the lantern. When it gets dark, go to bed. Pack a couple light LED flashlights to get around in the tent. Find a small, one-man tent that weighs less than 7lbs. The sleeping pad is going to be a personal decision, and it can be worth it, but after hiking one into the backcountry once, I marked it off my list for good.

Heaviest your pack should be? I'd say make it as light as you possibly can. I'm only guessing that between 30 & 40 lbs is about max for my pack.

Here is a good thread you might get some tips from.

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=478362

Also, a game dolly of some sort, makeshift or purpose built, could be good to have in the truck.
 
A really good set of boots should be bought first thing in the morning and you should start breaking them in yesterday. Plan on insulated boots and non insulated. Bad boots will ruin your hunt so fast it will make your head spin.
Click to expand...

^Plus one million^
 
Think we are going to hike in 5 or miles from vehicle. There is a real possibility that 1 or 2 more guys may join us, not to hunt, but just for the experience and to help out with the meat if we get lucky.
Click to expand...
I've read many times that 5 miles will get you back away from all the other hunters and that may be true but if that is your intent I would also take a good look at a drop camp option.
Something else to think about is taking 2 day hunts from a base camp and traveling real light. If you have a couple other guys along for the ride they can fish or sightsee and be back at camp when you return to help pack if needed. They can also ferry you around to points that will allow you to hunt back to camp. It is much easier to carry gear for an overnighter and come back to a well supplied truck camp for a good nights sleep and meal. This also lets you not over commit to an area that may not be as productive as you'd like. Having your buddys scout the areas other camps might help you locate the game better.
Just a thought.
 
Unless you draw a tag deep in a Wilderness, you will be more like 1-3 miles from a road.
Most all hunters 5 miles "in" will be guilded and packed in by the outfitter. You might need a pre-trip to scout your hunting area

In the early season, it will be pretty warm in the daytime, probably in the middle 20's at night. Your bag may make you sweat.

Just a note about the photo of the guys with the red jeep: Nowdays it is totally illegal to go offroad to load a big game kill.
 
You guys keep talking about boots and tent stakes and I can't believe this hasn't been locked yet. What's that got to do with hunting? :p
 
well blitzen, all this silly gear stuff we're talking about is specific to a very unique style of HUNTING. But thanks for the input. Somewhere I think I remember my mother saying, "If you can't find anything nice to say, don't say anything at all."
 
xmanpike, I'm kidden. All this has to do with hunting, as it should. Other threads have been locked for some unknown reason. simmer.
 
Find a small, one-man tent that weighs less than 7lbs.
Click to expand...

More like 3-4 for a one man, imo. 6 or 7 lbs for a 2-3 man.

I've read many times that 5 miles will get you back away from all the other hunters
Click to expand...

Just depends on the area. 1 mile in can get you in virgin territory if nobody hunts there. Other areas, even 10-12 miles in, and all you hear are 4-wheelers and chainsaws....
 
Just depends on the area. 1 mile in can get you in virgin territory if nobody hunts there. Other areas, even 10-12 miles in, and all you hear are 4-wheelers and chainsaws....
Click to expand...
That was with some sarcasim since it seems that is some magical number that the writers seem to believe the good hunting begins.
The fact is in Colorado and other states that have draw areas you can find fantastic trophy hunting rather close to the roads but it takes some scouting that these guys from Texas may not be able to do. They also need to start putting in for points in the draw so they can get into some of those areas.
Good hunting can be had in many general area as well and it doesn't take a 5 mile walk.
 
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