# Outdoors > Gear and Equipment >  How big a pack?

## Danny

Does one need for the basic experience for maybe three nights in the wide world north island style? I am looking at buying a new pack and thinking maybe 60L would do it...?

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## JasonW

I got a Macpac Ravine 65L for $199 at the macpac sale the other day, the guy fitted it to me with sandbags so it didnt protrude up past my shoulders which was one of my stipulations, I will be using that mostly as a daypack and for work though I think you could go a couple of days out of if easy.  

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## Biggun708

I use a 45 litre Macpac weka...easy big enough for 3days with fly mattress etc... Check out Macpac clearance page mean deal on 50 litre pack, down to $150 with another 20% off in store... Wouldn't mind a spare for myself... 
Mind you, the way you breeding a 60 litre might be good to pack in those extra nappies...  :Have A Nice Day:

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## GWH

I find it comes down to what sort of hunting you will be doing.  Ie if I'm going into open country and plan to be shooting at longer range I have extra gear to take. Big camera and tripod, bigger binos, range finder pouch etc etc. No way I could get all my over night gear and the above gear in a 45L pack, let alone 3 nights.

65L Macpac for me.

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## Shearer

If you plan on shooting something you have to consider what you are carrying out, not what you are carrying in.
I am still using my 75 litre Fairy Down Terra Nova and I have never found it too big on the way in. Sometimes only just big enough on the way out.

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## veitnamcam

Not that I have been doing f all lately but I can do two nights comfortably out of my 35l elberstock, thats bivi bag,sleeping bag,rifle ,cooking gear,food, water bottle,emergency equipment,full change of clothes, binos,rangefinder, phone,camera, knife etc etc and still manage to pack out all meat from a red.

The bigger the pack the more stuff you will put in there guaranteed!

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## Shearer

> Not that I have been doing f all lately but I can do two nights comfortably out of my 35l elberstock, thats bivi bag,sleeping bag,rifle ,cooking gear,food, water bottle,emergency equipment,full change of clothes, binos,rangefinder, phone,camera, knife etc etc and still manage to pack out all meat from a red.
> 
> The bigger the pack the more stuff you will put in there guaranteed!


What you take in is just a matter of self control VC and I am usually limited by weight on the way out, not room.

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## Danny

Thanks, interesting points - the 35L vs 60L and I'll be packing in only bare necessities for bush stalking and a fly camp, so simply wet weather gear, tent and odds and sods. 
As far as meat is concerned my twinneedle pack is ample and the question would just be if I can strap it onto the other. 
One point the rain up here (and it seems to always be raining) is to me almost worse than the cold as wet weather gear becomes a must have and then packing the wet crap out again is a bugger.

I'd almost say that 40L would be too small for my needs...

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## Micky Duck

I wont go anywhere without my 85ltr pack...... day hunt is a pikau but overnight and the big pack comes along.

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## WallyR

Used an ex-BHP Billiton supplied pack for a 3 dayer in the Tararua's - Monday after Kaikoura.
Worked for BHP, 7 years, in NW of WA until I retired and came home.
Weather was raining, blowing and ground shaking.
Pack was great as a day in/out type, but was a little overloaded for 2-3 day expeditions, estimated 25L - not that comfortable.
Xmas was very pleasant - Stoney Creek Buller 60+10 - which has yet to be used.
Too much else interfering with an expedition to test it out.
$400 including discount at H&F Masterton.

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## grunzter

http://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co.n...ade-90l-32197/

...make an offer, its like new.  :Have A Nice Day:

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## deer243

> Not that I have been doing f all lately but I can do two nights comfortably out of my 35l elberstock, thats bivi bag,sleeping bag,rifle ,cooking gear,food, water bottle,emergency equipment,full change of clothes, binos,rangefinder, phone,camera, knife etc etc and still manage to pack out all meat from a red.
> 
> The bigger the pack the more stuff you will put in there guaranteed!


35 l? I dont think i could do that with all the gear plus a boned out animal.Good on you if you can but i need a bigger pack for sure. Thinking my Badlands 2800 might just be big enough but havnt done any fly camps as yet and that be the smallest i go i was thinking.

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## veitnamcam

> 35 l? I dont think i could do that with all the gear plus a boned out animal.Good on you if you can but i need a bigger pack for sure. Thinking my Badlands 2800 might just be big enough but havnt done any fly camps as yet and that be the smallest i go i was thinking.


It is a squeeze but I deliberately got a smaller pack to make me take less shit.

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## scoped

i cant see how you can really take enough gear to be safe for all year round hunting with a 35-40 litre pack. you must have a very compact sleeping mat and bag, and be able to fit 2 back legs and backsteaks if you shoot something.

personally though, for a lightweight trip ill take a 60ish litre pack, i have two.. a deuter and an exped (weighs 1kg)

youll want to take into consideration the sort of gear youre using for the time of year, in summer its easy to get away with just a fly and a warm jersey, but a trip on the tops or maybe in winter you might want to pack a proper tent, so there goes up your need for warm gear and might need some extra pack space

for longer trips i was using a 80 litre macpac but the harness wasnt adjustable so i bought a tatonka which has awesome adjustment for any size person and at 90 litres it has more than enough room for a week or two expedition. ill usually take a pikau or soft foldable daypack for hunting away from camp

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## Smiddy

You should put up a pic of your gear beside your pack @vietnamcam for a 3 nighter


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## 223nut

Going through this myself now. 35l karramor with my twin needle belt under it (still hasn't arrived... Ordered over a month ago....) and binos harness on the front. Don't think I will quite fit everything in for 4 days as I need the tent for a few nights.... Think I'll need to take the big pack,can others have said it's what you carry out. Not only venison but there's usually rubbish somewhere to be removed

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## Got-ya

Following this with a great deal of interest. I was looking at a Cactus Huntaway 45+10 as a 1 or 2 night pack.

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## deer243

> It is a squeeze but I deliberately got a smaller pack to make me take less shit.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G800Y using Tapatalk


Mmm see what you saying but wouldnt it be better to have a half full bigger pack than a smaller one overfilled for comfort etc and the extra room if you need it.You just need self control VC and dont take that extra crap you dont need :Thumbsup: . A boned out deer just takes alot of room and i hate to have a smaller pack and waste meat if i couldnt fit in etc. My badlands 2800 is 47 l . Think that be ok but have to pack well to make sure that i could carry meat out. At least the badlands can handle as much weight as you can load it with, strong as a ox.  still think i rather have a 60l thou, esp for colder or wetter trips

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## possum_shooter

Only you can answer this.
Go into Macpac or what ever shop that sells the pack you like.  Take all your  gear with you and try packing it into the pack you want.  With in 5 minutes you will know if its big enough or not.  Saves buying a pack then discovering you cant get all your gear in.

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## 223nut

> Only you can answer this.
> Go into Macpac or what ever shop that sells the pack you like.  Take all your  gear with you and try packing it into the pack you want.  With in 5 minutes you will know if its big enough or not.  Saves buying a pack then discovering you cant get all your gear in.


Polite thing is to take a pack liner as well  :Thumbsup:  or buy one off them and get the pack somewhere else

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## Huntn

All depends on what type of hunting you are doing I reckon.
For me most of my hunting is bush hunting in the Kaimanawa's. I use a 42L Stoney creek bag and find it perfect for the kind of hunting I do and has plenty of room for all my gear for 3 or 4 nights plus can fit in a couple of boned out sika on the way out.

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## 25/08IMP

> All depends on what type of hunting you are doing I reckon.
> For me most of my hunting is bush hunting in the Kaimanawa's. I use a 42L Stoney creek bag and find it perfect for the kind of hunting I do and has plenty of room for all my gear for 3 or 4 nights plus can fit in a couple of boned out sika on the way out.


Hi Just wondering what sleeping bag you use as mine takes up half of my 42L pack.

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## Huntn

> Hi Just wondering what sleeping bag you use as mine takes up half of my 42L pack.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


Macpac Epic 400 sleeping bag inside a compression sack, Big Agnes fly creek UL2 tent also in a compression sack, Thermarest NeoAir sleeping mat and Tahr Anorak jacket are the 4 main/biggest items that go in first and take up bit less than 1/3 of the pack space.

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## 223nut

> Hi Just wondering what sleeping bag you use as mine takes up half of my 42L pack.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk


What sleeping bag have you got that takes up 20l!!  :Wtfsmilie:  can't say I have measured mine but mines a macpac bag and it's prob 30cm by 10. Comparing it to a 3l juice bottle it's maybe 8 litres and keeps me warm even wih a few cm of snow of the ground

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## 25/08IMP

Just had mine replaced under warranty it's a Domex 1.8kg and a big bugger  but buy the time I get that and my neo air pad and cooker etc and a fly and food there would be no room left. I would love to get one half the size. I may have over exaggerated a bit about how much room it takes up.
Also what's a good  day pack about 40L that will room up to fit in your main pack. 

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## Biggun708

It really does depend on where in the country you are. Here in Te Urewera country we are seldom 3 or 4 hours walk from a nice cosy hut...that's winter sorted. Summer fly camping consists of a sil nylon tarp and an exped ul mattress... Good quality 550-600gm  down sleeping bag some dehy and a change of clothes... 40 - 50 litre pack is heaps... Wtf do you put in a 85 - 90 litre pack? Your horse???

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## veitnamcam

> You should put up a pic of your gear beside your pack @vietnamcam for a 3 nighter
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


There already is on  here from the last time someone (EBF I think?) asked exactly that.
I went to that after watching Adam put everything in for a couple nights in his 35l and I had a 15l day pack and 70l main pack and was like wtf i need to sort this shit out!

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## gonetropo

i have an 85 liter tikka pack. great for long and short trips. you can always release your sleeping bag etc to fill up the volume and pack it in tighter later for meat extraction, the main thing in packs is a good fit. some of all are tall and thin, some are short and wide

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## Smiddy

> There already is on  here from the last time someone (EBF I think?) asked exactly that.
> I went to that after watching Adam put everything in for a couple nights in his 35l and I had a 15l day pack and 70l main pack and was like wtf i need to sort this shit out!


Lol that old pack of his seen some loads 


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## Bonecrusher

K2 - Hunting packs, the gear for the serious outdoors designed specially for hunters Tapawera - K-2 Antarctic Products Packs, Bags, Canvas and Pvc Products, Tapawera

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## JoshC

75L Macpac Cascade. Heaps of room. Good for 3 days to at least 10 in the hills. Plus room for meat/skins on the pack out.

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## Danny

Anyone had a exped 40 or 60L Lightening?
They look light but a lot cheaper than the cactus and some of these huge Macpac designs. I think 60L will be the largest I'll be going at this stage. 


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## Nick-D

Yeah I've got the lightening 60. Has held up well for me so far and is the most comfortable harness I have ever used. Carries a load super well. They are pretty minimalistic though so not the thing if you like a million pockets. I can squeeze 7 days out of mine

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## Danny

> Yeah I've got the lightening 60. Has held up well for me so far and is the most comfortable harness I have ever used. Carries a load super well. They are pretty minimalistic though so not the thing if you like a million pockets. I can squeeze 7 days out of mine


Thanks mate.

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## scoped

Yup I'll endorse the lightning 60. A mate liked mine so much he bought one too. Its really only a summer /lightweight pack

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## Tim Dicko

75 litre tatonka bison

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## 25/08IMP

> Yup I'll endorse the lightning 60. A mate liked mine so much he bought one too. Its really only a summer /lightweight pack


Would these compress down to be used for a day pack. or would they be too big and noisey?

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## Shearer

Something not mentioned, but I have two 40 litre packs made by different manufactures and one is about 1/4 bigger than the other...
I guess they are not all comparably just by what size the label says.

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## scoped

> Would these compress down to be used for a day pack. or would they be too big and noisey?


Yep ive done this a few times, saves a bit of room

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## Nick-D

> Yep ive done this a few times, saves a bit of room


Yeah ive used it as such in open country, the material is actually pretty quiet. It sticks up a bit which is annoying IMO for the bush. Still doable but not ideal for bush stalking

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## Philipo

Ive got over night packs ranging from the bullet proof Miklat 40lt ( it's a very tight 40 though ) 50lt Macpac Cascade to an Eberlstock J34 which is bomb proof but weighs a farken ton.

I'm soon heading off into the Rua's for a few days so went & got a new light weight 70lt for the trip. Ended up buying an Osprey aether 70. Seems to fit well, looks pretty good quality & hopefully will do the bizzo.

For me I can get away with a 50 for a couple of nights but need a little more space for any longer. Depends on what I'm taking eg tent, plenty of wet weather gear, spare clothes etc & if I'm taking a box of cans lol plus how much meat I'm hoping to score & bring out.

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## llewelyn

I have a markhor 55+10 solid pack have done 6 days in the ranges with this and will be doing 7 days in the ranges in april.

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