Thread: Beginner Hunter - need advice

Originally Posted by SmokeyJason

I flew into nz early in Dec and my pack with no food was 15 kg. I think my pack is way too heavy, it's a stones ck, 60lt +10. I'm thinking of downsizing to a ali foil sleeping bag and a 40 Lt pack, will try that if I come over this summer.

I too am an adult onset hunter and not a born and bred kiwi so thirty years behind everybody else as well. Started with a kifaru pack thinking it was a great idea... Weighed nearly 3kg empty and probably almost 4kg if it was wet... Biffed that for an osprey mutant 52. 1.5ish kg

A hut (in summer) means you practically don't need sleeping gear at all, nor a tent etc. A summer sleeping bag (or quilt if that's how you roll) should be half a Kg or less. Winter obviously different story.

Jetboils and the like are a joke. Bulky, heavy. I'll concede the windburners work well, but they're still heavy for the job. MSR pocket rocket solo set is a good budget cooker that takes up bugger all space and is light enough, a BRS titanium stove and 600ml titanium cup off aliexpress is even lighter and cheaper but I hear they are prone to melting the pot supports eventually.

I don't bother with water at all in a haast roar block, guaranteed it's either all around you or about to fall out of the sky... In the top of the south I carry a litre if I can't hear running water and only 3 or 4 if I'm climbing up and know I'm heading further from a known source rather than closer to another.

Picking the right layers and amount of extras is a learning curve you can only do through hard experience, but a great tip I've learnt is if your sleeping bag is rated warmer than you need it to be just go to sleep fully clothed and wet, you'll be dry in the morning. Packing spare dry layers to sleep in is a waste of time and weight, you'll end up putting wet stuff back on in the morning anyway. Wear merino, get wet and sleep in it, socks and all. I'll bet a box of ammo you'll be toasty dry come time to lace up the boots and slam back a coffee! I only carry extra layers now for adding to what I'm already wearing to keep warm, not to change into and out of. Spare socks and jocks for missions longer than 3 days (turn jocks inside out after second day) If you're really in the pissing rain for days on end, everything gets damp anyway and you're not drying anything.

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Originally Posted by Jt89

I too am an adult onset hunter and not a born and bred kiwi so thirty years behind everybody else as well. Started with a kifaru pack thinking it was a great idea... Weighed nearly 3kg empty and probably almost 4kg if it was wet... Biffed that for an osprey mutant 52. 1.5ish kg

A hut (in summer) means you practically don't need sleeping gear at all, nor a tent etc. A summer sleeping bag (or quilt if that's how you roll) should be half a Kg or less. Winter obviously different story.

Jetboils and the like are a joke. Bulky, heavy. I'll concede the windburners work well, but they're still heavy for the job. MSR pocket rocket solo set is a good budget cooker that takes up bugger all space and is light enough, a BRS titanium stove and 600ml titanium cup off aliexpress is even lighter and cheaper but I hear they are prone to melting the pot supports eventually.

I don't bother with water at all in a haast roar block, guaranteed it's either all around you or about to fall out of the sky... In the top of the south I carry a litre if I can't hear running water and only 3 or 4 if I'm climbing up and know I'm heading further from a known source rather than closer to another.

Picking the right layers and amount of extras is a learning curve you can only do through hard experience, but a great tip I've learnt is if your sleeping bag is rated warmer than you need it to be just go to sleep fully clothed and wet, you'll be dry in the morning. Packing spare dry layers to sleep in is a waste of time and weight, you'll end up putting wet stuff back on in the morning anyway. Wear merino, get wet and sleep in it, socks and all. I'll bet a box of ammo you'll be toasty dry come time to lace up the boots and slam back a coffee! I only carry extra layers now for adding to what I'm already wearing to keep warm, not to change into and out of. Spare socks and jocks for missions longer than 3 days (turn jocks inside out after second day) If you're really in the pissing rain for days on end, everything gets damp anyway and you're not drying anything.

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if you are doing it that way, A small bar of soap and a regular wash is a good idea. It saves your sleeping bag and sweat rash or jock itch can be no laughing matter when you are two days hike from the road end.

Originally Posted by whanahuia

if you are doing it that way, A small bar of soap and a regular wash is a good idea. It saves your sleeping bag and sweat rash or jock itch can be no laughing matter when you are two days hike from the road end.

yes the old rash 2-5 day trips I carry a small tube of an anti fungal - usually Fucidin and in a plastic bag some wet wipes - be prepared - culling and crossing rivers all day I think we became immune to rash but later on one river trip yup damn sore nether regions from numerous crossings - some fucidin and gone

Originally Posted by whanahuia

if you are doing it that way, A small bar of soap and a regular wash is a good idea. It saves your sleeping bag and sweat rash or jock itch can be no laughing matter when you are two days hike from the road end.

Yes should have said a small bar of soap and a swim in the creek is also part of that. A cold plunge in a mountain stream is bloody invigorating and good for you, handy time to scrub the 3 day old grundies clean.
Merino boxers from macpac, never had jock itch once.

I also figure if you're sleeping head to toe in merino it's bugger all different to using a sleeping bag liner. One less thing to carry.

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Originally Posted by Jt89

I also figure if you're sleeping head to toe in merino it's bugger all different to using a sleeping bag liner. One less thing to carry.

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but I would love to see you stash meat from a deer in cool shade in your merino jocks LOL.....many a time my sleeping bag liner has saved me from plurry blowflies......not much use to sleep in until washed all the same.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

but I would love to see you stash meat from a deer in cool shade in your merino jocks LOL.....many a time my sleeping bag liner has saved me from plurry blowflies......not much use to sleep in until washed all the same.

Bloody good life hack there! My meat bags are the Kmart body-pillowcases. Long enough to hang a goat in, 4 bucks. Might even fit a wee fallow but I've never been lucky enough to try that one. Probably could use one as a sleeping bag liner now that I think of it...

Originally Posted by Jt89

Bloody good life hack there! My meat bags are the Kmart body-pillowcases. Long enough to hang a goat in, 4 bucks. Might even fit a wee fallow but I've never been lucky enough to try that one. Probably could use one as a sleeping bag liner now that I think of it...

This maybe a dumb question, but why cloth bags like pillow slips. Is this to hang it in a tree while you keep hunting or do you put it in a bag after that to pack it out? I use a garbage bag in a drybag.

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Originally Posted by Rn-85

This maybe a dumb question, but why cloth bags like pillow slips. Is this to hang it in a tree while you keep hunting or do you put it in a bag after that to pack it out? I use a garbage bag in a drybag.

Bit of both for me. I think breathable material is important to let any remaining heat dissipate, helping with drying the meat and to prevent growth of unfavourable microorganisms. I have some personal ideas as to why this might be the case, but not sure if it's proven scientifically, so won't bore you. I would never put meat in to plastic unless it was on ice. Those that know are storing fish open to air in a fridge rather sealing in plastic containers as was once the case. Fish is less forgiving than meat, but same principle.

Originally Posted by Jt89

I too am an adult onset hunter and not a born and bred kiwi so thirty years behind everybody else as well. Started with a kifaru pack thinking it was a great idea... Weighed nearly 3kg empty and probably almost 4kg if it was wet... Biffed that for an osprey mutant 52. 1.5ish kg

A hut (in summer) means you practically don't need sleeping gear at all, nor a tent etc. A summer sleeping bag (or quilt if that's how you roll) should be half a Kg or less. Winter obviously different story.

Jetboils and the like are a joke. Bulky, heavy. I'll concede the windburners work well, but they're still heavy for the job. MSR pocket rocket solo set is a good budget cooker that takes up bugger all space and is light enough, a BRS titanium stove and 600ml titanium cup off aliexpress is even lighter and cheaper but I hear they are prone to melting the pot supports eventually.

I don't bother with water at all in a haast roar block, guaranteed it's either all around you or about to fall out of the sky... In the top of the south I carry a litre if I can't hear running water and only 3 or 4 if I'm climbing up and know I'm heading further from a known source rather than closer to another.

Picking the right layers and amount of extras is a learning curve you can only do through hard experience, but a great tip I've learnt is if your sleeping bag is rated warmer than you need it to be just go to sleep fully clothed and wet, you'll be dry in the morning. Packing spare dry layers to sleep in is a waste of time and weight, you'll end up putting wet stuff back on in the morning anyway. Wear merino, get wet and sleep in it, socks and all. I'll bet a box of ammo you'll be toasty dry come time to lace up the boots and slam back a coffee! I only carry extra layers now for adding to what I'm already wearing to keep warm, not to change into and out of. Spare socks and jocks for missions longer than 3 days (turn jocks inside out after second day) If you're really in the pissing rain for days on end, everything gets damp anyway and you're not drying anything.

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Back-to-front will double that again

Originally Posted by Jt89

I too am an adult onset hunter and not a born and bred kiwi so thirty years behind everybody else as well. Started with a kifaru pack thinking it was a great idea... Weighed nearly 3kg empty and probably almost 4kg if it was wet... Biffed that for an osprey mutant 52. 1.5ish kg

A hut (in summer) means you practically don't need sleeping gear at all, nor a tent etc. A summer sleeping bag (or quilt if that's how you roll) should be half a Kg or less. Winter obviously different story.

Jetboils and the like are a joke. Bulky, heavy. I'll concede the windburners work well, but they're still heavy for the job. MSR pocket rocket solo set is a good budget cooker that takes up bugger all space and is light enough, a BRS titanium stove and 600ml titanium cup off aliexpress is even lighter and cheaper but I hear they are prone to melting the pot supports eventually.

I don't bother with water at all in a haast roar block, guaranteed it's either all around you or about to fall out of the sky... In the top of the south I carry a litre if I can't hear running water and only 3 or 4 if I'm climbing up and know I'm heading further from a known source rather than closer to another.

Picking the right layers and amount of extras is a learning curve you can only do through hard experience, but a great tip I've learnt is if your sleeping bag is rated warmer than you need it to be just go to sleep fully clothed and wet, you'll be dry in the morning. Packing spare dry layers to sleep in is a waste of time and weight, you'll end up putting wet stuff back on in the morning anyway. Wear merino, get wet and sleep in it, socks and all. I'll bet a box of ammo you'll be toasty dry come time to lace up the boots and slam back a coffee! I only carry extra layers now for adding to what I'm already wearing to keep warm, not to change into and out of. Spare socks and jocks for missions longer than 3 days (turn jocks inside out after second day) If you're really in the pissing rain for days on end, everything gets damp anyway and you're not drying anything.

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An excellent post, thanks I learnt something (and I've been hunting over 50 years in all sorts of country!)