Thread: Multi day hike in day bag, how t do it?

Hey guys I'm curious to see how every one else does this, multi day trip where you hike in, then set a bit of a base camp and do day trips from there, I have tried emptying every thing out of my main pack and used that as a day bag. And I have tried stuffing a small day bag into my main pack on the way in.

I need a bag big enough for lunch and some warm clothes etc, I tend to roam a fair distance some days so take a few extras incase I get stuck out. So a bum bag style of thing doesn't quite cut it. I like having my day bag but when packing it always seams like uneccesary weight to pack in, wearing my big pack tends to be a bit cumbersome in the bush.

How do you all do it I'm curious.

Thanks

I look forward to what others do as there doesn’t seem an easy option. I have a small huntech pack that is big enough for a full day hunt with room to carry out a whole venison. If doing an overnight I stuff it into the mighty 90l Cascade. I would love to reduce weight but the only way I see if to keep buying packs until I find the smallest one that still carries what I need.

On those sort of trips I use a huntech fleece pikau, they weigh next to nothing. https://huntechoutdoors.com/product/pikau-bags/

my K2 Hunter pack has a zip off daybag...... my polarfleece pikau is about 3 times the size of the commercial ones weighs the same.... multi day trip I wont be far from my main pack so the day bag is fine. a 5 pocket bumbag is good but bulky and heavy..it lives in my pikau UNTILL I shoot something then goes on waist and doesnt get all bloody from meat in bag...the opposite way around from the old bumbag/backpacks LOL.

Have used a 40l pack on my back and then a 15l turned around and worn on my chest for mountain biking/walking in and it works ok. I'm sure you could do the same thing with a bigger pack on your back

some of the army surplus packs have zip off side packs and some of the side packs are a small back pack if that makes sense

I just use a 60-70liter pack & sue as day pack as well some times il drop the the pack & stalk into clearing & go back & get but I don't find then a pain in the ass when they all pulled in. But I pull all the straps in befor puting stuff in for day hunt so the gear is close to your back the hole lenth of pack not all siting down bottom blowing it's ass out to catch on ever thing

Similar. I take a smallish frameless main pack, remove contents at camp and use the long top straps to pull said pack into an hourglass shape. I can still use the upper part plus the exterior pocket and whole kit sits well within my shoulder width.

I have a 60L with a clip on day bag, Fill both with gear heading in, empty small bag at campsite to use as a day bag, that way you aren't carrying extra weight as such as you are utilising the small bag more.

Originally Posted by outdoorlad

On those sort of trips I use a huntech fleece pikau, they weigh next to nothing. https://huntechoutdoors.com/product/pikau-bags/

I use those for my day trips and my summer over night trips in a hut.

I find for a one man tent fly camping set up a 70 litre bag is minimum requirements. Really pressed for space with my 50

Originally Posted by outdoorlad

On those sort of trips I use a huntech fleece pikau, they weigh next to nothing. https://huntechoutdoors.com/product/pikau-bags/

what he said....when i used to do those flycamp trips.....fleece pikau rolls up small and weighs fuck all

I generally carry a large pack, even if just going in for an overnighter. Two reasons for this:

1) I carry a shelter, even if I plan on staying at huts.
2) You never know when you are going to shoot a prime animal and want to carry out as much meat as possible.

So large tatonka pack, with a pikau type Swazi fleece bag that weights nothing and rolls up small.

Think about what you really need, see so many guys carrying all sorts of stuff into the hills in huge packs but after a few years you really start to realise the things you don't need or can do without. I will just be using my Twin Needle Mollyme from now on, it's not a large pack at all but it carrys all I need, plus I can carry meat etc using the rifle shelf. Can pull all my stuff out and set up camp and still have a nice light and compact pack to carry for the day. Im using a Big Agnes Scout UL 2 tent that weighs about 900gms ready to go (uses trekking poles which I use anyhow) it has heaps of room even for two guys and gear, and if I'm gonna be really in the alpine environment I may swap it out for my Terra Nova Solar competition which can handle a real beating in the wind and is under 1kg also (only one person though)
I had a Neoair Xtherm mat but it ripped literally on the first time out and since then I don't trust that spaceman material and have gone with a Thermarest Neoair Venture which is much tougher built and still only weighs just over 500gms
I'm using a really light Aegismax bag but can swap to a Macpac Lattitude Xp if its gonna be really cold, it is still a pretty compact bag but to tell the truth I'm really impressed with how warm the little Aegismax is for its size and weight.
I carry in one of the little dry bags an extra pair of socks, a pair of merino long johns and a macpac merino base layer hoody
Primus jetboil type cooker (lighter than the Jetboil equivalent and can use normal pans etc on it)
Small first aid kit, 1 litre Nalgene bottle, headlamp, eating utensils, a down jacket, and Swazi Tahr round out all the gear I need to hunt comfortable for 2-5days and it all fits in the Mollyme no worries with room left for food and my camera. On my bino harness I have my binos, some wetwipes, my knife, a diamond stick, lighter, and rangefinder which I run in a twin needle ammo pouch so it holds spare ammunition also.

I take along one of these:
https://www.kathmandu.co.nz/pocket-pack-v4.html
Seems to do the job for me for a short day hunt. Packs down into itself. Enough to fit a bit of meat too. Don't usually hunt alone so between two of us we fit most meat in a couple of these packs.
I see they now do a lighter, smaller one:
https://www.kathmandu.co.nz/pocket-pack-ultra-lite.html