Thread: Ultralight Hunting Gear List

Good well thought out list there I also went through a stage of trying to get everything as light as possible and for the most part have stuck with it but some items I have gone back the other way ie: pack, had several lightweight packs and whilst they were all ok carrying a 10 or 12kg base weight, throw 15 or 20kgs of meat at them and they just don't go well on a long haul out. May be other better options than the ones I tried (Sitka, Stone Glacier Evo, Mystery Ranch, Exped Lightning) funny enough of the four the Exped was by far the most comfortable and felt the most sturdy loaded up, it was also the cheapest by far and the only one not directly marketed towards hunters. Now run a cactus Hector and what it loses by being heavier it more than makes up by being super comfy and 120% bombproof.
Single best investment and best bang for buck bar nothing was the switch to the La Sportiva Trango TRK GTX boots, huge difference with lightweight boots.
I also don't bother with tent anymore and just rock a siltarp and haven't found it too much of a handicap even in the wet or wind etc.
I think there's give and take with a lot of this sort of stuff ie the pack it's way heavier than my earlier packs but comfort at the end of a long day far outstrips the weight savings of a lighter pack, taking 500grams off your boots is like taking 5kg off your back, using a trekking pole gives the same sort of benefit etc etc. It's always interesting seeing what people have in their kit though I'll sit and watch pack dumps on YouTube for hours!
I think guys shouldn't get too hung up on the hunting brand stuff also as there is plenty of good options out there when it comes to clothing that are just as good or better and most times a lot easier on the pocket, I don't think I've got any "hunting brand" stuff left in my kit actually although one thing I did think was bloody awesome was the Kuiu superdown jacket, it seems to employ some kind of magic witchcraft or something to provide so much warmth for such a lightweight and packable down jacket, unfortunately I bought mine about three years ago and it was getting a bit tight (I must be still growing or something...) So recently moved it on.
Best bit of clothing I have is a Macpac lightweight merino hoody, can wear it from freezing cold right through a warm afternoon and it's just super comfortable the entire time, it's also super light and compact to pack away, kind of like a go between a base layer and a mid layer.