Thread: Ultralight Hunting Gear List

Originally Posted by Strummer

Have you noticed how there is a halfway 'rip' option on back countries now, it turns them into a bowl. Reaches fine in my experience :-)

It’s been there for years, but I’ve always cut them down anyway, till I saw on tv someone ripping it.


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Originally Posted by Strummer

What do you use for carrying water @burtonator? Bottle or bladder?

Also, why do people have titanium utensils? A plastic spork is lighter again and does the job just fine...what am I missing?

long titanium spoon/spork to stir the bottom of the de-hy bag, plastic spork breaks when ya step on it after you lose it on the floor, titanium doesn't melt when ya use it to toast marshmallows for the lad. Weight difference is really sweet FA. neither option is wrong though.

@Strummer I got one of these a while back. Not sure of weight but I have found it bloody useful. Especially when camping away from water. Can also get a hydration hose for it if that's your thing. Mines a 3L seeker
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Originally Posted by burtonator

this is the one i have
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3287...27424c4dB1h59l

Would it handle a Nikon supervoom camera at full voom do you think? My tripod slowly sags with the forward weight of it on full voom.

Originally Posted by cmore

Would it handle a Nikon supervoom camera at full voom do you think? My tripod slowly sags with the forward weight of it on full voom.

Yea mate I’m sure it would be fine

@burtonator you seem to be Savy sniffing out good deals. Where did you get your thermarest xtherm from. Bitter pill to swallow at $500. I have the old neo air but with a young fella coming on and I need to carry two of them… it needs to be light and warm. Thanks

Giles In Taihape sports does good deals on thermarests

Dont know how i missed this thread. Good list @burtonator any reason you dont just run a BRS Titanium stove would save the weight of the jetboil. I just use a titanium cup that holds the cooker, gas canister and lighter.

Originally Posted by burtonator

this is the one i have
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3287...27424c4dB1h59l

Ive had one of these for a few years and they are top notch. Nothing Ive found come close. I run my spotter'(Kowa TSN 553 Weighs less than a P900) on it every trip.

Originally Posted by burtonator

https://www.lasportiva.com/en/trango...n-yellow-11vyb

How small are your feet? they say 600grams a boot thats a long way off 850grams a pair? I run these and while marginmally heavier they are leather with a rand. Ive got 3 years from mine, 1 of which I was guiding in BC , hunting Montana, and had 3 months off hunting NZ and logged over 190 days days in the field hunting https://www.bivouac.co.nz/brands/sca...tml#additional

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

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.

Interesting I've run a stone glacier Evo with some serious loads including 180 pound moose quarters, remote trail cutting gear (chainsaw, fuel, bar oil,camp, food), and I once decided it would be easier to shove an extra 120L dry dab in the load shelf and hike 5 hours than deal with horses in an area they weren't overly useful except for the initial access. Definitely takes some learning to setup the pack right but i got a rundown at their factory and the guys that run it are genuine legends.


Main packs 80L odd and the dry bags 120L and has a bbq lpg bottle in it


This was on the way out with no food as we ran out with a day or so off cutting and resorted to catching 6 inch long trout so we could finish the job and not have to hike back in.

Originally Posted by Stag

@burtonator you seem to be Savy sniffing out good deals. Where did you get your thermarest xtherm from. Bitter pill to swallow at $500. I have the old neo air but with a young fella coming on and I need to carry two of them… it needs to be light and warm. Thanks

@Stag I just kept an eye on Trademe and picked up a pretty much brand new one for $300 I think. Other than trying to get one in from overseas I’d give Giles a ring from taihape sports

@Stocky
I changed from the brs3000 cooker after reading a few scary stories of lots of people using them and then out of the blue the arms were getting to hot and sagging, tipping hot water everywhere, I have also found the jetboil stash a lot more efficient than just heating a titanium pot.

I’m a eu43-44 boot size and yep I made a cock is on weight for that it is 600g per boot

Originally Posted by burtonator

@Stag I just kept an eye on Trademe and picked up a pretty much brand new one for $300 I think. Other than trying to get one in from overseas I’d give Giles a ring from taihape sports

They used to be available from Freezeprostore in the UK for around $350 landed. But prices have gone up heaps and not many good deals to be had importing either. I'd definitely try Taihape or theirs a small shop in Hoki that used to do a pretty sharp price.

Originally Posted by burtonator

@Stocky
I changed from the brs3000 cooker after reading a few scary stories of lots of people using them and then out of the blue the arms were getting to hot and sagging, tipping hot water everywhere, I have also found the jetboil stash a lot more efficient than just heating a titanium pot.

I’m a eu43-44 boot size and yep I made a cock is on weight for that it is 600g per boot

Oh yeh I hadn't heard that but I've never had an issue in 3 years or so. No doubt it's less efficient but I still get 5-6 days of life out of a small canister. That's just boiling water (300mls for breakfast and a coffee and 500 mls for dinner and a tea plus maybe another 150mls for a hot drink midday when it's cold).i may have missed it but what's your foot. I'm sure your La Sportivas are mint as I have a set of The TX5s that I like alot for summer/north island boots but definitely worth trying a set of the Scarpa on for size. They are super stiff but the have a roll in the sole so they are surprisly good on long flat land heading up river beds etc. Plus Iv always found better life from leather (provided you clean and oil them).

This is the gear i normally take on a bush hunting mission for 3 days (average trip length). Total weight includes rifle, boots, food etc. Pack weight is what im carrying on my back and the rest is worn/carried. This gear changes depending onthe type of hunting im doing such as alpine/rusa slip hunting etc. There are defintely places i could loose weight still but this is slowly happening as i upgrade gear.

All gear available
https://www.geargrams.com/list?id=60381

Gear for 3 day bush mission
https://www.geargrams.com/list?id=47786

This is mine.

Youngest got school trip cut short with lockdown but was in Lewis Pass area with snow and I asked him what kit worked well.

He said the quilt was warm as toast (goes into 5L drybag), the xtherm kept him dry and warm, kuiu mittens and down leggings, and the First Lite Uncompahgre jacket were great.

He also had a Swazi (I know) thar ultralight rain jacket he said worked really well.



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