Woods Carry, Anybody carry survival gear during hunting season?

[LtScott14]

I usually carry a few hunting things during an outing/Deer hunt

License /Orange vest/watchcap
Firearm/extra ammo-slugs mostly/assorted
Buck 110 knife/cased
Gerber Multitool
Mini Maglite/headlamp
Compass/map
Water-US Army Canteen/cup/cover
Poncho
550 paracord
Boonie hat
spare socks
Basic Altoids kit w/ goods: 3 bandaids, Aspirin, fishing line, hooks, sinkers, button compass, candle, matches, whistle
Bic lighter/ mag bar /ferro rod
couple snak bars
Backpack-small day pack
Cellphone/off but fully charged
1/2 roll TP-in ziplock bag
Always have dressed for season, sometimes roll up coveralls till in Deer Stand.
Anyone else?

 

[possum_128]

Yes.

 

[1988-4551]

some variant of the ten essentials always

 

[UNCLE HARLEY]

Don't forget the flipflops & some bug spray.

 

[draketungsten]

I care the basics. Since I hunt from a blind I've got shelter. I also cover clothing, fire (lighter and firestarter), water, snacks, knife, and communication (phone). Even with minimal gear and provisions, you're good for a couple of days if need be.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Yep, I have my basic pack that includes food, water, and basic medical items just in case. Most likely even if I'm injured and immobile, help for me is only minutes, maybe hours away, but certainly not days.

 

[HICKMAN]

my hunting backpack is similar, but I also carry a small pop-up stove and ramen.

 

[dprimm]

No, but help is 10 min away max and others know where i am and when i should be back. They will come looking if i am late.

if not inthat situation, i woud take some things just in case.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I am always hunting within a couple hundred yards from the house, but even then there is always at least a blade and fire on my person.

But when I am out in the woods away from home I am always prepared to spend the night if I have to.

 

[yote hunter]

I usually carry a few hunting things during an outing/Deer hunt

License /Orange vest/watchcap
Firearm/extra ammo-slugs mostly/assorted
Buck 110 knife/cased
Gerber Multitool
Mini Maglite/headlamp
Compass/map
Water-US Army Canteen/cup/cover
Poncho
550 paracord
Boonie hat
spare socks
Basic Altoids kit w/ goods: 3 bandaids, Aspirin, fishing line, hooks, sinkers, button compass, candle, matches, whistle
Bic lighter/ mag bar /ferro rod
couple snak bars
Backpack-small day pack
Cellphone/off but fully charged
1/2 roll TP-in ziplock bag
Always have dressed for season, sometimes roll up coveralls till in Deer Stand.
Anyone else?

Damn you must be in the middle of no mans land to take all that stuff.... A knife to gut and a flash light to see maybe some rattleing antlers and a grunt call and thurmo of coffee , bow or gun depending on the season and Im good to go... Other then the camo Im wearing might pack in a coat/rain suite if needed be but thats about it.. Im not that far from a friends house or my house tho... Help is a tex away and the wife knows where Im going, I always leave a note of where Im going and when I should return and when I come out I always tex her, also if a change is made in mid stream I tex here before leaveing the truck ...

 

[Richwon4]

Wow...sounds like an West Elk Hunt Day Pack.

 

[LtScott14]

To a couple readers, this is not extreme gear. For many years, carried much less, and reviewed, added, and removed some. The smaller pack won't let you get too much. I have been going for a while, been caught up in snow, rain, cold, and while on a hunt, ended up 3 miles from my truck. Hurt or otherwise would need some gear and luck. I have been going with a partner who is 74yrs young. Never know what can occur. Lot of hypothermia goes along with lost, hurt, ill, and just a quick walk out solves a lot. We venture to a 5 acre Indiana Woodland, has running water(floods sometimes-then ices over), just started receiving cell service there! Thank you to all responses. Glad others share a concern for their well being!

 

[rhino]

Always carry a whistle. If you get hurt, your mobile phone may not help. Even if you're only a few hundred yards from home, you'd be surprised about how wimpy you're yelling will be if you try to get someone's attention. Whistles work better, weigh next to nothing, and they take very little energy to use.

 

[bwframe]

Always carry a whistle. If you get hurt, your mobile phone may not help. Even if you're only a few hundred yards from home, you'd be surprised about how wimpy you're yelling will be if you try to get someone's attention. Whistles work better, weigh next to nothing, and they take very little energy to use.

Might as well get one that has some additional tools built in too?

 

[woodsie57]

Having freed myself of any concerns regarding conformity or political correctness, let me add a small flask of whiskey and a radio with earphones, in case theres a football game on!

 

[rhino]

Might as well get one that has some additional tools built in too?

That looks cool!

 

[Kart29]

Much of that doesn't seem like survival gear to me.

I usually carry much of the same things just for comfort and ordinary use without being in any kind of emergency or survival situation. Maybe not for a 2 hour squirrel hunt, but if I have traveled any distance and plan to stay the whole day I certainly carry almost all of that stuff.

Think about it -
TP - well I use it almost every day whether I'm hunting or not. Beats having to tear up my good bandana.
canteen and cup - I almost always stop to heat up a cup of hot tea for a mid-morning snack and for lunch time. I think for a short trip it's easier to carry a drink of water with you than to try to find something outdoors and have to bother with sterilizing it. It's convenience not survival.
multi-tool - I sometimes carry one to tighten screws on my gun, etc. But not always
cord - you're gonna want it to help in dragging an animal out of the woods. Might break a boot lace, need to jury rig a broken gun sling. Pretty hand to have around.
compass - if you go out in the big woods without a compass I think you're nuts. Every once in a while even in a small woodlot on a cloudy day I get turned around if the lot is an unusual shape. Not a dangerous situation but it can certainly make things easier if you can just pull out a compass and generally re-orient yourself.
firestarting - makes it a lot easier to heat up that tea for snack or roast a slab of Spam for lunch. Maybe others just eat a cold lunch. I like it hot.
Spare socks - changing into a dry pair of socks midway through an all day hunt sure makes my feet feel more comfortable.
Poncho - I sometimes bring one along if there's a chance of rain in the forecast. Wouldn't hurt to have it along all the time. Sometimes the weatherman is wrong.
Mag lite/headlamp - certainly. Late in the evening is some of the best time to hunt. If you shoot an animal at last light how else are you going to follow a blood trail?
snack bars - every classic woodsman worth his salt carries chocolate bars for energy and enjoyment.
Knife - I always carry a belt knife and folder in the woods. I'm never without one knife and always have two in the woods because I'm an enthusiast.

The only "survival" gear I see on the list is the little altoids tin kit. I don't always carry a little kit like that but I have something similar in the pocket of a couple of my hunting coats.

All of that seems perfectly normal to me. Of course, some sportsman only hunt a few hundred yards from the truck and sit in a tree for a few hours. I guess they just run back to the truck or back home if they want any of that stuff. A lot of it probably depends on how and where and how long you are heading out for.

 

[jblomenberg16]

Good suggestion on the whistle. I don't have that in my kit, but adding one now!

 

[Shootsforfun]

IFAK, Firearm of choice, B_D A_S knife of choice, good pair of boots, maps & compass, canteen full of H20. Anything else is a luxury....or you have to catch it.

 

[Zoub]

Might as well get one that has some additional tools built in too?

And its a Silva no less, cool, I may grab a few of those some of my temp gauges and small compasses are looking rough. My favorite temp gauge is a small zipper pull that includes a windchill chart so i can calculate exactly how long I think I have to live.

My favorite minimalist survival "multitool" is an SL3. I have a couple, have had them for over 10 years. I even field dressed a deer with one once just to see if it could be done (it can). The other nice thing is 50 cal patch material, about 7-9" of it, can be wrapped around the steel and it still fits in its fairly waterproof, O-ring sealed compartment (see 2 O-rings on flint handle). These knives are tough as hell and I have abused one for sometime, which is why I own 3, they are that good. The body is anything but fragile, similar to a Glock polymer. Impregnate the cotton cloth with Vaseline first and you have some good tinder. For a short walk out the back door to hunt up to 4-5 miles, this knife, dog whistles, forceps, bandana, 1 or 2 quart Platypus bottles with water, and a water and a lanyard with dog whistles, another lanyard with small light, compass and lighter. For now 100% deet in small bottle and a Thermacell. You cant function with eyes, nose and ears full of gnats and black flies while being eaten by mosquitoes. 1 Glock for Wolves since I hunt with dogs. iPhone just incase I end up on a hill or spot where it might work. Later in October I will add a day pack. Once I am wearing heavier winter layers, I go to what I can only call a tactical messenger bag or man purse. Long day out in winter, larger 3 day pack too.

The single biggest thing I do is text a msg to others where I intend to start my hunt and when I headed out with an estimated time to return. Rule #1, 1 hour after dark, if I am not back go for a drive and look and listen for me. No luck, start making calls.

This is my daily bag I carry to and from my truck or transfer to another vehicle year round. It is the man purse I referred to above. In Fall and Winter I like it for hunting because I can easily carry a handgun and still be able get to it with my gloves on and without removing layers for 5 minutes. It is stuffed with the minimal things I feel I need to walk home or just strike out AND I can carry shotgun ammo and shoot a Grouse while carrying it.

HawkePaks Recon-2 Rifle Bag

http://www.skdtac.com/HawkePaks-Recon-Rifle-Bag-p/hkp.505.htm