Beginning to gear-up for Colorado

[Dave King]

I'm starting to get my gear together for Colorado this fall. I'll hunt from a main camp for a while (10,300ASL) and if the weather is "good" I'll make a spike camp about 5 miles into the wilderness area and live at 12,000ASL for a few days.

I've having the dickens of a time getting a good pack list for the trip to spike camp. I'd like to hike out with my wife but my gear is going to be pretty heavy. Looks like I'll be carrying about 60 to 65lbs and Cheryl will carry about 25lbs.

I've bought a ton of new gear and believe I may invest (can that be done with rifles???) in a lightweight rifle (lighter than 15lbs [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]).

I'll be in the La Garita Wilderness I believe, not down near Manassa like last year. Cheryl likes the scenery better up in the Northern area.

Any backpacking hunt advice??

Dave.
Make up alot of your own vacuum packed food or dried food to pack in.Most prepackaged food is high in sodium for preservative and this will dehydrate you and cramp up you muscles if perspiring much with exertion.Bulk oatmeal cooked a bit at a time is great for all morning energy.if you look at some back country exploring sites I think you should come up with recipes for energy bars for lunches.I use Sapporo Ichiban noodles for supper without the seasonings{sodium}.They are a little bland but I can eat them 2 packs a dinner for 3-4 days if I must.If you are a caffine freak chocolate covered coffee beans or espresso beans are alot lighter than grounds/pot.I will leave gear ideas for another day.
Regards RB

[COBrad]

Thats a heavy pack! [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] I've gone the ultra-light route and have a 3-day pack weight of under 20 lbs. A few of the things I have tested extensively are a 1.5 oz alcohol stove, a 1lb-15oz down bag rated for 15 degrees, and a 14 oz tarp in place of a tent. Mountainsmith does make a 2lb tent that I may go to for really bad weather. Do a search on ultra-light backpacking and see what kind of ideas you come up with. I use all synthetic, no wool or cotton clothing, super light weight Marmot rain gear, light weight gore-tex tennies or hiking boots, and try not to carry anything not absolutely necessary, and hopefully able to serve more than one purpose. I also select foods based on both weight and high calorie count per ounce. I carry one 7 oz. aluminum cook pot, and a 2oz. aluminum cup for tea. Even my headlamp is light-1.5 oz. You can probably cut your pack weight in half without too much expense and still be just as comfortable. Oh, I just picked up a Kimber Montana rifle too. 6-3/4 lbs with Burris rings and a Zeiss 4.5-14. Western Mountaineering makes an 8 oz. down coat that is not only very warm by itself, but I can wear it inside my sleeping bag if the temps plummet. Oh boy, now I can't wait to go myself. See what you started!! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Dave King]

Thanks guys

I've started checking around for food ideas (my wife is along so I'm a little limited) and I'm still mulling over a lighter tent and heater (she'll not be too happy if she's cold). My 60 to 65lbs weight includes my 17 lb rifle, now about that rifle weight (Chris you out there)??? I may need to do something about that but I only need to hump the heavy weight about 5 or 6 miles (one way) most then it's just a day pack for the daily hunts. Still looking for ideas thogh.

I've started carrying a pack on my walks now, we went 17 miles on the Appalachian Trail (AT) between the friday and saturday hikes (25 & 26Jun04). Friday was a 7 mile heavier pack day (~40 lbs for me and ~20 lbs for her) day and saturday we just carried our day packs (~25 lbs for me and ~10 for her). Not easy walks, pretty steep for several miles, elevation gains of 1000 ft seen the norm over some short distances.

[ 06-27-2004: Message edited by: Dave King ]

[Bullethead]

Dave, this is actually my first post on this forum...

First I am with COBrad, I have done several full season backpack hunts and work hard at limiting my weight. If I am by myself I sleep in a bivy under a pine tree shelter. If there are two of us, like you will have, we take a small tent.

Here's a couple items I won't go without:

- 3 big pillow cases for putting de-boned meat into. The game bags aren't necessary.
- Those boot sock thingys. My feet get soaked from hiking and they really keep the chill off the leather boots. If you do start a fire you can wear them while your boots dry. They are bulky but light and tie onto the back of my pack.
- extra headlamp (I smashed one once)
- Thermarest that converts to a chair. Being able to sit on something with good back support is a luxury I won't go without.
- tarp or garbage bag to cover pack and boots at night.
- my homemade dehydrated meals, vaccuum sealed.
- a great water filter.

Good luck! I took my girlfriend with me a a backpack hunt in SW CO two years ago. Her and my friends wife didn't stay the whole time, but it was very memorable to have them there.

I can see Stewart Peak from one of the areas I hunt in 67, let us know how it turns out!

[kmassaro]

Check the www.kifaru.net bulletin board. That's what it's about, hunters who backpack in for big game.

[Ian M]

Dave,
I used an amazing little camp stove from Brunton on the Alaskan trip, doubt if it weighs two ounces and works perfectly. Also like their equally light camp lantern and even the titanium cutlery for cutting weight and being tough. Have some images I can send, this stuff is amazing.

We also used some Brunton solar gear to charge batteries in the sat-phones, cells and various cameras. Very nice to always have electricity and not worry about batteries dying in the essential sat-phones.