Boot and pack questions

[maverick2]

Here's a pretty good thread we had last summer on packs.
https://forum.nosler.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=33859
I used a Seek Outside Revolution pack all last fall and really, really liked it. You can tailor it to fit extremely well, and it's very versatile.

 

[tddeangelo]

Tom, maybe I missed it and if I did, ignore this post

No matter how much they train at home when we take flatlanders on goat/sheep hunts they have altitude breathing problems. Drink a lot of water. Try to get to your higher altitude a couple days early and hike and glass. If you smoke or drink alcohol, stop now. Various people say rolaids, tumms, aspirin, and altitude drinks like mountain might, help them.

I am always concerned about keeping the feet dry and warm. I wear different footwear but if those work for you, wear them. However, it doesn't hurt to change socks at least once a day. Wipe out the inside of your boots at night and hang them upside down. Keep your boot's dry, keep your feet dry.

Keep the pack tight against you. dont be afraid to stop and rearrange the weight in the pack if you need to do so

Hauling your elk harvest out will be good experience for you before you go moose hunting.

Pat. you mentioned roads. What roads ? As an aside. We took some fellows out a few years ago on a polar bear trek and they ask "how long will we be on the road before we start going on foot ?" --As soon we walk out the door!

Aaron, Kelly, Chavez, Jody, Steve, ( plus one whose name I can not remember) Hope you have the opportunity to visit with some of them

I drink very infrequently, and don't smoke (never have).

Put the order in last night for a pair of Lowa Tibets with REI, mostly for their return policy if they don't fit as I expect they will. I love my Lowa Camino's for hikers. They'll get packed, too, to have a spare pair of boots along. I have a ton of various weights of high content (>65% Merino wool) socks, multiple pairs in each weight. You're not the first to tell me to change them occasionally, so I will pack extras.

I shot my elk rifles today. My 300WSM is where I left it last fall, shooting spot on at 200, about 7" low at 300. Shot 4 shots from sitting in the dirt and using my knees/sling at 300 yards. 3 of them at a 12" steel gong, and 1 at a cardboard deer target. Shots 1 & 3 on the steel hit the mark. Shot 2 went just underneath (dipped the muzzle a tad). The 4th shot, taken at the cardboard deer, hit it right in the boiler room.

Spent some time with my M1A shooting offhand at 200. Hit the 12" steel maybe 35-40% of the time. I'm rusty. That should be more like 75-80%, or more. I guess I'll have to go back and shoot some more. Darn it.

270 Win did ok. The 150BT load still looks good. I swapped in a 150PT at same seater setting and it shot about 3.25" at 200. Not awful, but I'll fiddle with it. I'll bet it'll tighten up with seat depth work. I didn't have a chrono with me, but the BT's were getting 2900-2950. The PT's might run a touch slower, but I'd be shocked if they weren't getting north of 2800. That should kill a cow elk, I'd think.

Even at just over 3" at 200, it's not unusable. I just want to tweak it a tad because I have time and I can.

 

[tddeangelo]

As far as meet-up's...I won't be near Jody. Kelly will be hunting at the same time.

Aaron, maybe. Van (from Cabela's forum days) definitely. Steve, not sure.

 

[c. schutte]

Tom, maybe I missed it and if I did, ignore this post

No matter how much they train at home when we take flatlanders on goat/sheep hunts they have altitude breathing problems. Drink a lot of water. Try to get to your higher altitude a couple days early and hike and glass. If you smoke or drink alcohol, stop now. Various people say rolaids, tumms, aspirin, and altitude drinks like mountain might, help them.

I am always concerned about keeping the feet dry and warm. I wear different footwear but if those work for you, wear them. However, it doesn't hurt to change socks at least once a day. Wipe out the inside of your boots at night and hang them upside down. Keep your boot's dry, keep your feet dry.

Keep the pack tight against you. dont be afraid to stop and rearrange the weight in the pack if you need to do so

Hauling your elk harvest out will be good experience for you before you go moose hunting.

Pat. you mentioned roads. What roads ? As an aside. We took some fellows out a few years ago on a polar bear trek and they ask "how long will we be on the road before we start going on foot ?" --As soon we walk out the door!

Aaron, Kelly, Chavez, Jody, Steve, ( plus one whose name I can not remember) Hope you have the opportunity to visit with some of them

I drink very infrequently, and don't smoke (never have).





I do have it on good account that you do know how to enjoy a scotch or two or three. Especially when hanging around a camp fire watching a mutual friend get all fired up before hitting the Prowler.

Just saying! :lol:

 

[tddeangelo]

I didn't say I didn't enjoy a drink at times, but I don't do it often.

And, I just got an email from Shoes.com, formerly shoebuy.com. 25% off site wide till midnight. Called REI who very graciously canceled my Lowa Tibet order and I reordered with shoes.com at $100 off the price I'd ordered them for at REI.

There's a win I usually don't score.

 

[Guy Miner]

You're preparing well. Lots of physical training, coupled with shooting from field positions! Outstanding!

I don't like the pack being so loose... A change of packs may be in order. I do like putting most of the weight on my hips, but seems I always end up with weight on my shoulders anyway. No big deal, just grunt 'n carry.

Re boots... I was looking hard at boots before my Alaska trip. My old Zamberlans had done their last hunt. In fact I pushed them one hunt too long last year and the lack of traction really messed with me in the snow, on my December cow elk hunt.

Instead of another pair of heavier, stiffer "mountaineering" type boot, I went the other way with a pair of lightweight Danner Pronghorns. Thinner leather, lighter boot. I realized while I was shopping for heavier boots that I was wearing the most comfortable pair of boots I'd ever owned, a pair of Danner Pronghorns... So I just bought the taller version for Alaska. Wore them here in the Cascades snowshoeing and hiking a lot and wore them in Alaska (along with gaiters) and dang... Those comfy, lighter-duty boots did just fine. Enough support & protection, and lots of comfort.

Just a thought for anyone else looking for boots.

Keep up the good work! Those elk should be very afraid! :grin:

Guy

 

[tddeangelo]

That's a great point....

I feel a ton more confident and comfortable in good, stiff mountain boots.

When hiking, even short hikes, my clear preference is a stiff/tough boot.

Same routes I hike, some folks use low height trail shoes.

So one person's "perfect" doesn't always transfer to others. Guy makes a great point in that.

 

[Guy Miner]

I think I'm just getting old, weak and broke, so went with the lighter, cheaper boot!

 

[tddeangelo]

I was pretty lucky to catch that sale on the Lowas. Helps keep Mama happy!

 

[mcseal2]

I have loose ankles from spending most of my life in cowboy boots that offer no ankle support. I tried the Danner pronghorns and they work great for lower country hunts. When doing miles of side-hilling or packing meat in rough stuff I found I need more ankle support. Both the Cabelas Alaskan boots made by Meindl and the Kennetrek Mountain Extremes have worked great for me. I like the Kennetreks a bit better and they are way more expensive, so I find myself training in the Cabelas boots and saving the Kennetreks for hunts. Both are broke in well now but took some time to break in. I actually got the Kennetreks about half broke in buying used off Ebay.

On packs I have used Eberlestock for years and still do for a lot of my hunts. I have packed elk quarters in a J34 and while it works fine, your shoulders take the weight. Sometimes I like having the daypack ride low and narrow and not be up near my head to snag on brush and stuff. I'll put up with the lesser comfort under weight for that first trip. Other times I like having a rigid frame. Generally the more timber I'll be hunting the shorter and narrower I want the pack. In open country a taller or wider pack doesn't matter as much. A pack makes a much better rifle rest for sitting with a rigid frame. I have quit packing shooting sticks when using a frame pack. I can sit behind it for a quick shot, and if I have more time I put a rifle rest V on my optics tripod. If I have trekking poles they can make a kneeling height rest almost as fast as deploying shooting sticks too. One less thing to carry.

Eberlestocks biggest complaints from users I've heard and thought myself is that the packs are heavy compared to the competition and that the load lifters suck. I'm currently training with an Eberlestock Mainframe and Transformer loaded with a 50lb bag of cattle mineral. The Mainframe is narrow and short for a frame which keeps it from snagging on stuff like a taller, wider frame. It's the most comfortable Eberlestock I've ever used packing weight, but it's still shorter and the load lifters can only do so much. It also weighs 8lbs for just the pack/frame combo even after I trimmed off un-needed parts from the Transformer.

Kifaru offers frames up to 26" in height. Just looking at the pics on their site I can see how much more useful the load lifters are with the taller frame. It's just deciding if that taller, wider, frame is going to work for you where you hunt.

I ended up ordering an Exo pack with a 2000 and 3500 bag. They are lighter than most (4.5lbs with 2000 bag) and look like they might be the right combination of frame and pack for me. Since I'm currently using the Eberlestock with the 50lbs training, I'll be able to compare the two pretty quick when the Exo arrives and I switch the weight into it for conditioning.

I'm headed to Alaska for moose in 2018 and with the weight limit for our gear on the bush plane I want a pack that will be a comfortable daypack and still take a moose quarter. I'm hoping the Exo will be just right, the guys building it went on the same hunt a few years back and built the pack with that in mind. I'll know more after using it training and on my muley hunt this fall in Wyoming.

 

[IdahoCTD]

I'll let you know how my Exo does on AK moose in just over 2 months. We actually leave 2 months from today and will fly in on the 6th of September to the 18th. 5 of us will be there for the whole season. 2 are residents that can shoot any bull so I'm sure we'll be packing out a few moose, hopefully there will be 5 dead moose.

The Exo packs are considerably lighter then the Eberlestock packs (my hunting partner runs a Eberlestock that weighs almost double what my Exo does). They are plenty comfortable for day pack use and will haul some weight when needed. I had a couple trips last year with close to 100lbs. For super heavy loads a frame is probably slightly better but they suck for day use IMO. They are too noisy and bulky.

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks and please let me know how it works. I'm waiting on a K2 frame, 2000 bag, and 3500 bag. I also ordered the crib attachment for hauling quarters with the bag removed after the first trip. Good luck on your hunt! I enjoyed the podcast of the Exo guys moose hunt and talked to Steve on the phone before ordering my pack. They went with Renfro's I think he said, we are going in a similar area with Papa Bear next September.

I'd love to have any advice you have after you get back from your hunt. This is my first moose hunt, maybe only moose hunt at the price vs my salary. I want to go as prepared as I can.

Here is a link to the podcast and a video I enjoyed also
http://www.rokslide.com/forums/moose/70 ... moose.html

 

[tddeangelo]

I hadn't looked at Exo. I'll have to check them out, although super-light isn't a big necessity for me at this point.

I've been spending a few minutes here and there looking at Kifaru, MR, and Stone Glacier. Kuiu, too.

My completely uneducated concern with the ultralight stuff from Kifaru and Kuiu is if it's durable. I just don't know....and I mean that literally.

The MR Pintler and Cabinet have my close attention. The Kuiu Icon 1850 is another one I liked.

I'm not super concerned about empty pack weight. I'm not flying in, not living off what I carry on my back, and I don't have those kinds of hunts on my radar at this point. The Cabinet and Pintler make sense in my brain because they'd let me carry a fair bit of gear, a quarter or bag of meat, plus my packed gear....or just my day's stuff and suck the pack in to be less bulky. For use here in PA, I don't have to carry lots of weight or go far, but I often have things like bibs or blanket boots to carry that just refuse to be packed. The overload capability in the MR stuff (or similar packs) looks ideal for that use, too. All day sits when it's cold mean I take lots of cloths, plus my food and water for the day. So it'd have some purpose here in the east, too.

The bigger packs.... >2500ci or so, just seem unwieldy to me for what I want. I have an SJK frame for hauling big loads of meat/weight, so I don't need to acquire that capability.

Don't have to be in a hurry on this one....I need to get it in time to do some pack training with it and get it rigged right and know how to run it so it carries right with weight, but I don't need it yesterday.

 

[OU812]

I have a fairly small additional pack, looks like a fanny pack that I can attach to my pack. I put all my extra cloths in when packing out elk. With my MR pack I can hold 2 front shoulders, or combo there of with a hind quarter. 2 hind quarters is a bit much weight wise but doable if needed.

I highly recommend TAG bags if you don't have any. Small, light weight, washable, drawstrings for tight closure and made tough material.

 

[c. schutte]

Tom,

Don't be overly concerned with a large pack being too big and "unwieldy". Those packs cinch down in several areas plus, the top can come off too. That keeps the pack tighter and compressed if you will. My pack is large and able to handle enough to keep me out for a week but, it can be reduced enough to be fine for over-night trips. You may not be doing a full pack in on this trip but, there will be a day when you will.

Another thing to consider is you can under-load a large pack down and it will carry fine. However, if you overload a small pack it won't carry well.

 

[tddeangelo]

I just talked to MR on the phone a bit ago. Very helpful gentleman who was very patient and answered my questions in detail.

His suggestion for me was the Pintler, and with the follow-up questions I asked, I like what he shared with me about that pack.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Don't have to be in a hurry on this one....I need to get it in time to do some pack training with it and get it rigged right and know how to run it so it carries right with weight, but I don't need it yesterday.

Tom I have to give you a word of caution on this one. Both MR and KUIU are not that big of a "retail company" and when they are out of stock, they are out of stock for months ( Kuiu not as bad as MR. As of 10 minutes ago the Pintler was only available in size L in mulitcam, with nothing else in stock. MR is dedicated to produce packs for our men and women of the Military first, public second. I waited 5 months for them to have load cells and a daypack lid in stock, and 3 months for a Crew Cab. My advice is get the one, whether Kuiu or MR, a quick as possible that way you aren't buying something just because it is available and settling. Even the retail outlets that stock MR out west ( Scheel's, Schneess, etc..) take orders in November-December time frame and the order isn't filled till March or April.

 

[tddeangelo]

Yep, Scotty and I were texting tonight back and forth about MR's availability.

I went on and found they only had the Pintler in my size (that's luck I usually don't have) and only in multicam (seriously....a $25 upcharge for that????).

I just ripped off the bandaid. I get some extra money on Friday. So I just spent some of it now. Pack should be here late next week, hopefully.

I already sold my Black's Creek, and my X2 is up for sale, but it won't break my heart to keep it for non-hunting duty (family outings and such). My SJK frame pack still has the hang tags on it. I've put weight on it and gotten into it, but haven't had it out of the house, really. The guy I talked to at MR said I won't need it...the Pintler will do everything I'll need from a pack. And it'll work for when I just have a lot of clothes or such to take to a stand here. This hunt sure won't be my last hunt in the west, either.

So....boots en route...pack en route.

Rifles are in good shape, with some work on the 270, but all in all, things are looking to be on track.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Congrats! Did you get some of their quick attach cinch straps for $5? I bought 4 just in case. Can never have too many lightweight straps to cinch down gear on the first pack out.

 

[tddeangelo]

I didn't...only because I have a couple of Eberlestock straps laying around somewhere in my boxes in the basement. But I might call tomorrow when they open an ask them to add some one, since my order won't be filled till sometime tomorrow anyway.

The Pintler is kinda a Metcalf-lite.....2500ci pack with the overload system, so I can add a haul bag and jack up the capacity quite a bit if needed. Should be able to take a pretty hefty first load back if I score on an elk, and then when I empty out my gear and drop my rifle at the truck, can take it back light and load up on a bunch more for the next trip. I'll wait to put my SJK frame up for sale till I've carried serious weight on the MR to be sure I'm good with it, and then the SJK frame can go.