Question about what to pack/what not to pack...

[jtkratzer]

I just bought a climber tree stand on Friday and it's the first manufactured tree stand I've ever used. I've hunted from the ground and from homemade tree stands the size of small condos when I was kid hunting with an adult.

I bought a Summit Bushmaster XLS and space will be significantly tighter than ground hunting for obvious reason. I'm just curious as to what you guys pack and how you pack it when you also have to carry a tree stand in and out of the woods.

Also, just curious as I've always done what dad or grandpa did, but what type of foods/meals do you take with you when you're out all day. When I say out all day, I mean no trips back to the truck/cabin. With the climber stand, I plan on staying up the tree from when I get there until a deer drops or it's too dark to shoot, which ever comes first.

[Coop650]

First things first, make sure you wear a full harness. Too many hunters fall every year because they are too stubborn to wear their harness. I have a Hunter Safety System vest and love it.

When I hunt all day I pack water and easy to eat stuff like protein bars, granola bars, trail mix, etc. Anything high in protein and carbs will keep you going, you can have good food once you get back home, lol.

[27hand]

Along with the mentioned body harness, I pack the following.


Gun or bow(w/ammo or arrows)
Daypack
License
zip tie for eartag
pen
knife
couple dry rags
deerdrag
pee bottle for extended hunt above ground
cinch straps with hooks to hang extra clothes and daypack
flashlite
bottled water
coffee
granola and/ or sandwiches
dressing gloves
regular gloves
extra thermal shirt ( I sweat going in and when I am set up in the tree, I change out my thermal to start off dry)
rain gear if you are not gortexed
Rifle or bow holder
tracking tape
30 ft rope to raise and lower unloaded gun or bow
mosquito headnet for early archery
dependent on weather, I do take a few extra pieces of clothing and layer it on or remove it if temps or wind changes.
TP in plastic bag
binoculars
G23 on hip
cell phone
hand or boot warmers if cold
kitchen sink

I pack heavy but refuse to be uncomfortable when I'm having fun


I have spent 11 hours in my Loggy Bayou and was not uncomfortable.

27hand

[jtkratzer]

First things first, make sure you wear a full harness. Too many hunters fall every year because they are too stubborn to wear their harness. I have a Hunter Safety System vest and love it.

When I hunt all day I pack water and easy to eat stuff like protein bars, granola bars, trail mix, etc. Anything high in protein and carbs will keep you going, you can have good food once you get back home, lol.

I don't mind protein/granola bars and what not. I've usually brought sandwiches in the past...Just wondering if you leave the bars in the plastic wrappers or if you put them in something else to cut down on the noise.

The stand came with a 4 point harness and I wore with the safety rope around the tree when I went out yesterday to practice with it.

Along with the mentioned body harness, I pack the following.


Gun or bow(w/ammo or arrows)
Daypack
License
zip tie for eartag
pen
knife
couple dry rags
deerdrag
pee bottle for extended hunt above ground
cinch straps with hooks to hang extra clothes and daypack
flashlite
bottled water
coffee
granola and/ or sandwiches
dressing gloves
regular gloves
extra thermal shirt ( I sweat going in and when I am set up in the tree, I change out my thermal to start off dry)
rain gear if you are not gortexed
Rifle or bow holder
tracking tape
30 ft rope to raise and lower unloaded gun or bow
mosquito headnet for early archery
dependent on weather, I do take a few extra pieces of clothing and layer it on or remove it if temps or wind changes.
TP in plastic bag
binoculars
G23 on hip
cell phone
hand or boot warmers if cold
kitchen sink

I pack heavy but refuse to be uncomfortable when I'm having fun

I have spent 11 hours in my Loggy Bayou and was not uncomfortable.

27hand

I have most of that stuff on that list. I just bought a belt to go around the tree to hang stuff on it yesterday along with a 30 foot rope and spare bladder bags. I have most of that stuff, but there are a couple things on there that I need to add to my list.

I'll have the XD45 compact...

[jtkratzer]

I usually take an extra pair of socks in case the feet sweat on the way in...

[MOUNTAINORACLE]

Along with the mentioned body harness, I pack the following.


Gun or bow(w/ammo or arrows)
Daypack
License
zip tie for eartag
pen
knife
couple dry rags
deerdrag
pee bottle for extended hunt above ground
cinch straps with hooks to hang extra clothes and daypack
flashlite
bottled water
coffee
granola and/ or sandwiches
dressing gloves
regular gloves
extra thermal shirt ( I sweat going in and when I am set up in the tree, I change out my thermal to start off dry)
rain gear if you are not gortexed
Rifle or bow holder
tracking tape
30 ft rope to raise and lower unloaded gun or bow
mosquito headnet for early archery
dependent on weather, I do take a few extra pieces of clothing and layer it on or remove it if temps or wind changes.
TP in plastic bag
binoculars
G23 on hip
cell phone
hand or boot warmers if cold
kitchen sink

I pack heavy but refuse to be uncomfortable when I'm having fun


I have spent 11 hours in my Loggy Bayou and was not uncomfortable.

27hand

I have slept longer than 11 hours in my tree lounger


oracle

[Coop650]

Yes I usually do remove them from the wrappers and put them in a baggy, sorry about that. If I take hardtack candy I also remove that and place it in a baggy. I have taken sandwiches and they always get crushed and make a mess, LOL. So I switched to easy foods.

[jtkratzer]

All this talk about food on Thanksgiving morning is making me hungry...

[CoyoteJack]

Well I don't pack in my stand. It is a ladder stand and on private property so it stays up year round.

I carry a medium sized waist pack though all day.

In it is:

spare pair of socks
spare gloves
disposable heat packs
spare firestarters
spare flashlight(x2)
spare knife
extra sets of AA batteries
emergency blanket(x2) so one can be used as a shelter
spare compass
some ripcord and zipties
lunch (usually Nature Valley fruit and nut bars or just a bag of trail mix.)
emergency water filter straw
The pack also has two pouches for water bottles.

I wear it around back and a fleece handwarmer pouch up front.

Vest pockets have the GPS, radio, ammo and such. This year I'm trading the hip carried .357 for a shoulder rigged .44mag. It is a good thing all my clothes are fleece and very light cause I'm carrying alot of other stuff

[roland]

Wow, some of you guys carry alot of stuff. Last monday I went bear hunting which involves taking turns driving and posting. the only food I brought was a small bottle of water and a large candy bar. Besides rifle, ammo and clothing I wore, a folding pocket knife, hankercheif ( got left behind- didn't think I needed TP), and an 8' web sling for a drag rope, cigarettes and lighter. This was for all day in the woods hiking about 10-12 miles.

The only other time I spend all day in the woods is on opening day of rifle, which I bring the above + TP, Ice tea instead of water, and peperonni stick. I take a folding chair out to my spot the day before and carry it out at the end of the first day.