Backpacking guys.... how much water do you carry on you per day? Do you try to carry as much as you expect you'll need and then look for a refill if necessary, or do you take a smaller amount and plan to refill during the day?

I'll start my day with a full 3L bladder in my pack and then a Nalgene with water/electrolytes. Usually find water at some point in the day and will try and top off my bladder when I do. I tend to drink a lot of water so I'm sure others get by with a lot less. We also hunt when it's pretty warm in mid September. Im sure if temps were cooler I'd go through a little less water.

All depends on how much water is along my planned route. And sometimes if I'm walking up hill or down. I typically always try to have a full Nalgene bottle in my backpack and a full collapsible reservoir at camp. I gave up on internal bladders a few years ago.

Thanks guys. Ideally I would pick up some water along the way, but to be safe I was looking at a 3L bladder and then 1L Nalgene... but that's almost 9 lbs of water!

Full 3L Camelbak Unbottle in my pack. Empty Nalgene int the pack to refill if needed, along with an empty Ozarka bottle and a Sawyer filter.

I think the last time I backpacked where there wasn't water every mile or so was out in the desert in Big Bend...carried a lot of water then. Normally I start the day with one or two full 1L nalgenes and refill/iodine as necessary. Use a collapsible water bucket to haul water at camp and use gravity filter and boiling

You're in CO right? I'm in Denver and got mine setup and dialed at 100yds. Plan to go in 2weeks to shoot at 150yds...I havent done exhaustive testing but happy with how it shoots.

CVA optima V2, 110gr BH209, Thor one size fits all 250gr. Western precision front globe sight, Eabco peep rib rear sight.

I carry 3L. Usually just refill in the evening/night as I find water and make that last till the next evening. Having a large bag to fill and use for water at camp helps make life nice too.

stdeb11 said:

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You're in CO right? I'm in Denver and got mine setup and dialed at 100yds. Plan to go in 2weeks to shoot at 150yds...I havent done exhaustive testing but happy with how it shoots.

CVA optima V2, 110gr BH209, Thor one size fits all 250gr. Western precision front globe sight, Eabco peep rib rear sight.

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Yeah Denver. Ended up picking up a CVA Wolf Friday, then between an online order coming in and driving between Thornton and Pueblo was able to get all the parts I needed. Shot it yesterday at 50 yds with a scope on. Had the 338 Powerbelt platinum and 300 Thor one size. Both shot pretty well at 100 gn BH209. Didn't shoot 110 cause I was hot a tired, but will probably go back and bump it up to 110 and practice with the sights I'll hunt with.

Was set on the weather precision kit, but the eabco seems like the better choice in the rear. Any trouble with height between the front and rear sights?


Side note had another good scout in the unit. 2 different groups of about 20 elk each on small private tracts surrounded by public, one I'd seen before in the same place, and a trio of little spikes deep in public. Getting a good feeling! Need to sit on the larger groups for a day and see where they're moving.

You'll need the Eabco rear (probably). I first tried the western precision rear and it ran out of adjustment before I could get it dialed at 100yds (about 8" low). So had to get the Eabco rear to get enough adjustment. Overall very happy with it...my buddy did the Lee shaver front. His works good but I like the western precision "reticles" better.


Oh and one thing in the western precision front. The screw to hold the globe in place was too long/barrel wasnt tapped deep enough. So I had to take about .030" off to get it to seat fully. If you go that route and have a similar issue I can make ya a screw....didn't bother with contacting western precision as everyone online said their customer service was terrible.

stdeb11 said:

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I carry 3L. Usually just refill in the evening/night as I find water and make that last till the next evening. Having a large bag to fill and use for water at camp helps make life nice too.

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This. Try to set up camp near a stream so I can get water every other day or so. I drink more than most so (2) 2L in camel backs. One with Nuun tabs,, one plain water incase I decide to make a mountain house or coffee while glossing.
Usually 3-5 gallon collapsible for camp that is used for everything. Anything more is just too heavy to haul around comfortably. Keep a life straw in my emergency kit just in case.

What season and state are you hunting? In second rifle season I carry a Marmot Precip in their crocodile color (matte brown). All precipitation I've encountered is snow, so I don't even bother with rain pants since I'm already wearing softshell.

I guess rain is possible, but with the Colorado seasons all getting pushed back I would expect an even slimmer chance. It doesn't take First Lite gear to keep you dry in snow. I love good gear just as much as the next guy though.

mneisch said:

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I guess rain is possible, but with the Colorado seasons all getting pushed back I would expect an even slimmer chance. It doesn't take First Lite gear to keep you dry in snow. I love good gear just as much as the next guy though.

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I agree with this, unless you get to the week before and they forecast a serious heat wave it's not gonna rain on you. Puffy jacket and some kind of water resistant pants should be the most you need

I've had sleet and rain in second season above 9k'. It happens.

I carry a high end set I found on clearance from Cabelas about 5 years ago. I'll put it on if I stop to glass and get cold to cut the wind. I'd rather do that than carry rain gear and a jacket. Not worth the weight.

So I ended up with 3 cow tags and 4 antlerless deer tags in Montana and plan to be up there for 2 weeks to try and fill them at the start of rifle season in Montana. Do any of y'all have any onsite or tips for these hunt districts? I've only ever hunted hunt district 3 in Montana.

Need some advice for camping spots when backpack hunting. What should I be looking for? Back in the timber so as not affect any good parks ?- stay above or Below where I am trying to hunt ? I have had cupofjoes comment about groups camped right int eh middle a prime spots stuck in my head as I'm planning my hunt and studying OnX

Aggie_3 said:

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So I ended up with 3 cow tags and 4 antlerless deer tags in Montana and plan to be up there for 2 weeks to try and fill them at the start of rifle season in Montana. Do any of y'all have any onsite or tips for these hunt districts? I've only ever hunted hunt district 3 in Montana.

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Dang is there a limit on deer and elk? that'll be a lot of meat.

chocolatelabs said:

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Aggie_3 said:

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So I ended up with 3 cow tags and 4 antlerless deer tags in Montana and plan to be up there for 2 weeks to try and fill them at the start of rifle season in Montana. Do any of y'all have any onsite or tips for these hunt districts? I've only ever hunted hunt district 3 in Montana.

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Dang is there a limit on deer and elk? that'll be a lot of meat.

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You can have 3 elk b tags and up to 7 deer b tags

Fall is in the air this week.

shaynew1 said:

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Fall is in the air this week.

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10 days out til Montana.

stdeb11 said:

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For backpack hunting I generally give it very little thought as I'm usually not at camp for very long and it's a small quiet camp. Very different than an outfitter and wall tent. I've had elk walk within 100yds of my tent at night and heard bugling....I'm usually more concerned with avoiding widow makers.

Have seen it before where some joker sets up a wall tent on the edge of a meadow right in prime territory. But a small tent tucked into the trees outta the wind I don't think makes a big difference

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. Thanks

stdeb11 said:

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For backpack hunting I generally give it very little thought as I'm usually not at camp for very long and it's a small quiet camp. Very different than an outfitter and wall tent. I've had elk walk within 100yds of my tent at night and heard bugling....I'm usually more concerned with avoiding widow makers.

Have seen it before where some joker sets up a wall tent on the edge of a meadow right in prime territory. But a small tent tucked into the trees outta the wind I don't think makes a big difference

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This. I just try to find a flat spot without dead trees. That's not always easy up high. Having a good glassing spot at camp is a bonus. Sure don't pitch a tent in the middle of an elk park. But I've camped near a wallow and have had a whole herd nosing around the tent throughout the night. We got meat on that hunt.

also maybe a spot that minimizes movement while you're at camp, mainly water nearby
ability to glass from camp is a good idea, but stay off ridgelines both for weather concerns and getting skylighted

I am debating on where to set up camp this year. There is a pretty awesome camping spot that would be really cool. It is really tucked away. But there is also some decent camping areas near the main trail. 3 miles of hike in straight up. It may be nice to have camp there to "stake a claim" near where we are hunting.

CTGilley said:

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It may be nice to have camp there to "stake a claim" near where we are hunting.

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in my experience that doesn't work. If someone decides to park next to you and hike the 3 miles in they are not going to find another valley when they see your camp. You're better off laying low in one of the better spots and try to use their disturbance to help your hunt

I agree, even more so if it's OTC.

I've been sitting on a small meadow in BFE, had another hunter walk right up on it, wave to me, scoot down 75 yards and plop down to hunt.

I silently moved out and still hunted my way through some dark timber where I thought elk he bumped might go bed.

I didn't kill, but it taught me that if I can get someplace, so can anyone else.

OTC that is absolutely true. First rifle is a little more spread out. It is about a 3 hour hike in to the start of the hunting grounds. This year we are camping to get a little deeper.

There is a group that hunts both first and 2nd on the other side of the mountain. I am not sure how that will work with the 10 day gap this year.

We only saw 4 groups last year. The annual group on horse back. 2 guys cut through on horseback and 2 more that were there first day but left the 2nd. We watched an herd of elk walk right through where they were camping. We did not know they had left or we would have tried to move in. (It was pretty late) The other group was a father and son hunting bear while we were packing out an Elk.

Now that I type that I realize we are the only ones dumb enough to go in on foot and not horse. It is pretty rough.

Any good tip on finding bear rifle 2?

aggie0959 said:

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Any good tip on finding bear rifle 2?

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Step 1: kill elk or deer
Step 2: wait by carcass

Is it really that simple? My buddy and I both shot a mule deer last year, and he had a bear tag in his pocket too. We checked on his carcass the day after he shot his buck and only saw coyotes on it. Never went back cause we didn't think about bears hitting it.

mneisch said:

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Is it really that simple? My buddy and I both shot a mule deer last year, and he had a bear tag in his pocket too. We checked on his carcass the day after he shot his buck and only saw coyotes on it. Never went back cause we didn't think about bears hitting it.

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this will be my first year to carry a bear tag elk hunting so I probably won't see one, but 2 of the 3 elk I have shot had bear sniffing around the carcasses the next day. Other than that and stumbling across bear while hiking/hunting (which has happened to me several times) I don't have a clue how to find one. Be careless with food in camp maybe? (kidding...) Getting too late for berries so I think carcasses are your best bet. Bear also seem to prefer to move along hiking trails so maybe if you're not elk or deer hunting don't venture too far from the trail. Snack exclusively on peanut butter and tuna fish and they might come to you?