Backcountry Gear Dump, Bear Edition
Spring bear is one of the best times to test and try out new backpacking gear for the year. I am always eager to test all the gear that I have upgraded during the winter. Below is my gear that I use for my backcountry spring bear hunt. Typically, I will try and be in the mountains for 5-7 days and follow a nomad style of hunting for spring bears. This style of hunting allows me to be light and mobile which is critical to find bears in rugged terrain. My bag weight will depend heavily on the weather forecast but I will try and keep it as light as possible for this style of hunting. I will be glassing most of the day during this hunt so a glassing chair will be worth its weight in gold. Depending on how stable the weather is, I will leave clothing at the truck or pack more clothing in my pack.
Gear List Weight Summary
| Base | Food | Water | Wear | Weapon | Full Pack | Trailhead |
| 480.1 oz | 114.5 oz | 3.50 oz | 93.81 oz | 163.2 oz | 594.61 oz | 786.31 oz |
| 30.01 lb | 7.16 lb | 0.22 lb | 5.86 lb | 10.55 lb | 37.16 lb | 49.14 lb |
Hunt Details: Spring Bear
Duration: 7 Nights
Weather: Cold and Rain Predicted
Backpack
The Kifaru pack is great for all seasons and types of hunts with interchangeable bags with the same frame. The Muskeg bag allows me to pack all my clothes and gear for 7 days.
| Function | Description | Ounces |
| Pack Frame | Kifaru Duplex Lite Frame | 48.00 |
| Pack | Kifaru Muskeg Pack | 40.80 |
| Subtotal: 88.80 oz 5.55 lb |
Camp / Sleeping Gear
I choose the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 because it is super light and full enclosed. A fully enclosed tent is great for bugs and ticks during bear hunting. The stone glacier chinnock 15 degree is a little warmer than I need but with changing weather and sometimes snow it is great to have.
| Function | Description | Ounces |
| Shelter | Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 | 35.00 |
| Sleeping Pad | Big Agnes Insulated AXL 78x25 | 18.00 |
| Sleeping Bag | Stone Glacier Chinnock 15 Degree | 35.00 |
| Subtotal: 88.00 oz 5.5 lb |
Clothing (Packed)
My packed clothing will be all of my heavier and insulating layers. The Sitka layering system is great for all the different weather that you might see during your hunt. I always have rain gear in case of rain or a great windbreaker for colder days.
| Function | Description | Ounces |
| Top Insulating | Blackovis Anchor Point 800 Fill Down Jacket - XL | 12.00 |
| Top (light) | SITKA Core Lightweight Hoody - Subalpine - XL | 6.60 |
| Gloves | SITKA Traverse Glove - Subalpine - XL | 2.10 |
| Socks (Extra) | Farm to Feet Damascus Lightweight Crew Sock | |
| Puffy Pants | Blackovis Anchor Point 800 Fill | 12.00 |
| Insulating Gloves | SITKA Blizzard GTX Mittens- XL | 5.00 |
| Rain Jacket | SITKA Cloudburst Jacket - Subalpine - XL | 17.60 |
| Subtotal: 55.30 oz 3.46 lb |
Clothing / Gear (Worn)
My worn gear is what I will wear the most throughout the day and hiking. I want gear that will be versatile and interchangeable during the day.
| Function | Description | Ounces |
| Base Top | SITKA Core Lightweight Crew - Subalpine | 5.30 |
| Pant | SITKA Mountain Pants | 14.65 |
| Hat | BlackOvis Trucker | 3.12 |
| Footwear | HanWag Makra Combi GTX - Size 12 | 44.00 |
| Socks | Farm to Feet Damascus Lightweight Crew Sock | |
| Leg Gaiter | Sitka Stormfront GTX Gaiter | 5.00 |
| Watch | Garmin Fenix | 2.90 |
| Underwear | Sitka Merino | 2.84 |
| Poles | Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Z- Trekking Poles | 16.00 |
| Subtotal: 93.81 oz 5.86 lb |
Optics
Optics are your best friend during bear hunting. I choose a 65mm spotting scope because I know I will be hiking a ton and the lighter weight version was a better option for this hunt. The NL Pure binos are great for glassing and a wider field of view. One area I could upgrade is my rangefinder.
| Function | Description | Ounces |
| Spotting Scope | Swarovski ATX 65mm | 55.90 |
| Binoculars | Swarovski NL Pure 12x42 | 29.50 |
| Rangefinder | Vortex Ranger 1800 | 7.70 |
| Bino Harness | Marsupial Gear - Coyote Brown | 12.00 |
| Rangefinder Pouch | Marsupial Gear Rangefinder Pouch | 2.50 |
| Bino Adapter | Outdoorsman | 2.00 |
| Tripod Head | Manfrotto 700RC2 | 17.00 |
| Tripod | Manfrotto Carbon Be-Free | 32.00 |
| Digiscope Camera | iPhone 12 Pro Plus with Phone skope | 10.14 |
| Subtotal: 168.74 oz 10.55 lb |
Weapon
The Christensen Arms MPR is a great backpacking rifle due to the foldable stock. This option makes the overall length smaller during hiking and can quickly be deployed when shooting. The 6.5 PRC is a great caliber for bears because it is flat shooting and has long range ballistics for cross canyon shots.
| Function | Description | Ounces |
| Rifle | Christensen Arms MPR 6.5 PRC | 128.00 |
| Scope | Vortex Viper PST Gen II 5-25X50 FFP | 31.20 |
| Bipod | Atlas Bipod BT46-LW17 PSR | 13.61 |
| Sling | Magpul MS4® Dual QD Sling GEN2 | 5 |
| Scope Cover | Vortex Scope Cover | 1 |
| Ammo | Berger 156 EOL bullets with RL26 powder | |
| Subtotal: 163.20 oz 10.20 lb |
Gear
There are two gear items that I want to highlight. First is the Helinox Zero Chair. This is an absolute game changer for long hours glassing. It is just under a pound and makes a huge difference. The second item is my Garmin InReach Mini that allows me to communicate with other hunting partners and my family when in remote country.
| Function | Description | Ounces |
| Glassing Chair | Helinox Zero | 15.5 |
| Stuff Sack | Kifaru Ultralight stuff sacks | 0.13 |
| Satellite Messenger | Garmin InReach Mini | 3.50 |
| Battery Pack | Poseidon Dark Energy | 8.87 |
| Chapstick | Beeswax | 0.52 |
| Wind Check | Smoke in a Bottle | .60 |
| Knife | Esee Izula Silver | 1.02 |
| Knife | Tyto 1.1 Knife | 1.60 |
| Hunting License | License | 0.28 |
| Game Bags | Ovis Sacks Lightweight Game Bags | 22.00 |
| Water Purification | SteriPEN Ultra Water Purifier | 5.00 |
| Water Container | MSR DromLite 6L Bag | 4.64 |
| Charge Cord | iPhone Charge Cord | 0.65 |
| Charge Cord | Headlamp and Sat Messenger Charger | 0.44 |
| Extra Batteries | 4 AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium | 2.09 |
| Rope | Utility Rope | |
| Subtotal: 53.34 oz 3.33 lb |
Cook Kit
There are lighter options because the MicroMo allows you to change temperatures to simmer or sear food. I like the versatility that the stove gives me to cook different food.
| Function | Description | Ounces |
| Stove | Jetboil MicroMo Cooking System | 12.00 |
| Utensils | Tyto spoon attachment | 0.20 |
| Gas canister | Jetboil Fuel | 3.53 |
| Subtotal: 15.73 oz 0.98 lb |
Safety Gear
My headlight has died one to many times on the mountain and there is nothing worse than traversing sketchy terrain in the dark with no light. Also keep a spare light and batteries for backpacking.
| Function | Description | Ounces |
| Headlamp | Black Diamond Storm 375 Lumen | 4.20 |
| Headlamp (Spare) | Petzl E+Lite 50 Lumen Emergency | 0.90 |
| Bear Spray | Counter Assault Bear Spray w/Holster | 12.12 |
| Toothbrush & Paste | ZPacks Travel Toothbrush | 0.28 |
| First Aid & Repair | Assorted First Aid Kit | 2.16 |
| Toilet Paper | Toilet Paper in ZipLoc Bag | 0.52 |
| Subtotal: 20.18 oz 1.26 lb |
Food
Food for backcountry hunts has two purposes. The first is to fuel your body and give you enough energy to hunt hard and feel good. The second is to taste good. I have packed great food on paper for a hunt but it tasted so bad that I could not even eat it. Make sure you try your food before going in the field.
| Function | Description | Qty | Ounces |
| Breakfast | Protein Shake Mix | 7 | 2.00 |
| Breakfast Fat Content | MCT Oil | 7 | 0.35 |
| Lunch | Peak Refuel | 7 | 5.90 |
| Afternoon snack | Honey Stinger Waffle | 7 | 1.06 |
| Afternoon snack | Justin Maple Almond Butter | 7 | 1.15 |
| Dinner | Peak Refuel | 7 | 5.90 |
| Subtotal: 114.52 oz |
Water
| Function | Description | Qty | Ounces |
| Water | Platypus - 2L Hoser | 1 | |
| Electrolyte Mix | Warrior fuel Elevate | 9 | 0.5 |
| 4.5 |
Gear List Weight Summary
| Base | Food | Water | Wear | Weapon | Full Pack | Trailhead |
| 480.1 oz | 114.5 oz | 3.50 oz | 93.81 oz | 163.2 oz | 594.61 oz | 786.31 oz |
| 30.01 lb | 7.16 lb | 0.22 lb | 5.86 lb | 10.55 lb | 37.16 lb | 49.14 lb |