Four Things All Hunters Should Have in Their Pack

When I first started hunting deer and elk over ten years ago, each day I left camp I filled my pack with common necessities. Usually I carried food, water, some extra clothing items, knives, survival gear, extra ammunition and a few other items. Between then and now, the hours I spend in the woods each day, as well as the distance I end up away from the camp or truck have increased exponentially. Experiences not just hiking, but packing out animals has helped me refine what I bring into the woods in my pack. Of course, I still carry with me many of the same items, items that you will find in most any wise hunters' packs: safety and survival gear, knives, and spare clothes and food. However, there are a few items I carry now that I doubt all hunters carry, things I have not always carried, but will probably never go without again.

Zip-ties- In case you missed it, zip-ties have reached a status previously reserved for only duct-tape: a universal fix-it tool for an almost unlimited number of applications. While hunting, zip-ties have proved very useful to me, specifically once you have an animal down. If you have cold fingers, or even if you do not, a zip-tie will come together quicker, easier and more securely than an average person's knots. They are handy in most situations where you would otherwise use a small section of rope or twine, and they are very easy to use.

Visqueen/Ponchos- These two are paired together because either one could work or function as the other in many situations. Both are very lightweight, but are definitely worth each ounce they take up in your pack. If you are not moving far or fast, a poncho is an excellent way to keep your clothes dry and keep in some body heat. Obviously, when moving around breathability becomes a big problem, but if you are planning on sitting for a while or standing around butchering, it is hard to be wearing something plastic. Also, either a poncho or a sheet of Visqueen comes in handy as a dry place to sit, a clean place to place meat while you butcher, a good cover for hanging meat overnight, or shelter in the case of an emergency.

Sharpening steel- A sharpening steel is pretty common in most packs, but definitely a must-have item. You only need to use knives in the woods a few times before you discover it can be very difficult to keep a good edge on a blade. A steel that you are comfortable using allows you to bring one or two knives with you to get the job done. Without the steel, who knows how many knives you would dull before successfully butchering an animal. In my experience, it is better to have a cheaper steel or sharpener you are very proficient with, than a high-dollar product you are not comfortable or practiced in using. Once you get good with a steel, you will notice a world of difference in the sharpness of your knives, but it does take some practice.

Headlamp- For me, the innovation of brighter, lighter and longer-lasting headlamps ushered out the use of their hand-held counterparts. Headlamps are extremely useful for travelling into and out of the woods in the dark, working in low-light or dark conditions, and signaling for help in emergency situations. Their hands-free use makes them superior to traditional flashlights for applications where you might want use of your hands (pretty much any situation). Although LED technology is now used widely in many flashlights, they are used optimally in headlamps, which take full advantage of their compact size, brilliant light potential, and low battery usage. In a pack they hardly represent any weight or space, but using them to get into the woods in the dark has played an integral part in many of my recent hunting successes.