How do you carry yours?

[c18rch]

This may have been asked before but, I've done a quick search and it's not revealed what I was looking for.

I was wondering how people carry their kit around. This is my current set up:

• Rifle on a rucksack sling;
• Bushnell laser rangefinder binos on a harness;
• Sticks - carried in hand;
• Napier Apex Predator waist pack containing the following:
  • Spare ammo;
  • Buttolo call;
  • Mora Knife;
  • Leatherman;
  • face veil - if not wearing;
  • gloves - if not wearing;
  • latex gloves;
  • couple of freezer bags;
  • couple of sheets of heavy duty disposable cloth - doubles as a bandage;
  • Cable ties;
  • Tick removal tool;
  • Nikon P900 Camera - bit on the large side but i also use it for glassing long distances too (83x zoom) great bit of kit, very impressed. Every time I leave it I wish I had it;
  • Water bottle or small flask;
  • Car keys;
  • Phone;
  • Head torch - if stalking in the evening;
  • Coat - if required/if not wearing;
  • Large heavy duty plastic bag for the deer - the Napier bag liner is too small;

I like this set up as it is comfortable in any weather/temperature and not too heavy. I can also access most hings without taking the pack off. It does have a couple of downsides:

• The waist pack has a tenancy to slip after a while so you have to re-adjust it every so often;
• It pushes the rifle off to one side when on the rucksack sling due to the layout of the pockets;
• I have to take the pack off to get to the camera and coat which is a bit of a clumsy operation;

So how do you carry yours, and are there any better set ups out there?

 

[JockStalk]

For roe and hinds - Rifle on Z-aim sling. Bino's around neck. knife on belt. Latex gloves, hand san, bit of rope, orange pvc tape, car keys and mars bar in pocket.

Stags - the same, plus a nearby argo

 

[EssBee]

I have my man do the carrying!

 

[Heym SR20]

Rifle on simple sling, with two spare rounds on sling pouch, and one in each of my trouser and handwarmer pockets (I generally shoot a single shot and loose rounds jangle and rounds held in a pouch require two hands). Binos slung around neck or across shoulder African style. Knife in pocket or on belt. Leatherman and led lenser torch on belt. Piece of paracord shortened and in pocket. Car keys and iPhone in zipped pocket. Buttalo and fox call in hand warmer pocket.

 

[wardle]

gun on a sling,
binos round my neck,
sticks in my hand
knife in my pocket,
keys and phone in my pocket, oh and a torch if its evening

 

[slider]

Rifle on sling
bino's round neck
Apex Predator waist bag/roe sack with
gloves
veil
knife
latex gloves
cable ties
1st Aid kit with tick tool
emergency blanket
emergency flashing beacon thingy
spare ammo.
Butolo.

Car keys & phone in zipped jacket pocket

 

[paul o']

small day pack
two knifes
gloves
first aid kit
light sticks
foil blankets
head lamp
hand lamp
ammo more than i'll every need
pulling hook/rope
gloves
warming kit
small hot drink container
grub
z aim sling
keys on clip hook and phone/small charger inner zipped pocket
loo roll and lighter to burn the brown paper ?
if in high seat then pipe flex wrap and warm inflatable flat seat pad
boiled sweets

small rf

 

[Ranger22]

Bino's round my neck, rifle on shoulder any thing else in my pockets. If they don't fit in my pockets they don't go.

 

[bogtrotter]

Bino's round my neck, rifle on shoulder any thing else in my pockets. If they don't fit in my pockets they don't go.

Snap.

 

[Benji53]

The Vorn Lynx rucksack looks like a good option to me may purchase one

 

[Deer Management Services]

The Vorn Lynx rucksack looks like a good option to me may purchase one

second that suggestion!!!!

 

[nicowilson]

The Vorn Lynx rucksack looks like a good option to me may purchase one

 

[Mungo]

The big game pocket on the back of various jackets (e.g. harkila pro hunter) is an enormously useful hold-all for all sorts of gubbins.

Para cord, steri wipes, cereal bar and reflector strips go in there.

Otherwise, as others have said, if it doesn't go in jacket pockets, it doesn't come.

 

[c18rch]

I do like that Vorn Rucksack, but that is a lot of money for a backpack.

I used to subscribe to the pockets or nothing philosophy, but how do you carry a coat if your not wearing it, like at the moment when it is too warm to walk in a coat but you have a risk of showers. Also, carrying a water bottle in a trouser pocket gets on my nerves after a while. The Apex is the next best thing that I've found so far, Also allows extraction on foot if you can't get a vehicle to it or if it is the easier option.

 

[Ranger22]

Exactly the same principle if I don't have a jacket on, if it doesn't fit in my trouser pockets it don't go. Water bottle, no need for that here. Open your mouth, look skyward and wait. Here in Argyll if it's not raining it soon will be! If that fails lots of burns with good water in them

 

[tackb]

Bino's round my neck, rifle on shoulder any thing else in my pockets. If they don't fit in my pockets they don't go.

me too and sometimes I leave an essential at home , like say the magazine however I could single feed so all was not lost

try going with less and you'll be amazed how you just manage fine

 

[McKenzie]

Small, cheap bumbag with yool sack tucked in behind it; don't like things in pockets in event of prone shot.

I have the Vorn rucksack & it's by far the most comfortable backpack I've ever carried, in fact I use it for training/keep fit loaded down with several 2L water bottles & must have done at least 500 miles now with it like this & there's no sign of it giving up. It still requires a degree of suppleness to use though & I'd only consider using it for stalking if the walk was more than say 5 miles & I was carrying a few other bits & bobs. Or perhaps alpine hunting overseas....

 

[BeardyWierdy]

This may have been asked before but, I've done a quick search and it's not revealed what I was looking for.

I was wondering how people carry their kit around. This is my current set up:

• Rifle on a rucksack sling;
• Bushnell laser rangefinder binos on a harness;
• Sticks - carried in hand;
• Napier Apex Predator waist pack containing the following:
  • Spare ammo;
  • Buttolo call;
  • Mora Knife;
  • Leatherman;
  • face veil - if not wearing;
  • gloves - if not wearing;
  • latex gloves;
  • couple of freezer bags;
  • couple of sheets of heavy duty disposable cloth - doubles as a bandage;
  • Cable ties;
  • Tick removal tool;
  • Nikon P900 Camera - bit on the large side but i also use it for glassing long distances too (83x zoom) great bit of kit, very impressed. Every time I leave it I wish I had it;
  • Water bottle or small flask;
  • Car keys;
  • Phone;
  • Head torch - if stalking in the evening;
  • Coat - if required/if not wearing;
  • Large heavy duty plastic bag for the deer - the Napier bag liner is too small;

I like this set up as it is comfortable in any weather/temperature and not too heavy. I can also access most hings without taking the pack off. It does have a couple of downsides:

• The waist pack has a tenancy to slip after a while so you have to re-adjust it every so often;
• It pushes the rifle off to one side when on the rucksack sling due to the layout of the pockets;
• I have to take the pack off to get to the camera and coat which is a bit of a clumsy operation;

So how do you carry yours, and are there any better set ups out there?

Well looking at your location I'm guessing you're rarely on a stalk that takes you more than walking distance from your car, so no offence but it seems like an awful lot of gear...

I carry my rifle on a sling, my sticks in my hand (if I take them), and a belt over my smock or jumper that holds my knife, roe call, 3 bullets, QD bipod, and some nitrile gloves.

If I'm going on a larger piece of ground or taking clients then I'll take a roe sack with some drinking water and sterilizing wipes as well. If weather looks ropey I'll take a lightweight waterproof like the new ridgeline one.

It's rare that it's not quicker, easier, and more hygienic for me to get a vehicle in to extract the carcass - this time of year (and certainly in a months time) I'm more wary of flies entering the cavity than I am concerned about gralloching in time.

If I'm taking it for my own consumption then I'll quite often just gralloch it roughly in the field then tidy it up at home. Dogs eat any rough bits, I get the rest!

 

[Island]

Rifle on sling, bino's around neck, ammo wallet in pocket, sticks in hand (sometimes), normally a few pairs of latex gloves in thigh pocket, knife on belt.

The remaining gear (copious amounts of it!) is normally left in the truck!

 

[susie]

Rifle on shoulder, Binoculars round neck, everything else on belt or in pockets