• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Backpacking with longer rifles

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I have a SeekOutside. The hawken slips into the side pocket and sticks up a little bit it’s manageable. Adding another 8” wouldn’t be good on this trail.

With the Kifaru system, I’m guessing the butt stock hangs down pretty low & the weight, being on the outside of the pack, shifts how it feels on your back. Getting the pack off & on, hiking with maybe a bit more of a hunch, how does it handle for you?
The pocket that holds the buttstock or cam if you're carrying a compound bow is adjustable in height over several inches. Will the barrel of a longrifle stick up above your head - yes. IMHO, that drawback is far more manageable than having it strapped to the back of my pack for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, the Kifaru system allows gun or bow to be readily accessible - like "right now" accessible. #2, since the barrel is in front of you, you can either maneuver it around obstacles or take it out and do what you have to do, then put it back in and keep rolling. The point is obstacles can be seen before you get tangled up. I dont know about you, but those are ALWAYS noisy for me. #3, the gun rides beside you at an angle so walking/hiking isn't adversely affected. Strapping to the back of the pack results in the barrel being above your head and the buttstock below your rear end at the same time. Some of that could be solved by strapping it to the side of the pack. However, the barrel is hard to see and control at best. Plus, you have to take your pack off in order to get the gun into action. When I hunt coyotes, I have my rifle in the gunbearer with the height adjusted so that the scope is under my arm. I strap my shotgun to the side of my pack. With this setup, my rifle is ready quickly and I'm not worried about using my shotgun until I stop and setup to call which means my pack is off. I attached a picture of my bow in the gunbearer to give you an idea...
 

Attachments

  • 20201008_121924.jpg
    20201008_121924.jpg
    2.1 MB · Views: 0
Enjoy the hike, let us know how that packing your long rifle thing works out. Been there, done that, sure wish I still could but I'm now a "stump sitter", makes napping a bit easier.
Ha! Yea, I don’t mind putting in crazy miles sometimes. But tree stands kinda freak me out. I’m afraid I’ll fall out whenever I doze off for a few min — which is at least a few times every day.
 
The pocket that holds the buttstock or cam if you're carrying a compound bow is adjustable in height over several inches. Will the barrel of a longrifle stick up above your head - yes. IMHO, that drawback is far more manageable than having it strapped to the back of my pack for a couple of different reasons. First and foremost, the Kifaru system allows gun or bow to be readily accessible - like "right now" accessible. #2, since the barrel is in front of you, you can either maneuver it around obstacles or take it out and do what you have to do, then put it back in and keep rolling. The point is obstacles can be seen before you get tangled up. I dont know about you, but those are ALWAYS noisy for me. #3, the gun rides beside you at an angle so walking/hiking isn't adversely affected. Strapping to the back of the pack results in the barrel being above your head and the buttstock below your rear end at the same time. Some of that could be solved by strapping it to the side of the pack. However, the barrel is hard to see and control at best. Plus, you have to take your pack off in order to get the gun into action. When I hunt coyotes, I have my rifle in the gunbearer with the height adjusted so that the scope is under my arm. I strap my shotgun to the side of my pack. With this setup, my rifle is ready quickly and I'm not worried about using my shotgun until I stop and setup to call which means my pack is off. I attached a picture of my bow in the gunbearer to give you an idea...
That’s an interesting system. Will have to see if I can create something like that for my pack.
 
A tick or two is not worth worrying about. Some people go nuts if they find even one tick on them. Just pull them off, smash them between your thumbnails, and move on. Used to get them all the time years ago when I was out more than I am now. Lots of times had a dozen or more dug in on my skin. On a couple of occasions I have happened to look down at my boots or pants legs and saw several hundred on the move headed up my legs. Too many to kill, so out comes the pocket knife to scrape them off on to the ground. Had to move a few feet every little bit so the ones I had just scraped off wouldn’t get back on me.
A deer tick bite if carrying Lyme can take a person out of the hiking game.
 
I struggle with arthritis and the meds impact my immune system. Haven't had any real problems with this aspect of the disease though. I have very little reaction to insect bites/ stings. I do make the exception for ticks. We can get a lot of them in the summer here. I use tick spry liberally on my clothes/shoes/legs.

Don
 
A tick or two is not worth worrying about. Some people go nuts if they find even one tick on them. Just pull them off, smash them between your thumbnails, and move on. Used to get them all the time years ago when I was out more than I am now. Lots of times had a dozen or more dug in on my skin. On a couple of occasions I have happened to look down at my boots or pants legs and saw several hundred on the move headed up my legs. Too many to kill, so out comes the pocket knife to scrape them off on to the ground. Had to move a few feet every little bit so the ones I had just scraped off wouldn’t get back on me.
In removing a tick, you need to be careful. Just grabbing it and pulling it off is not as easy as you imply. If the tick's head is buried in your skin the head might be left behind. In that case it can cause an infection. I had this happen years ago. My wife was an RN at the time. She used a scalpel to scrape away the infected area. I still have a small scar from that experience.
 
I carry it in my hand. My rifle has a 42 inch long barrel, and like some others here, I carry it in my hand.
However, my smoothbore fowler, also with a 42 inch barrel, has a sling and I sometimes carry it slung over my shoulder.
I used to go just like that, but now that I am old and not so steady on my feet, I use a staff. My staff is simply a sapling that I cut to a 5 foot length. It works great as a 3rd leg for me.
Rifle in one hand, or fowler slung over my shoulder, backpack, and staff in my other hand and I can still hike for miles.
I have been known to get down on my hands and knees to crawl through some nearly impenetrable laurel thickets. I just have to be careful and go slow with my long barreled firearms.
 
Ha! Yea, I don’t mind putting in crazy miles sometimes. But tree stands kinda freak me out. I’m afraid I’ll fall out whenever I doze off for a few min — which is at least a few times every day.
I fell asleep one time when hunting with my brother and a few friends. Boy, did they give me a hard time!! LOL
 
True, but the odds are pretty small.
Some good tick spray properly applied should work pretty well.
Actually pretty good odds here, so many people in this area have come down with Lyme. Old growth forests cut off and replaced with brush and quick growing trees. Earlier posts were talking about sleeping on the ground in a pile of leaves 18th century style. Like sleeping in a nest of ticks. Permethrin soaked ground cloths may help or spraying your blankets with permethrin or DEET but still.
 
Actually pretty good odds here, so many people in this area have come down with Lyme. Old growth forests cut off and replaced with brush and quick growing trees. Earlier posts were talking about sleeping on the ground in a pile of leaves 18th century style. Like sleeping in a nest of ticks. Permethrin soaked ground cloths may help or spraying your blankets with permethrin or DEET but still.
I use Permethin around my boots, ankles, pants etc. Anything is better than nothing.
 
One of my favorite movies is Paint Your Wagon. Lee Marvin offers up a prayer for Brother at the beginning of the movie. And list all the maladies a fellow could die of in the west, that Brother didn’t have to suffer
I like my historic fun, but will take pains not to die historically
 
Actually pretty good odds here, so many people in this area have come down with Lyme. Old growth forests cut off and replaced with brush and quick growing trees. Earlier posts were talking about sleeping on the ground in a pile of leaves 18th century style. Like sleeping in a nest of ticks. Permethrin soaked ground cloths may help or spraying your blankets with permethrin or DEET but still.

I should say I quit camping in hot weather years ago. Partly because of the ticks ( most mosquitos ) in some places, but mainly because I hate being hot.
Walking, sitting, and trying to sleep with sweat running down my face and other parts is misery, and not my idea of fun.
 
Back
Top