Dall Sheep Hunt Gear List - 10 Day - Alaska Backpack

Everything packed and ready to go.

Backpack – 5.49 lbs.

Backpack

• Exo K4 Frame — Medium Belt — 47.0 oz.
• Exo K4 5000 Bag — 38.0 oz.
• Exo Gun Sling — 2.8 oz.

Rifle / Ammo – 8.65 lbs.

Rifle / Ammo

• Tikka 6 Creedmoor — Tikka Action, 18" barrel, McMillan Mountain Tracker LR stock, Trijicon Credo 2.5–15×42 — 121.0 oz.
• Suppressor — Airlock Industries Zero Gravity Suppressor — 5.7 oz.
• 5-round magazine — in gun, loaded — 5.5 oz.
• 3-round magazine — backup, loaded and in chest rig — 3.5 oz.
• Spare rounds — 3 more in pack — 2.1 oz.
• Scope bikini — 0.6 oz.

Sleep System – 5.33 lbs.

Sleep System

• Durston X-Dome 1+ — 37.5 oz.
• Stakes — 8, came with Durston — 3.4 oz.
• Katabatic 30° quilt — Elite, Large/Wide 900 FP, with 2 pad straps — 22.9 oz.
• Therm-a-Rest Xlite NXT — Large — 17.5 oz.
• Outdoor Vitals pillow — 2.7 oz.
• 8 L dry bag — for quilt — 1.3 oz.

Clothing / Gear Worn – 8.5 lbs.

Clothing / Gear Worn

• Hanwag Alverstone II — Size 14 Wide, with Superfeet Green — 64.0 oz.
• Sitka Ascent Pant — 36T — 13.4 oz.
• FL Merino T‑shirt — 5.0 oz.
• FL Underwear — Merino — 3.2 oz.
• Ball cap — 3.0 oz.
• Cell phone — 7.3 oz.
• Socks — Darn Tough XL, full cushion — 3.8 oz.
• Swaro EL Range 8×32 — with Bino Clamp — 24.5 oz.
• Stone Glacier Skyline Harness — 9.2 oz.
• Lens cloth — in harness — 0.3 oz.
• Mountain Mag Digiscope System — 1.5 oz.

Cook / Food / Water – 0.76 lbs.

Cook / Food / Water

• Titanium mug — Toaks 750 ml with lid — 3.6 oz.
• Titanium spoon — 0.7 oz.
• Smartwater bottle — 1.5 oz.
• 4 L HydraPak bag — filter fits on, no lid — 3.1 oz.
• Katadyn BeFree filter — 1.7 oz.
• Chapstick — 0.3 oz.
• Toothbrush, floss, toothpaste — 0.7 oz.
• Leukotape — for blisters — 0.5 oz.

Electronics – 0.64 lbs.

Electronics

• Garmin inReach Mini 2 — USB‑C — 3.5 oz.
• Nitecore NB10000 — battery bank, USB‑C — 5.3 oz.
• USB‑C cable — 6 in, for phone, inReach, headlamp — 0.3 oz.
• Nitecore NU20 — headlamp — 1.1 oz.

Clothing in Pack – 4.33 lbs.

Clothing in Pack

• Sitka Dewpoint Jacket — XL — 10.5 oz.
• Sitka Dewpoint Pants — XL — 10.2 oz.
• Stone Glacier Grumman — XL — 13.0 oz.
• Kuiu Zip‑off 145 Bottoms — L — 7.3 oz.
• Sitka Ambient 75 Hoody — XL — 10.4 oz.
• Merino half‑finger gloves — First Lite — 2.1 oz.
• Hat — Sitka Jetstream Hat — 1.7 oz.
• 4 L dry bag — for puffy — 1.2 oz.
• OR Helium Gaiter XL — 5.9 oz.
• 2× spare socks — Darn Tough XL, full cushion — 7.6 oz.

Possibles Pouch – 0.38 lbs.

Possibles Pouch

• Trauma — Gauze, BleedStop, alcohol wipes, tape, strips — 2.15 oz.
• Meds — Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin, Imodium, Zyrtec — 0.95 oz.
• Repair kit — sewing, Tenacious Tape, superglue, pad patches — 0.65 oz.
• Cordage — 40 ft — 0.6 oz.
• Lighter — 0.45 oz.
• Water purification tablets — 3‑day supply if filter breaks — 0.1 oz.
• Spare CR2 — for rangefinder — 0.7 oz.
• Swing‑out pocket — 0.4 oz.

Misc – 1.15 lbs.

Misc

• Durston Iceline poles — with small baskets — 10.6 oz.
• Game bags — 2× Argali TAG — 4.0 oz.
• Glassing pad — 2.8 oz.
• Tyto knife — 0.5 oz.
• 6 blades in plastic case — 0.5 oz.

Food – 16.30 lbs.

Food

• 10 individual day packs (each day includes wet wipes) — 1.64 lb/day average

I dialed in my food system a bit more this year. Instead of just tossing meals into a bag and getting close to what I thought I may eat in a day (I always planned 2 lbs. per day before), I built a spreadsheet, listed every single item, and weighed it out. My goal was roughly 3,200–3,800 calories per day—starting on the higher end for the first few days, then tapering slightly as my body adjusted to the calorie deficit.

At 230 pounds, I’ll easily be burning 5,000–6,000 calories a day (if not more), so weight loss is inevitable no matter what I do. This year I also vacuum‑sealed all my daily food so it packs tight, stays organized, and doesn’t rattle or open up inside my pack.

On average, my food came out to 3,280 calories per day and 1.64 pounds per day, with slightly fewer calories on days 1 and 10 when we’re hiking in and out. I’ll do a separate post breaking down exactly what I carried.

Partner‑Carried Essential Gear – 9.15 lbs.

While I am carrying the rifle, ammo, and med kit, my dad is carrying these items that we considered shared weight to balance us out to about 9 lbs. of shared weight each.

• Aziak Equipment Ridgeline Tripod — 20 oz.
• Kowa 66A spotting scope — 53 oz.
• Glock 20 with holster — 45 oz.
• XL fuel can — 22 oz.
• MSR PocketRocket Deluxe stove — 3.5 oz.
• Epoch Outdoors Mountain Mag — 1.5 oz.

Don’t Forget the Checklist

While everything in your pack matters, there are two areas that can quietly make or break a trip: your pre‑hunt checklist and your base camp gear. They’re easy to overlook, but I treat them like part of the system. I’ve included both lists below and I make sure to check them off before I leave for the trip. My base camp kit also includes a few things I’ll leave at the truck (not base camp)—like tools and targets for confirming zero—plus extras that keep the trip moving if something small goes sideways.

To Do Before Departure

• Trim toenails
• Charge devices and batteries
• Test inReach
• Verify rifle zero
• Reapply DWR to rain gear
• Clean and condition boots
• Triple‑check for license/locking tag
• Download maps (2 separate apps)
• Change rangefinder battery
• Check all Allen keys and tools needed
• Download e‑book on phone
• Check hunting regs again
• Set up tent in rain; check for leaks
• Check sleeping pad for leaks
• Bring spotting scope and tripod for partner’s pack
• Test water filter for flow rate; replace if needed

Base Camp Items

• Extra tent
• Boots (spare)
• Full clothing set (in dry bag)
• 2 days of spare food
• Rifle soft case
• Microspikes (in case of heavy snow)
• Roll electrical tape for barrel
• Battery pack (base camp backup)
• Chapstick
• Tarp
• Target (Truck)
• Torque Wrench (Truck)
• Garmin Chrono (Truck)
• Extra Ammo (truck)