I used to get too carried away but don't take much with anymore. I take a basic first aid, knife, fire starter, light rope, and game bags to keep the meat clean if I get something. Of course some water also and sometimes but not always a snack. That's about it for just running around.

Binoculars around my neck. Only take rangefinder and gps if I'm going somewhere new or a lot farther back than normal. As far as the ranging goes I can hunt most of the day in my normal areas and already know the distance to just about everything from so many years of ranging stuff before.

  No pack is complete without.........TOILET PAPER.   

I have done without it, and believe me – it is worth carrying an emergency supply!  I pack a lot it seems but I try to make each item the minimum weight.  I pack matches and a knife, an emergency water filter straw, a tiny thermal ‘space’ blanket, several of those little oxygen activated heaters, a snack, extra ammunition, calls, scents, a small nylon rope (for dragging deer), a plastic baggy with a tiny first aide kit (a few bandages, Ibuprofen and allergy pills in case of bee stings, etc.), a cell phone and if I am away from home a GPS.  I very rarely carry water but if I plan to sit for a long time – especially in winter I will bring a small thermos of something hot to drink.  All of the above items fit easily into a butt-pack.     

 In winter I also frequently bring a spare pair of gloves in case mine get wet.  I also wear binoculars and carry a foam pad or other thermal seat to keep all of me dry and warm when at all possible.  As long as I don’t forget the rifle, I think that I’m pretty well outfitted for anything short of falling in the water.         

I focus on subject areas.  Navigation: two forms -- usually a GPS and compass.  Communication (in case of emergency): cel phone or SPOT, small mirror and a really loud whistle (if you're in bad shape when rescuers approach, your voice may be too weak to attract attention).  Survival: space blanket/bivy, fire starting (two forms), and water purification.  First aid: basic small kit; emphasis on stopping bleeding (Quik Clot).  Game care: knives and game bags.  Tools: leatherman and light source (flashlight and/or headlamp).  Firearm maintenance: Small cleaning kit to wipe out a bore if rifle accidentally gets dropped in the dirt (even though I usually put a piece of tape over the muzzle). And oh, yeah...TOILET PAPER.  In a pinch (so to speak), the little compressed packs of TP in MREs work great.

One thing I learned a long time ago when you're out is how to take make certain items serve a multitude of tasks.  Take inventory of everything you pack for the day, then look at each item one by one and ask - how many different tasks can this one item serve me, what's redundant here, what needs to go??  You'd be amazed at how much gear you'll shed and still be suffiently equiped.  When I hunt these days in the backcountry, the heaviest things I have on me is my rifle, binos, and a 1 liter Nalgene water bottle.  The rest of my essential gear takes up only half the space in my daypack.

we need to tell this to my cousin. every time we go hunting, he brings a dang u-haul and moves into the woods.

i usually bring the very least amount of stuff possible. if it wil be hot, i'll bring water and extra shells. if i'll be gone for a long time, i'll add a sandwhich and a camera.

that's about it. i'm all packed up for going camping this weekend by myself. i threw the tarp and a lantern in the car, and my lightweight sleeping bag... then i went "hmmm... what else?".

i even came up with this saying when i was younger... don't make fun of me, it's kind of stupid.

"A knife, a tag, and a gun is all you need to get'r done!"

that's it. :thumbsup1:

Oh, yeah...and if your partner's a smoker, be sure to put add a pack of smokes to your list.  If you wind up in a survival situation that lasts a couple days, it could save you from a hysterical lunatic.