What to Pack in a Lightweight Shoulder Bag for One-Day Trips
Text and Photos
by B. R. Hughes
Field Editor
“The old order changeth, yielding place to a new ...”
Those words were penned by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, back in the 19th century, and it’s a safe bet that Ol’ Al wasn’t referring to hunting gear! However, the shoulder bag that I wrote about in the October 2, 1992, issue of Gun Week recently “gave up the ghost” so to speak, and I have had occasion to put together a second, updated version.
These items go by many different names, including game bags, shoulder bags, knapsacks, etc. but, regardless of what they’re called, they can be a most valuable addition to any hunter’s gear. Mind you, they are not designed to take the place of a backpack or to carry all you’ll need for an overnight expedition in the woods. For this reason, some folks prefer to call them “day bags,” which seems a very appropriate description.
When I was a lad, accompanying my father on a hunt for whatever was in season, Dad would swing a bag over his left shoulder, and into this he packed his knife, a few extra shells, a snake bite kit, a compass, and a couple of apples or oranges. His bag was a relic of his many years in the US Army, and he called it a musette bag.
1980s Bag
The shoulder bag that I wrote about back in 1992 actually dated back to the mid-1980s, and at that time, such items were available from a number of outfitters. A careful perusal of a variety of catalogs featuring outdoor gear today reveals that the only shoulder bag of quality that seems to be readily available is marketed by L. L. Bean, a firm well-known to every sports minded person.
After surviving over 20 years of hard outdoor usage in such spots as the deer woods of Arkansas, Georgia, and Texas, the antelope plains of New Mexico, and a variety of duck blinds, my original bag finally developed holes and a ruined zipper. So, when a good friend presented me with a bag from Bean’s I decided that it was time to equip the newcomer with appropriate gear and put it to work. If you’re in the market for such a bag, check for quality materials and workmanship, and make certain that it provides quick and easy access to whatever is contained therein. It should be water resistant, roomy, and the strap must be wide and adjustable.
The next problem is “What to pack?” Before we get into details, let me hasten to stipulate Rule One: keep it light. Exactly what goes into my bag depends upon the time of year, the type of terrain I will be hunting, and the species of game I’m going after. Obviously, a duck hunt will require items not appropriate for a mule deer hunt in the canyons of New Mexico.
However, here are a few items that I almost always have in my shoulder bag: a light jacket, generally in the form of a lined windbreaker. Sometimes this is all you need in the early morning, and, as it warms up, the jacket can be placed in the bag. On other days, most of us have experienced weather when the temperatures dropped 20 degrees in as many minutes. On those occasions, the windbreaker can be a welcome addition to your top wear. Other hunts, you may prefer to stop stalking and take a stand, and I’m sure we all agree that more clothing is preferred when still than when moving. If rain is in the forecast, I sometimes substitute a lightweight plastic poncho for the jacket.
Certainly a fixed-bladed knife goes into my bag. No, I’m not talking about a large Bowie, but a lightweight utility model with a 4-inch blade is just right. This can be used for field-dressing game, cutting a walking staff or crutch if needed, shaving kindling for a fire, etc. I never leave home without a Swiss Army Knife in my pocket, but, if you do, you might want to stick a lightweight version of one of these handy gadgets in your bag. A small lightweight binocular is a must, and my favorite is a Leica 7X20. The optics of this little beauty are so good that even if it’s my only binocular I don’t feel handicapped. My compass is the same one that my dad had in his musette bag 60 or so years ago. It’s military issue, circa 1918, and today it seems as accurate as the day it was made. A neatly folded piece of aluminum foil can be used to create a drinking cup, a small bowl in which to heat water, or it can be used as a signaling device. You can probably think of other uses for this item.
I like to take pictures, so I almost always stick a small, lightweight 35mm camera in my bag. My current favorite is an Olympus style, which takes amazingly good pictures for such a tiny camera. I prefer film, but if you like digital models, have at it.
By all means include one of the handy multitools in your bag. There are a number of excellent choices on the market today, including, but not limited to those made by Buck, Gerber, Leatherman, and SOG. Get one large enough to do the tough chores. Mini tools are appealing, and I may have one of those in my watch fob pocket, but buy a full size model for your bag.
My first-aid kit is one I put together myself, since many of those on the market are heavy and bulky. What you put into yours will vary from person to person, but it should include some antacid tablets, a few aspirin, a needle and thread, a small tube of antiseptic cream, some sterile bandages, and a supply of tape. My nitro pills are always in my pocket.
Other items, which require no explanation, include a short length of quarter-inch nylon rope, a pair of lightweight gloves, a red bandanna, a snakebite kit, a small sharpening stone, a container of windproof and waterproof matches, sun block, and a snack, such as an apple or a candy bar.
My bag, fully loaded, weighs only about six pounds, and I wouldn’t care to have it any heavier. Anytime I feel I can trim a few ounces off its weight without sacrificing quality or utility, I’ll do so. Oh, I almost forgot. I don’t fool with a canteen. I simply fill an empty plastic bottle with water before leaving home, and mostly I use a 12-ounce container. It doesn’t clank when bumped up against a tree or rock, it’s cheap, and it’s easily replaceable.
Assembling the contents of the bag is an entertaining quest that seemingly never ends. But make every ounce count.
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