Each hunter is limited to 50 lbs. of personal gear, not including weapon or sleeping bag. PLEASE NOTE: GEAR THAT EXEEDS THE 50 LBS. LIMIT WILL NOT BE PACKED IN, PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY. Pack frames will NOT be packed in. Hard cases of any kind will NOT be packed in. No backpacks or fanny packs will be allowed while riding in or out of camp. Most hunters bring WAY too much and never even take half of what they bring out of their duffel bags!! Typically, a hunter will change clothes twice on a 7-day trip.

The weather in the Mountains can change dramatically from one hour to the next. You can expect anywhere from beautiful sunshiny days up into the 60’s and 70’s to blowing snowstorms with chilling temperatures. Plan on clothing that is quiet to walk in and you can layer easily; choose your clothing for comfort and fit. Break-in any footwear prior to your trip and bring a sleeping bag that is rated for low temperatures.

Don’t ruin a good trip with sore, blistered feet from new boots or sleepless nights because your sleeping bag wasn’t warm enough! All gear should be packed in soft duffel bags as these are best for packing in on mules; two smaller duffel bags are better than one large bulky one. Ideally, duffel bags should be around 16” to 30”. Army duffel bags work great!! The following is only a suggested list of what to bring:

CLOTHING:

Heavy jacket-water resistant
Light jacket- water resistant
Rain/snow gear
Sweater
Insulated vest
Good, well-fitting hunting boots –waterproof, broke-in
Underwear
Pants (2-3 pair) *Kuiu Guide Pants
Hat and/or cap
Stocking cap to sleep in
Gloves-lined & unlined (1 pair each)
Extra wool blend socks
Handkerchiefs/Wildrag
Long Johns (2 pair)
Wool or flannel shirt
Shirts (2-3)

GEAR:

Hunting license and Hunter Safety Card
Good quality sleeping bag rated for cold temperatures.
Spare knife
Weapon of choice
Ammunition
Binoculars
Sunglasses
Chapstick/Sunscreen
Cell phone solar charger (optional)
Shaving gear (optional)
Canteen/ water bottle (we recommend water bottles with a built-in filtration system)
Prescribed Medications
Small backpack or fanny pack
Pillow
Toilet paper
Water-proof matches and lighter
Wash cloth/wet wipes
Camera
Notebook
Flashlight/headlamp (with new batteries)
Compass, GPS, Range Finder
500 square inches of blaze orange-vest and hat (orange camouflage is not accepted)

NOTE: Be sure to sight in your rifle before arriving for your hunt.

ADDITIONAL GEAR FOR DROP CAMPS:

Food (25 lbs. per person)
Roll of orange tape (to mark kill site)
High energy snacks
Water purifier/filter or purification tablets
Meat saw
Sharpening stone
Gun cleaning kit (one per party)
Nylon cord, parachute cord, or similar for hanging quarters in trees
Flagging tape/ribbon
Game bags-good heavy-duty bags are recommended
Cell phone & extra battery (see note below)
Fire starter

CONNECTIVITY: Cell service is “spotty” or zero some places on the mountain. Drop Camp hunters are asked to bring a cell phone with satellite plan (We use both Garmin and Zoleo) but technology can fail and backup is wise. Many cell phones work from most of our drop camp sites; however, not all cell phone providers work there.

NOTE FOR DROP CAMP HUNTERS: Each hunter is limited to 50 lbs. of gear and 25 lbs. of food. Hunters are notorious about over packing on food! One cooler is allowed per drop camp. A 48 to 50-quart (or smaller) cooler will fit in the pack panniers. If you have soft-sided coolers, they pack the best. Larger coolers will have to be packed in on their “sides” and that is not advisable.

Other food is best packed in small cardboard boxes weighing around 15 to 30 lbs. each. What should we use to keep foods cool in camp? A good coolant to use in your coolers to keep food cold is Techni Ice. We get it from First Class Products (1-888-258-4284). We do not pack ice into camps, unless you want the ice to count as part of your 25 lb. per hunter food allowance. Other good coolants are available in most sporting goods stores. Freezing some of your food not only keeps the food longer, it will also help to act as a coolant. LEFT OVER FOOD WILL NOT BE PACKED OUT OF CAMPS, PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

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2023-2024 Colorado Big Game Hunt Planner https://cpw.state.co.us/Documents/Hunting/HunterEd/HuntPlanner.pdf