Make it like home, or you’ll want to go home. Comfort is key in elk camp. The following blog lists the essential gear as well as the things we tend to forget. We have left off the equipment that seems non-essential or easy to remember. Good luck hunting, Stu

• Lawn chair
  • It won’t matter on day one or two but come day 5 and 6 not having something to sit on becomes a pain.
• Crocs or sandals 
  • Air out your flippers to avoid blisters and other issues that occur when your feet are wet all the time. I tried going barefoot around camp, but, after stepping on my sixth pine cone of the day, I decided to get some crocs.

• Can opener
  • I’ve forgotten a can opener more times than I’ve remembered it.

• Batteries
  • Have them in your pack not just at camp.

• Propane
  • Buy a couple extra canisters. There was one season I was making mac and cheese over an open fire because my propane ran out. It was rough.
• Bluetooth speaker
  • I really like to have some music in camp. Remember to download your Spotify playlist if you won’t have reception.
• Sunscreen
  • Midday sun in September at 10,000 feet will take a lot out of you. 70 SPF spray  works great.
• Headlamp
• Bugle tube
  • This one can fall through the cracks when packing. Don’t go into the woods sounding like Stuart Little.
• Emergency blanket
  • They pack down really small and light. Throw one in your pack.
• Bear spray
  • It probably doesn’t matter. If a bear wants to eat me, I’m sure it could. But, it gives me peace of mind on the walk out in the dark when every stump starts to look like a bear.
• Lighters
  • Keep one with the stove and one in your pack.
• Hammock
  • Mid-afternoon can get warm in September. Tents and cars get really warm. A hammock for chilling and reading a book while waiting to go out in the evening makes things much more enjoyable.
• Dish Soap
• Yoga Mat
  • Aside from a $13 minnow trap I bought when I was 12, my $7 yoga mat is the best money I’ve ever spent. They’re great for getting dressed to start the day or stretching out at the end of the day.
• Vaseline and Cotton Balls
  • As a fire starter vaseline and cotton balls work great. If you’re in a pine forest you can grab dry needles from the base of the tree and a few dead branches at the bottom. You’ll have a fire in no time. Vaseline comes in handy when your boots get wet, and you need to keep your feet from getting blisters.

Max’s List

• camp table 
• rubber boots
• real pillows from home
• a hatchet or saw
• bed rolls or a two person mattress
• boot wax
• dry bags
• garbage bags to use as pack liners
• candles for huts only
• bucket
• big pot to heat up water for bucket shower
• tent fly
• an ultralight tent or two bedroom tent if we’re near the truck
• normally only one cotton shirt or no cotton at all to sleep in
• warm hat