The Must-Have Gear for Hunting Elk

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Elk hunting is a gear-laden endeavor. Any way you slice it, it's expensive. Cutting corners and pinching pennies to keep more greenbacks in the budget won't seem like such a good idea when your tent is leaking, your air mattress won't stay inflated and your water filter, well, won't filter.

During my elk hunting tenure, I developed an extensive list of gear. The good news is that you don't need to purchase everything all at once. Yes, there are some staples, but you can build your elk arsenal piece by piece over time.

None of the upcoming gear items made my list after I read a well-written press release or saw a flashy image on Instagram. I have extensively tested every elk gear item in this list while hunting the West, and you can depend on all of them.

This article doesn't include the obvious. Of course, you'll need a rifle, bow, crossbow, scope, ammo, arrows, etc. These are the gear items that fall outside the scope of what it takes to put a bull elk on the ground.

ALPS ELITE FRAME +3800 BACKPACK

Your backpack is your lifeblood in the mountains. It hauls your gear and will haul an elk out when you're successful. I tested the first-ever ALPS Elite Frame +3800 backpack, and the prototype remains operable. It wasn't until last year that I upgraded to the finished Elite Frame +3800 with all the bells and whistles.

I've tested over a dozen backcountry backpacks, and this one is my go-to, ride-or-die choice. The Elite Frame accommodates various pack sizes, allowing it to be transformed from a multi-day hunting pack to a daypack.

Made from 500D Cordura, the PU-coated pack is highly water-resistant and features a rain cover that stores neatly in a zippered compartment on the bottom of the pack.

The pack promises a customized fit via six-position torso adjustment and a waist belt that fits waist sizes between 31 and 55 inches. Comfort is second to none. Breathable 3D air mesh suspension promotes airflow. The shoulder straps are comfortable, and the frame is complete with an anti-slip lumbar back.

My favorite feature of this pack + frame system is the tab-style attachment hooks on the frame and loops on the bag. The pack detaches and attaches to the frame in seconds. Should you choose, ALPS offers a 1,800-cubic-inch daypack that attaches to the Elite Frame.

MSR GEAR

I've trusted all my backcountry elk hunts over the years to products from Mountain Safety Research, and not one of those products has ever let me down.

I've cooked over 100 freeze-dried meals, such as those from Mountain House and Peak, using the all-in-one WindBurner Personal Stove System. This windproof, modular stove system is ideal for minimalist trips and, depending on your elevation, boils water in less than two minutes.

Paying almost $200 for a set of trekking poles sounds absurd, right up until you use them. I've run four 100-mile mountain ultramarathons and conquered many elk mountains with these foldable trekking poles. The ultralight carbon is remarkably durable, and the quick-deploy design folds compactly, allowing you to put these sticks in most any backpack pocket.

I had Giardia once. I don't want it again. MSR's Guardian Purifier is the best water filtration system I've ever used. Yes, the $399 sticker shock is difficult to overcome, but I've used the Guardian to purify water from a mosquito-infested, stagnant, and feces-filled cattle pond. I didn't even get a stomachache. The Guardian filters water quickly and easily, and the pump self-cleans on every stroke to prevent rapid flow rates. Additionally, the pump requires zero scrubbing or backflushing.

KILL KIT

The work begins when the projectile does its job and the bull lies dead on the ground. Elk are massive, and you'll want the right tools.

Concerning knives, I carry two: a Browning Primal Scalpel with no fewer than a dozen replaceable blades, and a Benchmade Steep Country Drop-Point. I prefer the ultra-light, easy-to-maneuver Primal Scalpel for skinning and the fixed-blade Steep Country Drop-Point for cutting around leg joints, the ball joint in the hip, and the atlas joint at the base of the skull.

Game bag choice is critical, and I've found no better than Argali's Guide Series M.O.B. Game Bag Set. When in ultra-deep and horses and mules aren't available for the packout, I prefer Argali's High Country Pack Bags. Made for boned-out meat, the entire kit weighs only 9 ounces. Both sets of game bags—the M.O.B. and the High Country— are crafted from a durable, breathable and reusable nylon blend material. The bags are tough as nails, and they are always in my kill kit.

I always keep my headlamp in my kill kit. Do yourself a favor and reverse your batteries so your headlamp doesn't accidentally turn on your backpack. My go-to headlamp is Coast's FL85. I love the twist-style light beam focus and the reflective head strap.

A few extra kill kit items include a roll of electrical tape, extra batteries for your headlamp, zip ties, a pe, and a lightweight knife sharpener.

MARSUPIAL GEAR FIELD MEDKIT

Over the years, I've stitched, glued and cleaned some nasty wounds. I've wrapped sprained ankles, splinted a broken wrist and treated a blister the size of a Coke can. The bottom line: You must have a top-tier first-aid kit, and my go-to is Marsupial's Field MedKit.

Whether for you, a hunting buddy, a dog or a horse, this kit has everything you'll need to handle an emergency in the field. The kit does weigh a tick over 2 pounds, but its weight is worth toting. The medical kit has everything from a Sterile 35 staple gun to an irrigation syringe to a cold pack.

TENT, PAD & BAG

I've come back to camp to find a river running through my tent. I've had hail tear through the fabric, and I've woken up to water dripping on my forehead. That all changed when I started using Alps Mountaineering's Tasmanian 2-Person. This four-season tent withstands wind, rain, snow and other elements. I prefer a two-person over a one-person so I can store my backpack, boots, and gun or bow inside. The 7000 Series Aluminum Poles are bulletproof, and I can assemble the tent with the included rain fly in under four minutes. I appreciate the free-standing pole system, and this tent keeps all the weather out.

Also from Alps Mountaineering, the 1.4-pound Flicker makes an excellent sleeping pad. Getting a decent night's sleep is critical when hunting elk in the backcountry. The Flicker won't leak or break down over time, and the small air chambers provide extra support and comfort. The Flicker packs down to nothing, allowing you to store it anywhere, and the flat valve enables easy inflation and deflation.

I want to be warm in my tent, and for this reason, I pack Stone Glacier's Chilkoot 0° sleeping bag. The Chilkoot is available in 15- and 32-degree rating options, but September nights in the Rockies get cold, and I want to stay warm.

At 2 pounds, 10 ounces, the Chilkoot features a 15 Denier Pertex Quantum Shell with 850+ Fill Power HyperDRY 90/10 Grey Goose Down, providing 29.1 ounces of down insulation. I've never had a cold hunting elk experience in this sleeping bag, and after three years of use, it shows no signs of wear.

ZAMBERLAN, KENETREK, MEINDLE AND IRISH SETTER BOOTS

No, you don't need all of these boots. However, I have extensively tested models from each manufacturer, and all have proven their mettle in the elk woods. Frankly, I can't recommend one over the other. All provide remarkable comfort and an athletic fit. After hundreds of miles in the backcountry hunting elk, none of the boots—Zamberlan's Baltoro Lite, Kenetrek's Corrie II Hiker, Meindl's Air Revolution Alpine 4.1 Hiker, or the Vaprtrek from Irish Setter—has given me a blister or even a hotspot. All models have proven waterproof, and depending on the day, all are in my elk-boot starting lineup.

DIGITAL MAPPING SYSTEMS & GARMIN INREACH MINI 2

Digital mapping systems have come a long way. Do yourself a favor and buy a subscription to either HuntStand or onX Hunt and then download all your hunting area maps offline. When you download maps offline, you can access them even when you don't have cellular service and still take advantage of all the mapping features.

Garmin's inReach and inReach Mini 2 are fantastic. I have both. The handheld devices connect with satellites, allowing your family and friends to track your adventure. It is fitted with an SOS button that sends emergency services to your location, and you can send text messages even when cellular service is unavailable.

OPTICS

As you can see from this article, my gear arsenal includes many different items from various manufacturers. However, sometimes, like my gear from MSR and Alps Mountaineering, I find a company that provides me with extreme confidence, and I find it best to develop an entire system of products from that company. Leupold is an example.

My current go-to binoculars are Leupold's ultra-light and ultra-compact BX-5 Santiam HD 10x42 mm. I've used these binos for four years without fail. They have tumbled down cliffs and been exposed to hellish environments. Still, every time I pull them from my chest harness, the Professional Grade Optical System provides clear images and manages to pull every ounce of available light.

I rarely leave the truck without a spotting scope. I kill a lot of elk by finding them through my binoculars, which I mount to Tricer's AD Carbon Tripod for maximum stability. After finding elk with my binos, I swap my BX-5 Santiams for Leupold's SX-4 Pro Guide HD Gen 2 60x85 Angled spotting scope. For less than $1K, this spotter is worth its weight in gold. The magnification range is remarkable, the clarity is excellent, and, like all Leupold products, it's built to withstand Mother Nature's worst conditions.

FINAL THOUGHT

While this article scratches the surface of necessary elk gear, there is more to it. From calls to clothing to other gear that you deem "must-have," the list never ends. The trick is accumulation over time. Get the genuine must-have gear first, and then you can move down the list.

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