Planning a hunting trip for bear and boar next year. Need advice.

We aren't talkin' trudging across Death Valley in mid-summer, but North Carolina during bear season.
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That means a possible temperature range of 20-70 degrees

It would be foolish at best to even consider leaving your vehicle without carrying some water
 
I found this today, thought it might be pertainent and entertaining, if not exactly up to date:

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34607/34607-h/34607-h.htm

Go light; the lighter the better, so that you have the simplest material for health, comfort and enjoyment.

Of course, if you intend to have a permanent camp, and can reach it by boat or wagon, lightness is not so important, though even in that case it is well to guard against taking a lot of stuff that is likely to prove of more weight than worth—only to leave it behind when you come out.

Clothing

As to clothing for the woods, a good deal of nonsense has been written about "strong, coarse woolen clothes." You do not want coarse woolen clothes. Fine woolen cassimere of medium thickness for coat, vest and pantaloons, with no cotton lining. Color, slate gray or dead-leaf (either is good). Two soft, thick woolen shirts; two pairs of fine, but substantial, woolen drawers; two pairs of strong woolen socks or stockings; these are what you need, and all you need in the way of clothing for the woods, excepting hat and boots, or gaiters. Boots are best—providing you do not let yourself be inveigled into wearing a pair of long-legged heavy boots with thick soles, as has been often advised by writers who knew no better. Heavy, long-legged boots are a weary, tiresome incumbrance on a hard tramp through rough woods. Even moccasins are better. Gaiters, all sorts of high shoes, in fact, are too bothersome about fastening and unfastening. Light boots are best. Not thin, unserviceable affairs, but light as to actual weight. The following hints will give an idea for the best foot-gear for the woods; let them be single soled, single backs and single fronts, except light, short foot-linings. Back of solid "country kip"; fronts of substantial [Pg 4] French calf; heel one inch high, with steel nails; countered outside; straps narrow, of fine French calf put on "astraddle," and set down to the top of the back. The out-sole stout, Spanish oak, and pegged rather than sewed, although either is good. They will weigh considerably less than half as much as the clumsy, costly boots usually recommended for the woods; and the added comfort must be tested to be understood.

The hat should be fine, soft felt with moderately low crown and wide brim; color to match the clothing.

The proper covering for head and feet is no slight affair, and will be found worth some attention. Be careful that the boots are not too tight, or the hat too loose. The above rig will give the tourist one shirt, one pair of drawers and a pair of socks to carry as extra clothing. A soft, warm blanket-bag, open at the ends, and just long enough to cover the sleeper, with an oblong square of water-proofed cotton cloth 6×8 feet, will give warmth and shelter by night and will weigh together five or six pounds. This, with the extra clothing, will make about eight pounds of dry goods to pack over carries, which is enough. Probably, also, it will be found little enough for comfort.

During a canoe cruise across the Northern Wilderness in the late summer, I met many parties at different points in the woods, and the amount of unnecessary duffle with which they encumbered themselves was simply appalling. Why a shrewd business man, who goes through with a guide and makes a forest hotel his camping ground nearly every night, should handicap himself with a five-peck pack basket full of gray woolen and gum blankets, extra clothing, pots, pans, and kettles, with a 9-pound 10-bore, and two rods—yes, and an extra pair of heavy boots hanging astride of the gun—well, it is one of the things I shall never understand. My own load, including canoe, extra clothing, blanket-bag, two days' rations, pocket-axe, rod and knapsack, never exceeded 26 pounds; and I went prepared to camp out any and every night.
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There is much more there.
 
Thanks for all the advice. I am reading and re-readin these posts carefully. One of the guys going has a background as a firefighter and has medical/first response training. Him and me both have repelling experience. If I got to, I wouldn't mind repelling if I need to take a short cut. Its a skill set him and me have and if it comes in handy and we can utilize it then cool. I need to teach the other guy on how to repel and that leads me to taking some of the advice on here.

I have suggested to them that this spring and summer we just do some hiking and camping in smaller re-recreational areas. Places were we can hike, camp, fish, and do some basic repelling, while testing our gear. We will show him how to tie a Swiss seat, and repel.

As far as water purification. I found a device for $25 bucks that seems to be really neat and has good reviews.

The Sawyer mini filter. Rated for 100,000 gallons. You just catch the stream water in one bag, hook up the filter and gravity drain it to another bag.

http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-Produc...3007&sr=8-1&keywords=sawyer+mini+water+filter

So I am thinking...pack two canteens a man, and then use that for further water acquisition.

As far as firearms go. The guy looking at the 7mm Mag, is thinking more about .308, I am going to help him do some shopping around. The other guy is thinking AR-15 and a .410 shotgun...but I would rather he take his AR-15 and his .22 pistol. At least with the .22 he could carrying easier with the rifle and get small game.

As far as shelter....I am thinking one man pup tents for each of us. Something light, and not to cumbersome. I noticed some military Gore-Tex parkas and stuff popping up cheap on some of the sites so I will looking to those. Both of them are looking into GPS, which is cool...but just in case I still like my old compass and maps.

The other day I bundled up and just walked to work in the AM after an ice storm, just to push myself. Did it with no issue. But It was about 1 1/2 mile. Nothing to far.

Thanks for all the advice guys. :cool:
 
Him and me both have repelling experience. If I got to, I wouldn't mind repelling if I need to take a short cut.
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So now you want to carry several hundred feet of 1" rapelling rope too, along with the other assorted climbing gear which that entails?

I think there's too much "multi-tasking" that's going to get in the way of any real hunting

It would take a SEAL team to pull off all the stuff you've talked about so far
(and survive)
 
Actually I don't see it has to much.

Three men.

Each carries a rifle with ammo.

One with an AR-15 and .22 pistol.

One with a bolt action .308.

Myself with an semi-auto AK with a hi-cap 9mm.

The guy with the AR-15 is the one with firefighting first responding background. Have him carry first aid equipment.

All three of us have a pack with extra clothes, and MRE's, small water filtration filters and light one man pup tents, along with matches (or lighters), candles, fishing line, hooks, and knives. Not really all that much.

Those two carrying GPS, I carry a compass. Then what is left is two canteens of water per man, then the two of us not carrying first aid equipment carriers rope, and repelling gear. Really not that much.
 
Averaging 3 MPH with even a moderate load is optimistic even on a paved road, especially if you have not worked up to it/"hardened your feet". Having made a few foot marches in the .mil, I know a (very) little about this, but it's enough to know that you won't make ten-fifteen miles/day in rough country with a pack on.
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OP -
Go to your local gym dressed as you would be for your hike with a pack of 70#; turn the treadmill on to 3mph and set it 12-15% incline and do that for a while. You might make 30 minutes, maybe not - you sure aren't going to average that in the woods over uneven terrain all day long.
 
There are a lot of National Forest roads into Pisgah and Nantahala NF's. I would try to drive in as far as possible, park and figure on hiking a bit away from the road and set up base camp (a mile or so). From there, branch out and hunt. If you take a lot of stuff with you, you are close enough to hike back to your vehicles and make the trip back to base camp. Same on the way out.... One of my favorite places is up Fires Creek in the Robbinsville area. Very remote, but accessible.
 
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