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What's in your bino pack?

topslop1

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Minuteman
Dec 18, 2010
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I purchased an AGC X50 bino pack with the Max pocket. It has a large front pocket, a bottom pocket, a side pocket on each side, a thin rear mesh pocket against your chest, and the main bino pocket. It also has 2 elastic pouches on the top lid. One on top of the other. I'm wondering what you all carry in your bino pack. I'm planning for a solo archery backpack hunt. I'll be using a Kifaru Reckoning as my main pack with a Longhunter 1000 lid. I'll probably carry my pack with my rain gear, kill kit, 1 days food, first aid, water purification kit, nalgene, 2L water storage, Vortex 20x56 Kaibabs and tripod, and a puffy jacket throughout the day.

I'll most likely use the front pocket for my range finder. I'm getting a Vortex Ranger 1500. I'll be using Vortex Razor 10x42 for my primary glass, so I'll probably have some extra room in the main pocket in the X50. I'm thinking about putting a Ziploc bag in the main pocket under my binos with some zip ties and my tag for tagging the elk. Just wanting to know what is a good idea to carry in my bino pouch in case I get separated from my pack. I'm thinking a small knife, lighter, compass, wind checker, extra contacts, headlamp and a small hard plastic mirror so far. The mirror and compass fit well in the elastic pouches on the top of the lid.
 
I’m going to guess this is for elk/deer hunting in the mountain west. I don’t usually plan on walking extra long distances from my pack since that’s my main way of moving stuff. Generally I have spare batteries for my rangefinder and kestrel, lens cleaning wipe, wind detector, and ear pro. A phone pocket is nice to have too. My pistol rides underneath my harness as well. I also don’t usually carry a compass since I have maps on my phone and can generally figure out where I am since i’m either in a valley or on a ridge looking at the valley. A phone screen works as a mirror if you need something for signaling. A bag with tags and zip ties is a good idea. A headlamp could be good too. I always carry a small flashlight in my pants pocket that clips to my hat for a headlamp. Lighter, knife, and carmex live in my pockets too.
 
I've become very minimalistic with my bino harness. I have LRF binos, GPS w/InReach, and a Kestrel.

If it isn't something that that you immediately need to have in hand, there's no reason it can't go in your pack.
 
I’m also very minimalist with my bino harness, mostly because it stays on me all day every day while hunting. That means it needs to be light and unobtrusive (or I’ll be tempted to take it off) but also have everything I need to kill my deer, elk, whatever. For that, all I need is my binos, rangefinder with ballistics, hunting license, tag, and a pair of ear plugs. I never really leave my main pack, especially if I’m solo.

That said, you’re on the right track. The items you listed are all pretty light and honestly I hadn’t thought to keep a pair of contacts in there, but I’ll probably start doing that myself.