10 C's Haversack For Hunting Season

10 C's Haversack For Hunting Season:

Last week was the opening of gun season in West Virginia and I decided to cut down my EDC bag (LINK) into a hunting/10 C's haversack. I found that I don't use a good bit of the stuff in my EDC bag (LINK) on a daily basis so I put together a simple purpose driven haversack with all of the basics for an overnight stay (or more). For those of you asking yourself what the 10 C's are: 1) Cutting Tool, 2) Container, 3) Cordage, 4) Candling Device, 5) Compass, 6) 100% Cotton, 7) Compass, 8) Cover,  Needle, 9) Cargo Tape, 10) Cloth Sail.

1) You may notice this haversack from the Banyan Rapid Deployment Kit (LINK) or my Escape and Evade Post (LINK). I really like this platform and the only thing I wish it had was a water bottle holder in place of the magazine pouches on either side. Overall the bag is small, lightweight and just the right size for all of my needs for this given purpose.

2) On person cutting tool carry for this hunting season is the Blind Horse Knives PLSK1 and a one of a kind Short Trail. The short trail is a nice little neck knife I use for everyday tasks and the PLSK1 I use for heavy bushcraft and camp tasks. Both cases have a ferro rod on them and both rods are from firesteels.com

3) All Cutting Tools in the kit: Farson blade for large game skinning (this thing works great), the two above mentioned knives and a Bacho Laplander.

4) 100% Cotton Materials (bandanna) and a dew rag for keeping my head a little warmer at night. If your wanting to know why to carry these items check out these three uses 1) Char Cloth (LINK); 2) DIY Water Filter (LINK); and 3) Rub Cloth (LINK).

5) Fire/First Aid/Medical: These all live in the front magazine pouches for easy access. Pocket Fire Kit (LINK); Pocket 10 C's Kit (LINK); Individual First Aid Kit (LINK) also a spare ferro rod and some spare gorilla tape.

6) Subsistence: Not a necessity but like to have something in my pack as I usually hike 10 or so miles from the main road to the trap line and hunting grounds. I'm quite fond of Cliff Bars and find them to be not only delicious but also very filling.

7) Cover: Grabber Tarp with a trash bag. I also have a survival blanket in the micro 10 C's kit and since my new hunting grounds have no pine trees I will also be packing in a Thermarest to ensure I can get a decent nights sleep since its projected to either rain or snow all season.

8) Container: Kept it simple with the Pathfinder Bottle and Cup (Review LINK). Couple years old and still bomb proof, plenty of dents, but then again I have used this thing to drive in plenty of guy-line stakes for my tarp.

10) Cordage: 100' of paracord, 6 prussicks for securing my tarp and other tasks around camp, bungee cord as the main anchor for my tarp shelter when configured in diamond and also used to secure my sleep pad to the haversack.

11) Personal Defense: Weather it be poachers or coyotes its always good to pack the power of 45ACP! Add on a weapon light and your ready to engage a target regardless of light.... particularly helpful when you are camping without a fire in-order to preserve your hunting/trapping grounds.

12) Candling Device: I have been using the hands free head lamp for a couple years now and like the fact that it has four brightness settings along with night vision saving red. Add to this the weapon light and I have plenty of lighting ready to go. I also have an EDC pocket light with tracking capabilities.

13) Rapid Camp Setup (Learn How Here- LINK): I got to the woods around 0200 hours so it was windy, dark and raining when I arrived. I have started using this configuration just for these rapid setup situations as it goes up in around a minute and has much less exposure to the elements as opposed to other tarp setups.  Notice the H&R Survival Shot Gun (LINK HERE). I will do a quick video on this setup next time I go out, I was very low on battery and also didn't want to keep my phone out too long in the driving rain. Freezing rain and hail were consistent throughout the night and I stayed dry and didn't have to use a sleep system (mainly because I dressed for the weather- I can't stress how important it is to dress for the weather).

14) Additions For Overnight Trips: one wool blanket and thermarest mattress.

15) Things Not Pictured: Game Tags, Pen, Compass, GPS, Cell Phone and I'm sure a few other things I may carry on my person while hunting or just EDC.

Conclusions: 

One week into hunting season with this kit and I can honestly say I may cut my EDC down to some version of this kit. I have had everything I really needed the last week and really believe that the lowered pack weight is well worth the sacrifices that would need to be made. I do have a few concerns when it comes to blackpowder season with everything fitting into the haversack, but I will keep you updated. I believe the resolution will most likely end up being adding my bottle bag to the kit on one of the Molle sections leaving the space the bottle takes up for shooting supplies. I may do this for long term as well to give myself just a little more space for an SOL Bivy, some snare wires, sunglasses and a cell phone power booster. So what are your thoughts on the kit? What would you change?

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