OUTDOORS: VARIETY OF PACKS FOR LADEN HUNTERS

The accessorized hunter usually recognizes quickly enough that his pockets are too small and too few.

One thing leads to another. If one's got to have all that gear with him, he needs another accessory: a pack in which to stow all those other items.

Of course, there are forms of hunting that require little in the way of accoutrements. For example, a squirrel hunter can get by with little more than the clothes he wears, a gun and some ammunition.

By contrast, the approaching archery deer season will send into the woods legions of hunters who seem to need a whole assortment of doodads to conduct their business out there in whitetail country.

In addition to a bow, quiver, arrows and a tree stand, a bowhunter may find himself packing an inventory that includes a knife, license and permit, flashlight, deer calls, scents, folding saw, compass, shooting glove, tab or release, rangefinder, face mask, tree steps, haul cord, safety belt, climbing belt, bow hanger, rubber gloves, rattling antlers -- hey, it can go on and on.

Some hunters go wild on gear and carry more than others, but almost all bowhunters seem to need at least some sort of small pack to organize and contain their necessities. A huge number of them find that the ideal answer is the fanny pack.

The fanny pack, which gets its name from the portion of the anatomy upon which it rides, is fairly short but wide, as it curls from hip to hip and belts about the waist. Depending on size it may hold from as little as 400 cubic inches of gear to upward of 1,000 cubic inches for the largest of them.

The main advantage of the fanny pack is that it rides out of the way and doesn't encumber one. A hunter can backpack a tree stand and wear a fanny pack at the same time. If it gets crowded back there the pack can be turned around and worn in front without added difficulty.

The simplest of fanny packs has a single compartment. Others have multiple compartments, side pouches included, for better organizing. That helps one find things easily, a nice alternative to pawing through everything in the dark, trying to locate a small elusive item hidden by everything else.

The next step up in load capacity is usually a day pack, the conventional on-your-back pack, but a soft, frameless one in contrast to the large, framed, high-volume backpacker pack. The day packs start out at a little over 1,000 cubic inches capacity and can run to 3,000 cubic inches or more.

With day packs come the disadvantage of more bulk. For instance, you can't backpack a tree stand while wearing a day pack unless you don the pack backwards -- across the chest -- and that's a little ungainly. On the other hand, if you don't have to backpack a stand at the same time, a day pack will much more easily handle bulky items like extra clothing. That's nice in cold weather when outer layers are best carried in and put on at the stand site to prevent working up a sweat while on the move.

A potential alternative to fanny pack or day pack is the shoulder bag, a soft sack with a single strap that's conventionally slung over the head and on one shoulder, with the bag riding on the opposite hip.

Someone who hunts and travels light might find a shoulder bag enough for all the necessary gear, but it makes a nice addition along with a fanny pack, say, for bulky items like rain suit, extra clothing, tree steps or rattling antlers. Likewise, when circumstances call for more gear and/or clothing, a hunter may find use for a fanny pack and day pack in combination.

The choice of materials for packs is a matter of personal preference, different materials offering different pros and cons. A popular pick nowadays is polyester fleece, a fabric that's naturally water repellent, light, soft and silent. A negative of fleece is that beggar lice and sticktights, those sticky little weed seeds, seem to come from miles away to cling to the cushy material.

Nylon, long a favorite for packs, is water repellent, light and strong. It's also noisy as the dickens as it scrapes against brush and limbs, however.

Cordura, an ultra-tough blend of nylon and polyester, makes a rugged pack that endures well. It tends to be louder than fleece, but quieter than straight nylon.

While it may seem like a minor consideration at first, a pack that is impervious to precipitation is a comfort. Those that have a waterproof (a huge step up from water repellent, meaning it only slows down the soaking) inner liner will keep gear dry. Otherwise, you'll spend some time spreading and drying your equipment after rainy day hunts.

For utilitarian sake, the smallest necessary pack is usually the best for the least burden to bear. Chances are, though, a hunter at least at times is going to have little difficulty in filling up whatever pack goes along.

We all, it seems, need our stuff.

Steve Vantreese is outdoors editor at The Paducah Sun.