The hunting has already started for many fellow hunters, but for me hasn’t started yet. I have to wait till mid-October to make my first hunting trip due to work issues. Nonetheless, this period gives me time to prepare my equipment for the upcoming hunting outings. It is time to check the firearms, ammunition, clothing, and packs. Since last season I have carried a Frost River haversack, Grand Marais Mail Bag, is the name of the model, that replaced my previous haversack not only for all my one-day hunting trips but also for any short day trip at the woods.
Characteristics of the Grand Marais Mail Bag
The haversack is made from 10.10 oz waxed canvas. It weighs 1lb and is waterproof. I love the feeling and the character of this traditional looking shoulder bag. The dimensions are 12.5in H x 11in W x 2.5in D. It has enough space to carry all the necessary items and some! The flap over the main compartment closes with a cotton web tie that passes through two brass rings. This gives you the ability to fold the flap short if you are carrying a light load or extend it if you are carrying taller objects. The shoulder is made from 1.5 inc. cotton web, comes with a solid brass slide, and has a total length of 60 inches. Of course is adjustable for any body type.
My day-hunting haversack kit
The trips I usually do for hunting are day trips; they start early in the morning and usually finish around four or five o’clock in the afternoon. I should mention here that I am living in Greece and some rules that applied here, might not considered in other countries. As an example, the hunt starts at dawn and finishes at sunset. The only legal means to hunt is the smoothbore shotgun of any type, under-over, side-by-side, semi-auto, or pump-action, all are great. The limitations are at barrel length, a minimum of 20 inches, and shell capacity is limited to three.
When I am wandering in the woods, for a short period, hunting or hiking, I always carry either a backpack or a haversack(mostly). I am keeping there all the necessary items that are going to be useful for the day’s activity but also would be crucial in an emergency. Most of these items are based on the fundamental principles of 10 Cs and some of them are filling hunting tasks.
Let’s begin, with the analysis of my contents; the first item of all that I always carry in any pack is a first aid kit. Then, I keep an emergency bivy and four heavy-duty drum liners, to help protect my core temperature in a survival situation. My small fire-lighting kit consists of a large Bic lighter, a ferrocerium rod, one small tin with char cloth, and a small box with cotton balls covered in Vaseline. My cordage is covered by a couple of feet of paracord, and a roll of tared bank line. Also, I keep a few feet of jute twine, which is good for making bird nests too. A small sewing kit and a roll of duct tape are the items in my repair kit. A stainless steel water bottle and spoon, along with a kupilka cup, are my utensils. I carry a shemagh and a cotton bandana; both can be used as water filters or emergency bandages. My trusty Suunto compass is my navigation device. I also have a monocular for the area and game scanning and a bright orange long strip for signaling and marking pathways. Last, I am keeping a headlamp with extra batteries and a small packet of baby wipes. As far as goes for tools, I always carry a small folding saw in the haversack. On my belt, I have my knife, and I also carry a pocket knife and a multitool. In the picture below you can see all the contents of my haversack. This is my typical load-out. When I go hunting, I add four extra knives, for processing any harvested game.
With all these items the weight of the haversack is right at 4.4 lb, making it easy to carry around all day.
In conclusion, I am very impressed with the quality of the materials and construction of this shoulder bag. Everything is very well sewn and I like the thought behind this design. The price also makes it very affordable, it costs $65 which is money well spent for the quality you are buying. If you are looking for a hunting bag or just a shoulder bag for everyday use,look no further.