It's Time To Get Your Pack Ready!

I don't know about you, but if you are anything like me you have not opened your hunting backpack since the close of last year's deer season. Some may have taken to the turkey woods with them, but I usually am wearing a turkey vest for that. So as it goes, mine has been sitting in the hunting closet since the return from my last deer trip of the 2009 season. Well, this is the time of year that I usually get the pack out and start going through it and that is exactly what I did this weekend. I know it may seem a little early to some, but the archery season in the zone that I hunt in my home state of Florida is only two weeks away.  With an opening day of July 31st I knew it was time to start getting things ready.

The first thing that I do is take everything out of the backpack and lay it all out. The reason I take it all out and start over is that you never know what you might find in the bottom of the pack. I have found all kinds of goodies over the years stuck in the bottom, some a pleasant surprise (something I thought I had lost, but really hadn't) and some not so pleasant (a squished up candy bar, or in this year's case, a left over half eaten Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich). On my last trip of my 2009 deer season I had my 7 year old with me and he must have placed it in the bottom of the pack without my knowledge. Note to self..........Maybe I should check backpack before putting up after the season. 

After lying everything out I will start sorting things according to which section or pocket the item will go back into. For instance, I will put all my calls together because I know they will go in the same pocket of the backpack. I will check usable supplies such as cover scents, scent eliminator spray, and the highly important thermacell refill cartridges and pads. If I am low on something, I check the supply cabinet and replenish it or put it on the list to pick up during my next trip to the local hunting store. There always seems to be plenty of those trips for me this time of year. Next, It is time to replace batteries in all items that require batteries such as flash lights, radios or whatever else I might have that requires batteries. It is just my way of doing it, but I replace all batteries at the beginning of the season regardless if they are currently working or not. I want to know that I have fresh batteries in the equipment that perhaps could save me in a difficult situation should one arise. Once the batteries have been replaced I turn everything on to make sure that everything is working as it should. I would hate to get out of the truck opening morning, reach for my flashlight, and find that it is not working or need to get a yardage only to find that my range finder is dead. I check my calls just to make sure they are sounding and performing as they should. I also fire up the thermacell to check and double check that it is working properly. I do not want to get caught in the swamps of Florida on the last day of July without one. We have some mosquitoes down here that can pick you up and carry you out of the swamp if they want. Lastly, I will check and make sure that I have a good supply of my emergency safety items such as rope, compass, whistle, an extra bottle of water, and of course some TP (just in case). Hopefully I will not need these items and generally do not, but I always like to be prepared.

After washing my backpack in my Dead Down Wind scent eliminating laundry detergent and everything has been checked and some items double checked it is time to restock the backpack. Now, I don't know about you, but I have a specific place for everything in my backpack. I like to know that when I reach for an item I know exactly where it is. Perhaps this is the reason I did not know there was a half eaten PB&J in the bottom of my pack. My backpack is now ready and it is time to find something else to keep my mind occupied while I patiently wait out these next two grueling weeks prior to the season opener. Good luck to you in getting your pack ready for this up coming deer season and as always, Happy Hunting!