What's in My Saddle Hunting Pack: Full Bowhunting Day Pack List

I'm a serial over-packer. With everything loaded, my kit runs about 25 to 30 pounds by my estimate, and I haven't regretted carrying any of it yet. I'd rather have the gear than wish I'd brought it.

Here's the pack, what goes in it, and why each piece earns its spot.

The pack: Cabela's Bow and Rifle 2500 V2

My pack is the Cabela's Bow and Rifle 2500 V2. It has everything I need: it's quiet, it's light, and it has plenty of pockets and accessories.

Cabela's lists it at 2,500 cubic inches with a bow or rifle carry attachment, a removable padded hip belt, compression straps, a hydration sleeve, a built-in blaze flag, and 15 pockets. Cabela's site blocks our automated checks, so we couldn't re-load its product page on October 10, 2026; these specs match Cabela's product copy as carried by other listings. Check Cabela's page for current price.

Why it works for saddle hunting: a saddle setup is a lot of small parts. Lots of pockets means the rope, hoist, wipes, and knife each have a home, and you're not digging around in the dark.

Budget vs premium: a big box store pack like this sits in the middle. Purpose-built saddle packs from smaller makers cost more and are designed to carry sticks and a platform on the outside. The 2500 V2 has a ton of straps and carabiners, but you may need to mod it a little to carry climbing sticks. If you already own a quiet day pack with good pockets, start with that.

Getting gear up the tree

• Doyle's Deer Gear Huntin Hoist. A retractable bow hoist. Doyle's lists 30 feet of line that pays out as you climb and reels back in as you pull your gear up, so you don't end up with rope tangled in your lap or caught in the brush. It clips to a saddle, belt, or pack.
• Extra rope in a Latitude side bag. I keep extra rope in a Latitude Outdoors side bag.
• CAVEKEAP MOLLE hook. A plastic MOLLE hook made for saddle hunting. I carry my saddle on it.

Hanging gear in the tree

• Pursuit Gear Hanger, 13 inch. I keep one in my pack. It's super easy to install. It isn't on Amazon; here is a retailer listing for the Pursuit Gear Hanger 13 inch. Any screw-in 13 inch gear hanger does the same job; check the rules where you hunt, since some public land doesn't allow anything screwed into trees.
• Lineman's belt as a pack hanger. On short sits I skip the hanger and use my lineman's belt to hang the pack. One less thing to carry.

Comfort on long sits

• Kneepads, or the pack itself. On long sits I either wear kneepads or use my pack instead. If you're just starting, try the pack first before buying anything.
• HotHands hand warmers. Always in the pack.
• Small snacks and a bottle of water. Always.

Wind, scent, and calling

• Windfloaters. My wind checker. More on why in my scent control article.
• Scent wipes. For after the walk in. Dead Down Wind Field Wash Cloths are one option.
• Illusion Extinguisher deer call. My grunt call. It's an adjustable 10-in-1 grunt tube, so one call covers several sounds.

Optics

• MOXULE binocular chest pack. My bino harness, with a rangefinder pouch. It's worn on the chest rather than carried in the pack.

Trimming and setup

• Mini tree saw. Always carried. A small folding saw like the Hooyman MegaBite 6 inch is a common pick. Again, know your local rules on cutting.

Recovery and field dressing

This is the stuff you hope you need.

• Gutting knife. A replaceable blade knife like the Havalon Piranta-Edge is one popular option.
• Game bags. Something like Allen Company game bags.
• Deer head puller. A short cinch drag such as the Hawk Cinch Deer Drag lifts the head and neck so the deer slides easier.
• Vecacosic deer drag strap and harness. For longer drags, a shoulder harness lets you pull with your body instead of just your arms.

The full list at a glance

Pack checklist

• Hoist clipped on and line free
• Extra rope in the side bag
• Gear hanger or plan to use the lineman's belt
• Windfloaters and scent wipes
• Grunt call
• Binos and rangefinder
• Saw
• Hand warmers, snacks, water
• Knife, game bags, head puller, drag harness

Other good options

This section is researched, not first-hand. These are well-supported alternatives to what's above, with sources.

• A lighter pack. If you don't need a bow or rifle carry, a smaller day pack saves weight on the walk in.
• Saddle pouches instead of a pack. On short sits, some saddle hunters skip the pack and clip a pouch to the saddle. The Latitude Operator Saddle Pouch is one option.
• A lifeline left on the tree. If you hunt the same tree often, a Hunter Safety System Lifeline keeps you clipped in on the climb.

FAQ

How heavy should a saddle hunting pack be? Mine runs about 25 to 30 pounds with everything, and I'm an over-packer by choice. I'd rather carry a few extra pounds than be stuck in a tree without the saw or a game bag. If the walk in is long, that's where weight matters, so decide what earns its spot for your hunt.

Do I need a special saddle hunting pack? No. I use a general bow and rifle day pack. Dedicated saddle packs are nice, not required.

What's the one thing people forget? For me early on, forgetting something was one of my mistakes, along with not practicing the climb and making too much noise. A written checklist fixes the forgetting part.

Sources

• Cabela's Bow and Rifle 2500 V2 product copy (Cabela's page not loadable by our checker on Oct 10, 2026; see note above)
• Doyle's Deer Gear Huntin Hoist listing
• CAVEKEAP MOLLE hook listing
• Pursuit Gear Hanger 13 inch retailer listing
• TMA Treestand Safety Guidelines