View Full Version : Orange pack cover needed?
Spatchka
12-19-2010, 21:12
After doing a thread search, did not really find an answer to the need for an orange pack cover for the last part of an SOBO of the AT.
Finally got my new pack and thought of pack covers.
Just want to be safe during hunting season as I finish up in Georgia, with a normal start date of late June, early July.
HikerRanky
12-19-2010, 21:20
Head over to jacksrbetter.com and check out the Gear Hammock Pack Cover... Comes in a very nice hunter orange color... that's what I use when hiking anywhere during hunting seasons...
Randy
Spatchka
12-19-2010, 21:51
Thanks for the link. Since I now own the Deuter ACT Lite 65 + 10 Pack, will be getting the large.
Will get some use out of it here in Tennessee also.
When you get old, and planning to go solo, you think about certain things.
Like...' if a bear is chasing me, who do I out run?':)
Bags4266
12-19-2010, 21:58
Cabela's has them
Should you "need" it? I was wondering about this myself near the southern end of the PCT this last October. It was deer hunting season and I came across a hunter set up no more than 3 feet off the PCT with his rifle at the ready. Only later did I find that he wasn't supposed to be hunting within 300 feet of the PCT. Last week I found quite a few shot gun shells laying on the PCT. That makes me want to go hunting too.
Rocket Jones
12-20-2010, 07:30
REI has an orange pack cover too. Not quite hunter orange, but not bad.
Spatchka
12-20-2010, 11:30
Thanks again for the information. Trying not to come across as being too paranoid.
I have to admit that while out on my solo trips in Wales and across eastern England,
the thought of being attacked by a Werewolf did cross my mind on some misty, foggy nights.
( This was in the 80's, re: the movie 'American Werewolf in London', not the new stuff )
Having spent the last 15 years in Nebraska, winter hiking-camping with my Scout troop was always a nervous time and
really limited our choices due the number of hunters out and about.
Rain Man
12-20-2010, 11:46
When you get old, and planning to go solo, you think about certain things.
OLD? You're younger than I am! LOL
I got some "seconds" blaze orange from Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics and made a bunch of my own pack covers for when the family and/or friends hike with me. Not expensive and not hard to do.
Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics (http://www.owfinc.com/)
Since you're local here in Nashville, you might enjoy the Nashville Backpackers Meetup.com group. Anyway, just FYI --
Nashville Backpacker Meetup.com group (http://www.meetup.com/backpackers-166/)
And yes, I wear blaze orange during hunting season and recommend you do, too. Most hunters are great folks who are cautious and obey the law. Sadly, not all are that way, though.
Rain Man
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M1 Thumb
12-20-2010, 11:58
During hunting season, every little bit of visibility helps and the orange pack cover is a fine idea. A couple of weeks ago I was on a day hike and a hunter shot a deer about 100 yards from me. I wasn't startled or put-off by it, but I decided that I would hold off on hiking in that area until modern gun season ended. The hunter did dress the deer on the trail so he gets failing marks for making people have to walk around that.
desertnomad
12-22-2010, 00:23
Granite Gear has an orange one as well.
BobTheBuilder
12-22-2010, 02:42
If you're going to bring a pack cover (and I do), why not make it blaze orange regardless? Doesn't hurt a thing, certainly can help in hunting season. Keeps the pack dry when it rains, too. Kind of.
BigHodag
12-22-2010, 08:50
I use the Cabela's Blaze Orange Pack Cover.
Review is on my section hike blog here:
http://at-trail.blogspot.com/2010/04/backpack-cover-cabelas-blaze-orange.html
Turtle Feet
12-22-2010, 10:36
I have a couple of pack covers already, so rather than buying another one in blaze, I use a net vest. I bought a fishnet vest in blaze a few years ago at a big-box store for just a few bucks. When I don't have a pack on, I just wear the vest - with a pack, I can just 'dress' my pack (with pack cover on or not) by wrapping it around and velcoring it on the strap side of the pack. The blaze shows up great and I don't have a third pack cover laying around.
Serial 07
12-22-2010, 10:54
i've got a hunter orange ETOWAH pack cover...
will1972
12-22-2010, 11:25
Plus 1 on the Etowah. great cover and plenty of HI-VIZ colors. I have the orange one but I believe they also have that green-yellow color that the road crews wear today.
fiddlehead
12-22-2010, 12:26
More important than an orange pack cover is a blaze orange hat and some streamers (any florescent color will do) tied to the front of your shoulder straps.
If a hunter is sitting in the woods somewhere, it's more likely that he's gonna see you from the front before he sees your back.
HeartFire
12-22-2010, 16:59
I make pack covers in any color you want - blaze orange, lime green, lemon yellow. Silnylon pack covers for large backpacks weigh about 2 oz. They are on the accessories page on the website. http://www.lightheartgear.com (http://www.lightheartgear.com/)
Judy (of LightHeart Gear)
Thanks again for the information. Trying not to come across as being too paranoid.
I have to admit that while out on my solo trips in Wales and across eastern England,
the thought of being attacked by a Werewolf did cross my mind on some misty, foggy nights.
( This was in the 80's, re: the movie 'American Werewolf in London', not the new stuff )
Having spent the last 15 years in Nebraska, winter hiking-camping with my Scout troop was always a nervous time and
really limited our choices due the number of hunters out and about.
Not being paranoid at all. When hunters get 'buck fever' it can be a dangerous thing. They see things that arent there. I agree with making sure you have something that can be seen from the front also. A hat or something.
mweinstone
01-07-2011, 17:55
the orange needs to be on the person. not the pack. packs cant bleed.the only absolute safe choice is vest.hat is concealed when wipeing butt. pack is up at trail when your at spring being shot. if yu want protection, dont settle for second best. hunting accedents are preventable. and allways make verbal contact with hunters as soon as you see them.
mweinstone
01-07-2011, 18:03
the best bear and or hunter protection gear is cheap and can be handed off to folks entering a zone while you are exiting. blaze orange need only be carryied as duct tape if you want. just blaze yourself front and back.plastic blaze orange vests come in very heavy and elaborate or simple and dollar store light.these can be given to others without much cost to your hiking pocket. and they make wonderful reuseable toilet seat covers. not jokeing.
Wise Old Owl
01-07-2011, 18:48
Hey Matty how about a custom pack cover from Target? One with the corporate Logo? - will that work?
max patch
01-07-2011, 18:54
If you're going to bring a pack cover (and I do), why not make it blaze orange regardless? Doesn't hurt a thing, certainly can help in hunting season.
Thats my theory on shirts.
mweinstone
01-07-2011, 18:54
are you a girl? and is that your owl?and does he like boyfriends?or am i talking to an old man currently iorning sox? or possibly an old lady making toast?
mweinstone
01-07-2011, 18:56
so, mark. your an exsterminater.
Honestly hunting season doesn't concern me. Everyone in my family has been avid hunters for decades. A blaze orange hat or ski cap will be just fine. A pack cover never hurts i guess but there is something about carrying a bright orange tumor on my back that distracts me from the overall natural experience.
Everyone packs to there fears though. As evident in my Army ECWS sleeping bag and VBL. I'm afraid of being cold at night or freezing to death in the arctic zone of the AT.
Odd Man Out
01-26-2011, 10:37
I am not a hunter, so correct me if I am wrong. Isn't it true that a responsible hunter would never accidentally shoot a hiker as he/she would always be 100% sure of their target? So all the blaze orange stuff is just to protect us from the irresponsible hunters?
Rain Man
01-26-2011, 11:10
I am not a hunter, so correct me if I am wrong. Isn't it true that a responsible hunter would never accidentally shoot a hiker as he/she would always be 100% sure of their target? So all the blaze orange stuff is just to protect us from the irresponsible hunters?
I would say you are 100% correct on all counts.
Rain Man
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sherrill
01-26-2011, 13:23
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805497/k.C545/Hunting_and_the_AT.htm
As a life long hunter let me clue you in on something that almost all hunters do.
They see a speck of blaze orange in the distance. Curious as to who/what it is, they use the closest set of binos they have, there rifle scopes. They then raise there weapon and put the cross hairs on you. If you are hiking during hunting season this will happen to you all the time without your knowledge.
Bags4266
01-26-2011, 16:36
As a life long hunter let me clue you in on something that almost all hunters do.
They see a speck of blaze orange in the distance. Curious as to who/what it is, they use the closest set of binos they have, there rifle scopes. They then raise there weapon and put the cross hairs on you. If you are hiking during hunting season this will happen to you all the time without your knowledge.
Well that just makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside knowing that.:eek:
Rain Man
01-26-2011, 17:23
Well that just makes me feel so warm and fuzzy inside knowing that.:eek:
BTW, that happens when you're answering the call of nature too. Not the warm and fuzzy feeling (well, maybe), but being watched through a long-range rifle scope! NOW who feels all warm and fuzzy?
Rain:sunMyers
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Camping Dave
01-26-2011, 18:07
After doing a thread search, did not really find an answer to the need for an orange pack cover for the last part of an SOBO of the AT.
You could get an Aarn Designs pack. They're orange anyway, waterproof so you don't need a separate pack cover, and quite the conversation starter!
Bags4266
01-26-2011, 19:15
BTW, that happens when you're answering the call of nature too. Not the warm and fuzzy feeling (well, maybe), but being watched through a long-range rifle scope! NOW who feels all warm and fuzzy?
Rain:sunMyers
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No problem there cause he won't need a scope if thats the case.:eek:
I wore a white hat with a white pompom during dear season.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=6269
Not so smart.
Blaze orange makes a good deal of sense to me (now).
Camping Dave
01-31-2011, 22:08
I wore a white hat with a white pompom during dear season.
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=6269
Not so smart.
Blaze orange makes a good deal of sense to me (now).
Is that an old boy scout pack? Those are great packs.
Delta-Dawn
01-31-2011, 22:51
As a southerner and a hunter, I know for fact that there are many a 'hunter' out there who believes "If it's brown, it's down." That being said, these are often the same 'hunters' who shoot before really having a clear view because then they wouldn't be able to claim "I didn't see the doe/spike/yearling-I thought it was THE BIG ONE!" And all too often, they get by with it. Don't be their brown. Get orange. Wear it. Vest, hat, pack cover (although if you are coming towards them in the woods, the pack cover will do you no good). Make sure you have something. You probably won't need it, but I'd hate to hear about it on the local news. Happy hiking! :)
Is that an old boy scout pack? Those are great packs.
You have a good eye!
XCskiNYC
01-31-2011, 23:23
I bought an orange vest from Cabela's and those generous s.o.b.'s threw in a nice hunter orange ball cap with it. The orange hat is great to wear in the city when I'm in those orange moods and want to show I'm a loyal Cabelas customer. Represent.
Got a blaze orange pack cover too. All this stuff was to make my way through CT on section hikes in Sept and Nov 2009.
When I first wore the whole getup, not one other hiker was wearing a stitch of anything orange (but it was just one solo hiker and then one pair passed on a three-day hike, unless you count the group of 30 kids from some CT high school who greeted me over breakfast coffee at Ten Mile River shelter).
On the next hike only the blaze-orange pack cover made the packing list. This time, entering the woods on the trail north of West Cornwall Road and not far before the Pine Swamp Brook shelter I saw a guy driving a pickup on a dirt road heading into the woods in the same area the trail was entering. Then heard a boom. Then wished I'd not left the vest and hat home. Then started regularly (every couple of minutes), sending the letter V in morse code (the international signal that you love Beethoven's Fifth Symphony) with my trusty ACR safety whistle which, oddly enough, hangs on a blaze-orange string around my neck.
After a bit I got to the hunters who, oddly, were all standing not more than fifty feet apart from each other. If a deer had run right past the group it would not have stood a chance. Talked a little with one hunter. He outdid me with his outfit of blaze-orange camo pattern sweat pants, a blaze-orange camo pattern jacket, and a blaze-orange camo hat. We kind of chuckled at each other's safety blaze-orangedness. He was surprised to find out the AT ran through his hunting area. I was glad to soon have the trail to myself again.
Anyway, the vest is a pretty good idea (weighs almost nothing), as well as the pack cover. I like the pack cover because it gives you visibility from behind but also, where the pack comes up above your shoulders, from the front.
harryfred
01-31-2011, 23:31
As some one who has hunted around the AT and who now hikes. Let me chime in your biggest danger is not being mistaken for game but being in the background when some one shoots at legitimate game. As a hunter I was often surprised at how hikers just appeared suddenly in the distance. I am or was a damn good shot but I did occasionally miss.
Other hikers laugh at how much of my gear is orange and blaze orange that is because I hike PA and MD all year long. I do not as of yet have a blaze orange pack cover I use a cheap ($.50) plastic vest I clip to my pack or pack cover. I also wear a blaze orange ball cap or knit hat as weather dictates and I have a couple of XXXL orange Tee shirts I got at Wally World just pull them over what ever else your are wearing.
IMHO deer season may be bad but spring gobbler is worse and you early NOBO"s come thru PA at a bad time and in a bad spot. Not only do you need some blaze orange but put away the red and blue bandanas.
Rain Man
02-01-2011, 12:31
No problem there cause he won't need a scope if thats the case.:eek:
I thought deer hunters were after "white tails"! :D
On a more serious note, you can get a blaze orange baseball cap at Walmart for $1.99. And if that's all one gets and wears, it's a ton better than no blaze orange at all. Plus, it's a multi-function piece of gear.
I bought some cheap "seconds" blaze orange material from Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics a few years back and made my own pack covers. Cost was less than $5.00 each, if I recall. That's dad-gum cheap life insurance for me and my family.
Rain:sunMan
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I do not as of yet have a blaze orange pack cover I use a cheap ($.50) plastic vest I clip to my pack or pack cover.
this is what i do as well. you stand out :D i see a lot of poachers out during "bow" season or other times when it isn't "hunting" season...
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/6/1/9/5/img_1298_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=45160&c=666)
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/6/1/9/5/img_1299_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=45161&c=666)
flemdawg1
02-01-2011, 13:01
Not only do you need some blaze orange but put away the red and blue bandanas.
Crips and Bloods hunt turkey now? ;)
Ladytrekker
02-01-2011, 13:27
After doing a thread search, did not really find an answer to the need for an orange pack cover for the last part of an SOBO of the AT.
Finally got my new pack and thought of pack covers.
Just want to be safe during hunting season as I finish up in Georgia, with a normal start date of late June, early July.
http://www.cabelas.com/hunting-bags-packs-cabelas-blaze-orange-pack-rain-cover.shtml
this is what i do as well. you stand out :D i see a lot of poachers out during "bow" season or other times when it isn't "hunting" season...
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/6/1/9/5/img_1298_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=45160&c=666)
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/6/1/9/5/img_1299_thumb.jpg (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=45161&c=666)
whoever took those pics is a genius photographer.:D