Thread: Be Honest - How do people carry out meat and large weight

the light portable meat safes become your best friend - along with mutton clothe or lite pillow cases - bone out the best - why carry bone - we very rarely now bring out shoulder meat just hind quarters back steaks - the only other advice I could give take some young pack horses ( human ones that is ) load them up- reward with chocolate and lollies

I usually only carry out boned meat from the back legs and backsteaks plus heart maybe tongue and a small piece of liver. Front legs are often shot and never yield much meat. Typically this is only 10kg from a red hind. My pack is 10-15kg incl rifle in summer. I recently carried 24kg plus rifle for 1 1/2 days and that was far too much. I weigh about 70kg.

Originally Posted by Bagheera

I usually only carry out boned meat from the back legs and backsteaks plus heart maybe tongue and a small piece of liver. Front legs are often shot and never yield much meat. Typically this is only 10kg from a red hind. My pack is 10-15kg incl rifle in summer. I recently carried 24kg plus rifle for 1 1/2 days and that was far too much. I weigh about 70kg.

Yes this is a scenario I was referring to. If I’m going to do a 3 day trip again and shoot a meat animal in day one, logistics seem to really come into it- esp sumner and heat.


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Originally Posted by Mrfants

Yes this is a scenario I was referring to. If I’m going to do a 3 day trip again and shoot a meat animal in day one, logistics seem to really come into it- esp sumner and heat.


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I use a load shelf pack it was a kuiu now Stone Glacier they are awesome your meat stays separate from your gear.
I try to take out back legs while with skin on if I can but if I have a couple I'll bone out all legs and back steaks.
A lot of the time the pack ends up around the 40kg mark and I tell myself every time don't do it you stupid old shit.
But I hate wasting meat, now on the wrong side of 60 I have to listen to myself as the body doesn't like that amount of weight.

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First rule is don't measure yourself against Tasman from nz wild adventures on YouTube. Your pack and gear is a nice lightweight kit at that weight. Really depends on how far you have to walk and how many days you are out for. I don't carry anything more than about 35kg total. No use stuffing your back or knee over an animal that is already dead. If you carry as much as you safely can that's all that matters. If it's a day hunt and you can do more than one trip it's easier to get more meat out. Don't stress about what others think.

Originally Posted by RUMPY

First rule is don't measure yourself against Tasman from nz wild adventures on YouTube. Your pack and gear is a nice lightweight kit at that weight. Really depends on how far you have to walk and how many days you are out for. I don't carry anything more than about 35kg total. No use stuffing your back or knee over an animal that is already dead. If you carry as much as you safely can that's all that matters. If it's a day hunt and you can do more than one trip it's easier to get more meat out. Don't stress about what others think.

Um- whatever made you think I just watched one of Tasmans YT videos from 2 years ago (86 kg carry out!). I know that unreal and I won’t be doing that.
Multi day trips are a challenge though - it seems if you’re solo you have to leave meat on the ground or try bag some in a river close to your exit and return to pick up .


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Originally Posted by RUMPY

First rule is don't measure yourself against Tasman from nz wild adventures on YouTube. Your pack and gear is a nice lightweight kit at that weight. Really depends on how far you have to walk and how many days you are out for. I don't carry anything more than about 35kg total. No use stuffing your back or knee over an animal that is already dead. If you carry as much as you safely can that's all that matters. If it's a day hunt and you can do more than one trip it's easier to get more meat out. Don't stress about what others think.

Agreed, Tasman is insanely good at packing weight.

My pack is about 14kg in Summer at its lightest, 18kg on average, 21kg for a five day, roar trip. That includes rifle. I've packed out with a total weight of 40-50kg, 4-6 hours of hiking a few times, but prefer to keep it lighter than that, with only one de-boned hind of meat. I weigh my pack so I'm confident on those numbers.

Weight you can carry in and out is a very personal thing, and comparison is a bad idea in terms of total weights. What is good to compare though is how people are setting up their gear, how they carry it, etc. I've learnt a lot from observing others. I never ask them their pack weight though. I've also found the pack itself makes a very big difference. I've used Tatonka, Macpac, Osprey's and finally after years have moved to a Stone Glacier, and it makes 50kg feel like 35kg did in the Osprey. It's designed to carry weight and does it well.

Can endorse the stoney creek meat safe. This one had eight animals worth of back legs and back steaks in it by the end of this trip. I can say that my weight limit is four red deer back legs, bone in, and four back steaks. I radioed friends back at the hut for assistance and was glad to unload a couple of legs for the last 30min back to the hut.
If I can I try to keep bone in if it's not too far back to meat safe as the meat hangs better. Bone out before final trek. I cheated on this trip, we flew in/out but a few of these legs were carried a fair way.


Big enough that you can zip the Mrs in it so she can avoid the Ruahine blow flies while sorting out a yearling she's shot.

Portable safe is crucial at times, I use the cotton ones that can tie up like a pikau.


Years ago I decided to try to carry out the whole carcass of my first deer shot (a large red spiker). After getting it on my shoulders and wobbling back and forth for 10 seconds like an olympic power lifter attempting a PB, I realised the four hour walk out wasn't happening. I took back wheels and back steaks, but that would have still been at least 40kg and took 8 hours. I was glad to see my car that day!.

With smaller hinds like fallow, I often carry out the whole carcass if not too far from the road/car. Or just back steaks and back wheels if it's a shoulder shot.

With goats, again it's dependant on distance to car park, but a piece of driftwood across the shoulders and two goats hanging each side has been done (but not over great distance).

I am pretty sure that there have been many occasions where the amount of energy/sustenance burned in carrying out the meat, exceeded what was gained by eating it.

I drive to my results,you think smarter when you get older.

Originally Posted by Trout

I drive to my results,you think smarter when you get older.

Haha brilliant


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Originally Posted by Trout

I drive to my results,you think smarter when you get older.

Spot on mate.

If you take out a whole carcass what do you do with it ? You really need an offal hole or to be taking it to a butcher.

Even the leg bones and skkin or a pelvis are a nuisance in the house.

All good advice so far, I recommend a walking pole. Turns your arm into another leg!