Exo Journal — Hunt Planning

The food you pack for a multi-day backpack hunt significantly impacts your energy, performance, and overall enjoyment. Putting together your backcountry menu is part science, part preference. You need the right amount of calories, the ratio of macronutrients that fuel you best, and foods that are palatable enough that you don’t have to force yourself to eat something that doesn’t sound good or sit well in your gut. The purpose of this article isn’t to dig into the science behind “food as fuel” or to share a complete example of everything we pack on backpack hunts. While we have covered...

In this kickoff to our brand-new 2026 Expert Roundtable series, we are diving deep into the practical aspects of hunt preparation. When you step into the mountains, you enter a world of endless variables. You can't control the weather or the wildlife — but you can control many things that will prepare you for the unknown. To break down exactly what it takes to build unwavering confidence before a hunt, we asked four incredibly experienced and successful backcountry hunters how they prepare for their personal hunts. The Expert Guests Nate Simmons (Producer & Co-Host of Western Hunter TV) breaks down...

If you asked 1,500 hunters about the specific hunting skills and knowledge that it takes to become more successful in the backcountry, what do you think they would say? We asked those hunters, and we have those answers. As part of The Experience Challenge, we had 1,500+ hunters complete a detailed Hunt Reflection. Their answers inspired this new series, The Backcountry Blueprint. In each installment, we distill key takeaways from 1,500+ hunters to help you master the backcountry. Today, we’re looking at the key areas of hunting skills and knowledge that hunters found to be most important to their success,...

Easy & Efficient Mountain Living (The Backcountry Blueprint, Part 3) As part of The Experience Challenge, we had 1,500+ hunters complete a detailed Hunt Reflection. Their answers inspired this series, The Backcountry Blueprint. We asked those hunters: In what specific areas do you need to improve your backpacking skills and knowledge? Using the answers of those 1,500 hunters, this article looks beyond the "how-to" of hunting and focuses on the "how-to" of surviving and thriving in the backcountry. Here are the 5 common areas that hunters need to improve in their backpacking skills and knowledge… Spotify | Apple Podcasts Reducing...