How to Hunt or Camp in a Toyota Prius

Step-by-Step Guide

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   Step 1: Leave the giant trail backpack at home and pack a traditional carry on luggage suitcase or other tall storage device (like a cheap plastic chest of drawers).

   Use this to pack food supplies (I use: 5 min rice, potato flakes, canned refried beans, canned chicken, steri-packed $2 Indian food pouches, PB&J, jerky, trail mix/granola w/dried fruit, fast oatmeal, any of the cream/sugar inclusive cheap instant coffees pouches exported from Vietnam, raisins, lots of apples & bananas, tea bags, and raisins.) , On the side, slip a bone saw and hanging triangle with rope (if you own a battery powered sawz-all this can save some time when splitting the spine and quartering)., They hold a lot and still fit in the bottle sleeve on the gear you already carry when out hunting, plus you can tuck them all over the car wherever they'll fit to use up unused crannies and under-seat storage.
   
   Platypus & Nalgene roll-up 2L bottles with a drinking hose also work well.
   
   Always pack more water than you think you'll use, as you will want to rinse gear that gets bloody when you get a deer and rinse blood from the body cavity when dressing (do towel up the extra moisture inside before hauling or you'll be risking bacterial growth)., This will be both your deer cart and the way you haul your field gear and bow or rifle into the back-country when access roads beyond the campsites are still bike or hike only (especially in bow season).
   
   Ask your ranger; they'll help you be sure to follow the rules that aren't posted and are in your favor on a bike.
   
   These carts have great vertical and lateral suspension and are over-engineered to protect children.
   
   As a result, they'll haul a good sized field-dressed deer, your $30 climbing tree stand from craigslist, airtight hunting clothes bag, daypack with supplies, and a bow or rifle without even flinching., The bag that a bedding set came in: sturdy zipper, thick clear plastic, and gotten freely from many friends/family is a great tool for this job.
   
   Pack this bag in the shoe well of the bike cart, then place the cart in the back of the Prius with seats folded down., When you make your own scent spray you can afford to really liberally apply it to everything you have on you.
   
   You'll need about 1 liter per trip.
   
   Store it in a jug in the fridge.,, This will take a little finagling to get a right fit, so be patient while you learn how to do it.,, (bow should fit on top of the deer cart or rifle beside it) Take care to separate ammunition per your state's laws., If you have any extraneous gear to squeeze in, you can put it in the expansive storage space under the trunk.
   
   It's a great place to put a roadside emergency kit, jumper cables, 1 gal fuel jug, tow rope, DC air compressor, etc., You can climb a pretty nasty mountain trail with these little $30 kiddie carts, so prepare to be pleased!, It should now create a full 7' bed for one onto which you can unroll your bedding.
   
   Chain your deer/gear cart and bike together next to your car, and if you really have concerns about theft, secure it to one of the tow loops under the Prius.
   
   Since you're on public land, you may need to chain your bike/cart to a tree once near your hunting spot and walking your stand into position.) You'll be leaving your biking clothes and shoes in the cart, but folks don't tend to steal that!,, If your shoulder blades are having trouble with the joint between the car seat and top of the chest of drawers, lay that Sterilite lid underneath the Thermarest for better support., Now in the morning you can gear up, heat a pot of water which will warm your hands too and pour some in your oatmeal bowl and some in your coffee cup, and leave a little to rinse stuff when you're done and brush your teeth (You can brush with baking soda for bow hunting mornings).
   
   Since your food is in a sealed car, you don't have to worry about bear bags or trash bag issues., The car should remain off until the electric battery runs down and then the internal combustion engine will come on for about 1 minute every 45 minutes to recharge itself.
   
   Even if gas is $4/gallon, you've saved so much by getting 50mpg on your drive out that you've got nothing to complain about! If you haven't done the 'charge while off' hack to your Prius, the added bonus of leaving it running is that you can charge your phone/gps that night too., A lot of mosquito mesh can be had on eBay for $5 with free shipping., Skin with a fresh box knife razor or a scalpel, just can't top that for precise work (plan to use up 2 blades).
   
   You can usually fit the whole quartered up deer in a double bagged 60 gallon trash bag set on the lid of the large sterilite tub (to catch leaks).
   
   Hit your nearest gas station on the way home to set some ice bags on top if needed (don't put it in the meat and make it wet though!). , If you can't afford a full strength grinder that can handle deer meat, take any grind cuts to your local deer processor to make ground and sausage, however is your custom.,
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   Step 2: Underneath everything in the back slip the lid of the largest sterilite storage tub you can get your hands on to catch spills when you're hauling the deer home (the tub of which you can use to store hunting gear in the garage at home).

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   Step 3: If there's not a decent water source at your destination

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   Step 4: or you're disinclined to use precious time purifying it

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   Step 5: stock up on used 1-2 L gatorade

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   Step 6: soda or large fruit juice plastic bottles.

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   Step 7: Buy a bicyclist's double toddler cart that connects to your mountain bike from Craigslist (used ones are under $35

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   Step 8: though new they're $200).

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   Step 9: Pack your unscented hunting clothes and field-only boots/shoes in an airtight soft case.

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    Step 10: Keep your scent sprays and wafers inside the bag (I boil down a gallon of leaves/needles/detritus from within 1000 yards of the space I'll be hunting

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    Step 11: strain with a coffee filter

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    Step 12: sterilize with rubbing alcohol and use it for a scent spray).

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    Step 13: Pack your sleeping bag/light sheet

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    Step 14: Thermarest mattress/camp chair

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    Step 15: comfy pillow

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    Step 16: and your choice of contemplative or devotional reading materials under the cart in the trunk.

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    Step 17: You should be able to carefully set your deer stand in the front seat (use your towel if you foresee serious scratches occurring).

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    Step 18: Pack your daypack and tuck it in the nested climbing tree stand in the front seat (a typical student backpack that you hoist on a paracord into your stand) with your deer field dress kit

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    Step 19: airtight snack/lunch bag

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    Step 20: a gym sock with 1 cup baking soda inside then knotted shut and stored in a zip lock bag (you tap it to see which way gentle wind's blowing and dab your sweat with it to crystallize it and prevent it from drifting as badly)

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    Step 21: first aid kit with water purification tablets

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    Step 22: bandanna

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    Step 23: climbing safety harness

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    Step 24: headlamp

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    Step 25: freezer bag with folding trowel & travel TP roll inside

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    Step 26: deer call/antlers

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    Step 27: reflective tacks

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    Step 28: yardage flag tags for your shooting lanes in bow season

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    Step 29: mosquito mesh hooded jacket

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    Step 30: CO2 bike pump/tire patch kit for quick flat repairs

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    Step 31: bear spray in bear country

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    Step 32: handgun in coyote country if permissible

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    Step 33: a $2 AA powered USB cell charger to recharge your cell/gps battery on cold days

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    Step 34: and a cheap fast-starting superzoom point/shoot camera (more useful IMO than binoculars with these 15-30x optical zooms nowadays).

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    Step 35: Pack your bow or rifle.

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    Step 36: Now set your chest of drawers in the hatchback last of all on the right side and put your cook kit and backpack stove with fuel can in the gallon milk jug well on the Prius' left side.

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    Step 37: Mount your mountain bike on the bike rack on the back of Prius and hit the road (or if your hunting spot is within a mile or so of the campsite

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    Step 38: just use the gear cart in 'push' mode and hike it in and out).

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    Step 39: Once you arrive at your destination

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    Step 40: slide your driver seat all the way forward and move your chest of drawers to the footwell behind it.

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    Step 41: Line your gear up on the opposite side of the back of the Prius and leave yourself a nice kitchen space at the tail on your Sterilite lid.

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    Step 42: At night

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    Step 43: enjoy a small campfire and read in your camp chair

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    Step 44: then unfold it to make your bedroll and hit the hay.

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    Step 45: There you go!

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    Step 46: Now here is the magic part of using a Prius: If the night is excruciatingly hot or well below freezing

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    Step 47: you can actually leave the Prius running with the A/C or heat at a reasonable temperature and it will only burn about 1 gal a night.

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    Step 48: For airflow issues on a hot summer's night

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    Step 49: you can pack a small tent to camp next to your car or you can just crack the windows and put mosquito mesh over them (search online for tips on this technique).

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    Step 50: Once you get a deer: Use the steel triangle on a rope to hoist the deer when you get back to the car

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    Step 51: then go ahead and skin and quarter it at the nearest tree.

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    Step 52: Finish processing your deer

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    Step 53: as soon as you get home

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    Step 54: on a sterile backyard table with your sawz-all and proper cutting implements; then pack each cut in freezer bags and label with a sharpie before storing in the deep freeze (don't pack several steaks together as you'll never get them apart again!).

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    Step 55: Relish in the knowledge that you have offset many dollars spent on your hunting gear in fuel savings

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    Step 56: also a savings which you can re-invest in your local community rather than sending it to pad the pillows of someone's custom yacht.

Detailed Guide

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