The difference between a good morning in the blind and a miserable one usually comes down to what is in your bag. Forget the call lanyard, the headlamp or dry gloves and you feel it for five hours. This duck blind bag checklist covers what experienced waterfowlers carry, and how to keep it dry when the marsh, the boat and the weather all try to soak it.
Legal and paperwork
- Hunting license, state and federal duck stamps, and HIP certification as required in your state
- Photo ID
- Printed or downloaded regulations and shooting hours
- Boat registration if you run a boat
Paper and phones do not survive a dunk. Keep them in a sealed pouch.
Shooting
- Shotgun in a waterproof case for the ride and the walk in
- Non-toxic shells, more than you think you need
- Choke tubes and wrench
- Shell belt or shell pouch
- Ear protection and shooting glasses
Calls and decoy gear
- Duck and goose calls on a lanyard
- Spare reeds
- Decoy weights, spare cord and a jerk string
- Spinning wing decoy batteries
Light and power
- Headlamp for setting decoys in the dark
- A bright handheld flashlight for the walk in and signaling
- Spare batteries
- Phone and a small power bank
Safety and first aid
- A first aid kit with bandages, tape and blister care
- A tourniquet and wound packing gauze; boats, blades and shotguns are all part of the sport
- Hand warmers and an emergency blanket
- Knife or multitool
Get trained on anything in your bleeding control kit before you need it. A local STOP THE BLEED class takes about an hour.
Comfort
- Dry gloves and a spare pair of socks
- Face mask or paint
- Thermos, water and snacks
- Toilet paper in a zip bag
Keeping it all dry
Blind bags live on wet boat floors, muddy trucks and flooded timber. A standard nylon bag soaks through by mid-season. The fix is to sort gear into sealed, waterproof pouches inside the bag:
- Electronics and paperwork: phone, license, batteries and power bank in a waterproof admin pouch.
- First aid: gauze and bandages in a sealed pouch so they stay sterile. The Waterproof Field Kit works well.
- Shells and calls: a Large Waterproof MOLLE Pouch clips to the outside of a blind bag or a boat rail.
- Your shotgun: a floating waterproof shotgun case with a zipper, not a roll-top, so you can load up fast in the dark.
Everything above is IP67 rated and seals with a single waterproof zipper. Browse the whole set in Duck Hunting Gear.
Late season additions
- Extra insulating layer and a dry hat
- Ice breaker or spud bar
- More hand warmers than seems reasonable
- A change of clothes in the truck
FAQ
How big should a blind bag be?
Big enough for a day of gear without becoming a boat anchor. Organizing with sealed pouches lets you use a smaller bag.
Should my shotgun case float?
If you hunt from a boat or wade deep water, yes. A sealed waterproof case traps air and floats.
