Some great ideas here and has me thinking.
I had a Marlin Papoose rifle with its own case, so I guess it would not qualify to fit into a pack.
For me, a rifle would be better than a pistol if I was using it for food vs self defense.
Where I am headed would probably determine what I took.
If I am near streams in the mountains, I would be fishing oriented.
I went through a survival training in the high country near Marble, CO when I was 16, and learned to eat the inner bark of trees, root crops in the marshy areas, and fish.
Luckily, the rule of thumb was, if it tastes good, it is edible in the Rockies. Not true elsewhere.