backpack hunting: pack recommendations?

[uplandhunter870]

so for the upcoming deer season im seriously wanting to step my hunting up a notch, more of the hike in a few miles from the truck and live/hunt out of my pack for a few days compared to the park the rig hunt all day and return to the rig at night style.

i honestly do not know much about this type of hunting and am new to the backpacking world, although i do believe i have enough of the basic skills to not die while on a camping trip

what im looking at is hiking in a few miles from the rig (get away from the roads and people) not necessarily high hunt wilderness trip, but once im in a few miles find a place to camp for two or three days.  looking at packing in a tent, sleeping bag and pad, camping gear essentials (MSR white gas stove, camp dishes, couple liters of water, food map compass gps etc) Hunting essentials (weapon rifle/bow, ammo, binos/spotter, rangefinder, misc required items) and of course ability to pack an animal out if im so fortunate along with packing out my gear taken in.

i know packs can be a very personalized item so some info on me is im 5' 9" and weigh in at 260 currently, im a bigger sized dude and am working on slimming down but im still just a naturally big dude.

ive looked at few packs like mystery ranch and eberlestock but mostly out of curiousity, i dont really know what to look for specifically that will make a pack ok versus good versus great, although i dont see the mystery ranch (crew cab pack specifically) fitting the bill just cause i cant see where all the gear would do with becoming cumbersome and sloppy

so with that info and all of your personal experiences what would you recommend for a multi-day sized pack that is suited towards hunting?

[jackelope]

1st and most important question is what is your price range?

They really run the spectrum.

[uplandhunter870]

i havent really given that much thought, of course id love to get one on the cheap but i know you get what you pay for and quality isnt cheap.

i dont have a problem spending decent money on quality dependable proven gear but i dont want to take out a loan either 

id say 400 max but wont rule out good gear thats around the $200 range either as long as its quality gear

[jackelope]

$400 will get you an Eberlestock or a Badlands 4500 or something like that unless you go used. If you want to go with a backpacking/REI style pack and not a hunting specific pack, that would open up more options. Mystery Ranch, Kifaru and the like I don't think you'll touch for $400.00 unless you go used and a few years old with some miles on them.

I have an Eberlestock J107 and it works well. For example, last fall I did a 4 day hunting trip and it was maxed out size-wise, but I am still working with sort of "beginner" level gear and haven't gone to the ultralight/ultracompact stuff. I did an overnighter on Mt Adams in July, non hunting trip and it was plenty big. There are better options, but you're going to drop some bigger $$. I think theres a J107 in the classifieds right now for $325 or there abouts. The scabbard on the Eberle packs is nice. People complain that they are too heavy at 7-8 pounds. There's a Sitka Flash 30 in the classifieds here which is 3200 cubic inches. I think that pack is borderline not big enough, at least with my gear, but it is a nice pack and a good price. Something to consider.

[Smossy]

They actually just had a badlands 4500 for $299 on camofire.com the other day. Very nice bag.

[shootnrun]

I personally use a cabelas frame pack that I received as a gift a couple years ago. They got it at the bargain cave for $180. I hauled loads 120lbs + and although it sucked (mostly because the pack weighed so damn much) the pack held true. It has a very large main compartment that held meat and camp fine with some midline ul/minimalist gear. I would love to go get a kifaru or stone glacier, but with the $700-800 price tag, I can upgrade a heap of other gear and still have that damn cabelas pack that really works fine.

[HighCountryHunter88]

i like my eberlestock blue widow

[uplandhunter870]

thanks for the pointers thus far everyone.

$400 will get you an Eberlestock or a Badlands 4500 or something like that unless you go used. If you want to go with a backpacking/REI style pack and not a hunting specific pack, that would open up more options. Mystery Ranch, Kifaru and the like I don't think you'll touch for $400.00 unless you go used and a few years old with some miles on them.

Jackelope-- Im not dead set on a hunting specific brand pack, what i guess im after more is a good quality pack that can hold all the gear a person would need for 3-4 days afield and have ability to pack out meat.

so a north face pack, high sierra, mystery ranch or eberlestock it doesnt matter to me as long as its a good pack that works and i can afford it, heck it could even be neon colored. yeah a rifle/bow scabbard would be nice to have but im sure i can figure out a way to lash my weapon to any pack

thanks again
Uplander

[et1702]

i like my eberlestock blue widow

me too 

ET

[et1702]

The LL Bean one in this thread interests me too, as you could just strap bivy bag on and go!  Plus it's cheap

http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,120170.0.html

ET

[scottcrb]

check out some of the nimrod stuff too . they are local and fit us bigger guys pretty well from what i hear. im 6' 250 and looking at getting a nimrod now too,

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

I've spent the whole offseason researching back packs.  I finally decided to give the Kifaru Bikini with the DT1 a shot, and I"ll let you know in a few weeks if it's worth the price tag.

That being said, as mentioned earlier, backpacks seem to come in a variety of sizes, shapes, functionalities, weights, and prices.  You have to look at a couple of different things.  Many "hiking" packs aren't designed to carry the giant loads hunters will have to carry upon successful harvest of an animal.  That's not saying they won't, it's just that it won't be a lot of fun.  And who wants a strap to break 10 miles from the road...

So the basic functionality you want is a pack that will put the weight on your hips, and off your shoulders.  This is done with the use of a good comfortable waist belt that's tight, and functional load lifters.  Functional meaning, they actually freaking work.  Lots of load lifters are there for looks and don't quite lift  the load off your shoulders. 

In your price range I'd look at a Sitka, Badlands, or possibly grabbing a used KUIU.  I know there is a used Kifaru T2 over on Rokslide for like 629. 

Next you want to look at barreling in the frame.  Many sheet frames and internal packs will barrel (meaning flex from flat) and cause the load to shift away from your body a bit.  This isn't desireable, but also isn't a big deal.  You also want a pack that will carry your loads high, and you want to try and avoid getting the bowling ball syndrome in the bottom of your pack.

I've had a serious revelation this year, with gear.  I've gotten tired of investing in cheap to moderate gear over and over again.  I did some serious upgrades this year and haven't looked back. 

Without going to crazy, I'd say you can get away with a Solo or T2 (DT2) from Kifaru for not much more then what your spending limit is.  I'd also recommend trying out some packs so you can really see the difference in quality. 

My pack should be here April 17th give or take...I can't wait to post my review!

Good luck in your pack shopping!  It's a lot of fun!

[Tim in Wa.]

Look for a Dana Design either internal or external frame pack.They fetch a decent price but work real well

[colockumelk]

For $439 you can get a Mystery Ranch Longbow.  It has enough room in the bag to carry 3-4 days worth of gear. Furthermore ( this is why I bought it). You can put meat between the bag and the frame, while at the same time carrying ALL your gear.  I have used it as a day pack, and as a bivy hunting pack.  I have boned out meat and carried it in the bag and I have also sandwhiched a quarter of elk between the bag and frame with gear in my bag.  Both work well.  Very comfortable and durable pack.  The 3 zip design is awesome.  If I have a rain jacket stuffed in the bottom of my bag I don't have to dump my bag to get to it like other packs.  I unsold it down and pull out the jacket.  This feature is priceless.  It also has inside pockets which seperate and organize gear well.  I LOVE them.  Check it out. 

http://www.mysteryranch.com/hunting/nice-frame-packs/nice-longbow-pack

Here's a few pics of it in action

 


 


 

Now if you want something with more bag space than 2,400 cubic inches than check out the brand new Metcalf.  This will be my next bag.  It costs $469 and seems to be a great pack.  Same concept as the Longbow, just a bigger bag.   The nice thing about the Mystery Ranch NICE frame is once you have it you can use the Longbow for a day pack/meat hunter and then you can take it off and put on the 6500 bag if your doing a 10day bivy hunt.

http://blog.mysteryranch.com/2013/02/nice-metcalf/

Here's some more propoganda a bunch of pictures of Mystery Ranch packs hauling meat and gear.

http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=245278




 

 

 

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

I've heard some mixed reviews on the NICE frame, but at 10 pounds...it seems you would be better off getting an equivalent pack at more then half the weight...with functional load lifters.

For $439 you can get a Mystery Ranch Longbow.  It has enough room in the bag to carry 3-4 days worth of gear. Furthermore ( this is why I bought it). You can put meat between the bag and the frame, while at the same time carrying ALL your gear.  I have used it as a day pack, and as a bivy hunting pack.  I have boned out meat and carried it in the bag and I have also sandwhiched a quarter of elk between the bag and frame with gear in my bag.  Both work well.  Very comfortable and durable pack.  The 3 zip design is awesome.  If I have a rain jacket stuffed in the bottom of my bag I don't have to dump my bag to get to it like other packs.  I unsold it down and pull out the jacket.  This feature is priceless.  It also has inside pockets which seperate and organize gear well.  I LOVE them.  Check it out. 

http://www.mysteryranch.com/hunting/nice-frame-packs/nice-longbow-pack

Here's a few pics of it in action

 


 


 

Now if you want something with more bag space than 2,400 cubic inches than check out the brand new Metcalf.  This will be my next bag.  It costs $469 and seems to be a great pack.  Same concept as the Longbow, just a bigger bag.   The nice thing about the Mystery Ranch NICE frame is once you have it you can use the Longbow for a day pack/meat hunter and then you can take it off and put on the 6500 bag if your doing a 10day bivy hunt.

http://blog.mysteryranch.com/2013/02/nice-metcalf/

Here's some more propoganda a bunch of pictures of Mystery Ranch packs hauling meat and gear.

http://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?t=245278