my bad lands 2200 review out of the box.

[bloodhound]

got mine in the mail today, its a little bigger then i thought it was by the picture. but ive barely scratched the surface of this pack by looking at it. but so far what i have to say is day back my ash. this thing is twice the size i thought a "day" pack should be. i thought the aluminum support bars would be a little stronger but i was easily able to hold my 200 pound dad hanging on it because of the way its designed. the really cool part about this pack is the way you can access the inside of the pack through both sides of the pack, the inside where your back goes as well as the out side like a pack normally opens. so if you have stuff strapped to the outside you can still take your pack off and get to your stuff. other then that it seems like a good pack. and i dont see any crappy zippers. some are waterproof but most are decent normal zippers. ill post again after a trial of loading it and doing a hike.

[byrdman]

Here's my review out of the box: Waist belt is way to big (for me). When it's cinched up tight I still need another 2-3".

I called Vortex Outdoors, was told the guy I needed to talk to was on another call, so I left a message and have heard nothing back.

[bloodhound]

i have a size 30 waist and i was able to get it tight enough.

[JoeE]

I have that same pack. Bought it in 2007. Yeah, not really a day pack at all. I used it on the high hunt a few times and packed tight I'm able to take a four day trip into the back country out of it. The pack is strong and I had no problems with the construction of the pack. I bought a 4500 this year because I wanted more room but the 2200 will still get some use.

[deerslyr]

Theres a lot of bad reviews on the 2200; seems like a lot of them come from guys who are running $700 packs. Either way I must of got a good one for a 2200 because mine has always worked great. I got it in 07 and have put a ton of miles with it on my back. I have packed out whole deer and whole bear out in one trip on a few separate occasions. I always have it loaded with my bare essentials and in my truck ready to go.

[byrdman]

i have a size 30 waist and i was able to get it tight enough.

I have a 30" waist as well.
 
 Did you have to do anything special to get it cinched up tight? Maybe I am missing an adjustment somewhere.

[pianoman9701]

30" waists on you guys?  Eat something!

The only thing on me close to 30" is my big ole pumpkin head! 30" waist. I'd kill for 38 again.

[bloodhound]

i fed the pulls straps through where the come around the waist deals. i will take a picture when i get home so you can see.

[blackveltbowhunter]

Theres a lot of bad reviews on the 2200; seems like a lot of them come from guys who are running $700 packs. Either way I must of got a good one for a 2200 because mine has always worked great. I got it in 07 and have put a ton of miles with it on my back. I have packed out whole deer and whole bear out in one trip on a few separate occasions. I always have it loaded with my bare essentials and in my truck ready to go.

   

For a 169 bucks its a tough pack to beat IMHO. I have never used mine for an overnight trip, I have bigger packs if needed. But I have been happy with the 2200 ability to haul my stuff, and still haul boned out bucks, bears, or quarters when needed.

[dreamingbig]

Everything I have heard about a badlands is that sooner or later you will be sending it back for repairs.  I had a similar experience with my eberlestock x2 though as well.  Happy packing.

[pianoman9701]

I got one from Camofire back in the winter. I can't wait to start using it on my scouting trips coming up. I wrote to them because their bino pack didn't coordinate with it, so they sent me a bunch of buckles and straps so i could rig it up. I talked to the owner on the phone. Nice guy.

[Johnb317]

Ouch, what failed on the x2?  I hunted 2 years with a friends 2200. Liked it, but didn't like that I couldn't easily duck under things with it.  Picked up the x2 (like the belt on the badlands better), like the lower profile and layout though.   Still looking for the perfect pack that doesn't cost me an arm and leg. 

[dreamingbig]

A shoulder strap ripped off midway through a 9 day hunt.  Para cord saved the day.  They repaired it but I had to send it to them.

[deerslyr]

Eberlestock and Badlands dominate the mid range internal frame packs and people have complaints about both of them. Eberlestock doesnt have very functional load lifters and badlands have weak buckles and zippers. They both have good warranties and customer service. Most of the other packs out there cost some serious dough from the likes of kifaru, kuiu and mystery ranch. Im sure theyre worth it but most people dont have 700 bucks to throw at a pack. I think eberlestock and bad lands both are good packs for the money and much more affordable.

[Wanttohuntmore]

Besides fitting me well, best thing about the 2200 is the fold out meat "shelf".  So usefull for carrying boned meat.  Packed my elk out by myself last Dec. with it!

[bloodhound]

so here is some pics of what i did brydman! first pic is tightened down, second pic is loose so you can see it better. youll also notice a slit marked on the second picture you can take the buckle off feed it through that slit instead of the end one and get another half inch smaller on each side!