Dedicated hunting pack?

[doubletall]

I curious how many of you have a dedicated hunting backpack from brands like Kifaru or Eberlestock vs a general good quality general purpose backpack.  I have an Osprey 70 liter pack that is plenty big for a few days in the back country.  Other than a specific pocket to carry a rifle, what do some of the other brands have that make them a "hunting" pack?

[jasnt]

I like quiet materials. Like brushed nylon or fleece    I been looking closely at the Yukon frame combo from wildernesspacks.com

[couesbitten]

I have a Horn Hunter Full Curl, a Kifaru Highcamp 4800, and am expecting to receive my new EXO 5500 pack in the next few weeks. These packs are very comfortable with standard weights of 35 - 70 pounds in them, but where they shine is in their ability to allow the user to carry 100+ lbs in reasonable comfort.

[Jason]

I like my Eberlestock Team Elk pack! Has a pocket for my Spotting scope and a pocket on the other side for my tri-pod, roomy main compartment, gun scabbard and a freighter shelf to carry heavy loads.

[coachcw]

I like my kuiu very light wieght yet strong. KiFaru  is the Cadillac  of packs though hands down

[ghosthunter]

I have a J 105 Eberlstock.
And a 25.00 camo pack from Costco .

I bought the J 105 for the scabbard.

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

Depends what you use it for. I'm assuming because you posted here you want to hunt the backcountry?


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[doubletall]

I have a Horn Hunter Full Curl, a Kifaru Highcamp 4800, and am expecting to receive my new EXO 5500 pack in the next few weeks. These packs are very comfortable with standard weights of 35 - 70 pounds in them, but where they shine is in their ability to allow the user to carry 100+ lbs in reasonable comfort.

Speaking of packing loads out, if you're say 5 miles in and you fill your tag do you typically pack out the meat and then come back for your camp? 

[doubletall]

Depends what you use it for. I'm assuming because you posted here you want to hunt the backcountry?

Yes, I've been wanting to do the high hunt from one of the Twisp River trailheads.


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[SilkOnTheDrySide]

Depends what you use it for. I'm assuming because you posted here you want to hunt the backcountry?

Yes, I've been wanting to do the high hunt from one of the Twisp River trailheads.


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A quality backpack will reap rewards down the line when hunting the backcountry.

As Couse said above, they shine when weight exceeds 70 lbs.

Also, little advice, don't tell the Internet where you're hunting. If you shoot a buck this year people will be at those trailheads next year.


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[coachcw]

I have a Horn Hunter Full Curl, a Kifaru Highcamp 4800, and am expecting to receive my new EXO 5500 pack in the next few weeks. These packs are very comfortable with standard weights of 35 - 70 pounds in them, but where they shine is in their ability to allow the user to carry 100+ lbs in reasonable comfort.

Speaking of packing loads out, if you're say 5 miles in and you fill your tag do you typically pack out the meat and then come back for your camp? 

pretty tough to pull a camp and meat in less your into heavy loads and are a complete minimalist

[7mag.]

Hunting packs (good ones), are designed and built for the activity of hunting. Non-hunting backpacking packs are designed in size and durability for backpacking only. The brands I've checked on (Osprey, Gregory, Kelty, REI, etc) will only warranty their packs to 60 to 80 pounds, while hunting packs like Kifaru, Stone Glacier, and Mystery Ranch warranty their packs to 150 pounds or more. They are also offered in larger bag sizes to accommodate hauling your camp and meat at the same time. I destroyed a few backpacking packs before I bought a Mystery Ranch, then a Kifaru.

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

Depends on a lot of things for sure.

#1 being your own capabilities.

You should be training right now.

Bring a partner. Should be able to do a single load of bones out meat for any animal. Elk with two people is likely taking two trips, which sucks but second one is usually just for camp and horns.

I've packed both a deer and a bear in one trip with a friend.

I would focus on training to be able to take 100 lbs for distance. (5 + miles with elevation)


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[X-Force]

I like my mystery ranch crew cab. It is very versatile and extremely durable. Most people can't and shouldn't put more than 60-80 pounds on there back but even with those weights a quality pack will really stand above the rest.

[doubletall]

Hunting packs (good ones), are designed and built for the activity of hunting. Non-hunting backpacking packs are designed in size and durability for backpacking only. The brands I've checked on (Osprey, Gregory, Kelty, REI, etc) will only warranty their packs to 60 to 80 pounds, while hunting packs like Kifaru, Stone Glacier, and Mystery Ranch warranty their packs to 150 pounds or more. They are also offered in larger bag sizes to accommodate hauling your camp and meat at the same time. I destroyed a few backpacking packs before I bought a Mystery Ranch, then a Kifaru.

This pretty much sums up what I was looking for.  My Osprey hasn't even been used, I bought it after four trips up Mt Adams with a pack that was too small and I haven't been back since.  If I get serious about a back country hunt I'll try to sell my pack and look for something better suited for the job.

[kentrek]

The only thing you "should" do is have a fun time....the lower end hunting packs are prolly not much different then your osprey...alot of hunters use that pack...but unless you enjoy packing 60-100 pounds with that frame then youl more then likely need something abit more suited to hauling how ever heavy a load that the country or you can carry...most packs designed to carry meat will work just fine.. i enjoy using the kuiu ultra

good luck and have fun with it !

[buglebrush]

Is a Kifaru, Exo, Stone Glacier, etc... bettter?  Sure!  Are they necessary?  No! 

I've hauled a lot of Elk in my old Kelty and Badlands 2200.  If a new pack isn't in the budget just hunt with the Osprey.  If you can afford it, upgrade.  You will be fine either way.  I think sometimes we forget what our Dad's packs  looked like.  He would've been totally amazed at my Kelty 

[zackmioli]

Kuiu has their icon 5200 and icon 7200 on clearance right now.

[kentrek]

Is a Kifaru, Exo, Stone Glacier, etc... bettter?  Sure!  Are they necessary?  No! 

I've hauled a lot of Elk in my old Kelty and Badlands 2200.  If a new pack isn't in the budget just hunt with the Osprey.  If you can afford it, upgrade.  You will be fine either way.  I think sometimes we forget what our Dad's packs  looked like.  He would've been totally amazed at my Kelty 

  on a wall in our shop my dad hung up his packs as he upgraded....some of those old wooden frame packs are pretty cool..an they all managed to get meat back to the truck

[doubletall]

Is a Kifaru, Exo, Stone Glacier, etc... bettter?  Sure!  Are they necessary?  No! 

I've hauled a lot of Elk in my old Kelty and Badlands 2200.  If a new pack isn't in the budget just hunt with the Osprey.  If you can afford it, upgrade.  You will be fine either way.  I think sometimes we forget what our Dad's packs  looked like.  He would've been totally amazed at my Kelty 

Good advise! I tend to obsess over gear a bit too much.  I suppose the worst thing that could happen is that trash my pack hauling too much weight and that would only happen if bagged deer.  Truth is I'd probably trash my body before I could ruin a pack.

[bowhunterty]

Check out Exo Mountain Gear also. Great packs. Have the EXO 3500 currently.

[jasnt]

Main reason I was looking in to the wilderness packs is because they have a lifetime warranty on construction also there sales rep claimed 200lb rating. I plan on looking in to this more but for you guys running the kifiru's or any other packs for that matter, do they have a warranty like that?

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

Main reason I was looking in to the wilderness packs is because they have a lifetime warranty on construction also there sales rep claimed 200lb rating. I plan on looking in to this more but for you guys running the kifiru's or any other packs for that matter, do they have a warranty like that?

Yes Kifaru has a lifetime warranty.




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[kentrek]

Main reason I was looking in to the wilderness packs is because they have a lifetime warranty on construction also there sales rep claimed 200lb rating. I plan on looking in to this more but for you guys running the kifiru's or any other packs for that matter, do they have a warranty like that?

For the money that wilderness frame is awesome....I've never had 200 pounds in the field with mine but I've had some pretty good loads & put it in some pretty bad places and it's still going strong

[fillthefreezer]

For the money that wilderness frame is awesome....I've never had 200 pounds in the field with mine but I've had some pretty good loads & put it in some pretty bad places and it's still going strong

the waistbelt on my wilderness fell apart packing 70+ for a few months. wouldnt stay tight or rigid. it only got worse higher the weight

[kentrek]

For the money that wilderness frame is awesome....I've never had 200 pounds in the field with mine but I've had some pretty good loads & put it in some pretty bad places and it's still going strong

the waistbelt on my wilderness fell apart packing 70+ for a few months. wouldnt stay tight or rigid. it only got worse higher the weight

That's unfortunate...i had a great experience with mine..I talk alot about it in the wilderness packs thread

Maybe something changed in the manufacturing end or you got a dud cuz I had years into mine and it's pretty dang bullet proof

[jasnt]

For the money that wilderness frame is awesome....I've never had 200 pounds in the field with mine but I've had some pretty good loads & put it in some pretty bad places and it's still going strong

the waistbelt on my wilderness fell apart packing 70+ for a few months. wouldnt stay tight or rigid. it only got worse higher the weight

did you send it back? Was it fixed right?

[fillthefreezer]

fell apart is probably not the right term. it never failed. just miserable to wear.. where it attaches to the frame began to slump over letting the load sag and the waist belt wouldnt stay tight. shrug crank. shrug crank.
they worked with me on the issue by sending me an abs plastic reinforced belt but it was never very comfortable and i gave up on the system a couple months later. i went back to using a dana designs until i was able to score my first kifaru(it was a used duplex longhunter)

[kentrek]

Abs plastic reinforcement?  That sounds horrible

I wonder if the strap material holding the belt to the frame got changed to allow some stretching issues

I don't want to recommend a pack that may not be "the same" pack as what I have....some of my toughest packs have been with my old pack

[Hunter mike]

I don't necessarily think a hunting-specific pack is necessary.  I went through a number of packs before I found one I really like.  Nothing really wrong with any other than fit issues and comfort.  Any of them would work just fine if you're on a budget...

Here's where I've been:

1) Cabelas Alaska 1 - external frame, still use this sometimes and train with it a lot as well.  A bit noisy and less refined than the others.

2) Surplus USMC ILBE (based on Arcteryx) - bulletproof pack, 8+ lbs was a lot, but very capable.  I couldn't get enough load lift at my height for heavy loads, but I'd trust the pack itself with a lot of weight.

3) LL Bean Hunter's Carryall - pretty slick setup for the price.  I like the load-hauler/drybag idea I was running for a while.  The waistbelt wasn't rigid enough for me and again not enough load lift for heavier loads.  I still use it a lot as a day pack with a small dry bag for loose gear.  Way lighter than a Badlands and you can still haul meat if you get something down.

4) REI XT85 - Found this recommended on some of the elk hunting websites and Hill People Gear.  I have the newer one in a charcoal-ish color.  Very comfortable for all uses.  Hauled a whole boned out blacktail in one trip along with about 25 lbs of other gear (forgot to weigh it, but about 80+ lbs total).  I think its the best you can get without spending more $$$.  Tons of load lifter adjustability and easy to get the weight on your hips and close to your back.  It's 5.5lbs and I use it most of the time for day hunts as well since I'm usually at least a couple miles in. 

[kglacken]

I like quiet materials. Like brushed nylon or fleece    I been looking closely at the Yukon frame combo from wildernesspacks.com

You cant go wrong with wilderness packs. Although they are a sponsor of ours at ZG Outdoors, we have been using them for years! Id recommend them to anyone, sponsorship or not. They are tough. (They actually ran a frame over with a tank and did not break. I like a "plastic" type frame rather than aluminum. We use the combo frame and pack for longer hikes and hunts. as well as meat packs for straping quarters to as the bag comes off the frame in a few seconds. and we also use the muley pack for quick hikes and day trips.

[IslandStorm62]

I have a Alaskan Pack Tray I got from Cabelas several years ago while in Colorado. Last Year I found a great deal on the Cabelas brand Back Pack, looks just like the prestige; it marries up nicely with the Pack Tray and has a capaity of 80L.  Guessing, I don't remember the specific model.  Combined their pretty light.

I can leave the Back Pack at camp and hunt with the pack tray and a Day/Kill Pack attached to it.

Off Topic question - Is there anyway to keep track of my posts? or even contact the moderator of this forum?

[kglacken]

[dasbear]

I know this thread is a little old but I have been needing a hunting pack as well and am rather intrigued by the REI pack mentioned although I have been using a Lowe Australis 80 internal 35-4500 ci for 18 years now. It has done very well in the back country camping arena but have also used it for all my hunting the last 10 years and it is not built for the loads 2 bears I had to haul out 80+lbs loads I could not keep it from swaying and hip belt kept sliding down. I am really not excited about spending 300-400 bucks on a
TRUE HUNTING Pack now I'm hoping I can find something in between with camo or a neutral grey/tan color instead of aqua grn/blue that shows up so well on ridge tops. I guess I'll take note of all packs mentioned and do some research.

[Hunter mike]

One thing that separates the REI XT-85 from most other mountaineering packs is it has a rigid metal frame around the outside and tied into the belt.  It fits like an internal, but has some characteristics of an external.  I find it very comfortable and I even use mine for day hikes most of the time - it pretty much never gets fully unloaded.  It runs $289, but you can get 10% by signing up for REI gearmail I believe.  I picked it up following reviews on Rokslide and Hill People Gear.  I was looking at $600 or so for what I would have wanted from Kifaru etc.

I was really interested in the Wilderness pack frames, but found that I get no load lift from the MOLLE style frames.  The REI is the first pack I've had with adequate load lift (and plenty to spare as well).  Being able to really dial the pack in for any load is great.  I'll probably not be putting more than about 80 lbs on my knees from here on out if I can help it, just getting to be too much wear and tear. 

[dasbear]

My main backpacking rig was a Lowe Australus 80 works really well for back country to 5-7 days the last 15 yrs it turned into a hunting pack now the volume part works really well but when it came to packing out a bear and gear at 80-90lbs each trip I was ready for something task specific. This pack has carried 2 bears out and I will do it again if I have to but I am looking really hard for something better. So are there some hunting internal packs vs external hunting packs that anyone should consider?

[swift]

I pulled the trigger on a Stone glacier solo last week loaded it up with my standard 3 day high hunt gear and hand gun and water to a weight of 38# and took it for a 5 mile ridge hike today and it's the best $$ I've spent on lightweight gear !!

[fillthefreezer]

My main backpacking rig was a Lowe Australus 80 works really well for back country to 5-7 days the last 15 yrs it turned into a hunting pack now the volume part works really well but when it came to packing out a bear and gear at 80-90lbs each trip I was ready for something task specific. This pack has carried 2 bears out and I will do it again if I have to but I am looking really hard for something better. So are there some hunting internal packs vs external hunting packs that anyone should consider?

looking at this pack on google images, it looks pretty nice. very similar to the osprey atmos imo. probably not designed to carrry more than 60lbs with any comfort though. quite a few packs nowadays designed to do those 100+ loads, depends how much you want to spend.

[swashington2128]

I just got the J65 Elberlestock and love it. Completed a 6 mile hike with 30 lbs yesterday and then hit the archery range. Shot with the pack on. After 6 miles with average weight it did not hurt the shoulders or back and I was able to shoot accurately still. I admit it is definitely different having a pack on while I shoot. Center of gravity is much different.

When shopping for a pack I was looking for a pack that I could go in with, set up camp and shrink it down to a day pack and wear it all day while hunting. I don't want to have to return to camp just to get the pack to get meat back. The J34 with a super spike camp duffel is more capacity that I can comfortably carry. When I remove the duffel it shrinks down very nicely.

A lot of the bags mentioned here do the same things. Just a matter of personal preference and how much you want to spend. I would have gone with a Kirafu but could not justify the cost.

Have fun with the choice.