Dedicated hunting pack?

[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.