What makes a primo elk pack?

[WapitiTalk1]

What do you cats think are the best features of a functional elk hunting pack? I'll leave it at that

[Big6bull]

Blood

[WapitiTalk1]

Blood

OK, discussion over... can't have a better answer than that 

[JimmyHoffa]

Is horse the number two answer?

[D]

A lot of individual factors depending on your hunting style. My top 2 are:
1. Must be comfortable for those 15 mile days
2. Must be soft/fleece material that doesn't make a scratch sound on every branch you brush up against.

[JM]

I've got a bull pac for day hunts and a Deuter for back pack hunts. I like the bull pac due to the fact that it can carry a lot of weight and has great hooks on it.

The only things that I don't like about the bull pac is that the bag was stolen out of my truck last deer season the chest strap seems to be too low

I packed 2 deer and a bull out with the bull pac this year and it felt good but it wasn't too far.

I used the Deuter to pack a bull out of idaho and put 29 miles on in one day with half of that having 60+ pds. The only complaint about the Deuter 75+10 is that if you overload it the stitches will start popping

[tgomez]

I use a military field pack with an attachable patrol pack that clips on. It's made of gore tex and canvas, has very sturdy clips, zippers, and straps. It has a strong belly band and chest straps with aluminum poles for a frame and weight support. I packed out my 3x2 mule deer in one load this year, all four quarters, backstraps, and de-boned meat along with the head and antlers. A pack must have a lot of room, be strong and sturdy, have a ton of cubic inches. Those are my requirements!

[kentrek]

In my eyes you need...


1) versatility...you just never know what youl be packing or how youl be packing or the style of trip your on...some times that style of trip can change mid trip ! If it's carrying a bow or a rifle or being gone for 4 hours or 6 days the pack needs to be able to handle it all

2) non water absorbing materials....i like my packs to dry fast and also not weight an extra ten pounds when I get rained on..

3) water proof...like fall in a river and float down stream for awhile water proof....extra clothes & matches are worthless if there wet...this means dry bags

4) simplicity...i hate having too many pockets..they are unnecessary weight and I hate searching for stuff..two pockets are all you need

5) load hauling...i plan on killing an elk ever time I go elk hunting...and alot of times it's coming out on my back

6) durable...broken things suck..zippers and buckles need to be bomb proof !!! They are not a place to save weight

7) light....just cuz I pack a lucky rock doesn't mean I need ten pounds of pointless weight

8 ) compression...i like everything to be compressed..nothing rolling around or moving while I'm moving

9) comfy...i don't need a 4 inches of padding but what padding is there needs to have the right shape along with a adjustable suspension...you should never have comfort problems

10) quiet materials ...i hate squeaks...other than that I'm not too picky for elk...spot and stalk deer I'd change my tune

11) short frame....if you've ever had a tall frame pack and had to crawl around in mtn alder youl know how I feel about tall frames



Just the things I look for

[Jeremiah P]

Kifaru

[high country]

I really like the Gen 1 2800 badlands for elk hunts.....and a freighter frame at the base camp or truck. The 2800 is quiet yet hauls all of your gear and will take any elk quarter with the bone in or a whole rump boned. The suspension is fair for heavy loads. I use it to day trip or overnight in mild weather and then drop it and come back for more with a meat frame.

[Bean Counter]

I still have the same $100 cheap backpack I started with almost a decade ago. It's a deer and elk backpack. Not sure there's a difference.  I'll come back for the elk with either a frame or a cart so I'm essentially just carrying my crap around for the day's hunt. For archery I like a smaller camelback so it doesn't affect my draw.

[KFhunter]

I vote two packs

The hunting pack (described very well above) expands to carry out your first load with along with your hunting stuff. 

The big shelf freighter pack sits in the truck for loads 2,3,4 how ever many it takes 

For a daily pack I like the eberlestock, mine's too big (X1A1) but I'd like to go down in size to maybe an X2 pack.  I could still carry everything I want too and lash on a good chunk of meat and get back to the truck then go back up with the frame shelf pack.  I have the ALPS outdoors pack but you could probably find a better one.   I haven't gotten to carry out a load on that yet.

[high country]

Here's my 2800, an elk quarter and all of my day pack goodies.

[ridgefire]

Kifaru. Pretty much everything you want for a frame and then choose whatever bag you want for your hunt. Really easy to change out the bags.