Hunting pack

[PacificNWhunter]

Hey guys-

I am going to be shopping for a new hunting pack and was wondering if any of you have some advice you don't mind passing on to me. I am going to be using for backcountry hiking and hunting for the most part. Most of my trips have been 2-5 days long. Right now I have an internal frame pack and it seems to work fine, sometimes it's hard to get deer out from a long ways back though. I was wondering who prefers external frames vs. internal and what brands you prefer. Thanks in advance. Jordan

[BLUEBULLS]

i use an older badlands 2800. for me it is way more comfortable than any external i've ever used and the ruggedness can't be beat, i don't think i could tear it up if i tried and the zippers couldn't be pulled apart with a truck. I threw 65lbs on it for deer hunting this year and it felt great. if you get creative you can use it for 5-7 days. oh yeah, blood comes right off with a garden hose after days of being dried on it.

[Houndhunter]

got to cabelas and check out there outfitter packs. my friend jst got one and its incredible, if your looking for the best hunting and hiking pack this is the one

[Bighorse]

Arcterex Bora series is fairly rugged and has some nice features.......Sorry to say but no pack is gonna make getting a deer out of the backcountry easy!

[boneaddict]

What size are you after, day, several day, or big frame.....

[gray brow]

PacNW - Check out the Nimrod pack systems at www.nimrodpacks.com.  The following is a testimony of my experience with these things.  Sorry it's so long, but needless to say, I'm very impressed with them.

I bought the N-325 four seasons back and it has been absolutely the best pack I've ever used.  The cool thing with these packs is you can hunt with them configured as a fanny pack which carries all your normal stuff like lunch, water, saw, rope, survival kit,etc and there is a pocket inside that holds the large cargo pack.  Ample straps let you strap your outer wear to it when you get too hot.

When you get an animal down, you just convert the pack to cargo haul mode which just takes a couple minutes with a little practice.  There are a couple of internal frame parts to slide into pockets on the cargo pack then you just buckle it onto the top of the fanny pack and to the shoulder straps.  The thing will tote a legitimate 100 lbs without issue, which I can tell you from personal experience since I've used it repeatedly to haul meat, capes, & horns.

This system has three main components.  First is what they call the Base Belt, which is the shoulder straps connected to a small fanny pack which easily holds a big water bladder.  To that you attached the main fanny pack, what they call the Pinnacle Pack, which is not oversized but very good sized and will carry everything you will need for day hunting with complete ability to pack out up to a boned out muley buck.  Again, I  know from experience.  The third element is the Wilderness Collapsible or cargo pack as I call it.  This thing is 3000 cubic inches with lots of compression straps to cinch down and keep the meat load from shifting around on the way out.  If you're not concerned about packing meat with it, leave it out of the Pinnacle Pack to lighten it up some.

All together, the pack system provides 4300 cubic inches of space and I believe Nimrod rates it for 100 lbs of cargo.  There are enough pockets, straps, etc for you to customize how you haul your water, gear, etc.  I like to keep my water in the Base Belt to help keep if from freezing and to free up space in my Pinnacle for meat bags, etc.

Since I got mine, 4 of my hunting partners have seen it in action and converted over to it and another one is getting one before next season.  We have used them to pack in for the high hunt and they worked great.

Just my opinion based on using the thing.  If you find something that looks like a better proposition, please let us know.  I searched awhile to find this thing and still haven't found a better solution to my needs.

Good luck.

[M_ray]

I also use a Badlands 2800. It's a pack/packboard all in one. It serves well as a day pack it is expandable enough to spike out or pack in a camp and it also is your packboard. 

for me it is way more comfortable than any external i've ever used and the ruggedness can't be beat, i don't think i could tear it up if i tried and the zippers couldn't be pulled apart with a truck.

I have to agree Badlands packs are the most comfortable packs I've worn, This year I put it to the test first on tmikes cow and then my Bull. I packed 70-80 pounds of meat and gear and it was more comfortable than my old day pack with 20 pounds in it!

http://www.badlandspacks.com/

[boneaddict]

So far most of the big names are here.....nimrod for packframe or packing big meat. (moose)
Eberstock or badlands for hunting packs are good
Big frame??there are more options.

[Mortgage Hunter]

As with all gear, it all comes down to personal preference. Every pack fits a little different, and every pack has different features.  It's really tough to find the perfect combination of the two.  My wife just bought me the Eberlestock "Just In One" Pack for Christmas.   For over a year, I've been looking for a good backcountry pack to replace the pack frame setup that I've been using.  After looking at the Badlands, Cabelas, and a bunch of other packs, I found the Eberlestock.  It has a full length gun scabbard, and converts from a 2900in daypack to a 7900in meat hauler.  They're motto is "go out light...come in heavy".  Obviously, I haven't had the chance to field test it. But, like a little kid on Christmas morning I loaded it down to simulate a loaded pack, and it's extremely comfortable.  I really like all of the adjustments that you can perform while wearing the pack to fine tune the ride of the weight.  The gun scabbard is awesome...no straps to unbuckle or loosen to access your gun.  It also has a lifetime guarantee which includes normal wear and tear.
If any of you guys have this pack, I'm really interested to hear how you like it.
Here's a link to there website, check it out....
http://www.eberlestock.com/J104%20Just%20One.htm

* There's only one pack I would have like to have seen before buying this one, and that's the Hardcore pack.  I looked at it online, but never found anyone who carried it locally so that I could try it on.  Does anyone know where you can find them?

 

[PacificNWhunter]

Thanks for all the help so far. Right now I have a hand me down Gregory pack, I think it is a 3900 cu in. and is an internal frame. I would continue to use it but I cannot get it to fit right. I do allot of recreational hiking as well as hunting and hope to be able to get a pack that can accommodate both. I'll keep you all posted on what I get, or find out there!

[gray brow]

Probably the most important feature to me about the Nimrod is that when you are hunting, it is just a moderately sized fanny pack.  1300 cubic inches (maxed out)that goes up to about the lower third of your back.  Quiet manueverability through brush & trees is excellent.

Like some of the others, the real value is going in able to hunt comfortably and be able to come out loaded without any fuss.

[jackelope]

I have the eberlestock x1 daypack and really like it. it has the rifle scabbard. too much of a pain in the ass to use it as much as i thought i would, but for hiking in and hiking out, it works great, just don't expect to pull any quick draw gunslinger type moves with a scoped rifle in it. i will be needing/wanting a new bigger hunting pack soon and will probably get a bigger eberlestock assuming there are more points on the outside of the pack to strap things to than there are on my little one...thats the only thing i don't like. i tried my bow using the ripcord feature thing and it's pretty slick as well.
the quality is definitely there in an eberle pack.

[257 Wby Mag]

I dig Badlands. I have 2, one is a day pack I've had for 6 or 7 years, its been abused and trashed with no failures. Last year I bought a 2200 Badlands before my BC Caribou trip, it to has performed up to my expectations, and then some. The 2200 has an internal frame, the day pack doesn't.

[M_ray]

I have the eberlestock x1 daypack

I looked at them when I was shopping and one consideration I had was the fact that the eberlestock weighs in dry I believe at almost 9 pounds and the badlands is 3 1/2. For me I figured why start off 6 pounds heavier before I even put my $h!t in it.

[jackelope]

mray...it is heavy for a little pack. i am definitely gonna be more considerate of weight when i look into the bigger pack. for a day pack, i wasn't too concerned. when i put all my crap in it along with the rifle in the scabbard, it weighs a ton anyway...seems like i have a contest with myself to see how heavy i can make my daypack. gets heavier every year.