pack question about hauling meat

[wooltie]

Has anyone experienced using a good internal frame backpacking pack (REI, opsrey, kelty, gregory, etc.) to haul out 60-80 lbs of meat?

If so, what size was your pack--50L, 60L, 70L?

I'm considering getting a pack like that for day hunting, hauling out a deer or multiple trips for bear/elk.

I hauled out almost 80 lbs of deer in one trip with my J34 last year and could have gotten by with 60-65L I think.

[7mag.]

The packs you mentioned aren't made for hauling meat, and will let you down at some point. If you want an internal frame pack in that price range, look for a used Arc'teryx Borah. Or you could buy an internal frame pack made for hauling meat, like Kifaru, or Mystery Ranch.

[rosscrazyelk]

There are alot of options now a days . Vary in price. There are the ones 7mag mentioned and also Stone glacier, Paradox from seek outside and the exo from s&s archery.
I used to have a eberlestock and it was a very durable pack but it was a little on the heavy side. I just got a stone glacier pack and it is super light and lots of good things said about it. I cant wait to try it out.
I am not sure of your budget but if money is a issue my buddy swears by the new cabelas pack. Cant remember the name but its the big pack they sell it right around $300

[acnewman55]

I've owned six different osprey packs over the years, all between 25-60 liters.  Great for backpacking / day hiking / weekend adventures.

Would never try to load one with over 45 lbs.  They just aren't built for that.  Look at brands that cater to hunters, not to hikers climbers.  Hunters need to sacrifice in the weight department to get the load-bearing and durability characteristics they need.  Brands like Osprey / Gregory / Arcteryx are generally going to sacrifice these things for weight / climb-specific features (with some exceptions).  If you're going to drop the serious coin for arcteryx, just get a real hunting pack 

Or spend $80 on a kelty load hauler. 

[fish vacuum]

I've hauled out numerous deer with a 3900 cubic inch internal frame pack. Works great. Bone out your deer, put the meat into the pack lined with a game bag, adjust the straps to keep the load from shifting, and head for the truck.

[wooltie]

Thanks for your replies.

I've worn smaller Ospreys loaded up with 30-40 lbs and they carry well, so I was just wondering what real life experience says about loading a pack like that to perform a real stress test (over 50-60 lbs).

I like my j34 and really don't want to change packs; I'm just looking for the sweet spot with it to get as much weight off the shoulders as possible.  I think the pack could be improved if the pack itself was 1-1.5" longer.  I crank the load lifters all the way just to get some shoulder relief.

On my body, the pack seems designed to ride high up on my torso (I bent the stays accordingly), causing the hip belt to ride about an inch higher than desired.

I'm walking 3-4 miles a day with a 50lb sandbag in the pack to try and dial in the fit.

At this point, overall weight isn't a concern so much as how well the pack fits and carries.

I know hiking friends who carry over 60 lbs in their hiking packs, but that's hiking gear and not meat.

Meat is small and dense; hiking gear is lighter yet spread out.

[syoungs]

isnt the Arc'teryx Borah the same pack as the marines ILBE pack? I know the ILBE is designed by arc'teryx anyways. the price of those is coming down signifigantly now, I see them under 100$ all the time. might be something to look at?

[netcoyote]

I've used a lot of packs for climbing, hiking and hunting. Used both internal and external frame packs. For the purpose you mentioned (hauling meat) and the weight you are talking about, I'd forget the internal frame and go with a good external frame pack. Right now I like my Kelty frame pack. Right now I use it for hauling chainsaws and trail maintenance gear, so it gets its share of weight and abuse. It will haul a lot of weight and has a very well made and padded waist strap. You can just use the frame or they also make an optional pack that attaches to it. It's much more versatile for the purpose you mentioned.

[Come Get Some]

This is my favorite meat pack

[wooltie]

Those are huge internal frames!