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Author Topic: Wilderness Pack Question??  (Read 39270 times)

Offline JLS

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2011, 10:15:07 PM »
Forgot to add, depending on your gear 4500 cubes would be plenty.  You can always lash stuff on the outside.

I think my Dana is 5500 cubes and is out of production.  I just looked and it's the Bridger model.

Another thought on carrying heavy weights.  I honestly don't know how you would be able to carry out a big buck plus your camp in one trip?  If you bone out the deer you're looking at 75-85 pounds, plus at least 20 plus for your camp.  What about antlers?  Cape?

Be smart, and think about what you're doing to your body.  I packed a bear (boned meat, full hide, head) plus my daypack out in one trip on a frame.  I ruined the frame and could hardly walk for two days afterwards.  That's hard on your hips and knees.  Take two trips and save some wear on your body so that you can hunt another year.
Matthew 7:13-14

Offline Crookedknife

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2011, 10:42:32 PM »
Greetings. I'm a quasi-newbie to hunting - I'm dipping my toes back into it after having not hunted since I was a teenager - but I've done plenty of backcountry trips out of a backpack. The more you minimize the amount & weight of camping stuff you take with you, the smaller the pack you need. It's pretty easy to do a weeklong trip out of a 3,000-3,500 ci pack that weighs 25 lbs when full on the first day. For me that's including a gun for protection, but no other hunting-specific equipment.

I used to use external frame packs, then swore off them forever after I first used an internal frame pack that was fitted to me. I find they're more forgiving in brushy areas, and they seem to hold the weight in a way that's more manageable during scrambling. Having a sweaty back on hot days has been a small price to pay, but everybody's different.

I'd recommend reading up on lightweight backpacking. Basically, you examine what you normally take, leave out anything that you don't really need or the function of which is already covered by something else, and choose the lightest versions of what's left. Some guys can hike a week with a pack that starts off under 10 lbs (counting everything but food & water), but these people typically aren't hunters and don't use durable equipment. Still, applying the same techniques to backpack hunting can have a big impact on pack weight, meaning a hunter can spend less energy lugging around a heavy pack and will be able to pack more meat.

Hope this helps. My backpack plan for my first major hunt is to pick up a Kifaru pack or try to adapt a Granite Gear pack for hunting.
"Let us climb a mountain, hanging on by low scragged limbs." - Roger Zelanzany

Offline JimmyHoffa

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2011, 11:17:18 PM »
Agree with CrookedKnife.  There is a book about Ultralight Backpacking.  All kinds of ideas to minimize weight of camping gear.  The author could get to 10 lbs easy for summer/early-fall hikes.  I can get to about 35 for a fall hike, before food.  But when adding hunting gear is when it starts really getting heavy.  Some archers I know do ultra-light hunting.  They do things like leave home a knife and use an arrow to skin/dress.

Offline colockumelk

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #18 on: March 21, 2011, 04:32:29 PM »
Forgot to mentin Ill be with a hunting partner t help pack stuff.
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Offline swanny

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #19 on: March 21, 2011, 07:55:02 PM »
This might be a separate topic, but exactly what  do you guys take that is considered "hunting" specific gear that isn't your rifle/bow, larger knife, and binoculars? To me, it seems like you would take the exact same types of equipment on a backcountry hunt as you would on an overnight hike. If that's the case, head out on a couple trips before your high hunt to fine tune what gear you need and what would be a luxury item. If you want to keep it light, ditch your luxury items and you're set.

I know from the time I first started backpacking to now, I have probably dropped my total pack weight 15lbs by getting rid of extra stuff that I used to take a long for the extreme worst case scenario. It takes time, but you start figuring out your system. Food, water, shelter, clothing, etc.

Offline Skyvalhunter

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #20 on: March 21, 2011, 08:34:00 PM »
I think with the Blue widow wont have any problem getting a front shoulder or rear leg. Then if you bone it out you can get more. The good thing about it is that it is expandable and you can buy an external Stuff sack that you can put everything in that was in the pack on you trip in and it zips to the outside. Take a look at their home page and they have a U tube(or look there) link showing the packs qualities and I am sure other pack manufacturers have a video.
  Since you mentioned elk I would either go with this and a good external frame pack back in your vehicle. That way you are more versitle. A few of the guides I have used in Alaska used Barney external framed packs(but they are not cheap). They could put a whole grizzly hide in and put some of their other stuff tied to the outside and in the external pockets. But if you already have a good external that you like go with it, or have your friend buy a good external and load him up!! :chuckle: :chuckle:
  I haven't had any experiences with Black Creek but heard good things about them. :twocents:
The only man who never makes a mistake, is the man who never does anything!!
The further one goes into the wilderness, the greater the attraction of its lonely freedom.

Offline JLS

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #21 on: March 22, 2011, 09:41:27 AM »
I would definitely try on a lot of these packs prior to buying one.  You'll find a lot quirks with them that might be a deal breaker, like the way the hip belt fits you, how adjustable is the torso, etc.

A friend has a Black's Creek and likes it.  Another friend has an Eberlstock and likes it.  I don't like the way the Eberlstock's fit if they have the rifle scabbard.  I think they have added compression straps to remedy this, otherwise the weight pulls out and away from you so the balance is awkward.

Put 60 lbs of rock salt in them and find a treadmill.  See how comfortable they are.  The Mystery Ranch packs are spendy, but very high quality.  I'd buy the Bighorn if I had three bills laying around.

I've used a Badlands 4500 and they're okay.  Don't be afraid to look for a mountaineering pack to use either.  I got my Dana for $200 on Craigslist, and it's ten times the pack that the Badlands 4500 is.

Good luck.

Also, check out this site for info.  They're pretty fanatical on the lightweight aspect.
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/index.html

This one is very good, one of my favorite.
http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/index.html
Matthew 7:13-14

Offline halflife65

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #22 on: March 22, 2011, 10:12:22 AM »
I bought a Mystery Ranch last year - while initially tough to spend the money, once I used it it's been worth every penny.  I have the NICE frame with the Crew Cab and will get the Longbow to supplement for just day or overnight trips.  With the Crew Cab you can get the load cells and/or just expand it and put stuff in it for longer trips.  Most comfortable pack I've owned and I was able to hunt in it all day (compacts nicely) and then expand it and carry a boned out deer when I walked out.  That pack will take more than I can physically carry.  The AK sheep hunter guys get the big boys, like the 6500s for the NICE frame, and pack out to where they're going, unload stuff and then hunt with the thing.  They can put a sheep in it and grab their gear and walk out.  The crazies carry 100+ pound packs down mountains, though.

In fact, I'm going to sell my Osprey and Badlands (already sold one of these and now will sell the second) day packs.  No need for them anymore.  The Mystery Ranch is a bit heavy but makes up for it in comfort, stability and load packing ability.  It's more comfortable than my 3000 cubic inch Osprey (with frame) and the Badlands is a SuperDay with no frame.  Hard to carry heavy loads with it although it is a tough, good pack.   I used it for years and there is nothing wrong with it - I just want to be able to carry out a load of meat if I get one because I hunt a long ways from the road a lot of the time.  If I hunted closer to the road I would keep using it.  Good pack for most areas of the Colockum/Naneum (which is behind my house and I do hike it - I call it "hiking with a bow" because there are no elk - and places like that.

Offline Karl Blanchard

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #23 on: March 23, 2011, 06:20:10 PM »
this is my base gear list. this is what I take whether I am going for 1 night or 12.  Add about 1 1/2 lbs a day in food, plus water and you can get an exact pack weight.  I weigh every single thing that goes in my pack, that way when it comes time to see where you can cut weight you know an exact number.  My clothes are on this list too because on my trip in I am in basketball shorts and a t-shirt so I am packing my clothes.  Base weight without food and water is 28.3 pounds.  I know I can do better but this is pretty good.  The frame is ready for elk meat brother you just need to survive apache training without crashing. :chuckle:
It is foolish and wrong to mourn these men.  Rather, we should thank god that such men lived.  -General George S. Patton

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Offline Karl Blanchard

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #24 on: March 23, 2011, 06:24:04 PM »
Oh ya get a nimrod wilderness with the pack frame and the pinnacle pack and you will be set for life! I dare you to try and wear out a nimrod.
It is foolish and wrong to mourn these men.  Rather, we should thank god that such men lived.  -General George S. Patton

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Offline MtnMuley

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #25 on: March 24, 2011, 04:17:37 PM »
I'd highly recommend the advice on looking into a used or new Kifaru for the type of hunt you're suggesting.  I'm kind of a "pack whore" and have tried most of them out.  The most comfortable, not quietest, pack I found was by far the Kifaru.  I've had some huge loads on that pack, and nothing came close to the comfort level.  As JLS stated, at that point, nothing is "comfortable", but some are definately better than others.  I've got a longhunter with I believe a 5500cui bag, and it's good for a week long trip.

Offline colockumelk

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #26 on: March 24, 2011, 07:44:16 PM »
Thats some good advice MtnMuley.  I don't care about the noise it makes.  I don't know why people get all worked up about how quiet their pack it.  Its not like I'm gonna be stalking an elk or deer with my pack on.  Then again I'm also not too extemely worried how much a pack cost either because I'll have 12 months in Afghanistan to save up for some good hunting equipment. 
"We Sleep Safe In Our Beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those that would do us harm."
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Offline halflife65

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #27 on: March 24, 2011, 09:01:50 PM »
Mystery Ranch or Kifaru - can't go wrong with either.  Both really good, made in the USA packs. 


Offline MtnMuley

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #28 on: March 25, 2011, 08:04:49 AM »
Another pack to consider is the new, not quite out yet, KUIU.  I wouldn't be surprised if this pack is the "cream of the crop".  It sure tooks like a gem. 

Offline colockumelk

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Re: Wilderness Pack Question??
« Reply #29 on: April 03, 2011, 06:21:04 AM »
Damn you halflife.  You just HAD to show me the Mystery Ranch didn't you.  I didn't even know what one was.  Then you show me pictures of it.  And explain how AWSOME it is.  Knowing darn well that I was gonna look it up.  So I did.  And it is AWSOME and basically perfect.  Here I was all happy and figured I'd narrowed it down to which pack I was gonna get.  Then halflife comes along with his AWSOME Mystery Ranch.  NOW ...  I have to do more research and some more thought.  THANKS!!!  J/K that pack looks awsome and I'm thinking hard on it now.  Thanks for the input.  So now its Blue Widow vs Mystery Ranch Crew Cab. vs Nimrod.  mmmmmm.
"We Sleep Safe In Our Beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those that would do us harm."
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