Go in Light and Come out Heavy - Which Pack?

[Tim in Washington]

I still say look for a Dana Design external frame pack they handle a heavy load really well.look at the classifieds on trailspace.com
Tim

 

[cowboyarcher]

I've been using Eberlestock Dragonfly and Blue Widow. Then I saw this pack. It's on my list of "new gear for 13' ".

Stone Glacier Ultralight Backpacks

The guy that designed them knows a few things about extreme lightweight hunting "go in light come out heavy".

I've pushed the limits on Eberlestock packs hiking out with Moose hind quarters pushing 100 lb. plus. I've started testing packs by using 25 lb. sand bags and progressing to 100 lb. to see where the comfort levels of the packs are and the weight limits of the packs.

Think about if you ever do a solo hunt and have to carry everything with you that you'll need then carry out a boned out animal. Or possibly a time where you will hike Moose or Caribou quarters over several miles or a large Brown Bear hide. Find a pack you like and see if you can borrow the model your looking at buying or see if the manufacturer will loan a pack out to test.

While I don't like the prices of the higher end packs, I'm thinking more along the lines of the your last paragraph now. A good pack should last me 20+ years and in those terms, it's a good price to buy a $600 pack.

I really would like something based on a frame that will let me use a 2000cui bag but then swap it out for a 5000cui bag as needed too. If I'm to spend this much, might as well get all the use out of it I can.

I am in SE WY and there are no stores here that carry anything along the lines we are discussing. I'd almost have to set up a tour of MT to try any of these packs out in person. Not sure how to get around that. I guess I could arrange to mail order a pack at a time then return them if they don't suit me, but that would get pricey as well. . .

 

[Inglewood19]

$600 ***... Look at the Kelty Cache hauler pack, for $100 you could have this pack and 5 others for back up. I don't know if your looking to haul anything else but meat, if not this is a great pack for the price. I have packed out 120lb hauls at about 5mi. on old military frame packs with straps half as nice as this.

 

[bigngreen]

Just my two cents but the backpacks made for back packing work great for hauling in and camping but do nothing for me hunting unless I pack in a day pack with it which just does not work well. I've hunted with several Badlands and Eberlestocks and personally the Badlands is a much better fitting bag and I prefer it for bow season because it just hangs on you like a monkey and moves very well, I can hunt with it all day and never feel the need to take it of but it does not hunt well with a long range rifle. The Eberlestocks hunts very nice with a long range rifle, not as comfortable as my Badlands but over all better than packing a heavy rifle with the Badlands. But with either the Badlands or the Eberlestock they don't handle the weight as well as a pack frame so I end up doing two things, strapping the Badlands or Eberlestock to a pack frame or hunting and coming out with a light load then going back in with the pack frame and hauling the rest out the second trip.
What I'm personally thinking of doing is getting a Badlands Ox then trying to put a rifle scabbard on it similar to how the Eberlestocks work, I think that might give me a very huntable pack for both archery and rifle while allowing me to still haul elk and get it down to me and my buddy making two moderate weight hauls but with a longer range.

 

[AnchAK]

Now have the Stone Glacier Terminus. It's a legit pack with good design around hauling loads. I've been running 40 pounds as a tester and its a joy to pack. The frame design is much different than anything out there now even though it may have similar looks. It was well thought out. At a little over 3.5 pounds for the complete frame and pack bag it feels in hand like it wont do much but it can do so much. The pack has a load shelf which opens up between the pack bag and the frame, keeping your heavy meat, hide, etc next to the frame against your body and the lighter pack bag outside and not have to put meat inside of your pack bag. The bag can completely detach from the frame and the small Solo bag they make can attach to it. I heard there was a day pack design in the mix. The stitching appears to be heavy duty and well done. All the buckles and straps are solid. The pack bag and frame are built with cordura and x-pac. The stays are a heavy graphite.

The suspension design is easy to adjust. The straps are in place behind your back via industrial Velcro and the attachment area is large enough to keep them in place. I've had no problems at all with it. The hip belt is comfortable and is set up in such a way that you can easily slide a holster onto it. I have a 386 .357 that ride nicely on the side.

Rifle carrying system works just like it is explained on the website. I like how the muzzle is pointed away from you behind your back as opposed to sticking up your face like the Kifaru gun bearer. Haven't tried it with a bow but the same system is explained to work with a bow just as well as a rifle.

This pack is worth a serious look.

 

[SidecarFlip]

Another Interesting thread.

I have an ancient Kelty rigid aluminum tubular frame pack that I got as an Eagle Scout, many, many years ago that I use to pack heavy loads with and the old technology still works as good today as it did 35 years ago.

Not as high tech or user friendly as my Eblerstock but still a workhorse.

Bet you could get one cheap on FleaBay.

 

[Scot E]

I may have a different philosophy than most when it comes to this type of bag but I like something that is better suited for day-in day-out use while hunting and maybe not quite as perfect for packing. I need something that fits and is comfortable and nimble and can move quickly in the woods.

Besides the others mentioned I would also check out Tenzing. They are excellent packs and I have 3 models back from the days when they were the US manufacturer for Blacks Creek. Excellent bags.

The 5000 and 6000 bags would probably be what you want to look at. They expand from about 2200 cbi to their max plus they have an expandable meat bag. I have carried hind quarters many times with no discomfort at all. When de-boning I have been over 80 lbs multiple times.

Worth a look IMO.

Scot E.

 

[Snubbie]

I still say look for a Dana Design external frame pack they handle a heavy load really well.look at the classifieds on trailspace.com
Tim

Heck, an old Dana Design Terraplane internal will carry a heavy load and comfortably! Well, as heavy as I want to carry anyway. The Dana Designs were THE pack once upon a time and still are going strong and still light years ahead of some newer "top of the line" packs in the comfort department.

I have my doubts that will continue under Marmot's ownership though.

 

[Snubbie]

Kifaru duplex frame and pack system. The best period. Know a guy who packed out a 210lb man who had broke his ankle 4 miles back in a wilderness area. Pack was fine but his legs were not.

In that example I'm more impressed with the man than the pack!

 

[SWAT Medic]

Check out Kuiu packs as well.

Late to the party...but a plus one for the Kuiu Icon. It has a very lightweight carbon frame and can be used with different sized packs that easily attach to the frame in seconds.

 

[Mike 338]

I use a day pack to hunt from and return for a pack frame/moose bag to haul. Mostly now, I try to utilize goats or horses/mules to haul meat. I'm less gung-ho and more cautious now about overloading myself. There's a reason you don't overload a dumb animal with weight and that reasoning applies to people as well. There's plenty of 35 year old men whose knees are ground down to nothing and have given themselves hernia's from packing meat. Surgery is expensive and inconvenient. Just say'in, it might make more sense to make an extra trip even if your pack can handle it in one or two. That said, those Mystery Ranch packs do look nice.

 

[Idaho Sawyer]

FYI, Mystery Ranch is owned by the original Dana Design guy. If you looked at them you can tell they have the terra plane design on some of them. I have a Dana that has treated me great!

 

[mtntrapper1]

That would be Dana Gleason, Who I met when working next to them in the original building of Dana Design, At Bozeman. Great Guy, and I have 2 old Dana packs I still use for Hunting, Mountaineering and day hiking. They are still going strong after 15 to 19 year of use. I use a very large old Gregory and an old frame pack also. Dana's are hard to find now but worth having if you can get one. I have a friend who has a Stone Glacier, and it is very nice. I have used it. But Im not ready to spend that yet with the Dana's, a frame and Gregory still working. I can easily strap a rifle or bow to any of these packs when travelling in with a load. Also on an old Dana Bomb pack for 1 day / to 3 day use. The stone Glacier needs a couple side pockets for easy access. I also have a Dana front "Marsupial Pouch" that hold a water bottle and Binocs and gloves ect. large enough to be superbly helpful for access yet small enough to not hinder shooting ect. It attaches by side straps to the shoulder straps and is fully adjustable for height and tension with an adjustable strap and connector to attach side to side. I have never seen another one like it. But it really works well.

 

[jamesmc2]

+1 on the Dana Design. If your packing elk quarters you don't need to break the bank. There are a lot of good load haulers that will easily handle 70-80lb elk quarters. I have used many different backpacks from a wide variety of pack makers. To me the best and most ergonomic suspensions on the market are made by Gregory, lots of attention to detail and design. Their packs are reasonably priced for what you get and very high quality. I used the Gregory Palisade to pack out 2 bull elk this fall which easily handled the 75lb loads. Have carried up to 100lbs. You can pick up the Gregory Palisade (80L) or Whitney (95) on ebay for less than $200 used.