New pack recommendations

[Epee]

Take a look at Stone Glacier. They make some interesting dedicated hunting specific packs.

 

[Boman]

I recommend Kifaru as well. If you plan on packing meat and gear they are tough to beat. Especially for mountain't hunting. Just like most quality items you get what you pay for.

 

[ssssnake529]

If you would like a pack that is light, but carries extremely well, then check out McHale packs. They are custom made, and built specifically to your size, shape, and specifications.

I have used Eberlestock, Dana, Mystery Ranch, Arcteryx, Gregoroy, Osprey, and other high-end packs. None of them is as comfortable carrying heavy loads as a McHale.

Web site here:

McHale Custom Ultralight Fitted Internal Frame Backpacks

 

[FULLFAN]

Last year we shot two bulls on the first day on the Idaho season . Mine was 3.6 miles in and the other was 5 miles in. We have the Cabelas pack frames as shown above. After packing 2 elk almost 10 miles, I will not use the Cabelas again. Never was able to get the pack comfortable. I'm 5'10 at 190, we had smaller guys and bigger guys on the pack jobs all had the same issue. It made for some tough packing. The pack frame felt good at first, but after about two hours it made the job tougher.

Just my .02 though, I'm looking at the KIUI packs now.

 

[NYSHUNTER]

I have to say I have ran a Mystery Ranch Crew Cab (which has been renamed the Cabinet) for 3-4 day hunts .. for anything longer I go with the Kifaru EMR 2 paired with a Duplex frame.I can use this pack for a short trip or 7 days of gear and food in the field...keep in mind you gonna spend a little more for these packs but their battle tested and handle loads better then any other packs out there.

 

[kstrick]

KUIU Icon Pro. I have the 5200. Very comfortable and light.

 

[Rifleman513]

I have the Eberlestock X1A1 and the team Elk. The X1 is nice for day hunts, my biggest reason for getting the elk was the frame. For me personally the team elk fits better. I will say the thing that drew me to them both a few years ago was the integrated scabbard. In rough country its nice the put the gun in the pack and be able to use trekking poles and not worry about a rifle sling sliding off your shoulder.

Either way, like others stated the Eberlestock packs aren't overly light but I have no complaints about their construction and quality.

 

[Tikkamike]

I was recently in the same exact position as you so on a whim I went outside the "Hunting Box" and went to a sporting goods store that catered more to hikers and climbers and learned a LOT. I had them measure me for one of their osprey packs and tried it around the store up and down the stairs with 50 lbs in it and really liked it. Ostrey is high end stuff. The one I chose was the Osprey Atmos AG 65 it has the new anti gravity suspension, and in the large sive ists a 68 liter (roughly 4100 cubic inches and only cost a fraction of that a kuiu or an eberlestock cost. $270 and to me the fit is light years ahead of any hunting pack on the market.

 

[wilsonpenfam]

this is the site I have been looking at to try and make a decision on a pack for me.


Backpack Reviews – An Overview – Western Hunter

 

[fmajor]

I was recently in the same exact position as you so on a whim I went outside the "Hunting Box" and went to a sporting goods store that catered more to hikers and climbers and learned a LOT. I had them measure me for one of their osprey packs and tried it around the store up and down the stairs with 50 lbs in it and really liked it. Ostrey is high end stuff. The one I chose was the Osprey Atmos AG 65 it has the new anti gravity suspension, and in the large sive ists a 68 liter (roughly 4100 cubic inches and only cost a fraction of that a kuiu or an eberlestock cost. $270 and to me the fit is light years ahead of any hunting pack on the market.

I was backpacking and climbing long before i started using a backpack for hunting purposes.

The "hunting" market, particularly for those who venture into the hills and mountains would serve themselves far better to shop at climbing and mountaineering venues than the relatively new backpack hunting gear providers.

For the hands-down, undisputed best, lightweight massive-load hauling back packs look to McHale custom packs.

Mountaineers have been using them since, well, since Dan started making 'em.

Other honorable mentions are Cold,Cold World packs, Wild Things gear (check out their "Mission" selections), Gregory Designs, Arcteryx (though i have never owned an Arcteryx pack old climbing friends love 'em), British "Karrimor" packs, etc. Heck, even "Mystery Ranch" packs (whose founder Dana Gleason) were designed initially for backpacking/mountaineering.

This non-hunting gear suppliers recommendation extends also to footwear. Boots.

Mountaineering, trekking and backpacking boot makers have decades and decades of experience making boots for the most rugged places on earth. We hunters should not have to settle for whatever crap Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, Sportsmans Warehouse, Big 5, Gander Mountain pass off as top of the line - "best in the world". We do it to ourselves by not opening our eyes to other options.

Case in point. My "normal" hunting boots are by a company called Alpina, the "Peak" model. I bought them when i lived in Bosnia and they were made in Slovenia - a SERIOUSLY mountainous country. My "cold weather" hunting boots are my winter mountaineering boots - LaSportiva "Nepal Extreme" - Italian made and absolutely awesome.

We must think outside of the little box US retailers try to put us in.

 

[Tikkamike]

I was backpacking and climbing long before i started using a backpack for hunting purposes.

The "hunting" market, particularly for those who venture into the hills and mountains would serve themselves far better to shop at climbing and mountaineering venues than the relatively new backpack hunting gear providers.

For the hands-down, undisputed best, lightweight massive-load hauling back packs look to McHale custom packs.

Mountaineers have been using them since, well, since Dan started making 'em.

Other honorable mentions are Cold,Cold World packs, Wild Things gear (check out their "Mission" selections), Gregory Designs, Arcteryx (though i have never owned an Arcteryx pack old climbing friends love 'em), British "Karrimor" packs, etc. Heck, even "Mystery Ranch" packs (whose founder Dana Gleason) were designed initially for backpacking/mountaineering.

This non-hunting gear suppliers recommendation extends also to footwear. Boots.

Mountaineering, trekking and backpacking boot makers have decades and decades of experience making boots for the most rugged places on earth. We hunters should not have to settle for whatever crap Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, Sportsmans Warehouse, Big 5, Gander Mountain pass off as top of the line - "best in the world". We do it to ourselves by not opening our eyes to other options.

Case in point. My "normal" hunting boots are by a company called Alpina, the "Peak" model. I bought them when i lived in Bosnia and they were made in Slovenia - a SERIOUSLY mountainous country. My "cold weather" hunting boots are my winter mountaineering boots - LaSportiva "Nepal Extreme" - Italian made and absolutely awesome.

We must think outside of the little box US retailers try to put us in.

I'll be looking for boots soon. Are there any boots that you suggest I look at? Looking for a 6-8" high boot

 

[fmajor]

I'll be looking for boots soon. Are there any boots that you suggest I look at? Looking for a 6-8" high boot

Not to be flippant, but once you source a high-quality boot manufacturer, the next most important component is fit. "Fit is it".

I'd suggest looking at boots from Garmont (their "Tower Trek GTX" and "Dakota Lite GTX" look AWESOME), Scarpa, Asolo, LaSpotiva, Zamberlan, Alpina (though the US Importer does not carry the full line). Those are the brands i'd look to first.

However, you don't have to get the absolute best boots on the planet. I started life profoundly poor. Seriously. I wore US Army surplus "combat" boots and suffered. As time went on, i learned to overcome the limitations my boots had and managed to foster a love for hunting and shooting.

Anyway....

Sometimes a boot requires a lengthy "break-in" period. I have had good boots that did and some that did not. Neither pairs of my boots that l listed above required long, painful break-in periods. More like a "getting to know you" kinda thing and neither have caused a reasonably avoidable blister.

As to what to look for in a boot, it depends on what you anticipate encountering. If it's lots of walking and minimal water immersion, then a good leather boot is what I'd want. For leather boots, i usually prefer a boot made from full-grain, 1-piece leather. They tend to be more expensive, but last a lot longer.

Last year i bought a pair of Oboz "Bridger BDry" boots. They're lightweight yet very supportive. I love 'em!!! Also, they were only, iirc, ~$125 using an in-store sale offer coupon.

If i'm going to be in water a lot then i'd be searching for something rubberized.

Unfortunately, most people have a ceiling on what they can spend. If price were not a consideration I would still buy what i have. Really. But I'm old and experienced with fitting boots so i know what to look for. Plus, when it comes to footwear, i learned the hard way to get the best boot available that fits me perfectly.

All that said, i don't know your foot shape and so it's difficult to make suggestions. I am "duck-footed" (narrow heel and wide-ish fore-foot) with low to medium "volume" (my foot isn't "tall"/thick from a side-view). So, i know there are some boots, no matter how excellent they are, that I will just plain never get a good fit from.

Most LaSportiva boots are that way for me - most of their "lasts" have a wider heel and narrower fore-foot as well as a higher "volume". However, the "Nepal" product line fits me perfectly - thus the Nepal Extreme which is my favorite cold-weather boot.

Sorry to have written a book here, but getting the right boots is so important.

 

[Tikkamike]

Thanks. I am going to do some serious research on this I don't mind dropping a stack of green on good boots if they last

 

[ssssnake529]

Agree that McHale packs are the best option. Nothing is better for hauling heavy loads.

However, neither Wild Things nor Cold Cold World are particularly good choices for hauling heavy loads of meat. Both of these companies make soft frame packs that don't carry particularly well with very heavy loads. They would be fine for the hunt itself, but if you are intending to carry out very heavy loads of butchered elk or the like, they will make you miserable.

I was backpacking and climbing long before i started using a backpack for hunting purposes.

The "hunting" market, particularly for those who venture into the hills and mountains would serve themselves far better to shop at climbing and mountaineering venues than the relatively new backpack hunting gear providers.

For the hands-down, undisputed best, lightweight massive-load hauling back packs look to McHale custom packs.

Mountaineers have been using them since, well, since Dan started making 'em.

Other honorable mentions are Cold,Cold World packs, Wild Things gear (check out their "Mission" selections), Gregory Designs, Arcteryx (though i have never owned an Arcteryx pack old climbing friends love 'em), British "Karrimor" packs, etc. Heck, even "Mystery Ranch" packs (whose founder Dana Gleason) were designed initially for backpacking/mountaineering.

This non-hunting gear suppliers recommendation extends also to footwear. Boots.

Mountaineering, trekking and backpacking boot makers have decades and decades of experience making boots for the most rugged places on earth. We hunters should not have to settle for whatever crap Cabelas, Bass Pro Shops, Sportsmans Warehouse, Big 5, Gander Mountain pass off as top of the line - "best in the world". We do it to ourselves by not opening our eyes to other options.

Case in point. My "normal" hunting boots are by a company called Alpina, the "Peak" model. I bought them when i lived in Bosnia and they were made in Slovenia - a SERIOUSLY mountainous country. My "cold weather" hunting boots are my winter mountaineering boots - LaSportiva "Nepal Extreme" - Italian made and absolutely awesome.

We must think outside of the little box US retailers try to put us in.