Best Day pack on a budget

[Deleted member 16014]

Granite Gear and Osprey make real nice day packs that aren't too expensive. No need to go crazy, check out REI as noted.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Dougal Haston or some such mountaineering OG supposedly climbed the Eiger north face with a grocery sack. If meat hauling is not a thing I'd be going cheap for sure.

 

[Frenchy]

I carried an old cheap camo fabric "pack" for years as my day pack. I'm talking barely padded shoulder starps, and just fabric, no structure. You could easily fold it up and stuff it in your over the shoulder fanny pack. EASY! I'd call it a $2 garage sale pack. Point being. Day packs don't need to be anything special. Save your money. Use your current fanny pack or buy a cheap day pack to double as a carry on bag. But I'm cheap.

And i carried elk back straps and trim meat out with that thing (mile back to camp). And a young whitetail buck with that pack and a buddy with the same cableas fanny pack. one trip 2 miles.

 

[silasd]

Sorry guys for being all over the place and lack of information.

Minnesota Hunter...I couldn't get the link to work, but I have written down the name of the pack.

I will be doing an outfitted hunt in SW Montana this fall. The outfitter will assist us in the packout with either ATVs or horses. Being an eastern white-tailed deer hunter, my pack is currently a Cabelas fanny pack with shoulder straps. Don't really need to haul a bunch of gear and the WT deer are taken out whole (no meat hauling needed).

With all of the gear recommended (optics, boots, etc.) to hunt, I have to pick and choose where I invest the money. I have given thought to something along the lines of the Sitka Bivy 30 because I feel like I could carry it on the airplane (??) and use it to haul gear.

The more I plan, study western big game hunting, and read this site I feel like it will be something I try to DIY down the road. However, with work and family responsibilities, down the road may be 10-15 years from now. I'm not treating this as a once-in-a-lifetime hunt, but a once-in-a-longtime one.

My goal on this hunt is to learn firsthand about the animals, the country, etc. I'm already driving my wife crazy listening to Elk Talk live constantly.

Everyone's been great in the multiple threads I have started. I greatly appreciate your patience and willingness to provide advice.

Curious to know if you ever tried to take in on a plane? I have the same pack. Seems like it might be just a tad over the carryon dimensions in terms of length...

 

[Zootownelk]

So here goes...

Why on earth would you want to spend $200 on a pack you're just going to carry a days worth of food and a spare jacket? Just get something at Wal-Mart. I have a cheap Fieldline pack that is very comfortable, holds a lot of stuff and only cost maybe $30. I've had it for years, I even hauled about 30lbs of deer meat off the mountain in it once, that wasn't real pleasant but on a simple "day trip" I don't need anything more.

I also have a Mystery Ranch Metcalf and a Cabelas Alaska Outfitter for the heavy lifting and meat hauling.

I'd go this route as well. Zero need for an expensive pack if not hauling meat and just doing day hunts with an outfitter. That said, I have lots of expensive, unnecessary gear, so no judgement if you just want something you don't need.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Curious to know if you ever tried to take in on a plane? I have the same pack. Seems like it might be just a tad over the carryon dimensions in terms of length...

A Stone Glacier pack fits in the overhead bin the "correct" way if you know what I mean. I might compare your pack to a SG pack.