Hunting backpack

[KnotOnCall]

What backcountry backpack do yall recommend? I would like to spend less than $150. I will only to get to make one elk trip a yr or every other yr, so i dont want to spend a crazy amount. I have been looking at USMC marpat ILBE.
Its an internal frame pack that i can get for around $100. What do yall think or recommend?

 

[Southern Elk]

Are you planning on packing in a camp for several days? If so, I don't know if you can find a decent pack with that budget. If you can't swing more than $150, your best bet may be to try to find a used pack. A poor choice of a pack is second only to a poor choice for boots in terms of making your hunt miserable. I did my first backpack hunt with a Cabelas Alaskan II frame pack. It did a decent job, but I upgraded after that hunt. Some of the packs from Gregory and REI are decent for the money. Be careful though, because they aren't made to carry heavy loads.

 

[KnotOnCall]

Im going with some friends that go every yr. From what i understand we will be camping pretty close to the trucks, so i wont be carrying alot of extra camp gear. I'm thinking more along the lines of hopefully have to pack one out.

 

[Brotherhood]

Spend the money and get a mystery ranch pack. I just saw the new frame at the shot show and it's very light. I still run with my mystery ranch pack that I have had for 15 years. Spendy but you will never need another pack.

 

[genesis273]

Planning on going on one elk hunt every year or every other year is worthy of spending more than $150 on a quality pack.
Go to Rokslide's forum classified ads and they always have good used packs for sale. It will become a wise investment that will last for years.

 

[Southern Elk]

If you aren't packing a camp in and don't need a huge pack, you could buy a nice daypack and pick up a pack frame (without a bag) for packing meat out.

 

[huntin' lunatic]

pm sent

 

[Frenchy]

I do way more hunting than that, and often its back 5+ miles. I'd love to have a nice mystery ranch, Kuiu, Stone glacier etc. pack. But I just haven't been able to part with the money for one yet. I get buy with a CHEAP 20yo cloth day pack, and a Cabelas's Pack frame with out a bag. $50 off of craigslist and its never let me down.

If you have the money, the new specially designed packs are nice. Otherwise, you can get buy just fine with the cheaper options.

 

[1_pointer]

For the price limit you posted, this one seems to get good reviews as a hauler. It'd be easy to attach a bag or small day pack to it for day hunts.

https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/643...yall-pack&attrValue_0=Olive&productId=1077114

 

[SFC B]

I have had this pack for 4 years now and am in a similar situation as far as hunting time ( i might squeeze in a couple more hunts per year). I have nothing but good things to say. Also, if you contact the company directly and check into being a "product tester" you will sometimes get a cracking discount for your effort. I only paid $60 for the pack and bag. It comes with a complete repair/extra pack so you have no surprise in the back country and the shelf and load strap secure the load really well. I wouldn't use it on a long term backpacking trip but for a short pack in, take the bag off and pack meat it is a flipping bargain. http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...F5794D5217B9&gclid=CJ7stYTS2NECFdO3wAodn18AnQ

 

[Treeline_Pursuits]

Southern Elk has it about right. Yea, you can find cheap packs, but if your pack and/or your boots are problems, you have real problems. Literally, I have seen both items end hunts for guys. That sucks worse than saving up for a decent pack. I strongly advise you not to underestimate the need for those items. I would not buy a lot of gear before I would skimp on my pack or boots, they are just that important. I have personally hunted with lesser packs and I have friends that have done it and it can get painful and miserable.

To be honestly, even a good day pack will be close to that price range. You might as well spend more and not have to worry about the daypack or backpack for years to come. I completely agree with trying to find a used one for sale. The problem is guys don't get rid of those high level packs very often. <smile>

I know there are lots of opinions on packs and there are many good ones... You can't go wrong in my opinion with any on this list... If you find one of these used, you are looking good.

1. Kuiu (personally I'm running the Icon 5200 at the moment)
2. Kifaru (they can get very spendy but very nice)
3. ExoMountain (I have lots of friends that LOVE this pack)
4. Mystery Ranch ( I know Randy Newburg loves these)
5. Stone Glacier (some very skilled hunters us these)

 

[genesis273]

To add to the necessity of investing in a quality pack.
I went on my first elk hunt in '14, and borrowed a good pack, nothing too cheap, but not great either. By the time I had my first 90-100lb load of meat to the truck, I made the decision then to simply spend the money and cry once! It hurt to spend the money on a Kifaru pack, not knowing how many more times I would go back.
This past Sept, I made the trip back out, and the difference was unbelievable! It made a tough hunt very enjoyable!
Buy used, and save alot of money. Buy quality, and enjoy your hunt! I can't stress that enough.

 

[cgarner]

Southern Elk has it about right. Yea, you can find cheap packs, but if your pack and/or your boots are problems, you have real problems. Literally, I have seen both items end hunts for guys. That sucks worse than saving up for a decent pack. I strongly advise you not to underestimate the need for those items. I would not buy a lot of gear before I would skimp on my pack or boots, they are just that important. I have personally hunted with lesser packs and I have friends that have done it and it can get painful and miserable.

To be honestly, even a good day pack will be close to that price range. You might as well spend more and not have to worry about the daypack or backpack for years to come. I completely agree with trying to find a used one for sale. The problem is guys don't get rid of those high level packs very often. <smile>

I know there are lots of opinions on packs and there are many good ones... You can't go wrong in my opinion with any on this list... If you find one of these used, you are looking good.

1. Kuiu (personally I'm running the Icon 5200 at the moment)
2. Kifaru (they can get very spendy but very nice)
3. ExoMountain (I have lots of friends that LOVE this pack)
4. Mystery Ranch ( I know Randy Newburg loves these)
5. Stone Glacier (some very skilled hunters us these)

Couldn't agree more with the statement above. I'm using the same Kuiu pack and absolutely love it so far. I used lesser packs for the 2 previous years and after one day of hunting I was miserable. I used the Kuiu and after 3 full days of non-stop hunting, my legs were the only thing slowing me down.

Invest in a good pack and good boots. You will not be sorry.

Also - I'm not sure about the other backpack company's but I got my Kuiu pack at a steep discount. Keep an eye on their website for sales if you decide to spend a little more than $150.

 

[TimeOnTarget]

I'd advise you to spend a little more also. I use an exo mountain and I love it. I just picked up a 2nd EXO 2015 model 3500 for 350 used for my dad so these expensive packs can be had for about half of what they run new.

 

[Addicting]

From a seasoned infantry man who has never packed out a elk but has put on more miles than most ever will. I haven't tried any of the packs these guys are talking about but we got to try a lot of different styles out over the last 12 years and deployments. Some were nice but, I have always gone back to my old green Alice pack and frame for long marches. I can pack 60 to 70 lbs in it sinch it up tight so it high on the shoulders and won't shift as I walk without it bothering my back. 12 to 15 km are normal distances on cross country or secondary roads. These can be found cheap at surplus stores if you want to try one before you spend big money and you can always sell them back if it's not your flavor. Just my non elk packing experience 2 cents

 

[UP North Farmer]

Anyone have any thoughts on the Badlands Ox, large? Saw one in a local sporting goods store and was wondering? Thanks.

 

[2ski]

Anyone have any thoughts on the Badlands Ox, large? Saw one in a local sporting goods store and was wondering? Thanks.

It's heavy. That's my thoughts. I haven't used one but picking it up of the shelf, that was my impression. I was surprised at how heavy it was. If I remember, the ALPS meat hauler was much lighter and probably cheaper too.

To the OP....welcome to the world of hardcore hunting enthusiast forums. Ask for an opinion on gear, with a low budget, and your answer will always be to spend more. Don't get me wrong. They have a point, but if you can only spend 150, you can only spend 150. Ask an opinion of a pack that noone is using and noone actually addresses that pack. A number of years ago I decided I was going to invest $200 into get a better backpack and a better pair of binos. I looked around and decided I would retool my budget and save a little longer and make my budget $200 per item. Then I found a website called Rokslide and saved for a lot longer and now I own an $800 pair of binos and a pack that cost almost a grand with all my extras added on. And I love them.

If you don't want to spend that kind of coin, then don't. Know that your hunt may not be as comfortable as it could, but don't dissuade you from deciding to hunt. I feel like sometimes, people come on these forums because they want to go hunting and are asking for recommendations for doing it on a budget and they get answers that blow their budget out of the water. It makes me wonder how many of them just decided its not doable because they can't afford what the "experts" tell them they need. And to be honest, people even 10 years ago were hunting without spending over 5-6 hundo or more on packs. Boots have always been expensive so it is what it is with those. Our grandfathers were doing it on waaaayyy cheaper packs and still doing just fine.

So to the OP. If you are going to be camping close to a truck and don't need to pack a ton of gear around, then go for a day pack with more room that can be used to haul out a quarter of an elk. Lots of people do this with Badlands packs. Are they the best? No. Know what the limitations of them are. Some people have had zippers bust on them, seams bust, ect, but it'll work for now. Are they as comfortable as these big name expensive packs. No. And I'll add that not every Badlands fits the same. When I tried on a Badlands when I was looking originally, the 2800 fit me better than the 2200. I think they are over-priced for what you are getting and still over your budget, but closer to it. If you can pick up the ILBE, then I would go for it. I have seen them in a pawn shop for $80-$100 around Bozeman. I don't know if they are comfortable or not as I have not tried one on, but I think look like a better option than some of the cheaper packs out there. I think the ALPS packs look alright, but again, no experience other than grabbing one off the shelf and looking at it. Lastly, the Horn Hunter Full Curl gets pretty good reviews for a heavier pack and used they can be picked up for around your budget.

All this is not meant to criticize anyone that's commented on this thread. You all have good thoughts on packs, but I think all of us need to take a step back sometimes and realize its okay to recommend cheaper gear that at least gets people started.

 

[SoTex]

I went on a 2013 backpack hunt in the La Garrita Wilderness in Central Colorado and decided to save money and buy the USMC ILBE pack. It is comfortable but weighs 12 pounds empty. That may not seem like a big deal when on flat land but 4 miles and 2000 foot of elevation gain with a 70 lb pack took the fun of the hunt out for me.

My buddy bought a used Eberlestock and loaned it to me for my 2016 Northern Colorado hunt and I comfortably packed out two elk to our horses. The Ebelestock is by far the best pack I've ever carried.

 

[Hatchie Dawg]

Don't discount the ILBE if it fits your torso and you can get assistance from the load lifters. It is heavy but damn near bullet proof. I have one and still love it although I am a bit too tall for it. I also like the 3 day assault pack for a day pack. You get a lot of pack for your money with the ILBE. You don't have to have one of the alphas. My pack sans assault pack was more like 8lbs. Heavy but not crushing.

HD


HD

 

[CRANNY]

Dont overlook a regular backpacking pack like an Osprey or Gregory. You can find some good deals on used but even new they are not that expensive. They are relatively light weight and can haul a good amount of weight. Carry a contractors garbage bag to line the pack when you carry meat and your set..