is a MR crew cab overkill for a day pack?? (sorry another MR CC post)

[sk1]

hey guys,

I'm looking to slowly transition into my first true bivy style hunt not this season (already have other hunt plans) but the next in 2013....I currently stay at a base camp accessible by 4x4, and use an eberlestock x2 as my day pack.

I'm looking at the MR CC as a reasonable means of transition as far as a pack is concerned, unless you plan to stay more than 5 or 6 nights....but it will get me a good start and if in the future i want to stay longer i could eventually buy the NICE 6500 pack.

As part of funding my purchase, I was thinking of selling my eberlestock x2, since the CC seems so versatile, and using that as my daypack instead.....will i regret selling my x2 at 4.5lbs to the CC at 7lbs 11oz? or is the comfort level on the MR packs good enough you wouldnt even worry about it. I'm fit and in shape, and often carry a lot more weight than one should, but i just want to get some feedback and see if it's a dumb idea to carry more weight for a day pack.

also in addition to using it as a day pack, how many of you guys can pack it comfortably for a 4 to 5 day bivy hunt?

Thanks guys, and another Mystery Ranch post is on the books...

the only other pack that really fits my style of hunting that i was looking it is the horn hunter full curl system...but i just dont know if that is quite right for me, the MR CC sounds so much better, but i havent actually put my hands on the full curl

 

[Wyodeerhunter]

I would recommend the nice frame and the 6500 bag over the crew cab. I don't think its over kill for a day pack. Since getting my 7500 bag my crew cab has gathered dust.

When I smuggled my family across from Mexico I did use a crewcab to haul all our stuff which consistented of a donkey, three sombreros and 25 lbs of grass(to pay for the trip). Some would ride the donkey but they do not swim well. This was a 3 day trip so longer trips are possible with the cc.

 

[sk1]

what then do you use for your day pack when you reach your bivy location, the 6500 still? or in your case rather the 7500.


ha, id be careful who you share your mexico story with, don't you pay attention to the news? the girl who thought it was funny to choose a random number and text "i dumped the body, now what" and it happened to be a cop? better watch it someone is going to come a callin for that donkey?

 

[Wyodeerhunter]

I see no reason to not keep using the 6500 bag after camp is setup. The bag compresses down. And of you do kill something no need to go back to camp for another pack.

 

[WapitiBob]

the 6500 will have lifters that are somewhat taller than the CC's. The CC is only 20" from btm of belt to top of lifters. You'll need a shoehorn to get 5 days worth of gear in a CC and if you kill and Elk you'll look like the Beverly Hillbillies packing all your stuff out.
I like my CC but it's not a 6500.

 

[zfountaine55]

I use the crew cab for a day pack regularly and love it. I have also spend 4 and 5 days with the crew cab bivyed out and it worked great, if you did kill something you would prolly have to leave some of the load cells to make room for meat with multiple days worth of gear. I also have the 6500 bag and like it better for longer trips or heavier loads. as previously mentioned the crew cab is not set up so that the load lifter staps lift anything off your shoulders ( at least not at my torso length, i'm 6'2") the 6500 does much better at this. it's not to say that the crew cab cannot easily handle very heavy loads, it can and does very well, but in my personal experiece your shoulders will like you much more if you switch to one of the larger bags at over 65-75 lbs. up to that I think the CC pack is pretty hard to beat. This has been my personal experiece with my mystery ranch system, so to speak.

 

[DreaminofMT6X6s]

Wyodeer has the right idea. Buy a pack that's more versatile and the weight difference will be negligible. At MR prices, just buy the 6500 and don't worry about having to have different packs. I regularly elk hunt with 4500+ cu in pack and primarily only do day hunts. When you're already 2+ miles back in really rough terrain you'll be ready to quarter, de-bone and get the heck out of there. When I asked everyone here what I shoud do, the advice was pretty overwhelming in favor of just getting the 6500.

 

[Lawnboy]

I would go the bigger pack as well. They do compress down plenty small when empty and are real nice if you have a big load. I know I have mentioned this but I hate having my extra jackets etc.. exposed to the rain and snow. I like to stuff them into a bag that is protected.
I have both as well and would go with the bigger bag.

 

[sk1]

thanks guys for your thoughts.....i would have gone with the crew cab myself, but now you have me considering starting with the 6500 and maybe work my way back down to a crew cab if i ever feel like spending the money..

so i've always been a meat shelf kinda guy...like the crew cab for packing things out....what are you doing with the 6500 if you decide to take a whole elk quarter not boned out? strapping it to the outside of the bag? or removing gear stuffing it in the bag? or does having the 6500 mean you debone all your meat.....i always get hung up on wanting that meat shelf for some reason

 

[MTBowhunter]

I have never used the 6500, but my experience with the CC is that you will not notice the weight. It does work very well for a day pack. I've also done bivy hunts in it and the Beverly Hillbillies reference what right on. It worked, but wasn't ideal, and I'd have definitely left a lot of stuff in the woods to get the first quarter out.

 

[sk1]

also kinda bothers me people say the load lifters don't seem to do much for the CC, but still sounds like a lot of happy users

 

[Drake4]

The Crew Cab is a great day pack. I have used mine on 3 day backpack hunts as well w/ no problem and would not hesitate to go longer. I use the load cells and the top lid, and would have no problem getting a load of meat out. The thing I really like about it is that you can organize your load cells how you want them, and just drop them at your camp w/o having to dump everything out. Same w/ the lid. Then you are down to your bare bones Crew Cab for day hunts out of your camp. On a 3-dayer.. I used 2 load cells, and could have easily fit a third cell in if I needed more gear.

 

[TheTone]

thanks guys for your thoughts.....i would have gone with the crew cab myself, but now you have me considering starting with the 6500 and maybe work my way back down to a crew cab if i ever feel like spending the money..

so i've always been a meat shelf kinda guy...like the crew cab for packing things out....what are you doing with the 6500 if you decide to take a whole elk quarter not boned out? strapping it to the outside of the bag? or removing gear stuffing it in the bag? or does having the 6500 mean you debone all your meat.....i always get hung up on wanting that meat shelf for some reason

When I've packed meat with my 6500 I've just dropped the bone in quarters in the bag and headed out. Both bags are really good, but if I'm packing camp I always go with the 6500.

 

[Bambistew]

I would recommend the nice frame and the 6500 bag over the crew cab. I don't think its over kill for a day pack. Since getting my 7500 bag my crew cab has gathered dust.

I hunted and backpacked a few years with the CC, and got by just fine. I did a few 4-6 day trips, and packed out a lot of meat, antlers and hide. Then I got a 6500, and haven't really used the CC since. Where the CC shines is short trips, with lots of packing. You can strap just about anything to it in a matter of seconds. My opinion of the CC is it sucks for packing really heavy/awkward loads, 80+lbs. I have a problem getting the balance point high enough on my back because the load lifters too low and the frame is too short. My hip flexers take a beating because of it. With the 6500, I can load it up with more than I can carry and my knees will hurt before anything else.

You know a pack is heavy when it leaves bruises. This probably would have required 2 trips with the CC, or one really awkward and uncomfortable trip.

Be prepared to do this a lot with a CC.

 

[sk1]

alright alright im starting to see a theme here about getting the 6500, which in all honesty is a better fit for what i will be doing

 

[WapitiBob]

also kinda bothers me people say the load lifters don't seem to do much for the CC, but still sounds like a lot of happy users

I made a 6" frame/lifter extension for my CC. You can see the old attachment points and how much higher the lifter point is in this picture. The extension buckles right onto the frame. I used to be 6'4 and that med harness is extended up real high.
The difference was night and day.

 

[sk1]

have any pics of that extender you did by chance? hard to see in that picture