redline410
New member
To begin, there is no perfect pack. Like anything else its gotta work for you- I had determined what was most important to me and and after months of research I decided on the Dragon Slayer by Mystery Ranch.
My number one factor was comfort- I'm built like a trekking pole with shoulders and until now I had not been able to find a pack that didn't either destroy my hips or my shoulders. I have to say, no matter what pack you have- if it doesn't have a yoke adjustment, throw it away. Until you get a pack that fits right, you have know idea what you've been missing.
The Dragon Slayer is a 2300cu/in internal frame pack. The lid of the pack has two stacked zippered pockets. The top pocket is relatively small but compartmented (if thats even a word) to hold a mini-flash lights, calls, GPS or any other quick need items.
the lower lid pocket is large and has a mesh bottom. Not entirely sure what the purpose of that is but gloves, hats, knifes fill the space well.
The Y-zipper configuration is brilliant. makes everything easily accessible. It is hydration bladder compatible and laid out with a mesh pocket, sleeve pocket and long pockets on each flap.
Down side to the pocket configuration for me is I like everything to have a place- i'd like a few more individual pockets but the MOLLE webbing panel allows some freedoms with the number of pouches available in the market place.
So you never REALLY know how a pack will perform until you stress it and yourself- Since this past Saturday was the first July day that I can remember that would allow a grinder without ultimate death I took advantage of it. The pack weighed in at 30lbs which included everything I'd take on a hunt and a few extra items just to have. The hike ended up being slightly over 6 miles with a 1600' elevation jump in the first 1.34 mi.
view from the truck to the peak
A 1/2 mile in, a cedar tree started barking at me and these little fellas were eyeing me
Then mama roostered up and had every intention jamming her bug diggers into my eye sockets- and loud, sweet mother of god!
She followed me around the tree yelling the whole way until I was out of sight- I guess if I had five kids, I'd be a littel cranky too so I don't blame her
After narrowly escaping with my life I pushed on and was greeted with this view from the top.
The reason I picked this run was a spring I had stumbled onto in a registery and it didn't disappoint
As with most everywhere, someone always has been there before you
Headwaters of the spring
In conclusion, the pack performed flawlessly- I haven't had a pack on in 6 months so when conditioning begins my shoulders and/or hips take a few days to recover. I woke up this morning with only aching calves. It floats while its on with zero pressure points and definatley has the capacity to more than handle your gear plus any deer sized game (boned or quartered). i'd wager an elk quarter wouldn't put up much of fight if you can get it tied on. Mystery Ranch has a reputation for being expensive and if you are looking into the pack frame systems yes they are. Their internal frame packs however are comparable to most decent off the shelf packs but the quality of it is second to none. Whether hunting or hiking this pack is no joke- it'll make that last mile so much easier.
Dave
My number one factor was comfort- I'm built like a trekking pole with shoulders and until now I had not been able to find a pack that didn't either destroy my hips or my shoulders. I have to say, no matter what pack you have- if it doesn't have a yoke adjustment, throw it away. Until you get a pack that fits right, you have know idea what you've been missing.
The Dragon Slayer is a 2300cu/in internal frame pack. The lid of the pack has two stacked zippered pockets. The top pocket is relatively small but compartmented (if thats even a word) to hold a mini-flash lights, calls, GPS or any other quick need items.
the lower lid pocket is large and has a mesh bottom. Not entirely sure what the purpose of that is but gloves, hats, knifes fill the space well.
The Y-zipper configuration is brilliant. makes everything easily accessible. It is hydration bladder compatible and laid out with a mesh pocket, sleeve pocket and long pockets on each flap.
Down side to the pocket configuration for me is I like everything to have a place- i'd like a few more individual pockets but the MOLLE webbing panel allows some freedoms with the number of pouches available in the market place.
So you never REALLY know how a pack will perform until you stress it and yourself- Since this past Saturday was the first July day that I can remember that would allow a grinder without ultimate death I took advantage of it. The pack weighed in at 30lbs which included everything I'd take on a hunt and a few extra items just to have. The hike ended up being slightly over 6 miles with a 1600' elevation jump in the first 1.34 mi.
view from the truck to the peak
A 1/2 mile in, a cedar tree started barking at me and these little fellas were eyeing me
Then mama roostered up and had every intention jamming her bug diggers into my eye sockets- and loud, sweet mother of god!
She followed me around the tree yelling the whole way until I was out of sight- I guess if I had five kids, I'd be a littel cranky too so I don't blame her
After narrowly escaping with my life I pushed on and was greeted with this view from the top.
The reason I picked this run was a spring I had stumbled onto in a registery and it didn't disappoint
As with most everywhere, someone always has been there before you
Headwaters of the spring
In conclusion, the pack performed flawlessly- I haven't had a pack on in 6 months so when conditioning begins my shoulders and/or hips take a few days to recover. I woke up this morning with only aching calves. It floats while its on with zero pressure points and definatley has the capacity to more than handle your gear plus any deer sized game (boned or quartered). i'd wager an elk quarter wouldn't put up much of fight if you can get it tied on. Mystery Ranch has a reputation for being expensive and if you are looking into the pack frame systems yes they are. Their internal frame packs however are comparable to most decent off the shelf packs but the quality of it is second to none. Whether hunting or hiking this pack is no joke- it'll make that last mile so much easier.
Dave
