New guy needs help with buying a pack

[bhuntin]

Here is my $.02

Don't get the Badlands. I had the 2200 many moons ago and sold it the year after I bought it. Its really heavy for its size and pocket configuration is not great either. Unless you have a bunch of ultra light gear your never going to fit a spike camp in it. I also had several zippers break on me with light use. However, if you really want the badlands just search a bunch of hunting forums and you should be able to pick one up cheap, no reason to buy new with this option.

For packs in general the bigger the pack the more "stuff" your going to take for a walk. Keep it simple.

You also don't necessarily need a hunting specific pack. Check out craigslist and pick up a backpacking pack for $50-75 and it will work just fine for your first elk hunt. After you get a little experience you will figure out what style of hunting you like to do and what pack will work best for that.

If you can afford it a MR, Kifaru, SG, or Exo are all much better options than the packs you are looking at. They are expensive but worth the money.

Buy tags not gear.

You might want to check out DIY Sportsman on youtube. He has some great videos of his DIY western hunts. You can pick up some helpful information from his content.

 

[Millsworks]

I have been pack hunting in the mountains for many years with an old pack frame and a 13 gallon black trash can attached to it with draw straps.
I finally broke down and bought an Eberlystock just one and it is very durable, well designed, and comfortable. It can make a very heavy load much more manageable and easier on the shoulders.
But the old $20.00 metal pack frame and $12.00 trash can lasted me 6+ years and a lot of heavy multiple deer loads, and it was light weight when empty.
The new pack I got in 2016 will likely last longer than me though. It better for almost $500 bucks.

 

[klizm]

I just purchased a daypack from Tenzing. I know people who have Mystery Ranch and Eberlestock as well and are extremely pleased with any of these. The one rule of thought given me by many is research, research, and more research. Fit the pack to the functions it is required to perform. Don't skimp on the money you put out for one either. You will regret it some time down the road when it's needed the most...

 

[bowhuntmontana]

Here is a pretty good comparison of several hunting packs.
https://youtu.be/J2NQmtWUQqc

Pretty revealing stuff here about how crappy some frames are.

 

[LopeHunter]

I have MR 6500 (Metcalf) and as a younger man often had 80 to 100 pound loads inside (weighed on scale) yet felt 30 pounds lighter. The empty MR packs weigh more than most but a heavy load feels lighter. Good shoulder pads, waist belt, back support, etc make the load solid as hike if you load the pack so heavier items to bottom and center. I have never had a stitch pop nor a zipper stick or tear. Tumbled on mountain slopes and weaved through desert vegetation. Bullet proof after 10 years.

 

[Local577bowhunter]

I’ve heard a ton about the mystery ranch and would love to try one out some time but I have the kuiu system. I have the 7200 and 3000 bags with the meat hauler for pack out. The kuiu packs are well thought out and you can’t tear them up, really handy how both bags work on the same pack so you pack in camp in your big bag then change bags once you have spike camp set up, I definitely recommend their products

 

[Arrow Guru]

Pretty revealing stuff here about how crappy some frames are.

Yeah but those guys have pack sponsors and can be a little biased. I think they have a lot of good information but take their advise with a grain of salt. In fact these are the only guys that I have ever heard say anything negative about the Kuiu pack and SURPRISE SURPRISE they love the Mystery Ranch

 

[Arrow Guru]

I have no issues with my Badlands

 

[huntin' lunatic]

Kennetrek had the Eberlestock J34 Just One pack for 25% off.

 

[MTbowhunter84]

Your best option in my opinion is going to be a pack that you can haul meat on. Currently I use the MR Metcalf. If hunting from a base camp it is a bit large, but it still compresses down to be more than adequate. If you are thinking you might bivy out I would suggest this. I have also used the Exo 3500 and am truly torn between the two packs. They are both great packs and I would be very comfortable going in 5-6 days with camp on my back. There are days and times I would prefer the Pintler or Exo 2000, but I also have not looked back with either of the two I previously spoke about. The other thing to keep in mind if you are set on a pack for solely a day pack the 2000 or Pintler would be fine and you could pack camp in between the bag and frame, the only worry would be keeping it dry and if you were needing to pack out it would most likely cause an additional trip.

 

[utahminer]

I have a fair amount of experience with Badlands since I sold them for a couple of years and tried several models. Personally, I'm not a fan of the 2200. Like many of the Badlands packs it pretty heavy and designed poorly. Truthfully I would only own the Ox (its heavy but will haul meat like a champ). I sold all my Badlands gear, that I got at cost, and paid retail for a Kuiu Icon in 2013. All of my buddies that have used my Kuiu have done the same thing. Kuiu gets a lot of hate on this forum, but I personally don't think its warranted. I have hauled mutiple animals a years since 2013 (including a number of trips well over 100 lbs) and only had one small problem and Kuiu made it right. Like others have said, I would look hard at spending more money on a pack and pick up something used if needed. The other brands mentioned (Mystery Ranch, Kifaru, Exo, Stone Glacier and Seek Outside) all make great packs, just make sure you buy something with load lifters that get the weight off of your shoulders and has a comfortable belt.

I personally don't find it very helpful when I ask about a product and a forum member chimes in a simple answer that I should look at product "x" because it is the best with no explanation except "trust me". Also, perhaps I am sick in the head, I appreciate and am happier when I have researched a product and know that it is the one that I want. In 2010 I did a lot of research on hunting packs and the folowing threads helped a lot. There are a huge number of new packs that have come on the market since then, but there are also a number of packs that he tested that are still very popular today. Sorry to be long winded, but this is topic I really enjoy and think it makes a BIG difference in the field.

Edit - I failed to mention that in the threads below you will see a lot of posts from "Elk Reaper"- Aaron Snyder that now runs Kifaru. These threads took place before he started working for Kifaru and was just looking for the best gear he could find. I also incuded another Hunttalk thread that has some very good info as well (I poached the bowsite links from there).

Bowsite Pack Review Part 1
http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforum...379652&forum=5

Bowsite Pack Review Part 2
http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforum...381371&forum=5

Bowsite Pack Review Part 3
http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforum...ges=58&forum=5

Bowsite Pack Review Part 4
http://forums.bowsite.com/TF/bgforum...382873&forum=5

Bowsite Backpack questions
http://mobile.bowsite.com/forums/thr...&sortorder=ASC

https://onyourownadventures.com/hunttalk/showthread.php?276213-BackCountry-Elk-Pack