I am trying to get more into public land hunting out west. I will need a backpack to carry my tripod, spotting scope, bullets, etc. as well as pack out meat if we are lucky. It looks like you can spend as much or as little as you want. Does anyone have any suggestions on what I would need?
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Hunting & Fishing Backpack for hunting/packing meat
- Thread starter marshjo
- Start date
Lots of good options, Mystery Ranch comes to mind too. Best recommendation after you figure out what is most durable, would be to go to a place that carries a bunch of the models/brands you are considering, try them out in store with weight before you buy. What fits me well might not work for you. Good Luck!
Kifaru fan here. I'm running a 26" hunter frame with a Timberline 1 bag and it takes care of business. Great for hauling big loads and compresses down nicely for daypack as well. Unfortunately they don't make the Timberline series anymore, so I'd more than likely go with an AMR. Good luck on your search though, there's lots to choose from.
I've only used the Exo 5500,so take this for the.02 it's worth. it's only a couple oz heavier and I use it mostly for day hunting but also week long jaunts as well. It carries very well for day hunts but I've packed boned out elk in two trips so it'll handle weight well. The kifaru might even be better for the heavy work tho.
Also, exo sent me a complete new pack of the new version when I had a zipper blow out and a squeaky frame, new model fixes that. Blown away by their service. My buddies love their stone glaciers as well so it's hard to go wrong. Kuiu is light but is not as durable or able to handle big loads according to another friend that tried one.. It would be nice to test em all out wouldn't it?
Also, exo sent me a complete new pack of the new version when I had a zipper blow out and a squeaky frame, new model fixes that. Blown away by their service. My buddies love their stone glaciers as well so it's hard to go wrong. Kuiu is light but is not as durable or able to handle big loads according to another friend that tried one.. It would be nice to test em all out wouldn't it?
I would stick with the big names. Mystery Ranch, Kifaru, Stone Glacier, EXO, Kuiu. I think most of the complaints are human error. It takes a while to get a pack setup and fitting good. You need to put heavy weight in it to get it dialed.
GoHunt did a pack review, its worth a watch.
Kifaru will no doubt probably carry the most weight (I will never load more than 100lbs)
EXO has some heavy pack reports also. I like their pocked and dry bag options.
Mystery Ranch is bomb proof. Really durable will last a lifetime. (I own one) You can also find Mystery ranch in retail stores now.
Stone Glacier and Kuiu being more weight conscious. Probably not needed unless you're doing sheep type hunts.
GoHunt did a pack review, its worth a watch.
Kifaru will no doubt probably carry the most weight (I will never load more than 100lbs)
EXO has some heavy pack reports also. I like their pocked and dry bag options.
Mystery Ranch is bomb proof. Really durable will last a lifetime. (I own one) You can also find Mystery ranch in retail stores now.
Stone Glacier and Kuiu being more weight conscious. Probably not needed unless you're doing sheep type hunts.
I’m cheap. The alps commander frame pack is what I use.
Can pack in with Commander pack, pull the big pack at camp and run smaller pack with recovery/processing gear, water, optics and tripod on frame in field.
Can pack in with Commander pack, pull the big pack at camp and run smaller pack with recovery/processing gear, water, optics and tripod on frame in field.
Guys who are round average size and build can get away with cheap(er) packs more than others.
Kifaru and probably some other high end packs are made to fit you. For short distance and light weight it may not matter, but for more than 20lbs or so and any distance, a quality pack makes a huge difference.
There is little weight difference in any of the top tier packs. It comes down to pockets design.
Kifaru and probably some other high end packs are made to fit you. For short distance and light weight it may not matter, but for more than 20lbs or so and any distance, a quality pack makes a huge difference.
There is little weight difference in any of the top tier packs. It comes down to pockets design.
I've had my Mystery Ranch longbow (Pretty much the Pintlar model now) for 6-7 years. It is on the heavier side compared to some of the packs now, but still light weight. It's a great pack and pretty much bombproof. I've hauled out quite a few critters in the back of that thing. Then you just take it to the car wash, spray the hell out of it, and let it dry. It's by far my most durable pack.
From your question you don't need to spend a whole lot of coin to carry what you plan to carry. And yes you can spend serious nuggets on a good pack. Just to show you, McHale makes the top performing pack in production right now, nothing mentioned here will come close to a McHale. All other packs are designed and stitched to fit as many body types as possible and then adjust the pack to hope to get it to fit. Any recommendation is poor at best as what fits them, if it does may not fit you. There is the rub. most do not have a clue on how to properly fit a pack. They purchase, I like the brand name so it must perform and down the trail they go.
An external frame pack will carry weight on established trails over flatter terrain as the weight is distributed mostly on the hips. For large oversized freight like moose 5th, wood, tools, etc they perform quite nice. Once you get off the trail on steep twisted terrain, they start to show their inefficiencies.
Internal frame will distribute weight both on the hips and shoulders but still most of the weight should be on the hips, this where good a pack fitter can adjust a pack to fit the body. Every pack made today is a copy of the Lowe Expedition and to this day if you can find one, performs quite well.
Frameless pack, what I used for 20+ years uses what you are carrying on your back as the frame. As with all packs knowing how to properly pack a pack is #2 after fitting the pack to you, these packs take it one step further but are super light, super minimalist so you can carry more kit for the same amount of weight on the back. I have carried well over 100# in my Andinista for 2 weeks at a time, it wasn't fun but it can be done.
I fit and sold packs for 10 years and without a doubt, Gregory Denali carries weight better than all of those mentioned here it just doesn't have the cool name, just performance. I have had customers bring in a couple mentioned here to get adjusted, after getting a Denali on their back loaded up and tested comparing what they had, a high percentage preferred the Gregory and I have had quite a few come back and report how much better it carried over what they had.
Good luck
An external frame pack will carry weight on established trails over flatter terrain as the weight is distributed mostly on the hips. For large oversized freight like moose 5th, wood, tools, etc they perform quite nice. Once you get off the trail on steep twisted terrain, they start to show their inefficiencies.
Internal frame will distribute weight both on the hips and shoulders but still most of the weight should be on the hips, this where good a pack fitter can adjust a pack to fit the body. Every pack made today is a copy of the Lowe Expedition and to this day if you can find one, performs quite well.
Frameless pack, what I used for 20+ years uses what you are carrying on your back as the frame. As with all packs knowing how to properly pack a pack is #2 after fitting the pack to you, these packs take it one step further but are super light, super minimalist so you can carry more kit for the same amount of weight on the back. I have carried well over 100# in my Andinista for 2 weeks at a time, it wasn't fun but it can be done.
I fit and sold packs for 10 years and without a doubt, Gregory Denali carries weight better than all of those mentioned here it just doesn't have the cool name, just performance. I have had customers bring in a couple mentioned here to get adjusted, after getting a Denali on their back loaded up and tested comparing what they had, a high percentage preferred the Gregory and I have had quite a few come back and report how much better it carried over what they had.
Good luck
I got a Mystery Ranch Sawtooth 45 pack and it is awesome! Plenty of pockets/room for all my gear, comfortable, and held up great this season packing out my dads and mine mulie bucks! I’d highly recommend checking them out??
Mystery Ranch Overload. loaded with 2 back legs, backstraps and head. Irish Red deer. MR carries heavy loads really well and is bombproof.
Kifaru will pack the weight better and have customer service better than any plus Patrick Smith has been designing packs longer than most since 1979 . You can call the president and ceo at any time and Aron will answer any question. Plus its all American Made with higher quality materials than most.
I’ve been super happy with my EXO 5500. It will haul a serious load and has side pockets for spotters and tripods.
I have both Kuiu and Kifaru. For heavy loads (packing out an elk), Kifaru wins hands down. 100lb training loads hands down suck the least with the Kifaru. Agree with commenter above about all the straps being a PITA on the Kifaru, but I'll take the inconvenience of the straps over the pain of a less capable frame.
I know this thread is pretty old but I stumbled on it and I figured I’d comment considering that backcountry backpack hunting is my forte.
When I started hunting the mountains up here in the PNW all we had available to us was commercially available backpacks like Gregory. We decided to go with the Palisade because it was the most burley and took the beatings we needed it to take.
After that I was a Mystery Ranch guy. I’ve literally tried every bag out there. I consider myself to be a gear addict and at one point I had 21 bags hanging in my shop of all brands. I used the MR NICE 6000 and although it was super comfortable it was goddamn heavy coming in at 12lbs empty. The harness made that empty weight feel like not a big deal but sprung weight is still sprung weight.
I’m now a devout Stone Glacier user. In comparison the SG Sky 7400 is 5lbs empty and just as comfy as the MR bags. I’ve had the same Sky 7400 for almost 6 years now. I’ve carried 140lbs in it for just shy of 10 miles on trips and it’s astonishingly comfortable even with that spine crushing weight. I can have a SG bag set up and fit precisely in about 5 minutes. Granted, I know what I’m doing and what I’m looking for but there’s so many other bags out there that have too many straps and cinch systems that you can struggle to get a bag fit properly.
We run a Backcountry Hunting Course here in WA and literally every student that’s carried a Kifaru or a Kuiu bag wants to pitch them off the mountain when it’s all said and done and exchange them for a Stone Glacier bag. That’s not because we push that gear either, it’s self explanatory when the students see the ease of the system and how the weight is carried.
I’m talking about living out of a bag for 10 days, not packing something a mile or two to a truck. There’s a difference between the two requirements, so make sure you identify those before you chase the Koolaid. Everyone likes what they like and I’m sure I’ll get the replies of “my Kifaru bag is the greatest” or whatever and that’s fine, just looking to pass on some experience for those still looking for bags. ?
When I started hunting the mountains up here in the PNW all we had available to us was commercially available backpacks like Gregory. We decided to go with the Palisade because it was the most burley and took the beatings we needed it to take.
After that I was a Mystery Ranch guy. I’ve literally tried every bag out there. I consider myself to be a gear addict and at one point I had 21 bags hanging in my shop of all brands. I used the MR NICE 6000 and although it was super comfortable it was goddamn heavy coming in at 12lbs empty. The harness made that empty weight feel like not a big deal but sprung weight is still sprung weight.
I’m now a devout Stone Glacier user. In comparison the SG Sky 7400 is 5lbs empty and just as comfy as the MR bags. I’ve had the same Sky 7400 for almost 6 years now. I’ve carried 140lbs in it for just shy of 10 miles on trips and it’s astonishingly comfortable even with that spine crushing weight. I can have a SG bag set up and fit precisely in about 5 minutes. Granted, I know what I’m doing and what I’m looking for but there’s so many other bags out there that have too many straps and cinch systems that you can struggle to get a bag fit properly.
We run a Backcountry Hunting Course here in WA and literally every student that’s carried a Kifaru or a Kuiu bag wants to pitch them off the mountain when it’s all said and done and exchange them for a Stone Glacier bag. That’s not because we push that gear either, it’s self explanatory when the students see the ease of the system and how the weight is carried.
I’m talking about living out of a bag for 10 days, not packing something a mile or two to a truck. There’s a difference between the two requirements, so make sure you identify those before you chase the Koolaid. Everyone likes what they like and I’m sure I’ll get the replies of “my Kifaru bag is the greatest” or whatever and that’s fine, just looking to pass on some experience for those still looking for bags. ?
