Backpacking Pack - Mammoth Ready?

[Lkwoolsey]

Kuiu's Icon Pro might fit the bill. I think it's right at the top end of your price point, but I had one for a while. It's lightweight, has front access, can carry a rifle with all the compression straps it has. I prefer Kifaru, what I run now, but at your price point, Kuiu may be better. And it makes for a decent hunting pack as well.

 

[MosesTheTank]

That was my point earlier, I’ve found the heavier Ebers just do not compete with the stability and comfort of the Kuiu, Kifaru or Mystery ranch.

Here is a picture from two weeks ago with 2 Elk quarters BS and tenders about 130lbs+ strapped to the pack. The pack was still stable and the weight on my hips. Again this works because the suspension is good and it is a frame pack - its just that the full back carbon frame is hidden.
View attachment 7195493
Here I just am getting back to the truck after descending about 1500 feet out of the snow.. the pack is fine, but my legs were trashed.. usually we do one quarter each and make multiple trips.

2 more key pieces of gear you might want to think about are your "tent" and "bag". These other than caring only a spork and eating in bag are the two best places to save space and weight. The lighter you are the faster and further you can go with the same effort. Yes, it is super expensive but worth every penny. It is not un common to save 8-10 pounds between the pack, bag, and shelter.. Even more over the casual backpacker. Saving weight also allows me to bring my RRS tripod on hunts or field matches without a penalty.

Shelter I am not saying you guys need to go so minimal as to bivi, but tarp tents are something to consider. Even fully enclosed tents by Zpacks or Hyperlite your talking 20oz setups. Yep, you'll be tight in them but faster everywhere else.​

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Sleeping Bags (<link) can be found for well under 1lbs the link is to one I use again by Zpack. (While I also use their 23 oz ARCzip backpack for thru hiking it is far to fragile and can not carry the loads you need with your gun.)​

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As a side notes: bladders can be super problematic. They require that you unpack your pack to refill and when you run your compression straps tight on your pack to stabilize your load for jogging/running etc, it can make the delivery of the water difficult. I personally have moved to the ultra light bottles like Platypus that stow flat when not in use and super easy to filter into. My favorite tip would be to put dry undies into and your bag into dry-bags made of the ultra light Dyneema.. These are again ultra light and more importantly do not add as much space as your typical river drybags.. They take, sweat, heavy rain of a quick fall in the river, but are not meant to stay submerged. I know it can seem dorky, but a pair of collapsible 10 per set carbon poles by Black Diamond serve double duty as tent poles, but more importantly really help you travel with a load when the terrain gets steep.​

BTW -If your more into tossing your pack into a truck more than packing and just want thicker pack material, but don’t care as much about carrying weight with great load stability (hustling or running) the Ebers are good. There is a reason you tend to see so many for sale used though.

Edited to add: Systems like KUIU and Kifaru frames let you swap just the bags.. that is huge value, your future proofing your purchase

PS.. I am only tossing out suggestions on what I've learned over decades of not having the good stuff. In the last 6-8 years thru-hiking tech has revolutionized packing, but most of it has not filtered into PR. We are all individuals so your millage will vary, lots of good stuff out there.. We just thru a UKD field match (see it in the SH local match section), even without the camp.. guys brought way too much crap, to heavy of gear and the hills really beat them up..

Edited to add: Systems like KUIU and Kifaru frames let you swap just the bags.. that is huge value, your future proofing your purchase

Which bag and suspension are you using in that pic? Do you use the gun bearer on the side or back? With the gun bearer does the rifle move around very much when running? I imagine it can be strapped down pretty well.

I'm doing the Bushnell team match in NC and since I'm doing the Trooper division (not camping) I can downsize to something like the Pro 1850. My Kifaru Hooligan is probably a bit more than I need.

I appreciate you lending your experience.

 

[kingzero]

Osprey makes some awesome packs. I just sold my Eberlestock and picked up a 45L pack for hunting. They have a no questions asked warranty and will replace anything they can't repair.

 

[teddy12b]

When selecting a pack, in my simple opinion there's no substitute for putting some weight in it and start knocking out miles. That's when you're going to find what fits and what doesn't fit YOUR body. When I've been on the trail and seen other hikers there's a huge following for Osprey packs. They're a quality piece of gear that you can depend on. I've just never gotten lucky and had one fit me just right.

The best way I've found to cut weight in my packs is I do that cliche thing of making a list of exactly everything going in that pack and when I get back from the trip while it's still fresh in my mind I review that list line item by line item. When I go backpacking, it's usually wilderness areas and usually more than 5 miles in one way. Sometimes it's solo and sometimes it's with other people and I go year round so having records for a solo winter trip vs a group summer trip are wildly different. Think of creating a data book for your backpacking trips like you would a good precision rifle.

My most recent loadouts are all referencing previous trips and what got used and what didn't. For example, years ago as a rookie I had my big rambo knife, but anymore I don't take anything sharp and pointy beyond a swiss army fieldmaster with a ferro rod on the ring because it's got two blades, a saw and scissors.

If you're really worried about what pack to buy start with tracking what exactly you use and don't use. I've never been on a backpacking adventure of any kind where I didn't have a little bit of hate for every extra ounce in my pack by the end of it.