What do you use to carry your rangefinder, tripod, spare ammo, etc on short hunting treks? Thanks.
Hunting & Fishing How do you carry your gear?
- Thread starter deersniper
- Start date
Ya can't go wrong with anything from Eberlestock or Kifaru IMHO. I'd suggest you find someone around you that either has what you're looking for or a store that sells either so you can check them out in person. They're kinda a buy once cry once item and you're gonna wanna only drop that coin once.
On the short treks, I usually use my 4 and 8 year old...Ha.
In their absence I will usually throw everything in a MidwayUSA drag bag. On sale now. Very well made for $50.
I also use a Maxpedition Proteus waist pack allot. You can throw allot of misc items in there and handy to access quickly.
In their absence I will usually throw everything in a MidwayUSA drag bag. On sale now. Very well made for $50.
I also use a Maxpedition Proteus waist pack allot. You can throw allot of misc items in there and handy to access quickly.
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Kurt has it figured out. Kifaru or nothing. It took me several years to figure it out. Now I run kifaru exclusively. I'm running a nomad, w/ guide lid, grabit, with a camp bag, dry bag etc. Or the mountain gambler. For quick hikes I picked up a tailgunner. Just enough for extra bullets, kill kit, 1ltr of water and a candy bar, maps, misc. Etc.
Xdeano
I'd throw Kuiu in the mix as well. Their bags are very well made, but beyond that they are LIGHT! Literally lbs lighter than the kifaru bags.
But, for truck-to-blind "jaunts" I use a WWII issue musette bag. For hike-in hike-out multi-night outings I use a Kuiu ultra 6000 cu. in. bag- less than 4lbs, including suspension.
But, for truck-to-blind "jaunts" I use a WWII issue musette bag. For hike-in hike-out multi-night outings I use a Kuiu ultra 6000 cu. in. bag- less than 4lbs, including suspension.
Kuiu is light, but when it comes to design and durability as well as being modular the kifaru is far superior.
deersniper, what are you planning on doing with the bag?
xdeano
deersniper, what are you planning on doing with the bag?
xdeano
I’m sure kifaru gear is bomb proof. the “doobie” I bought for an elk trip is awesome. Then thing is, I’ve never encountered a bomb on a hunting trip. Overbuilt is, by definition, over built. Durability is great, no one wants their gear to wear out. But, what are you doing with it? I spent a week in the mountains of the weminuche wilderness of southern Colorado on a hike in elk hunt. We hiked in excess of 50 miles from 9300 to 11000 feet asl. I lost 15 lbs, eating 5000 calories per day. At the end, im not sure my boots were scuffed. My point is only that hunting- even hard hunting- is not hard on gear, or it doesn’t need to be. I’m sure the kifaru bags are great, but they are heavy. That’s the price of all that bomb proof material they use.
As to modularity, I can carry a 6000 cu in kuiu ultra and a 1800 cu in ultra (they fit on the same frame and suspension) with less weight penalty than an equivalent volume kifaru gear bag (revolution). Now, don’t get me wrong. I really like what I see from kifaru, and when i scratch together some additional cash I’m going to spring on one of their jackets. But, where light is right and lighter is righter- in a bomb free environment- I’ll take the lighter gear.
I’ve got a friend that has hunted (hunts actually, present tense)- literally- all over the world. That lucky fucker has taken record book big game on every continent except Antarctica. No problems with durability, and he’s the one that turned me on to kuiu. But, lots of people swear by kifaru, and I not going to say they are wrong.
As to modularity, I can carry a 6000 cu in kuiu ultra and a 1800 cu in ultra (they fit on the same frame and suspension) with less weight penalty than an equivalent volume kifaru gear bag (revolution). Now, don’t get me wrong. I really like what I see from kifaru, and when i scratch together some additional cash I’m going to spring on one of their jackets. But, where light is right and lighter is righter- in a bomb free environment- I’ll take the lighter gear.
I’ve got a friend that has hunted (hunts actually, present tense)- literally- all over the world. That lucky fucker has taken record book big game on every continent except Antarctica. No problems with durability, and he’s the one that turned me on to kuiu. But, lots of people swear by kifaru, and I not going to say they are wrong.
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Been using a Mystery Ranch 3 Day Assault pack for several years on hunts as well as hauling my gear to the range. Handles loads and well and built and just enough room to carry my hunting gear. Used a Eberlestock G2 for awhile and the ability to carry the rifle in the pack is nice but the pack is very heavy and when humping the mountains in NM at altitude really trying to minimize weight.
I carry a USMC ILBE if I am going to be out for a long time, or need bulky winter gear. If its just a day trip, my MOLLE Medium ruck does the job, and works great as a rifle rest. My "at hand" stuff and Glock are in a HPG Recon Kit Bag.
Deano Have you seen the new gun scabard that kifaru has came out with for the nomad two it looks awesome.
If i had to use an eberlestock to hunt out west i would quit. After my first trip to Idaho i sold the j34 as soon as i got home. No functional load lifters but nice lay outs just cant carry any weight in them with out a major suffer fest.
Kuiu have had lots of frames break and it has been documented. Now that kifaru has the new light weight frame and bags mad out of xpac the it weighs less argument is gone.
The service from kifaru is as good as it gets. Aron Snyder the president of the company now gives out his cell number and will answer at any time to help you get the pack dialed in or just answer questions. I called once he was in an airport going on a hunting trip and took 15 minutes to answer my questions on setting a pack up and treated me great. I am just a regular guy who bought a pack but got service like i was a vip.
Kurt,
I've seen the scabard, it looks pretty decent. It somewhat reminds me of my old eberlstock phantom that I used for work. The pack sucked but the scabard was decent, as a backpack. The pack lacked load lifters, they were there, they just didnt function.
Kifaru does have excellent CS. That says a lot about the company.
Xdeano
Hlee.
I hunt for a living. And those things you talk about not running into out hunting, I use them for work, so I want a bomb proof bag.
I to go to the west side of Colorado to chase elk. So I know whats going on at 6500-1100asl. I'm up in the Gunnison.
It's all in using what you're comfortable using. I won't judge you. But you'll come around when you try on a kifaru. They're great and well worth my money.
Xdeano
I've also been running Kifaru but with an AMR pack, gun bearer for the rifle, grab-it II for bulky items and tying/strapping anything else big onto the webbing. I've packed in multiple tree stands with the grab-it II on the pack. I did overload one of the auto-lock buckles and have it snap on me in transit but I was able to pull it tight enough that it would not loosen, even after being broken. The durability is there in these Kifaru packs.
I've wanted the Nomad for awhile but I got distracted by the Fulcrum and Native setup that will give me all the room I need to pack gear in to basecamp and then run the Native for the day treks. If I'm hunting in and out same day, I plan to use the Fulcrum only without the Native. It shows up on Monday so we'll see how this goes.
I've wanted the Nomad for awhile but I got distracted by the Fulcrum and Native setup that will give me all the room I need to pack gear in to basecamp and then run the Native for the day treks. If I'm hunting in and out same day, I plan to use the Fulcrum only without the Native. It shows up on Monday so we'll see how this goes.
First off what's a short hunting trek? Do you need to carry out your kill? For me in the Midwest a short trip is truck to treestand and no meat packing, that's what the quad is for. For that purpose it's kinda silly to throw $500+ kifaru in to do the job. I use a badlands pack for that. Now when I go out west and pack in 5+ miles with all my gear and have to pack out an animal that's a different story. I had been using a Kifaru Mountain Warrior with a gen 2 duplex frame. However I just bought a kuiu icon pro 5200 because I just liked the bag layout and the considerable weight savings. It's been awesome so far with training weight. The bag layout in my opinion is superior to kifaru. Plus I got a icon pro 1850 aswell. Both packs and frame cost me half as much as my kifaru. For a guy that doesn't want to spend kifaru money a kuiu would be just fine. I plan to check out EXO packs also.
I use the Eberlestock HiSpeed II and really like it for the intended purpose of a day pack for matches, ranges trips, hiking, or hunting. It is big enough to hold everything I need but not too big. The inside compartments can collapse so it is just one big backpack. I utilize the compartments to carry the range essentials. It is really comfortable for long hikes and doesn't cause any hot spots. I have done multiple 8-10 mile hikes with a 35lbs ruck and never was uncomfortable.
On short trips I put me gear in a Vanquest Trident 20 and carry the rifle on a sling. On long trips I take the truck.
Funny the bikini frame is still raved about. Testing is the least of my worries as i know i will never carry as much or pack as much weight as Snyder does. Running the kuiu pack that has multiple accounts for the carbon fiber twisting and breaking though is kinda of funny. there is a reason kifaru has been producing packs since 1997 along with mystery ranch no to many out there that have that knowledge and experience and proof to back it up for that many years
I went with Badlands, great pack. The only complaint is the bottom isn't flat enough so the pack never likes to "sit". But I love the space in the pack, plenty of individual compartments for separating things. Lots of different ways to attach your accessories to it as well. I keep my bipod and tripod stowed on the pack when Im moving around, knives, food, ammo etc all stashed in there. The matching bino case is awesome too, plenty of room for bino/rangefinder, and I keep my phone and little extras in there too. Makes it nice to have dope close
I've got a wide range of bags for different purposes. Short trips I'm carrying a smaller Camelback HAWG or if I need more room a Blackhawk 3-day pack. If I need a more substantial pack, I go with an Eberleestock Halftrack.
Those are the bags I currently own now. I have also used Kelty, Mystery Ranch, larger Camelback packs, and USGI rucks (large ALICE, large MOLLE, medium MOLLE, and assault pack). I, along with other members of my unit, have used all these overseas in rough austere conditions and they all stood up great. Some of those bags were unit hand me downs that had been abused for several years.
I have borrowed some Kelty civilian rucks for backpacking trips up in WY and CO, and they were great as well.
If I want a little more low key, non-tactical looking bag, I have a Swiss Gear pack I use. I can't vouch for how it would hold up to abuse, I only use it around town and overnight trips here and there.
Invest in a good bag, it will last you a lifetime. I'm a sucker for a good bag, I'm gonna have to check out some of the other brands you guys have mentioned...
Those are the bags I currently own now. I have also used Kelty, Mystery Ranch, larger Camelback packs, and USGI rucks (large ALICE, large MOLLE, medium MOLLE, and assault pack). I, along with other members of my unit, have used all these overseas in rough austere conditions and they all stood up great. Some of those bags were unit hand me downs that had been abused for several years.
I have borrowed some Kelty civilian rucks for backpacking trips up in WY and CO, and they were great as well.
If I want a little more low key, non-tactical looking bag, I have a Swiss Gear pack I use. I can't vouch for how it would hold up to abuse, I only use it around town and overnight trips here and there.
Invest in a good bag, it will last you a lifetime. I'm a sucker for a good bag, I'm gonna have to check out some of the other brands you guys have mentioned...
Badlands Super Day Pack. I use it for all of my trips because I'm familiar with the pocket layout. I keep certain items in certain pockets all the time. That way I know where they are. 3 litre Camelbak in there as well as a snacks as I don't want to have to head back to eat til dark.
Treestand hunting- Badlands Recon. Holds all I need for the day. Lunch, rain jacket, range finder, snacks, water, and all the other misc stuff we stick in our packs. I got hammered one night and ordered a Kifaru Spikecamp. Lets not forget range finder pouch, nalgene holder, 2 poches and 5 multi sized pouches. Some morning I had. The bag is awesome!!! I used it on a bear hunt and some day hikes. Love the pack and will be using it more.
I would love to hunt out west and have researched gear a lot. When the time comes I'll probably end up with another Kifaru or mystery ranch pack.
I would love to hunt out west and have researched gear a lot. When the time comes I'll probably end up with another Kifaru or mystery ranch pack.
Kifaru EMR2 for long hunts is bombproof as described above, but also very heavy. It also has lots of straps going everywhere that require velcro keepers to keep in place. I love kifaru stuff and have purchased lots of gear from them, but for most of my hunting I keep a Kuiu Ultra 1800 packed and ready to go. Holds everything I need. Frame isn't nearly as good as the Kifaru, but its good enough and a heck of a lot lighter. May consider adding an Icon 3200 in the future as I think the size is just a bit better, but the smaller 1800 makes me prioritize what I really need. If I was an outfitter or guide I would stick with Kifaru, as I am confident my grandkids will still be able to use my pack. However, for my typical hunting purposes of short trips, usually 45-60 days per year hunting, the Kuiu works better for me. Hope this helps.
Dang that's one good thing about the southeast. We don't have to carry a bunch of stuff. Just couple things that'll fit in pockets for me
I’d recommend the Badlands Superday. It’s light, pretty versatile and can accommodate everything listed above and then some if you use the straps to attach a tripod. Good pack that can be had for ~$150 new off eBay. I’ve heard some complain about the zippers, but I’ve never had any issues.
I guess it depends how big and how heavy your tripod is. An 0311 requires a good pack to stabilize it. A smaller Manfrotto CF, requires less.
I have used Kifaru for over 10 years now, and if you have to pack an animal out, there is nothing better. For less severe requirements, the Scout is perhaps my absolute favorite pack of all time. Once carried 90# of doe in it, and it was very acceptable. One other favorite, though not for carrying any real weight, is the German surplus mountain ruck. Awesome lightweight little pack.
eta: I swapped the Kifaru shoulder straps on the Scout for the shoulder straps made by HPG. Much better for distributing the load. Also, HPG packs are second to none. It really is about what fits you and your style the most when choosing between Kifaru, HPG and MR. The HPG belts don't fit me as well as the Kifaru belts, but the packs are just fantastic.
I have used Kifaru for over 10 years now, and if you have to pack an animal out, there is nothing better. For less severe requirements, the Scout is perhaps my absolute favorite pack of all time. Once carried 90# of doe in it, and it was very acceptable. One other favorite, though not for carrying any real weight, is the German surplus mountain ruck. Awesome lightweight little pack.
eta: I swapped the Kifaru shoulder straps on the Scout for the shoulder straps made by HPG. Much better for distributing the load. Also, HPG packs are second to none. It really is about what fits you and your style the most when choosing between Kifaru, HPG and MR. The HPG belts don't fit me as well as the Kifaru belts, but the packs are just fantastic.
As a former whistle pig dispatcher, I give you this advice. Drive a pickup to the field. Set up a shooting table in the bed with a chair. Sit in the truck with the heat/ac running while you wait on them to pop out. Usually about 1/2 an hour. Shoot them and go to the next field. Keep your beverages and binoculars in the truck. We usually saw them riding by and just backed up and shot them from the cab of the pickup.
Used a Badlands super day for years and really liked it. Recently switched to an eberlestock and no regrets. The quality is next level comparatively and it’s very comfortable.
I've got my first elk hunting trip coming up in october, I somewhat get a break from trekking in with all of my gear. Not a drop camp or guided hunt, but close to the grandparent's land with the cabin. I think an eberlestock will get me by with plenty of room to spare. That frame will hopefully help me pack our a big one if I get so lucky.
yep. The eberlestock has no functional load lifters so it will beat the living fuck out of your shoulders but it will carry any thing you stuff in it
Got it, thanks brother. I'm still really green in the ways of packing larger game out. In Texas I can throw a field dressed white tail over my shoulder and hike out no problems, probably can even drink my coffee at the same time. I'm getting excited about this hunt. We apparently have the horses and a utv at our disposal, but at this point I refuse to use them. I don't want to cheapen my first experience, and want to see it through the hard way at least once.
I understand the pain is part of the experience but i would use the horses as that is what davey crocket would do. Biggest thing i would go in with an open mind and use every thing at your disposal as the mountains will give no breaks. have fun it is a blast
I just picked up the smaller Vorn pack for night hunting trips for beavers and coyotes. I've packed it up with what I want to take along but have not actually hunted with it yet. I think it's going to work out pretty good and the rifle carrier works well even with a large thermal scope.
A good “2 day” sized pack with plenty of straps usually is my go to set up. Just depends how much extra gear you like to keep on you.
