Best All Purpose Elk Pack
Elk
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What is the Best All Purpose Elk Pack. I'm looking for 1 pack that I can use for all functions. Daypack, 2-3 day overnighter, and as a meat hauler. I looked into the Eberlestock Just one pack and Team elk pack?
Suggestions? opinions?
I have both. Most guys on here will recommend other brands and that OK. I've used the Just one for about 6 years with no complaints. With the duffle, I can pack in for 5-7 days easy. Haven't used the Team Elk yet but it looks to be a better meat hauler. Load lifters could be a little better but overall, I like the pack.
I have both as well. The X2 is a good daypack. I've packed in camp for a couple days with it and a rear quarter out. However, without functional load lifters on either, my neck and shoulders couldn't take it anymore. Ended up with a Kifaru duplex frame and a Mountain Warrior pack.
Lot to choose from, but I use my Kifaru Timberline 3 for a 3 hour outing or a 3 day bivy, and haul meat in it.
I have a Badlands 2800 pack that I use for Colorado elk hunts and fits me well. I use it as a day bag ( snugged down acts like a fanny pack), a 2-3 night spike camp backpack, and with careful packing can do up to 5 days, and a meat hauler in either mode. I find it more comfortable than a 2200 under a meat load. I have packed out a couple elk with this setup with no problems. Unfortunately Badlands has stopped making this pack.
Your shoulders will hate you for buying an eberlestock as soon as you are hauling quarters. There are lots of better options - many in that price range.
Love my kifaru frame with the Dt2 pack . 5500 inches of space, for me thats good for 7 days... Than it cinches down small and tight for a day pack. I've hauled 60 lbs of meat. Ed
Check out Exo, I really like my 5500
Packing out my sons bull this year, awesome comfort with 90# load.
Packing out my sons bull this year, awesome comfort with 90# load.
Paul II & Trey (his son & my grandson) Nice going Trey!
Paul II & Trey (his son & my grandson) Nice going Trey!
The Exo Pack gets the nod from me! We've used them since their birth 3 years ago & have packed many bulls & deer off the mountain. Best pack I've used & not looking for another. Their comfort with no weight to 100#+ is amazingly comfortable with awesome working load lifters! Even a 10 year can be fitted to the 3500 as you see in the photos. That was his Muley buck! These packs weigh in at under 4# empty!
ElkNut1
This is a few days worth of camp and gear with an X2 during a pre-season muley scouting trip up on Mt Nebo. No room inside. Just have to be creative strapping the extra stuff to the outside.
This is a few days worth of camp and gear with an X2 during a pre-season muley scouting trip up on Mt Nebo. No room inside. Just have to be creative strapping the extra stuff to the outside.
X2 is a great daypack...but for heavy loads...not for me. It's totally a personal preference though!! I will absolutely not part ways with it. It's a tool to keep handy.
I too place my vote for EXO! My son & I got used EXO 3500 packs. We used them on a CO backcountry elk hunt last year. Unfortunately, they didn't get bloody, but handled the bigger loads going in and out. They served double duty functioning as day packs.
My son also used his as a do-it-all pack hunting back home in NYS. Day pack, treestand hauler, etc. Really liking them so far.
Yes, there are many options, Kifaru, Stone Glacier, EXO and others. Lots of options! Check Bowsite Classifieds and also ads on rokslide.com for good used options.
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there is a difference between a pack that will do what you are wanting to do and a pack designed for it. Those Eblerlestock packs are made well but not designed for heavy loads. With no load lifters to help stabilize and keep the weight from pulling back or down on your shoulders you will be hurting with a heavy load.
Much like asking which is the best boot, you'll get a million "right" answers. I used to live right down the street from Kifaru headquarters so the brand choice was a no brainer for me. I put my hands on everything they had and picked the one that best suited my hunting style. I'll never try another pack.
Talk to reps at each of the companies you're considering and let them lead you to the "best" pack for YOU. Goodluck!
Kifaru. Many options once you get looking. Something should work great for you.
I will throw my hat in for Exo as well. I have the 5500 that I use for day hunts all the way up to 7+ day backpack trips. It has handled everything exceptionally including packing out elk, mule deer, barbary and pigs. I do not know anything about Eberlestock but do know if they do not have load lifters - or functional ones - you will be beyond miserable packing out any heavy loads.
Mad_Angler's Link
The Eberlestock X2 may not be a perfect pack. But it definitely a great all-around pack for what you asked to do. And it is way cheaper than the others (only ~$140).
And, you can add load lifters quickly and easily...
I prefer the Kifaru longhunter, which they don't make anymore. If I had to buy again, I would go w/ the timberline 2 w/ a top pouch. The longhunter carries 40 lbs more comfortably than any other pack I've tried w/ only 25lbs. I'm assuming the timberline would be similar since the frame and suspension system is similar.
Maybe take a look at the Kifaru Duplex frame with a Tahr bag from the rhino den. Easily carry the weight, enough volume for three days worth of gear, and comfortable and unobtrusive for a day pack.
My son and I have the Eberlestock F1 frame and use them as our all around base for various packs. Narrow and easy to hunt with on your back. My son and I hauled a fair amount of meat with ours this past fall and they worked great. We hunted with them on and then boned, bagged, and hauled out. They worked a heck of a lot better then the Cabelas freighter frame we used to haul meat in the past.
Kifaru EMR 2 with the big 1200 lid....hydration pockets (for one litre nalgenes) and side belt pockets for quick access to snacks...love this pack.
Mark
joehunter - do you have the f2 bag with it? What bag is strapped on there? I have the f1 and a super spike duffle. Thinking about getting the f2 to go along with it for an extra ~2500cu storage.
Kifaru, Stone Glacier, Mystery ranch, KUIU, EXO, etc. all have good reps and following, but are on the higher end of prices. Eberlestock packs are solid packs, won't let you down like a few others will in that range. Have packed out tons on my old J something, the HD one with the frame sheet. Never so much as a tear or broken zipper. Cut out the rifle scabbard and converted it into a bladder pocket.
WRT best "all purpose" I'm assuming you are hiking in camp, hunting with it and packing out heavy loads of meat. Whatever you pick will be a compromise of some sort, but several of those mentioned do all that fairly well. Personally I love the Kifaru MMR duplex, the 24" frame over the 26". Load lifters were mentioned and are very effective packing heavy loads. Suck for day hunting IMO. Anything that sticks up well over my shoulder is always getting caught on brush and limbs in thick stuff. Crawling on a stalk it's hard to lift your head up to look in front of you. Even the 24" gets in the way at times, but nothing like the 26. If in the open alpine it may not matter much, brush and the thick it will. For me the shorter frame still packs pretty well, I've had 100+ lbs in it before. But for me the shorter frame hands down hunts better, and that is 90% of my time with it on, the whole point of being there. I've shot a good deal of game with my pack on, no problem.
If cost is a concern, many of these can be picked up used at a good savings. Got my MMR used, a few years ago now. You can interchange packs on them, but I use mine "modular" with the frame, a cargo panel (normally rolled up) a top lid/fanny pack I made and a mix of attached pockets and pods, depending. For packing camp everything goes in dry bags and into the panel. Takes some trial and error, unless you like messing with your gear it may not be for everyone, but finally have it down pretty well now. Wouldn't trade it for anything.
best is to read kota-man's pack review threads. Most guys will have a couple packs and can comment to those, but few can comment to almost all the packs. Kota can, and did do a nice write-up with pictures. After reading his thread I went with a Kuiu Icon Pro, and I love it. I still own the Eberlestock Just One that I had before that, but I no longer use it. The Icon Pro does everything that J104 did, and carries a load much better. And I like the layout better. I also have a 5200 cubic inch bag and the 1800 which are very simple to switch between, and I like having the two different size bags even though the 5200 compresses very nicely.
As others have mentioned the Eberlestocks simply don't carry a load the way almost all those other brands do. It makes a big difference. Trust me. I packed elk, deer and caribou out with my J104 and walking at 45 degrees to the ground and the ensuing back-pain can be done without.
EXO for me also. Great pack!
I am a kifaru guy myself. I have an original T1. It does shrink down nicely for day hunt mode. When i got it i was spiking in for 7 plus days. However for day hunts up to 3 days I think it's more pack then needed.
My latest kifaru is a new hunting frame with a cargo panel. On the cargo panel I put a large side pocket and a large belt pouch. 2 small belt pouches on the belt. There both perfect for day hunt mode. If I decide to spike in for a period of time. I throw my gear in a 55 liter dry sack. Then sandwich it in between the cargo panel and the frame.
The good news about packs is there are lots of options. However if you go the cheap route comfort will suffer for the most part. There is a saying "buy once cry once". I did that and haven't looked back.
Exo... love mine... the meat storage is easy to get to and the pack is incredibly comfortable...
Kifaru EMR II is good for a day pack or a week long trip! Not many can say they are that versatile and comfortable. Used mine on a backpack Dall sheep hunt and it's great.
exo, great pack. handles elk quarters very nice and sinches down for day pack use.
"yooper89"- that is a cheap Feildline pack I retrofitted to work very well on the F1 frame. The pic with my son above is small pack we used for Rifle muley hunting that only carried our "kill kits" raingear, safety survival kit, and water hydration. For elk bivy hunting we used larger cheap retrofitted Fieldline packs- 27 pounds was our bivy gear weight. Worked great . Here is a pic of me with the F1 pack - game bag with to much meat, cheap Fieldline pack with bivy gear, and rack - all held by the wrap around straps on the F1 that cinch down tight.
Thanks for all the input guys. I ended up going with a HornHunter Full curl system Pack.
Far from an expert here but I would just go to Rokslide an pick up a used pack from one of the quality pack companies an go from there. My only addition would be that if you are a tall guy it seemed that Kifaru was really the only one for tall guys at the time I bought mine.
Another kifaru guy here, it just can't be beat for heavy weights
Ideally, you should try an Exo, Stone Glacier, Mystery Ranch and Kifaru; and choose what you like as you really can't go wrong with any of these. Unfortunately, trying them all isn't easy. I've owned several models of all of the above and Kifaru just plain works for me. The Kifaru T2 is a great "all purpose" pack.
If you don't want to spend the money on a top of the line semi custom pack, take a serious look at KUIU. For a "production" pack, they are decent. It won't haul a load like the 4 brands mentioned above, but for the money (roughly half the money of the packs above), it beats the heck out of Badlands, Eberle Stock, Tenzing and etc.
Search "pack reviews" and you'll get a lot of great information.
Right! I wished he'd said something... I have a HH with low miles collecting dust.
Absolutely hands down the Kuiu Icon or Ultra series in the 3000 range. Lighter and more comfortable than anything else and at half the price...