I have read a lot here about what you guys think on backpacks. I am in the process of buying an internal frame backpack. I have looked at the Badlands 4500 and the Bivy 45. I have also looked at similar North Face and other hiking backpacks with similar cc's of volume. I really like the bivy, but I also like the North Face Crestone 75. Is it worth the extra $100-$150 for the "hunting packs"? Does anybody use the hiking packs instead and how do they handle packing out meat compared to the hunting specific packs?
I use an REI branded pack and have a Kelty Freighter frame waiting at the truck. I havent hauled meat yet, but the plan is to take the first smaller load out in the REI pack, and come back with the frame. The pack I bought I think is 4 or 5 pounds, and it is an absolute delight to carry 40-45 lbs. Plus, I use it during the summer when hiking and/or scouting.
Thanks for the info. Most of the hiking packs seem to be lighter and the suspensions a little better than the hunting packs, but the place for a gun or bow would be nice. I notice some packs have a place for snow skis. Has anyone tried a gun or bow on one of these packs?
I have read that the Sitka 45 was built by a pack designer from Mountain Hardware. So really that is a quietER hiking pack, with hunting pack features.
I often hunt w/bare aluminum frame and then just bunji a pack on. My packs are homemade and very light. The frame is a breakdown type meant for bush plane use.
It really is nice when you whack something a couple miles and 1000ft elevation from the road. Don't have to go back for the pack. Especially important in hi coyote/bear areas.
The Sitka 45 is a good pack that is narrow and the load caries more verticle and has water resistant liner. I have also used the Elk Hunter pack by Bison Gear with wool outer shell. The Elk Hunter is quieter and not water resistant, but may have more utility as a day pack. The Bison gear has all horizontal top loading pockets, while the Sitka has some with veticle zippers. Both packs are well padded, well made and have great warranties. The Bison Gear may be customized easier from the factory. Mike
The way I saw it...you are paying $100+ more for camo on a bag that goes on your back. Get a drab brown or green version made by a hiking company, and save the money for fuel. I've heard alot of negative reviews with the snaps and closures on the badlands 4500 too. I went with Kelty instead. MUCH more economical for a pack that will hold more weight than I care to pack. I don't think the green will spook game either. :)
i've carried out many a 75 pound load with a "hiking pack" and had no troubles. i have routinely carried 50-60 pound loads in "hiking packs" that advertise 30lbs max. i have only had one pack issue in all of the years i have hunted and backpacked. i broke a stay 2 years ago in col. did not stop me from hunting. none of the packs i hunt with are camo. elk don't really care about fashion sense, the odors, movements and odd sounds are what they care about.
this past year i bivy hunted with a red pack on, i never felt like the color detracted me from shooting an animal.
bottom line: get a pack that fits you and your budget.
If you can look for a used Kifaru or MR and only do it once. That is my $.02 advice and I repeat due to all the packs I went through before getting mine.
how many times guys are you hiking way back and you have to sit on the ground or on your knees hunting, you should take a look at our rackpack. 6 lbs works for multiple uses. thanx
For my lowland hunts I use a hunting pack. For my high country hunts for goat and sheep I use a hiking/backpacking pack. I use an osprey pack. 6500 cubic inches. Will carry anything you need Plus a dead sheep. it's grey and black. looks like a rock when you drop it. It's the most comfortable thing I've ever had on my back.
yeah, I agree on the mountaineering packs. My old Lowe is lighter than any hunting pack, has supported me in the backcountry for 9 days, is comfortable with more weight than my legs can support and has been through hell in the past 15 years and is going strong. Mountaineers live or die based on their boots, packs and ropes and have these things pretty well figured out, IMO. Noise from a pack has never been an issue for me, and personally I consider a camoed backpack more of a liability than an asset, (downside: losing it and spending hours of good hunting time searching for it, happens lots to hunters who shed it on a stalk.. as demonstrated in the recent "Lesson's learned the hard way" thread).
If your going hunting you need to get a hunting pack that is what there designed to do is to pack heavy loads Blacks Creek makes a full line that are tested all the time. You can have a hiking pack that weights 3.5 to 4.5 lbs but is rated at only 40 to 50lbs whgen you hunting and that time comes your going to carry way more than that. If you have been in 5 plus miles and your pack rip's or a buckle is broken guess what you in trouble now. So go to the link and check out the video's
I highly recommend going with one of the only companies that I believe has mastered the design of both the Hiking pack and the Hunting pack...Mystery Ranch!
These guys have been making packs for decades (heard of Dana Design?), and they are still making them one at a time in the US. Incredible customer service, lifetime warranty, and a Pack that you'll eventually be able to write into you will! I use the NICE 6500 right now and I am looking at getting a Crew Cab for shorter/lighter trips.
I use the Badlands 4500 and love it. I've had it for 5 years now and have put this pack through hell and have never had any problems like someone mentioned. I've heard the Mystery Ranch packs are great too. I think the North Face is great quality, but you are paying more for the name and not necessarily getting anything you can't get with so many other products on the market.
I would personally try and find a hunting pack. It's not that it is necessary as far as camo, but more that they are made to haul heavy loads, have liners which help when packing meat, and have other features that I like that are good for hunting.
The main thing is to get something that fits your body the best. I've used other packs that just never seemed to fit me right, so in my opinion that is the biggest key. Go try on a bunch and then go from there.
Kifaru Packs are made for the backpacking hunter. They are geared towards mountaineering but also towards hunting. Light packs that can carry very heavy loads.
Most of the hiking packs pack well at the loading they are built for. But one large enough to pack in camp and pack out game usually won't properly compact down into a true hunting pack when needed for hunting. Get one small enough to hunt with and it seldom will pack enough.
Bunnylovin' treehuggin' vegan pack designers don't think that way. =D
There are several hunting specific packs that will do that fairly well. Kifaru, MR, Eberlestock, Badlands, etc. to name a few.
I still think that you cant tackle this problem with just one pack. I've got an Eberlestock and a Badlands, and neither of those packs can come close to the comfort of "my non-hunting" pack. My Eberlestock weighs so much that when I set up camp and compress it all down; just to carry rain gear, game bags, knife, first aid, etc. the damn thing weighs 25 lbs. By the end of day 4 or 5 of a 7-10 day solo wilderness hunt, I was so beat it was hard to keep motivated. When I got my REI Ridgeline pack, I noticed alot more energy at the end of a long days hunt. I really think this is because the pack itself is 3 or more pounds lighter, and its so much more comfortable. I literally forget I am wearing it, especially when compressed down with just the days supplies.. Plus, you can buy a really nice mid to top level backpacking pack, plus a Kelty Freighter Frame, and it would still be less expensive than the popular "hunting" backpacks out there.
"I still think that you cant tackle this problem with just one pack."
My Kifaru Longhunter is right around 6# and will do anything I want done with it. Camp hauler, meat packing frame, day pack, airline carry-on. I wish it came ina color other than black, but that is the one of the least important factors to overall function.
"My Kifaru Longhunter is right around 6# and will do anything I want done with it. "
+1 and I have a Spike Camp and coming soon Late Season just in case. They are pricy, but worth it! Look and you can find used deals, life-time warranty.
I went through a lot of packs before settling on a Kifaru. I wish somebody had grabbed me by the shoulders 10 years ago and told me to buy once and cry once.
It is definitely worth $150 to go from an internal frame pack to an external frame pack. In my opinion internal frame packs lack sufficient load lifting capabilities. That’s fine when you have 25 pounds or less but if you carry a lot of crap or hope to carry meat save yourself the money and time and buy a external frame pack. I’d rather have a cheaper end frame pack than the nicest internal frame. Buy on Rokslide and it won’t hurt quite as much.
My partner's hiking pack's frame broke in half this year packing out a heavy load. Guess how his day went. Its all fun and games until it fails when you need it most. I own 2 non hunting packs and 1 hunting pack. Guess what stays in camp. Wish I would have bought once.....
The most popular hiking backpack for big game hunting is the REI XT 85. A completely capable, functional and cost effective backpack for hunters that think outside the box.
LINK - "I’d rather have a cheaper end frame pack than the nicest internal frame."
I seem to be just the opposite - maybe if you leave bones in I might agree - not sure.
I hunted 3 states this fall with my Kuiu 1850. Carried/helped on 3 elk and hauled solo 4 deer (11 total pack outs with meat/antlers). Weight ranged from 70 to 120 lbs. Never had any pack or body troubles. I did have to put on the 7200 bag for the 120 lb carry (same suspension).
BTW - with whatever pack you choose, trekking poles help a lot.
Looks like it is no longer available. For whatever it's worth, the Traverse 85 looks very similar. Google "REI XT 85" (click on images) and get a good comparison. You could probably pick one up on ebay.
To me Kifaru , Mystery Ranch and Eberlestock are the big three......I love my mystery ranch. You get what you pay for in packs just like most other gear.
I've been using the same mountaineering internal frame backpack for 20 years. It's done me just fine for 2-3 week trips and meat hauls, but I refuse to carry 100 lbs. If you're going to carry your camp and a sheep/deer on your back or expect to get an elk out in two trips, you'd need something more.
One benefit is that it weighs 1/2 of what a lot of these "hunting packs" weigh.
After a couple years with a used KUIU 5200, I picked up a MR Metcalf on blackovis. Haven’t put it to the test yet but there is a night and day difference in the construction of the two. MR feels built to last.
