Best Day Pack?
Whitetail Deer
So another post spiked my interest in your opinions. What is the best day pack for whitetail deer hunting? I currently use a Badlands Super Day Pack. I like it but know no different. I will say the zippers are junk. Several have broken and I plan to return it for repairs after season. I read in another post the Eberlestock X2 is a good one. What other packs are out there and what are everyone's opinions. I'm looking for the perfect pack to carry with a climber or sticks/stand. It needs to carry a heavy pair of bibs, coat and other necessities for an all day sit.
If you want to spend some $$$ for a quality whitetail pack, the Kifaru Whitetail pack is pretty awesome. (called the Eastern Ruck) Nice pocket layout, plenty of space and usual Kifaru quality. I've also used the Sitka offerings (tool bucket and tool box) and they are designed specifically for treestand whitetail hunting. Not as many CI but very nice design with a ton of features none the less. Really, anything works for a whitetail pack, it just needs to fit your needs.
You owe it to yourself to look at an Alps Traverse EPS.....the ability to re-size the pack, carry a tripod and spotting scope, load lifters, while having everything else top end day packs have....plus...a hidden pouch that is made for carrying bagged meat or a full deer 1/4 that you would never know was there...plus..so much more affordable...3,000 ci and about $130-$160 depending where you buy it !!
Joe
Depending on what you're looking for - I like my Bandlands Diablos Dos for a day pack. Seems to have enough room and it cinches my bow (or shotgun waterfowl hunting) very nicely. I'd be a little hesitant to pack a quarter out with it but I think I could survive if it came down to it.
I also have a badlands superday and there are a number of things I don't really like about it. I recently purchased a Mystery Ranch 3 Day Assault pack which I like very much. I use it everyday.
Lots of good examples already named. I tecentky bought another KUIU Icon pro kit. Frame and all. It’s a good little pack but, it will never replace the kifarus I have when I am hunting in an area that I need to pack meat. So, the frame will likely be sold. Second one I’ve had and they are good. Just not Kifaru good.
But, I told you all that to say the bag is da bomb. You put the internal stays in it and suspension plus belt, it becomes a pack like anybofbtgebothers names here. So, check it out too. Nice little packs when you don’t need to be ready to haul 80 pounds of gear and deer.
Not sure of your uses but, if you intend to pack meat, buy sobetjjbgvtfat you can run on a frame. All that bigger brands are modular now. And, while most in the unknown are ignorantly bliss to it, lots of people in the east walk lots of miles and packbtgeir game out. So, don’t be shy. If that’s you, buy once.
Buy a Stone Glacier R3 5900 and never need another pack.
Mine packs down super tight for small runs, and will keep me in the backcountry for a week easily too. Killer piece of gear at 5lbs and a couple ounces frame and all.
If all you are doing is strapping it to a stand to carry clothes I would just stick with a lightweight dry bag or something. Personally I just bungee my clothes directly unless its raining, then I bust out the dry sack. I have a small fanny pack for my incidentals which also gets bungeed to the stand.
I carried my treestand and climbing sticks with my EXO Mountain gear 2000 during an elk hunt. Very secure attachment and carried comfortably.
elk yinzer, the problem I've encountered with this approach is the transition from the ground to the tree. I often hunt from a climber and I get hot easily. I like to get up the tree and then get dressed. Having everything in a pack allows me to put the pack on my back and climb. If my essentials are strapped to the stand this becomes difficult. My concern would be dressing then climbing and overheating.
Each day of whitetail hunting, I need different stuff.
All days, I need coffee, game bags, calls, small saw, small trimmer, water, snacks, rain cover for pack, rangefinder, etc.
Some days, I need a stool and a butt pad.
Some days, I need a DSD buck decoy.
Some days, I need treestand, treesteps, and harness.
most days, I need a warm jacket, maybe bibs, etc.
And then.... if I get lucky, I need a pack that can haul out at least half of a quartered whitetail.
My Eberlestock X2 handles each and every one of those loads with ease. It has nice pockets to organize the everyday gear. And it has a versatile game sling that can carry any of the other weird stuff.
And... it can even carry moose or caribou quarters if needed (but there are definitely better game hauling packs if you want a dedicated pack for that)
And it only about $140.
Love it, Charlie. You crack me up, man!
Botta-book, botta-boom!!!!
Day One's backpack...plenty of room, comfortable. Really love it...been using it for 10 yrs now
It may be a bit off a over kill for treestand hunting. I mainly bought it for elk hunting. But I really like my Badlands 2200. When it makes a great bag for treestand hunting is when carry stand and sticks with you. I have several stands up and carry lonewolf steps and take them with me each hunt. Them alone or with a stand straps nicely on outside with the bags wings. The wings are also nice for strapping jacket and overalls, to put on at stand. I will pack lonewolf sticks, heavy coat and bow to out side works perfect. I hate carry bow in hands to/from stand especially when it cold.
Following this thread. How does the x2 work if you wanted to haul a stand on the pack? Would it strap down nice and secure? Lone Wolf hand climber.
There are four buckle straps on the x2. Two run top to bottom and are best for sinching down clothes. I'll strap my lone wolf hand climber or a stand/stick combo on over the clothes with the side to side straps running them through the mesh of the platform. I can post pix but I think you get the idea if you know the pack. My brother uses the many built in loops to hook in other straps too.
I have a Trailblazer II from Crooked Horn. I'm blown away with how "bomb proof" this thing is, I've been using it in the Rockies on Elk Hunts for around 5 Years now.
Packed out nearly half a boned out elk with it this Season. No breakage or even rips in the straps, no zipper damage, It's still like new, and I stuff it to capacity and put hard miles on it every Year.
Totally waterproof, and several ways to "reconfigure" it, depending on your needs. Most of all, I like the low profile up on the shoulders, which doesn't cramp my style when I shoot. Great "run and gun" pack, that can be used for some heavy hauling as well.
Just another option to consider.
Here’s my Kuiu Icon Pro 1850 as my everyday setup. This system gets me in for the day. Feels great when I’ve got it all loaded up heavy. In this pic I’ve got my typical mobile setup, Lone wolf assault, sticks and running my 3rd arrow camera arm. And all the gear and camera arm base in the bag. I just run both compression straps through the stand platform, around my sticks on the lone wolf stick quiver and synch. The on/off really is about 20 seconds and it’s secure TIGHT. My only complaint is that for what I’m using it for (not what Kuiu actually had in mind for this pack) the belt straps are stiff and the pack isn’t quite big enough for all my gear sometimes. I could use a slightly bigger pack and one that isn’t such a stiff awkward shape when I’m in the tree. (Which i realize is what makes it a dream to pack the weight) I’d like something that could nicely tuck nice against the tree
My thought is if you need a day pack for whitetail hunting, you're bringing too much stuff. LOL! I run with a fanny pack.
