What backpack for tree stand hunting?
Contributors to this thread:Whitetail Deer
From: Chris S
14-Nov-22
I’m curious which back packs guys are using for tree stand hunting and more specifically why? Or what feature you really like? I had been using a Badlands Treestand Pack for years and really liked the way the bottom pocket opened out into an organized kit to hold my calls and gloves etc. But the zippers busted again. And this time they could not fix it and that model is no longer made. They did send me a beautiful new pack but it’s a bit bigger and just awkward in a tree. I intend on selling that and buying a new that’s more functional to tree stand. So what would you recommend? Thanks and be safe!
From: Chris S
14-Nov-22
Mostly small equipment. Knives calls snacks water usually extra gloves hat book rattling antlers binos range finder rope twine bow holder etc. Just smaller stuff mainly. I just like things in their place instead of a main bag filled with stuff that you have to make noise digging through. I usually clip an outer garment to it not to sweat on walk in. No need for attaching stand to bring in
From: hawg
14-Nov-22
I use a turkey vest with big pouch in back for extra clothes, etc. I use one that has good pockets in the front for all the little stuff you mentioned. I hang it beside me in the tree by the shoulder straps where every pocket is accessible. It's easy to carry a stand with shoulder straps on your back even with clothes in the back pouch. It's not for everyone but it works for me.
From: Michael
14-Nov-22
I am a fan of Kifaru packs. My whitetail pack is the X ray. They have a number of different packs that will work as well as pockets etc for organizing.
From: Grey Ghost
14-Nov-22
A fanny pack is all I need for stand hunting. It's a lot easier to hang in the tree, and more convenient to access whatever I need.
Matt
From: groundhunter50
14-Nov-22
I have made my own system, based on my needs. So being mobile, I use a shoulder strap supported fanny pack from Cabelas. Good quality and has held up well for 3 years. But that is only for really serious walks of distance......
For short every day local hunts, I use a small vest. Its on, no weight, and can easily handle the few little things I need. I also do not want to be reaching for anything, while in a tree stand, or ground set up...... Like to just easily slide out what I need, small water,, calls etc,,,,,,
I watch TV bowhunting for entertainment, but I laugh at all those big packs, those TV hunters carry,,,, I have no idea why,,,, they are all guided etc, and a vehicle is coming for there animal, so what is the point,,,,, Just for show I am sure.................
From: 2Wild Bill
14-Nov-22
I like my surplus Alice pack. For me it is easy to organize by the pockets and all are opening at the top, avoiding the side zippers that spill contents too easily. I like the webbing that allows me to tie on items and made a carry handle from the large straps that are provided to wrap the whole bag. I remove the shoulder straps, and with a carabiner attach it to the treestand for transporting and to hang if from a strap around the tree, so as to locate it to the side of my treestand seat.
From: yooper89
14-Nov-22
Stone Glacier Avail might fit the bill here. I really like mine
From: tobywon
14-Nov-22
I use a simple Walmart camo or olive-colored daypack that has a main compartment with smaller front and side compartments. I think Fieldline or something like that is the brand. I even strap it to my climber when stand hunting or its on my back while ground hunting. I just don't think you need those expensive brands for carrying those items. That's just me though. I attached a rubber-coated hook to the top loop of the pack to hang from the stand cable.
From: Cheesehead Mike
14-Nov-22
Badlands 2200 with stand, sticks, clothes, etc.
Badlands 2200 with stand, sticks, clothes, etc.
Lone Wolf sit & climb with Gut Hook lumbar pack & ATV cargo net to hold extra clothes
Lone Wolf sit & climb with Gut Hook lumbar pack & ATV cargo net to hold extra clothes
Timber Hawk Gut Hook lumbar pack
Timber Hawk Gut Hook lumbar pack
Gut Hook with coat strapped on top. The straps extend and I can add more clothes.
Gut Hook with coat strapped on top. The straps extend and I can add more clothes.
For me a tree stand pack means a pack that can haul my stand, climbing sticks, clothes, calls, food, water, etc comfortably for 1-2 miles or more because I'm usually very mobile and cover quite a bit of ground. My Badlands 2200 works well for that. Although this year I started using my Kifaru AMR elk hunting pack because it's lighter, has a better suspension and compresses down smaller when empty.
When I already have a stand hung and don't have too much gear to haul I love my Timber Hawk Gut Hook lumbar pack. It has 2 main pouches and an expandable rear panel and belt pouches that hold a surprisingly large amount of gear. The straps on top allow me to strap on and haul a lot of extra clothing like heavy coat and bibs that won't fit in the compartments.
From: 2Wild Bill
14-Nov-22
My Alice pack rides on my climbing stand. The PVC quiver is tied to the pack and rides up with the pack.
From: TODDY
14-Nov-22
CH Mike, do you carry your small pack in your big pack for hanging in the tree with you? I haven't found an effective pack for hanging in the tree with me. I do use a larger pack for hauling a bunch of needed cold weather clothes as well as my saddle and sticks. TODDY
From: 12yards
14-Nov-22
I'm with Grey Ghost. I use a fanny pack. I'm kind of a minimalist when it comes to hunting mainly because I don't want to be hauling in a ton of weight. My stand and sticks is heavy enough.
From: 12yards
14-Nov-22
I should add that I use a Tenzing Cinch fanny pack. In all honesty, I wish it had a couple more pockets.
From: boobowmen
14-Nov-22
I also use the Badlands tree stand backpack. Mine is still in excellent condition but I have noticed the Mystery Ranch Treehouse 20 pack has very similar features and is a bit smaller possibly making it a little more versatile for tree stand use.
From: Cheesehead Mike
14-Nov-22
TODDY, no I use one or the other. If I'm using a big pack I just haul it up and hang it on a hook.
From: Chris S
14-Nov-22
Wow! Thanks for so many responses so quickly. There is a tremendous amount of knowledge on this sight that guys are willing to share. I’ve got a couple ideas of packs to check out but I’m cheap so it takes me a while to pull trigger until I find a deal.
From: midwest
14-Nov-22
My Eberlestock X2.
Extra clothes in the main bag. Food, drink, kill kit in the large side pouches. Sticks and platform strapped outside. Several other pockets for gear you want easy access to.
For hauling in a regular treestand and sticks, I use my Kifaru Stryker.
From: KY EyeBow
14-Nov-22
I have an older Cabelas fanny pack that is plenty big enough and does a reasonable job of segmenting my gear. Even with my fanny pack, I should probably carry 1/2 of what I do......
From: SoDakSooner
15-Nov-22
Like @midwest, I use an Eberlestock X2. Crappy pack for anything remotely resembling anything but treestand hunting, but it is a decent one for packing in stuff short distances. If they made the frame longer it'd be ok, but the waist strap is in the wrong spot and the load lifters are useless. Used it for one elk hunt and retired it for treestand use. Has plenty of room and you can strap a treestand on it if needed.
From: Bob H in NH
15-Nov-22
When iam am done elk hunting, I just use pockets. 2 game bags, knife, license and rangefinder. Carry extra sweatshirt if needed. During the time I alternating between elk and deer, it's a backpack since I need more stuff once, if, I shoot an elk
From: Nick Muche
15-Nov-22
One of two Bison Gear packs I own. Both are wool and dead silent. Great for stand hunting. Wish I had a few more!
From: Cheesehead Mike
15-Nov-22
Lone Wolf sit and climb with Gut Hook pack hanging on it and cargo net for extra clothes
Lone Wolf sit and climb with Gut Hook pack hanging on it and cargo net for extra clothes
Lone Wolf Assault with added hip belt.
Lone Wolf Assault with added hip belt.
Assault with climbing sticks strapped on and Gut Hook pack hanging on stand.
Assault with climbing sticks strapped on and Gut Hook pack hanging on stand.
RockyD, sometimes my stand carries my pack and sometimes my pack carries my stand. For longer hikes when I'm packing more gear I usually go with the pack carrying my stand unless I'm using my climber. My Lone Wolf sit and climb has MOLLE shoulder straps and hip belt and it carries very nicely.
I also have a hip belt that I can attach to my hang on stands that makes hauling them more pleasant. Sometimes I strap my sticks to my stand and hang my pack on the stand and do it that way. I use a few different methods but my favorite is the climber with Gut Hook hanging on it and the cargo net for extra clothing.
From: Rgiesey
15-Nov-22
I use exo 3500. Haul stand sticks ,clothing,climbing harness,3 fold bow hanger so bow hangs in the right spot.
From: ahawkeye
15-Nov-22
Fox tactical, just big enough to fit my crap in and small enough to stay out of the way. Compaired to Badlands it's an elcheapo though. Nothing fancy just a bit tougher than a school bag.
From: Christoff Nelly
15-Nov-22
ALPS outdoorz impulse is great
From: SBH
15-Nov-22
Never thought I'd need or want a separate pack for tree stand hunting but I bought one of those Mystery Ranch Treehouse packs when on sale a month ago and I'm pretty happy with it. My main pack (Stone Glacier) was bloody and stinky from elk hunting and I didn't have time to clean it before I climbed in a tree for a deer and I needed another option. This is more friendly, dead quiet, and the storage is situated better for whitetail.
Of course, we've all hunted from a tree for many years without a specific pack for doing so. I don't see it as necessary but a nice bonus if you can swing it.
From: wv_bowhunter
19-Nov-22
Anyone have any experience with the Mystery Ranch Treehouse 20 backpack?
I typically carry the essentials in my pockets and/or handmuff and small camelbak. However, once it gets cold, I need a good way to pack my coat in.
I have a Tenzing tz1250 (I think that was the name) Fanny pack with shoulder harness. It really has more storage/pockets than I need so I typically find that I load it down just because the space is there….
From: WI Shedhead
19-Nov-22
Like ch Mike I used the badlands super day for years but this past fall invested in a kifaru hoodlum with belt pouches, medium pouch for the back and guide lid. I died and went to gear hauling heaven. It’s overkill on whitetails in the early season for sure. However being an all day November hunter, and one that doesn’t enjoy being cold all that much, I carry in a lot of gear with me, and my system works. In my pack are the normal things including a big lunch with two bottles of somthing to drink, pair of heavy under armour bibs, Sitka fanatic jacket, fanatic neck gaiter, tree harness, and ice breaker boot blankets. The last 3 years I have killed 4 book whitetails and 3 of them were between 11:45am and 1:15pm. I ran into something in nebraska this year I have never in the whitetail woods. I found myself with a big buck down and across 360acres of standing corn and it was terribly muddy. Thier was no way to get a truck or quad to it. Sooo- I went western and quartered him out. 2 110# loads later he was back at the truck. The pack worked awesome. I don’t have the need for the kifaru and use an old badlands Diablo for that time of year. The only thing with the kifaru is it’s a little noisy but it’s bombproof. I don’t know if anyone has heard of osio camo sp.? They a really nice high end quiet stand pack that guys should check out
From: Charlie Rehor
19-Nov-22
Sitka Tool Bucket for me. It has so many sectional storage places I always know where things are as needed. I try to keep my whitetail pack small but no matter what size your pack is it will be full. It’s a guy thing.
From: Mad Trapper
19-Nov-22
X2 on the Sitka tool bucket. In addition to Charlie’s comments, it is quiet.
From: RT
19-Nov-22
X3 on the X2. The straps extend long enough to carry assorted stands. I like some carrying capacity as well.
From: M.Pauls
19-Nov-22
In the tree, I find a Fanny pack keeps a way lower profile and is a basic “bag” that I’m looking for to carry all my stuff. The waist strap I usually wrap right around the tree and it keeps it nice and tight. Profile is everything for me I’m not getting busted in our sparse limbless trees.
Right now I’m just using a Cabelas outfitter Fanny that seems to work just fine. I like this, cause if I climb down to go make a play on something I throw my Fanny on and stuff is accessible without removing if needed, like a rattle bag or water etc.
My whole system right now, I just throw a couple straps around my Lone Wolf Customs stand/steps to my Kifaru pack frame. This way I can carry it as far as needed without a stitch of discomfort. The Lone Wolf Customs stand, seat flips into a shelf which is nice, so my Fanny just rests on there with one strap around to secure it. Again, all my stuff in the Fanny is accessible at all times. This is a truly rattle free setup, nothing moves, and I can carry it all day.
From: Bowaddict
19-Nov-22
Use my eberlestock mainframe with 2 saddlebags zipped together. Same as elk, so I’m ready to pack meat out if I get one down. And it’s still compact, not too heavy and can haul a lot! Amazing how I have to try and fit more stuff in it for deer than I do elk!??!
From: Bowaddict
19-Nov-22
Not saddlebags, batwing pack attachment
From: rattling_junkie
19-Nov-22
This is my set up. Lone Wolf (Novix) stand and sticks. I use a Cabela's pack frame, quietest system that I've tried. I can put my day pack on it, clothes and HBS.
From: Sam
19-Nov-22
Check out Asio gear, look at their tree stand back pack, check out the video. Incredible thoughtful design.
From: Zbone
19-Nov-22
I'm waiting on a camo single strap day pack to come out... On small excursions without a stand to pack always grab a fanny pack, with maybe a water bottle, knife and lighter, binocs, small flashlight, maybe a small handsaw and piece of paracord, call and rattle bag, gloves, etc., and whatever else needed but never like the fanny pack in front and hated it sliding down my butt in the back so always extended the belt as far as it could and strapped it over my left shoulder crossed over my back toward my right, similar to like a possibles bag... Now have seen single strap yuppie packs worn the same way I carried my fanny pack, but haven't seen one in camo yet...
From: Fulldraw
20-Nov-22
I’ve used a bunch of different ones. Just went to the Sitka Bucket pack, and love it. I have a Badlands tree stand pack in great shape I’d sell you..
From: Don
20-Nov-22
Forget the hunting backpacks and get a good hiking backpack. Cheaper more comfortable and come in multiple sizes.
From: Don
20-Nov-22
From: Chris S
21-Nov-22
Thanks for all the responses. I ended up picking up a Tenzing sling pack. Has enough room for everything I need and small enough that I take what’s important and don’t over pack! I also like that the out pocket opens all the way out upside down with zippered mesh pockets to keep everything at hand. Has spot for quiver if I’m slow hunting my way in. Also water bottle on the belt. And a cinch strap over the back to attach a coat or extra clothing.
From: Chris S
21-Nov-22
From: pirogue
21-Nov-22
“ had been using a Badlands Treestand Pack But the zippers busted again”
When will people learn that Badlands is synonymous with Bad Zippers.
From: Fulldraw
22-Nov-22
I’ve used a bunch of different ones. Just went to the Sitka Bucket pack, and love it. I have a Badlands tree stand pack in great shape I’d sell you..
From: Chris S
24-Nov-22
PM sent to you Fulldraw
From: t-roy
24-Nov-22
Sitka Tool Bucket guy, as well. I have some deep ravines that I have to traverse to get to some stands, and I sweat like a mule, so I go in wearing just a base layer top and bottom. I strap all my outer layers on the outside of the pack. Plus, during all day sits, I’ll bring a couple of thermos of hot chocolate and soup, not to mention all the other crap I think I MIGHT need. Like Charlie said, “It’s a guy thing”
Anybody tried the Sitka Cargo Box, yet?
From: Charlie Rehor
24-Nov-22
t-Roy/ I watched a YouTube video on the Cargo Box and I never pack a stand in where I hunt. It’s huge so you may like it but not for me. I bought a second Sitka Tool Bucket so I’ll have a lifetime pack:)
From: Boreal
24-Nov-22
I keep coming back to this Cabelas bow & gun pack. Lots of sections and pockets and very quite.
From: Mathewsphone
24-Nov-22
Kuiu 500
From: RJ Hunt
24-Nov-22
I use an Eberlestock switchblade. Is a day pack with no waist straps so it hangs on the tree better and doesn’t get in the way. I normally am not packing much so is a good fit for stand hunting.
From: Rock
26-Nov-22
I rarely carry any pack while Stand hunting, just find I do not need it.
From: Franzen
27-Nov-22
Fanny pack for the small essentials. Otherwise, I've got an old Redhead backback with one small front pocket and an outer mesh pocket. This is for carrying extra clothes, binos, water, seat pad, etc. Don't see any need for anything more extravagant really.
