Load shelf comparison?

[JollyRoger]

Looking to find some opinions on the various load shelf designs out there.

Background: I've never used a load shelf... with my Argali everything went in the main compartment. I cinched off the lower half of the pack with my gear so that the meat was held higher on my back. It worked well, but I after a few months of use I found I'm wanting some other options in a pack bag. The packs I'm looking at are utilizing a load shelf (SG Sky series, Reckoning, Exo).

So, are all load shelves created equally? Scouring the web for pictures and reviews, I see some loads that just look like painful gypsy wagons and others that appear streamline and well balanced. Obviously I cant know everything the person in the pic is packing, but with basic day gear and a boned out deer for instance there is a wide range of images on what 'looks' right. I realize it's to just be packing wrong.. but it seems pretty straightforward.

If anyone out there has hauled meat on several load shelf designs, I'd like to hear your thoughts on what worked well and why.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

I think some of the wonkiness or lack of it with a load shelf deals with the load more so than the shelf. A bone in rear is pretty easy to cleanly load on a shelf and hold in place with some side straps. Boned out meat in a loose or oversized game bag will want to extrude itself out the sides and towards the bottom. A game bag sized for the frame spot or packed/cinched down for that spot to limit how much of a "wet noodle" effect it has seems like it would be a factor in my head.

 

[elkyinzer]

I've only worked with a couple different packs but I think it depends so much on the load and how carefully you distribute the weight and strap it in. The "shelf" part shouldn't be supporting the weight really at all. You should be using the straps to tighten it against the frame and keep it from pouring out the sides.

Here's a whole whitetail I just kind of chucked in there and cinched up, as you can see there was a lot of meat pouring out the sides. Wasn't the most comfortable. Pack was pretty much empty to boot, I could have done much better.


This one's a bone in elk front quarter + some trimmings and day hunting gear. Loaded much more carefully, better weight distribution, no spilling out the sides.

 

[Kevin Dill]

First off, I have limited experience with the variety of packs offering a shelf (for meat or gear) between frame and pack bag. I've packed a lot of meat in various ways and CAN say that using a pack equipped with an integral shelf is the best thing I've ever done for my methods. Last September I packed an Alaskan bull out solo (all de-boned meat) which was 10 loads plus the head. I used one of the new Mystery Ranch packs with the Overload Shelf and I have never experienced so much simplicity and comfort in a pack while doing that much work.

Almost all breathable meat bags are over-sized in relation to the amount of meat in them and how they get carried in/on a pack. There's almost no way to get around that, and a loaded bag of de-boned meat becomes a cast iron-heavy gelatinous blob trying to escape or expand through every opening in straps, etc. I wanted to overcome that, so I went to Jim Dean (Jimmy Tarps) with my own idea. I wanted a specific bag made for meat packing. Basically I wanted to take a loaded (white) meat bag and slip it into the (I'm calling it) Jimmy Bag. The Jimmy Bag is bloodproof and seam-sealed. It has a drawcord top closure and it has a long taper. I sized it carefully to produce a manageable loaded meat cell that doesn't 'blob' and actually keeps meat weight higher in the lower/mid thoracic area vs lower lumbar. Doing so reduces the leverage effect and I walk much more naturally upright vs forward-leaning to counter lumbar weight. The loaded cell doesn't protrude or bulge to the sides. It really contains and restrains the meat, keeping it in a good tapered cylinder. Here's the bag before use:

 

[teamvit]

^ does he sell these meat bags or is it a custom order piece?

 

[Trial153]

First off, I have limited experience with the variety of packs offering a shelf (for meat or gear) between frame and pack bag. I've packed a lot of meat in various ways and CAN say that using a pack equipped with an integral shelf is the best thing I've ever done for my methods. Last September I packed an Alaskan bull out solo (all de-boned meat) which was 10 loads plus the head. I used one of the new Mystery Ranch packs with the Overload Shelf and I have never experienced so much simplicity and comfort in a pack while doing that much work.

Almost all breathable meat bags are over-sized in relation to the amount of meat in them and how they get carried in/on a pack. There's almost no way to get around that, and a loaded bag of de-boned meat becomes a cast iron-heavy gelatinous blob trying to escape or expand through every opening in straps, etc. I wanted to overcome that, so I went to Jim Dean (Jimmy Tarps) with my own idea. I wanted a specific bag made for meat packing. Basically I wanted to take a loaded (white) meat bag and slip it into the (I'm calling it) Jimmy Bag. The Jimmy Bag is bloodproof and seam-sealed. It has a drawcord top closure and it has a long taper. I sized it carefully to produce a manageable loaded meat cell that doesn't 'blob' and actually keeps meat weight higher in the lower/mid thoracic area vs lower lumbar. Doing so reduces the leverage effect and I walk much more naturally upright vs forward-leaning to counter lumbar weight. The loaded cell doesn't protrude or bulge to the sides. It really contains and restrains the meat, keeping it in a good tapered cylinder. Here's the bag before use:

That a great idea, does he or you have any plans on producing them for sale?

 

[Kevin Dill]

I don't think the 'Jimmy Bag' is part of his normal offerings. I believe he has made more of them for others and I have a couple friends who bought them. Generally I think they are more of a custom 'call and discuss' item.

Incidentally, the bag in the image is made of silpoly and it did a GREAT job but for one thing. I caused some abrasions to the outside most likely by cranking my pack straps very tight. I got back with Jim and he built me a new bag out of 500 D pack cloth which will not abrade. My new bag is the same dimension and it has a silpoly neck/collar (for closure) which works better than the 500D packcloth with a drawcord.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Here is a picture showing the new 500D meat packing bag. You can see an orange drawcord at the edge of the 500D cloth, but it doesn't completely close the bag tight. The silpoly collar DOES close the bag completely and with no effort using the drawcord.

 

[JollyRoger]

Thanks all for the replies. I see what everyone is saying about the meat bags spilling out the sides... and big difference between just loose meat and a bone in quarter. As long as a guy packs careful looks like either way can work and stay clean looking. I'm guessing the load cell bag method SG uses contributes to their streamline looking loads.

 

[snowcamoman]

The SG load cell bag is rectangular shaped with flatter side panels and tends to not spill out anywhere when it's loaded up with meat. The flatter profile keeps the weight closer to your back and lets the bag ride closer as well. It works extremely well.

 

[Hunter Sargent]

The SG load cell bag is rectangular shaped with flatter side panels and tends to not spill out anywhere when it's loaded up with meat. The flatter profile keeps the weight closer to your back and lets the bag ride closer as well. It works extremely well.

This!

I have played with the MR load shelf and the SG load shelf. Both would be great if loaded properly (bone in, or in a game bag that holds it's shape), and both are terrible if loaded incorrectly. I think you need to use a bag like the SG Load Cell or the Jimmy Bags that Trial153 posted. All that being said, I have only carried some whitetail meat in mine, never packed out an elk.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Jimmy Bag I had custom made. Shown stuffed with equivalent to 90+ pounds of boneless meat:



Mystery Ranch Pintler shown in the open (spread) layout ready to add meat bag:



Meat bag placed in position:



Images showing various views of the loaded pack using the Jimmy Bag. The meat positively does not bulge or sag. Although we discussed it, I ended up going with no straps or attachments for hanging the meat bag to the frame. I thought it would be a great idea but Jim talked me out of it. He was right. The hanging attachments would be of no benefit at all.

 

[snowcamoman]

What's that meat bag setup weigh Kevin?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

 

[jmez]

I think there are a couple advantages to the SG shelf system. There is a dedicated shelf attached to the frame rather than just using the bottom of the bag as the bottom of the shelf. It sits up higher than the bottom of the bag so the meat is carried a little higher on the back. There are also three complete compression straps that go all the way around the bag and attach to the frame.

 

[castandblast]

Jimmy Bag I had custom made. Shown stuffed with equivalent to 90+ pounds of boneless meat:



Mystery Ranch Pintler shown in the open (spread) layout ready to add meat bag:



Meat bag placed in position:



Images showing various views of the loaded pack using the Jimmy Bag. The meat positively does not bulge or sag. Although we discussed it, I ended up going with no straps or attachments for hanging the meat bag to the frame. I thought it would be a great idea but Jim talked me out of it. He was right. The hanging attachments would be of no benefit at all.

Great post Kevin.

I just saw in my Facebook feed that Jim has added his hanging meat bag to the regular lineup. I had the hooks sewn onto my custom version so I can use in with a bare frame plus horizontal compression straps. (No grab-it or meat shelf.)

I appreciate you sharing your ideas on this topic!

 

[teamvit]

I just ordered one of Jimmy's hanging meat bags. Thanks for the heads up

 

[LostArra]

I'm still staring at my screen thinking about 10 loads of moose meat plus head, all solo.
Kevin, you are a beast.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Kevin Dill]

What's that meat bag setup weigh Kevin?

I think you're asking about the tapered meat bag, right? I haven't put it on the scales but it's obviously ounces...I'll guess it at 3-4 ounces.

The meat bag shown in my posts above doesn't have any hanging attachments simply because they aren't needed with meat/load shelf-equipped packs. I agree they would be very useful on packs which don't have a load shelf. I really enjoyed the fact I could take the loaded meat bag and simply flop it onto the opened pack, then simply buckle and cinch everything. That was helpful in that I didn't need to do anything else x 10 loads of meat. It saved me time, effort and energy.

The meat bag can also be used as a gear bag, load cell or whatever else a guy pleases. Mine will hold enough freeze-dried breakfasts and dinners for a 2 week hunt, and I can toss it in the back of a bush plane with my other gear.

LostArra....We both know a guy just does what he's gotta do when there is no alternative. You've been there, too. I remember packing/dropping the first load and on hiking back in to the kill site seeing 9 waiting bags of meat. I knew it was gonna be a long day and evening.

 

[Flatgo]

If you manny your boned out meat in your games bags it gets rid a flopping and sagging and makes loads a lot nicer to carry out

 

[goph707]

Kifaru makes a similar bag. I ended up using a Sea to summit roll top dry bag that has E-Vent on the bottom for the same purpose it works really well!