Eberlestock X2?

Joined
Aug 17, 2015
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Iowa
Possibly doing a Montana rifle mule deer hunt this fall, and being mainly a treestand whitetail hunter, I don't have a pack made for any sort of western hunting/meat hauling, so I've been researching.

Friend has an X2 that he's been using for the last couple years and loves it, and I see a lot of people online that are fans of the X2 for a day pack and hauling some meat. I realize I probably won't haul a moose out with it or spend a week in mountains, but I'm also not looking to spend $500 on a pack that will get used just a few days a year (and as of right now, not even every year).

I've been reading about packs on here and all I see are suggestions of Stone Glacier, MR, Exo, Kifaru... no love for Eberlestock?
 

CorbLand

WKR
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Mar 16, 2016
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Eberlestock and the high end packs aren’t in the same category. That’s why you won’t hear much about comparing them to each other.

Eberlestock makes a great affordable pack. The X2 being one of my favorites. It makes an excellent day pack. Comfortable, good layout and has plenty of room to carry way more than you need for a day.


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MAVinWA

Lil-Rokslider
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Aug 15, 2012
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Based in WA, OTC archery public land in AZ, UT, so
still have my X2, used for over 7 years, along with my new Kifaru packs.
it was and is a great day pack; Park truck, hunt all day and return to truck and back to base camp type day hunt.
Held all the gear I needed for a day hunting elk

not a great load hauler or overnighter, thus my upgrade to Kifaru. But I have hauled rear hind quarter, bone in on several occasions. It held secure for a trip out. The alum frame is why it could carry substantial load. but agree with others, ALL that weight is on your shoulders!
then switched out to load hauling OX frame back at base camp for the rest of the loads.

but love my Kifaru Reckoning & Hunter Duplex frame. Man that is comfortable with substantial weight.
 
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Pro953

WKR
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Sep 27, 2016
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California
Are you hunting from a base camp or plan on packing in?
Like others I still run a X2 regularly as a day pack. I think you will do just fine. Only challenge you may run into is if you plan to pack in, it can be a bit small. Though i used to regularly load mine up for weekend “backcountry” trips. You just have to be selective and leave bulky gear at home or you will run out of space quick.

One thing I do not love is the belt pockets are oriented pretty far back so they can be challenging to access on the fly. If you do not already have one I would recommend a decent bono harness with a couple pockets. That will help keep your wind checker and all of those small bits quick at hand.


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Joined
Oct 3, 2013
Messages
31
Location
CO
I have an X2 and it is for me a very comfortable day pack. I didn't consider it a meat hauler but MAV sounds like he made it work. Maybe I didn't give it enough credit.
 
Joined
Nov 25, 2016
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Utah
I had a couple eberlestocks
They were ok

I had the x2
It was my favorite of all of them
Used it 2 years

But it was hard on my shoulders
It didn't handle the weight I carried very well
Wouldn't want to haul elk quarter in it

I started using it for trail Camera needs until finally sold it

It had its place, butt I found a better set up for same thing


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hflier

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Mar 18, 2012
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Tulsa, OK
The X2 is a nice pack for day hunting. I would haul maybe 30-40 pounds of meat with it at a time. I never understood why Eberlestock just never got the load lifter concept right. They would have way more sales if they got that right and shaved a little weight off their packs.
 
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pods8 (Rugged Stitching)

WKR
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Mar 12, 2014
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Thornton, CO
X2: decent day pack (it'll weight the shoulders over time depending on how much gear) that is affordable and has a good layout. In terms of stitching strength yes you can strap meat onto it to haul stuff out, it will heavily weight your shoulders in doing so thus it will be night and day difference from a real pack. But it serves a niche, I have mine on the shelf still as I figure it will work well for my kids in a couple years. I went ahead and ditched it for my use since I can organize the belt on a real pack a bit better for my liking and I'm one/done in terms of day pack vs hauling pack in that configuration. I got soured on swapping setups one year when I forgot my rangefinder in my daypack when we went out to haul an elk and ran into more elk and deer (with unpunched tags in pocket) that required a rangefinder for an ethical shot.
 
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
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Missoula, MT
The X2 is a well built, bomb proof pack for the price. The issue is the frame, and lack of load lifters to keep the weight off your shoulders. Can it handle an elk quarter? Yep, I've done it. It will hurt, but it will do the job.

There is a night and day difference in comfort level between the X2 and the other packs you mentioned. For me it was well worth the money to upgrade to a nicer pack. Then again, I live in elk country and pack meat out every year, which makes it easier to justify the cost.

One idea is to watch the classifieds for someone looking to dump an older Kifaru, SG, Exo, etc for the newest model. If you can't find a pack in your budget after a few months, then pick up a new X2.
 

excaliber

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Jun 21, 2013
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Southwest Idaho
I too use an X2. It's a bit on the short side and the weight does not sit on my hips like it should putting to much weight on my shoulders. I've carried antlers and front quarters in it just fine. It would have been much better if the pack was a bit longer or had some torso adj.

I like the way it opens with the bat wings. It's a nice design but is lacking in a few features that would make it a really nice pack.
I'll keep it for a spare but I'll be looking for a better designed pack soon enough.
This pack fits people under 5' 9" the best.
 
Joined
Feb 5, 2014
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Tulsa Ok
pretty much the same opinion as the others. I still use mine as a treestand pack. No lifters,and the waist belt is marginal so shoulders bear all the weight. I like the concept but it needs to be about 6" longer so you can actually use the waist belt for its intended purpose.

It is good sized for what it is and has a lot of redeeming factors. Unfortunately comfort is not one of them.

I know a lot of folks on here don't like them but I upgraded to a KUIU Icon Pro 1850. Bag was tiny compared to the eberlestock, so picked up a 5200 CI bag. I know you can find those packs cheap, and they are a huge upgrade over the Eberlestock. I have 4 hard seasons on my KUIU and it is holding up strong.
 

fishslap

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Longmont, CO
Before I changed some of my gear last year for backpack hunting, I used the X2 as a day pack and first load out of loose meat. For the remaining trips to pack out meat, I would switch to an inexpensive meat hauling frame. This setup worked great for six elk and many mule deer while hunting out of a wall tent camp near the truck. I also added a small bag clipped to the meat hauler frame just big enough to keep my water, snacks, and emergency kit. This kind of setup might be worth considering if you're not packing in.
 
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EastMT

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Dec 19, 2016
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Basically what everyone has mentioned, 40-50lbs is doable, over that is rough on the shoulders, plan on 2 trips to haul a deer out or one trip with hurting shoulders. Last forever, if you watch the classifieds you can get one half price of new in good condition.

They are not really good for long hauls with big loads, but for deer, antelope, etc they are great without a large investment, especially if it's only used once every couple years.
 

tjthebest

FNG
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Jul 11, 2016
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I have one we I'd be willing to sell. Hauled out a few deer with it over the years. PM me.
 
OP
cornfedkiller
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cornfedkiller- any idea what your torso length is? If not, height and inseam?

Not sure on torso length, but I'm 5'9". I tried on a friends X2 this past weekend and it seemed to fit me pretty well. One of the perks of being short I guess?

So another question, and again, excuse my ignorance - what are these "load lifters" all you guys talk about? Are those the little 1ish inch wide straps at the top of the shoulder straps? If so, doesnt the X2 have them?
 
Joined
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Missoula, MT
Not sure on torso length, but I'm 5'9". I tried on a friends X2 this past weekend and it seemed to fit me pretty well. One of the perks of being short I guess?

So another question, and again, excuse my ignorance - what are these "load lifters" all you guys talk about? Are those the little 1ish inch wide straps at the top of the shoulder straps? If so, doesnt the X2 have them?

Load lifters are the part of a pack frame that extend above the shoulders. With a good fitting pack your load lifters should extend to about the bottom of your ear in height. With a true load-hauling pack, the straps that you described will connect to this top part of the frame. What this accomplishes is transferring most of the weight to your hips rather than to your shoulders. If you look the X2's frame, it comes nowhere near as high as your shoulder- even from me at 5'7". The shoulder straps you are referring to will only act as load stabilizers in this case. They provide no lift and your shoulders will bear most of the load, making your pack out very uncomfortable.
 
OP
cornfedkiller
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Load lifters are the part of a pack frame that extend above the shoulders. With a good fitting pack your load lifters should extend to about the bottom of your ear in height. With a true load-hauling pack, the straps that you described will connect to this top part of the frame. What this accomplishes is transferring most of the weight to your hips rather than to your shoulders. If you look the X2's frame, it comes nowhere near as high as your shoulder- even from me at 5'7". The shoulder straps you are referring to will only act as load stabilizers in this case. They provide no lift and your shoulders will bear most of the load, making your pack out very uncomfortable.

Makes sense. Thank you for the explanation!
 

Longshot

Lil-Rokslider
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Sep 26, 2013
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i'll sell you a j-34 for $100. not fancy but it works. would be cheaper if you didn't have that green pic by your name...
 
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