Those of you with the MR Popup Series

[NDGuy]

How have you liked them so far? I am still on the fence between buying the Pintler bag only, or grabbing the Popup 18/28.

I have the Metcalf already but wanted one of these for day hunts and to bring out to my treestand.

 

[juan trueno]

How have you liked them so far? I am still on the fence between buying the Pintler bag only, or grabbing the Popup 18/28.

I have the Metcalf already but wanted one of these for day hunts and to bring out to my treestand.

Still loving my 28 after a bunch of day trips and a couple overnights- but I am sewing another bag of similar size but different style organizationally.

I’m making a load cell for it also so I can organize the bags of a quartered deer on the overload shelf.

I have no intention of hauling more than 75-80 lbs with it. If I need more load capability on a day trip for the 1st load I’ll carry my guidelight or NICE with a longbow bag instead


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[NDGuy]

but I am sewing another bag of similar size but different style organizationally.
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So your Popup 28 bag will just sit in your closet? Or what do you mean? If you love it why are you making a different bag? haha

 

[juan trueno]

So your Popup 28 bag will just sit in your closet? Or what do you mean? If you love it why are you making a different bag? haha

I was coming back to edit that- I like the bag. It’s fine, but I’m on the tail end of a gear making binge here lately and I want a bag that has a top flap like a traditional ruck sack does and I like Ranger green and foliage or vice versa. It’s an asthetic thing and a hobby nothing more.
I’ll finish this one for my nice / guidelight and then make a smaller and refined version for the pop up.
When you sew your own you end up like “this is my August 2d / overnight bag, and this is my August 3 day bag- which I also use for overnights in October with this lid... and this is my 3-4 day November pack that I use for 7-10 day summer backpacking trips as well- until I get New pack sewn for that...etc”

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[NDGuy]

bump

 

[Trial153]

I like my 18,used it a few times with regular day loads and sand up to 75 so far. I can see tb is as my go pack if i am hunting from my truck. Its pretty solid and is super nice in the day pack mode with the pops up not deployed. I have a metcalf and pintler as well. if i wasnt such a nut i would sell a pack or three

 

[NDGuy]

I like my 18,used it a few times with regular day loads and sand up to 75 so far. I can see tb is as my go pack if i am hunting from my truck. Its pretty solid and is super nice in the day pack mode with the pops up not deployed. I have a metcalf and pintler as well. if i wasnt such a nut i would sell a pack or three

Any reason why you went 18 vs 28?


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[Desk Jockey]

I had both the 28 and a pintler.

I have taken my 28 out for a stroll or two. I like it. Can’t say I have hunted it yet but it will be my northeast whitetail tree stand and still hunting bag this year. They ain’t cheap. But I am a Pack / gear nerd. If I had a guide light frame and wanted something close to the pop up for less $, the pintler bag is the move. I sold one for $175 a week ago because it was too close to the pop up in volume and I was not going to use it.

The main difference between the pintler and guidelight besides 10 liters of bag is going to be a little less hauling capability but an overall lighter and more compact rig. You drop 2-3 pounds of Pack and frame and get something that will be smaller than my own silhouette. Worth it, perhaps in tight woods while still hunting but it is a marginal benefit for sure.

I can’t say I have hauled a lot with it but my test run was satisfactory. It does the job but not as well as the bigger frame. If I were looking to hike in, drop camp and then hunt with a daypack, I think I could do it with the pop up but I would probably take the pintler given a choice.

 

[Trial153]

Any reason why you went 18 vs 28?


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yes. the primary reason i bought this is day hunts from the truck. i just dont need more capacity, i can take some food, an exrtra layer, a kill kit and tripod and glass. If i need a big pack then i can take a pintler or 14r or one of my other packs.
I wanted this for small, light and fast and still be able to pack a load of meat.

 

[NDGuy]

yes. the primary reason i bought this is day hunts from the truck. i just dont need more capacity, i can take some food, an exrtra layer, a kill kit and tripod and glass. If i need a big pack then i can take a pintler or 14r or one of my other packs.
I wanted this for small, light and fast and still be able to pack a load of meat.

I am leaning more towards the 18, makes perfect sense with me owning a Metcalf. My real struggle is I am also leaning towards swapping my Metcalf for a Pintler. I really like that the Pintler actually has some compartments for organization where as the Metcalf only has the hydration bladder pouch and the lid.

 

[Trial153]

I am leaning more towards the 18, makes perfect sense with me owning a Metcalf. My real struggle is I am also leaning towards swapping my Metcalf for a Pintler. I really like that the Pintler actually has some compartments for organization where as the Metcalf only has the hydration bladder pouch and the lid.

I love the guide lite frame, i have two of them as the bag only wasnt an option when i bought the metcalf and pintler. The guide lite carrys just a good as my old nice frame with less weight.
However with just a days worth of gear the pop up is more comfortable. The compact size hugs your back and with less bulk around the belt its makes for a very low profile set up. With 20 pounds or so it feels better then the guide lite. Now that comes at a cost. I dont think the pop up is an everyday 100 pound pack. yes it can do it but i dont see it as something youd want to do on a regular basis. 75-80 pounds the pop up is awesome. and lets be real..thats plenty of weight.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Well I don't own a Pop-Up, but think they are an interesting design. I'd like to see and evaluate one for actual hard use on tougher hunts. I consider this a bridge pack, in that it serves as a day pack and has load capabilities.... just not quite as load-capable as a Guide Light or more substantial frame unit. I know I'm still so solidly impressed with my Pintler that I wouldn't ever give it up for what's currently available. I bought it for the exact reasons MR made the Pop-Up. Small, slim profile and great for actual hunting use, while having top end load hauling abilities.

I don't think one pack is superior to the other, though one might do certain things better. I'm guessing the Pop-Up might be a better day pack with its lower profile and lighter suspension. Any Guide Light pack would be a superior gear or meat hauler, and the size of the bag would affect its usefulness on various hunts in different settings.

 

[Randle]

I had one for a short while . With 60 lbs it did not carry well for me . I did not want to carry any any more then that as it was not comfortable. Nice design but for me it needs a bigger belt . I really wanted to like it but just could not get it there . Sticking with the exo.

 

[elkyinzer]

I have had the 28 for a few weeks -- ^Randle's actually via the classifieds, thanks dude.

I am a big fan of the design of a pop-up frame. I preferred the NICE removable load lifters to the GL. A protruding frame drives me nuts in the brush.

I haven't carried a load with it yet, the extent of that was testing my 50 pound sandbag about two laps around the yard. That was fine and comfortable, a little less so than my NICE frame but certainly do-able. You have to buy this pack knowing it is going to sacrifice some of the higher end load hauling. It's not going to flat out suck but there are better options if you plan to constantly tote 75 pounds around.

I have put probably 30 miles on it in daypack mode. It is a great all around day pack, carries nice, cinches down, the straps are long enough you can secure odd loads, really not a whole lot more to say, it's pretty simple.

I definitely plan on making it my treestand bag and to tote my saddle hunting gear in for the capability to pack out a deer. I think I'll likely stick with my Metcalf for elk hunting just because that give me bivy capability and I like to keep it simple packing for trips and don't want to switch back and forth.

My only critiques so far are that I go for a little bit larger bag on the frame than the 28. I guess there is a market for the 18 but to me it is completely pointless. Something like 2300 in3, just short of the longbow/pintler on this frame would still compress down to nothing and is a sweet spot for me if I want to be capable of a bivy or carry a lot of my coldest weather gear. So eagerly waiting for the pop up 38. Also wish it had the full front/side zipper like many of MR’s other bags. But those are both minor gripes.

 

[NDGuy]

Those are great points and critiques thanks!

 

[mtwarden]

I'm liking mine thus far. It fits a 35 liter dry bag between the bag and frame w/o any issue- I have a 55 liter dry bag coming, and don't think it will be an issue. I've just started hauling sand with it- starting with 30 lbs and will work my way up. I got in a nice 4-ish miles (~ 1000' of gain) with it today and while my legs weren't used to the weight, the pack felt very comfortable.

Personally, I don't see hauling more than 75-ish lbs with it (60-ish lbs of meat), I have a Krux frame I'll keep in the truck for any subsequent loads the Pop Up doesn't get.

One nick- the water bottle holders sit too far back for me, almost like every single other pack I've owned.

 

[mtwarden]

I've now got three hikes (all around 4 miles/each) with 30 lbs of sand and 15 lbs of pack/water/contents- so 45-ish lbs total, one 4 mile hike with 45 lbs of sand (~ 60 lbs total)- could definitely feel the additional weight, but nothing too uncomfortable. I did get a little discomfort with the the hip belt initially, moved the hip belt up a little higher on my hips and was fine (well except for that 60-ish lb thing on my legs )

I've since moved to 16 oz Nalgenes, vs 32 oz ones and can get them out/replace them w/o any trouble.

I'll probably do another hike with the 60 lbs and then give 75-ish a try.

 

[mtwarden]

two more 4-ish mile hikes with 60 lbs and yesterday a 4-ish mile hike with 75 lbs. I’m not going to lie, with 75 lbs over technical trail and some decent climbs/descents, it wasn’t an overly fun outing . but I don’t recall ever having fun with 75 lbs on my back

I’ll continue to do some pack training, but will settle on 45 lbs or less

I’m now confident that the Pop Up will do exactly what it was designed to do- offer a compact day pack that can quickly be converted into a hauler to get a load out. I’ll keep the weight to 75-ish lbs (if I do my part and have meat to haul) and will be good to go

 

[NDGuy]

two more 4-ish mile hikes with 60 lbs and yesterday a 4-ish mile hike with 75 lbs. I’m not going to lie, with 75 lbs over technical trail and some decent climbs/descents, it wasn’t an overly fun outing . but I don’t recall ever having fun with 75 lbs on my back

I’ll continue to do some pack training, but will settle on 45 lbs or less

I’m now confident that the Pop Up will do exactly what it was designed to do- offer a compact day pack that can quickly be converted into a hauler to get a load out. I’ll keep the weight to 75-ish lbs (if I do my part and have meat to haul) and will be good to go

Ya I am confident people will be happy with it. I ended up getting a Pintler bag only to swap between my Metcalf as needed. I just love the Pintler style bag. I kept going back to it and pulled the trigger.

 

[buckwalleye]

I don't want to hijack this thread but have questions about MR. Some things I've read on here guys are saying they shipped production overseas and that's a deal breaker for them. That's fine and dandy...I get it and respect that choice. But they have production sewer jobs posted on their website?

Also, I just signed up for newsletter on black ovis and they sent a 10% code for my first purchase. I can get the Metcalf for $472. Free ship. (Free hat going right now too!). Upon further searching for the Metcalf, I came across another site offering it in multicam camo for $420. I don't see the multicam offered anywhere else. Would this be an older model?

I really has my sights set on the exo, and maybe someday I'll get one. But man, for my first western hunt and first real pack that's a lot of cash to drop. I can get a couple more solid pieces of gear for the difference in price of the MR vs. the exo. Someone help me make a decision please!