Anyone carry two packs?

[kodiakfly]

I've done fly-in and float trips, but am getting into solo backpack/backcountry hunts and it's time to figure out the pack thing. I've had (already sold and gone) a Cabela's frame pack that's had a few moose in it, but I never actively hunted in it.

If I get anything other than a Barney's for a main pack, I'll be disowned by my fellow Alaskans......and I'm happy with a Barney's, so that's fine! They're awesome packs and I'm "strong like bull" and can do the heavy loads, and I'm not ultralight going in, so a pack that will carry with ease appeals to me.

I'm a bow hunter, so coming to full draw, sneaking within range, etc can get to be a pain with a pack that large (yes I know it slims down for day use), external frame no less and weighing what the Barney's weighs empty. I've read in more than one place guys mentioning packing a whole separate day pack in with them and they hunt in that, with some essentials...food, bivy, whatever...but a pack with a narrower, lighter profile for ease bow hunting. Something basic like a climbing pack that's 2,000-2,500 ci and is 2-3 lbs.

Am I off base here thinking that 3 lbs going in would be worth not hunting in an 8 lb pack every day, all day in goat territory? Or am I better with the monster on my back?

 

[Vance in AK]

In the past I have lashed my Eberlestock Blue Widow to my Barney's frame. I have the expanded duffel for the Eberlestock so I can carry a fair amount of gear going in. It becomes a day/first load out pack & then use the Barney's frame. Heavy combo. I'm hoping the Kifaru Duplex frame/Highcamp 7000 bag/cargo panel combo I have on order will take the place of my old package.

 

[JP100]

I often carry a "pikau" type bag for a day pack. weighs nothing and are easily made.
heres a picture some found on the net.
View attachment 13292
http://www.penguindirect.co.nz/hunting/canvas-bags?product_id=157

Old school method is get a sack and put a marble in the bottom two corners then tie some straps around the marbles. then you just close the top with a bow or something.
you can just make a bag out of cotton or other light material and attach some webbing for straps and away you go. not good for heavy loads but great for food,jacket and survival gear. cost nothing and weighs nothing.
mine weighs nothing will try get a picture of it. these are not noticeable when hunting and great for getting through tight bush/scrub.
pretty traditional NZ secret pack style haha

 

[badkneesbro]

I used to lash a cheap Ridgeline day pack to my old Badlands 4500. Just remembered the name of that pack was the "Glenwood Canyon". It was supposed to be a 3700 cu. in. pack, & maybe it is, but it is a lot smaller than a KU 3700. Anyway, I was able to stuff a small boned out mulie in there & lash everything else to the outside of the pack until I got back to camp. As I would hike in & out I would use it as a outside pocket for lunch t.p. water bottles etc. It only weighed 2 1/2 lbs. It worked ok. I don't have any experience with external frames but I like Vances idea. This was in my pre Kifaru days.

 

[kodiakfly]

OK, thanks guys. So I'm not insane packing a day pack/bag of some sort? I definitely considered MR or Kifaru, but I'm gonna do a Barney's as they're just in Anchorage and I can go get fitted and do it right. (Though I have been to MR years and years ago...like in 2003 or so and liked what I saw of them. They're in the same parking lot as a great fly fishing store I frequent in Bozeman and I just went in there one day to check them out.)

Not that I need to go full ninja, it's just that a huge (even empty) pack while I'm trying to move quickly, cover ground and get a shot off...I'd like something smaller or nothing on my back.

 

[LostArra]

I've used a small daypack as a top lid on my Kifaru MMR. Once I got a camp set up I just used the daypack for hunting.

 

[60x]

Kodiak
I feel a day pack especially in goat country is not ideal. Every time I head up the mountain I have to plan to come down with a goat or sheep. The thought of not being able to pack out a full load or for that matter the entire sheep or goat just doesn't work for me. As a bow hunter I do understand your concerns though.. For the final stalk I drop my pack. I just make sure I have some flagging tied to it and mark it on the gps if time permits.

 

[5MilesBack]

Not that I need to go full ninja, it's just that a huge (even empty) pack while I'm trying to move quickly, cover ground and get a shot off...I'd like something smaller or nothing on my back.

That's kind of where I've been for the past few years. Love my daypack, but hate not being able to haul anything back with it. So this year I got a Paradox Pack and have modified mine. It comes with 4" frame extensions which makes the frame 28" and full load lifting capability. But I cut the frame as low as it would go and still keep the suspension in place. Without the extensions, the frame sits below my shoulders and carries more like a daypack. I also cannibalized my daypack (a Cabela's Elite Scout Pack) and attached it to the frame. All my daypack gear goes in that pack with the water bladder as well. Then I will use a super lightweight silnylon bag for my camp and food compressed between the daypack and frame like a dry bag, and leave it all at camp. The pack and frame comes in right under 4lbs empty, but with the frame extensions still has full 100+ pound load capability hauling meat compressed between the daypack and frame. I also considered just carrying the daypack lashed to the pack and frame, but again........as 60x said, then you have no way to haul anything with just the daypack.

 

[WonkyWapiti]

60x brings up a very valid point. Additionally, the older I get the less weight I want to be carrying around. If you are carrying in and coming out with a Barney's at 8 to 9 pounds and add another 3 for a day pack you are looking at possibly up to 12 pounds. Compare that to being in a Stone Glacier at nearly 1/3 the weight or even going up to a Kifaru EMR with a bikini frame I think you are at about 5 1/2 lbs and going with the duplex you are hovering around 7 lbs. When I'm bowhunting, it depends on the terrain I'm in. Sometimes it's so thick here that you end up coming across an animal and don't have time to drop that pack. I'm also looking at a new pack and have been agonizing over this decision. I guess there are worse problems to have than not enough options!

 

[Miscue]

I've having this same issue. I want enough structure that I can carry in a full camp / pack out an animal when the time comes. However, I also want something that after I drop off camp I can "convert" into a daypack style size.

With that said I've been heavily looking into the Kifaru Nomad with the Camp Bag and Bikini Frame. I have not pulled the trigger on it yet but it looks to be the leading contender for this exact situation.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Aron Snyder]

I work for Kifaru, but I'll give you my opinion if you want it

 

[Justin Crossley]

I would not carry a second pack.

Either stick with the Barney and drop it for the final stalk or look into getting a Kifaru or other top quality pack that you can shoot with.

 

[BRobertson]

Kodiak
I feel a day pack especially in goat country is not ideal. Every time I head up the mountain I have to plan to come down with a goat or sheep. The thought of not being able to pack out a full load or for that matter the entire sheep or goat just doesn't work for me. As a bow hunter I do understand your concerns though.. For the final stalk I drop my pack. I just make sure I have some flagging tied to it and mark it on the gps if time permits.

The flagging on your pack is an EXCELLANT point!!

MAny years ago, while hunting caribou on the Denali Hwy, I removed my pack for a stalk right at sunset.
I really had a hard time locating it, and almost spent the night out without any gear!! I always have surveyors tape now!!

Bob

 

[KMT]

I would not carry a second pack.

Either stick with the Barney and drop it for the final stalk or look into getting a Kifaru or other top quality pack that you can shoot with.

I agree. Every time I leave my tent or truck, I plan on getting an animal. Obviously, this doesn't happen most of the time. But if I didn't expect to get something, I would just stay in camp.

 

[MattB]

I wouldn't. Drop the frame pack for the finall 100-200 yards if you are worried about stalking/shooting with it on, or buy a pack that compacts better for day hunting use.

 

[Becca]

Kodiak
I feel a day pack especially in goat country is not ideal. Every time I head up the mountain I have to plan to come down with a goat or sheep. The thought of not being able to pack out a full load or for that matter the entire sheep or goat just doesn't work for me.

I agree completely. I would also add that every time I head up the mountain, I want to be prepared to spend the night if necessary. Sure it's additional weight, but it ends up being cheap insurance if the weather rolls in, or you get on a critter late in the day and want to wait it out, or (heaven forbid) someone gets hurt. I am not talking about a full camp, but some kind of shelter, puffy clothes, and a pad or seat to insulate you from the ground, plus some extra food. A day pack is unlikely to accommodate everything I would need for an unplanned overnight. Especially in a place like Kodiak, where the weather can change in minutes, and the terrain can be unforgiving. I would rather wait it out in relative comfort than feel pressured to make a risky descent because I went up unprepared.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Some good points Becca. I spent a cold night in Colorado last year after we killed a bull elk and i didn't bring overnight gear. 20* is cold without a sleeping bag.

 

[larryschwartz]

It really boils down to how many trips you are willing to take up and down the mountain. I am assuming that you will be carrying your day hunting gear and enough to spend a night on the mountain in bad weather if you have to.

If you don't mind walking and stalking and most importantly shooting, with a pack and frame (internal or external) on your back then go with any number of packs from Kifaru, Barney's, Eberlestock, Mystery Ranch, or whoever that will hold the weight you are willing to carry down a mountainside and that will compress down flat when you don't have it filled with meat. Just make sure that the frame is adjustable or the right length to fit your torso and carries weight comfortably.

If, on the other hand, you don't mind making an extra trip to only carry out a small load of meat on your way back to get your pack and frame then you can go with any sort of day pack or lumbar pack that you prefer. Just make sure that it has a waist belt to help support the weight of the meat on the trip out. This is especially nice if you are a bowhunter and just can't get the knack of shooting your bow from an odd body angle with a long pack on your back. I know plenty of folks who hunt elk in the mountains with a large lumbar pack who take out around 50# on the first trip back to camp and then get their pack and frame that they walked camp in with and go back up for the next trip.

Larry

 

[Buster]

I used to strap a no name multi day pack to my external frame, to get into hunting areas. I would have a small pack inside my large pack that served as a stuff sack on the way in. Once at base camp, i would ditch the big bag and strap the small one to my external frame. This set up was very specific to the needs of that area though. The odds were very unlikely of not making it back to camp at night, and it allowed me the ability to still make a full load back if I got lucky.

I have switched it up now and have a highcamp 7000 coming to mate up to my bikini. This should save messing around switching up bags.

 

[bigfish b.c]

I used to strap a no name multi day pack to my external frame, to get into hunting areas. I would have a small pack inside my large pack that served as a stuff sack on the way in. Once at base camp, i would ditch the big bag and strap the small one to my external frame. This set up was very specific to the needs of that area though. The odds were very unlikely of not making it back to camp at night, and it allowed me the ability to still make a full load back if I got lucky.

I have switched it up now and have a highcamp 7000 coming to mate up to my bikini. This should save messing around switching up bags.

yes i did the same for sheep hunting a bunch of years, but like others have said its great till you shoot something or get stuck overnight then you pay for it.iam switching to the emr II this year with bikini frame to try to get to one pack for everything.