- Full zip on side pocket
- No PALs on grab-it thingy.. Adding an external pocket to that would be a recipe for floppy. And weight would be getting pretty far back.
- Also, if it has a true meat shelf you should be able to organize gear inside main bag without having to stick pockets on the outside. In truth, I’ve never understood attaching a bunch of external pockets for organization and then having a few thousand sq/in of empty bag while hunting.
- If you must…. Maybe PALs for a pocket at the top back of pack. Just above grab-it.
- Internal pocket somewhere for quick access to important things that can’t get misplaced (ex: headlamp). In addition to chamber pocket that will likely not be accessed throughout hunt (wallet, keys, tags).
Let’s talk use case, because that drives everything. For me:
- Up to 5-days cool to cold (CO 1st)
- Pack in 3-6 miles, set up a camp, day hunt from camp.
- Shoot elk or deer, pack out deboned meat.
- I do not use a spotter (binos). So side pocket would be rain jacket, water purification, sitting pad, snacks, and any items I will likely access during day.
- Main bag would be kill kit, puffy and maybe woobie or insulated bottoms if really cold and potential to sit for extended time.
In the past, in addition to Reckoning, Nomad II, and other brands, I’ve used a Stryker. The shelf was my volume area (meat or camp in a dry bag), while the main bag is for day hunt gear. This pack, assuming high 3k bag volume, allows for meat on shelf and camp in main bag to be hauled together with my old back being the limiting factor for weight. This requires a reasonably dialed in setup.
*Make it just big enough to support 3-5 days.
*Nothing floppy in day hunt mode.
*Make grab-it (or whatever is back there) removable. (Less is more to me).
*Straps to secure meat to frame don’t crush gear in pack (to me, that means separate compression straps).
*Ensure meat can be held high enough, while also allowing bulky, lighter loads to use all space between frame and bag.
*Meat shelf accessible with buckles. No threading of straps, fiddling with load lifters, etc.
I could spend hours thinking this through…