20# pack.. frame or no?

[cornfedkiller]

Just wanting to get others opinion on this.. If you were on a guided elk hunt, no need for meat hauling, and your pack weighed 20lbs (water, bow, some food, extra clothes, etc), would you use just a regular frameless backpack like a Kuiu divide, sitka apex, or something similar, or a frame with a small daypack.

I have an SG x-curve which is very comfortable but seems like it might be unnecessary in that instance, but I have no idea what 20# feels like in a regular backpack all day.

 

[DB29]

If no need to pack out meat I would go frameless. I love my Xcurve but carrying my Superday is noticeably more comfortable.

 

[Maverick1]

Buy a cheap $10-$20 backpack, fill it with 20 pounds, and walk around all day. See how it feels. (Not going to be a significant difference, support-wise, between a $10 or $20 backpack and a more expensive one if neither of them have any support or structure from a frame or internal stays). Should answer your question, and would only cost $10-$20.

 

[5MilesBack]

My frameless daypack normally weighs between 15-17lbs every day with 3-4L of water. I HATE carrying my SG frame pack around every day when not hauling. It sticks up too high, seems to catch on every branch etc, and harder to carry my G20 on my hip.

 

[cuerro viejo]

kuiu venture has a frame sheet, so it will be more comfortable with 20lbs. With that said buddy tossed in a elk hind qtr in his and packed it a mile. I was surprised it survived

 

[EastHumboldt]

All I’ve ever done in his backpack hunting. I’ve spent hundreds and hundreds of days carrying a pack. My mystery ranch Metcalf It’s so comfortable with a light load I often don’t even notice I have it on. If your package so tall sticks up above your head, that’s a different story.

 

[Dos Perros]

I day hunt all the time with a SG X-Curve. I have an SG Avail (frameless) but still prefer X-Curve. If it were a lot of sitting and not much moving around you could convince me to carry the frameless.

 

[justinspicher]

I always have a frame, but that is the way I have hunted/worked for 25 years. I say give it a go and see what you think.

 

[5MilesBack]

If it were a lot of sitting and not much moving around you could convince me to carry the frameless.

I would agree........with the exact opposite. If it were a lot of sitting and not much moving around, then a frame pack is no big deal. But in my case, it would be the "sitting and not moving around" that would be the problem regardless which pack I had.

 

[SWOHTR]

I changed my thought process this year and I loved it. I went from a framed pack to a frameless lumbar daypack and never had a problem.

Pros:
1. Frameless was more comfortable.
2. Frameless was sleeker.
3. Lumbar kept the load low, which makes ducking under brush easier.
4. Frameless and lumbar forced me to only carry what was necessary (rain gear, kill kit, water bottle, lunch/snacks, emergency kit, handgun).
5. No need to carry everything needed "if you kill" - namely, trekking poles.

Cons:
1. Inability to pack anything out on the first trip. No worries - use this time to take your method of take out of the woods.
2. Going into late season, you'll likely need to carry more things based on weather. Lumbar not recommended in this situation.
3. "more money" likely required, as you'll have two packs - your daypack and a packframe.
4. Not a viable option if you are backpack hunting (i.e. packing camp).

Of note, I used a Kifaru Hellcat lumbar (my favorite pack so far) and 24" tactical + Stryker.

Overall, I highly recommend this route.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

If your on horses, sxs, or in a truck a lot I would go frameless...but I am still trying to figure out why u need 20lbs of gear for a guided hunt...u packing around 10# worth of snacks? You afraid ur guide is only going to feed you Ramen and a cold mcmuffin?

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have dabbled in ultralight backpacking and find that somewhere around 25-30# is where I want a frame To control the load. A bit of bro science but IMO Somewhere north of 25-30# you start using more energy to stabilize the load than you do carrying an extra 2# of pack weight to get a stiffer frame.

FWIW my going for a walk without a lot of stuff pack is a 22L nap sack with no real structure to it.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Id never stand buy and let guides pack all my meat without helping, unless I was completely disabled.

 

[Mike 338]

Well, if you have a guide next to you at all times, just a little soft day pack sounds like the ticket. I've seen plenty of guys hunt with nothing more than their lunch and a couple of things to field dress. If you're on your own and/or with another guy more or less in your same boat and don't know the area real well, best have some plans to spend a night in the woods. You'll be stumping around in the dark and it's easy enough to get turned around. Hence more gear and something more than a daypack.

Have a good time.

 

[rclouse79]

If you plan on doing other diy hunts in the future I would invest in a good pack. If you know you will always do guided it probably doesn't matter.

 

[madcalfe]

I use either my SG Xcurve sky talus, or Kifaru hoodlum on a tactical frame for every day hunting. I even throw one in the truck if I'm only out driving around. I personally wouldn't buy a frameless
both of my bags are 6900L+ and compress down to nothing.
you could always just buy a approach or solo bag from SG and use it on your xcurve frame

 

[fngTony]

If your on horses, sxs, or in a truck a lot I would go frameless...but I am still trying to figure out why u need 20lbs of gear for a guided hunt...u packing around 10# worth of snacks? You afraid ur guide is only going to feed you Ramen and a cold mcmuffin?

Lol, not sure if the ramen and McMuffin line will be received properly .

@cornfedkiller I think you’re getting different answers based on what you consider frameless. From what you said then yes you should be fine with a pack that has structural support (frame sheet) but not a true frameless pack.

 

[cornfedkiller]

u packing around 10# worth of snacks?

Don't judge.. I'm currently working a sponsorship deal with Little Debbie.

In all seriousness, a full water bladder is almost 7#, game bags are 12oz, kill kit is 1#, rain gear is 1.5#, hoody is 1#, and if I strap by 6.5# bow to it, I'm close to 17. Toss a lunch in there plus the weight of the pack itself and its 20. Will obviously get lighter throughout the day as I drink water tho.

You afraid ur guide is only going to feed you Ramen and a cold mcmuffin?

Lol, not sure if the ramen and McMuffin line will be received properly .

I know the reference... It was received properly

To clarify further, the question is whether I use my 1850 pack on my x-curve, or if I should just use the 1850 with its shoulder straps the little aluminum stays they put in it.

Id never stand buy and let guides pack all my meat without helping, unless I was completely disabled.

I wouldn't either if they were packing the meat, but it sounds like they can usually pack it all with the horses.

 

[Sccritterkiller]

Don't judge.. I'm currently working a sponsorship deal with Little Debbie.

In all seriousness, a full water bladder is almost 7#, game bags are 12oz, kill kit is 1#, rain gear is 1.5#, hoody is 1#, and if I strap by 6.5# bow to it, I'm close to 17. Toss a lunch in there plus the weight of the pack itself and its 20. Will obviously get lighter throughout the day as I drink water tho.

I was just funnin' not questioning your gear or weight.
Good Luck!

 

[fngTony]

Don't judge.. I'm currently working a sponsorship deal with Little Debbie.

In all seriousness, a full water bladder is almost 7#, game bags are 12oz, kill kit is 1#, rain gear is 1.5#, hoody is 1#, and if I strap by 6.5# bow to it, I'm close to 17. Toss a lunch in there plus the weight of the pack itself and its 20. Will obviously get lighter throughout the day as I drink water tho.




I know the reference... It was received properly

To clarify further, the question is whether I use my 1850 pack on my x-curve, or if I should just use the 1850 with its shoulder straps the little aluminum stays they put in it.



I wouldn't either if they were packing the meat, but it sounds like they can usually pack it all with the horses.

Did you ever find a waist belt for your 1850?