Complete newby could use some advice

[John pettimore]

My experience beyond day packs for whitetail is pretty limited and I could sure use some help with some suggestions for a starter pack.
I have a Slumberjack Bounty I bought for deer pack outs (public) and training but it is so uncomfortable I can’t stand to carry 40 lbs more than a few hundred yards. I have tried every adjustment I can and just cannot make this thing work but I also admit that I don’t really know what I am doing and have never had a professional fitting but am using YouTube to learn.

As i mentioned, I hunt public and carry a lock on and sticks many many miles every year witha Molle waists belt and shoulder straps on the stand. Total weight with all my gear is 35 - 40 lbs depending on how many clothes I am carrying.

I have measured my torso at 20.5 in”. Living in Illinois getting to try different frames or a proper fitting isn’t really in the cards. Intentions are for one week long trip west somewhere. Probably starting out hunting from base camp, then some overnight spike camps, before going full backpack mode... I do believe in buying quality equipment but I have a budget and a new Kifaru just isn’t in it. I thinking maybe start with a frame (but which one) and using the Slumberjack bag for awhile. Can always add a better bag later if I have a frame that works.

Sorry for the rambling but I really need to try to get a pack, especially frame, that will work for me the first time. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Well man you can keep wasting money on stuff that doesn't work, or step up.
Think if you had the money you spent on the slumberjack added back to your budget.

Find a used kifaru frame.
If that hurts that bad at 40 pounds something is definitely wrong.
Sell some shed antlers, mow some laws, look around for gear your not using anymore and sell it.
I packed 100 pounds of salt in my Exo and it did not hurt, it sucked and couldn't really stand uprite. But it didn't hurt. And I think my Kifaru is even more comfortable.

 

[GunsAreFun]

It seems like a lot of EXO K2 3500 and 5500 have been on sale here or the EXO Facebook group recently. I’ve seen a couple as low as $450 and that usually includes some accessories like hipbelt pouches and what not.

You can also look at the Mystery Ranch Terraframe 80. I do not have personal experience with it, but for about $350 with a sale, you get a pack made by a quality company with an overload shelf for hauling meat.

 

[Nickb_00]

Keep an eye on the classifieds! There are always guys with that are upgrading packs! I run kifaru and I could not be happier! If you are looking for somthing you can use in day mode and gradually get into backpack hunting would look for somthing in the 4500-6000 cubic inch range depending on gear obviously but it would be a good start. I'm not a tree stand hunter but hear of guys using the new Stryker pack from kifaru.

Now I have only tried on one exo pack and dont get me wrong it was comfortable and well built! I just personally like how with kifaru you can mix up pockets to fit your style of hunting. Here is my mag 44 with a claymore pocket on the bottom and E&E above that and a med belt pouch. I can run 5-7 days comfortably with setup.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Keep adjusting man, as mentioned if it's that bad with 40lbs something is haywire. I carry 60lbs+ in that pack regularly with no issues, had over 120lbs in it last spring and I definitely wasn't laughing my way down the mountain or anything but it wasn't nearly as bad as some of the other packs I've carried. I was able to carry it side by side with a gen 2 duplex this fall and without any weight the duplex blew it out of the water, once I loaded them up though the stays on the duplex were giving me a hot spot in my lumbar and the bounty definitely came out on top in the comfort department. Still telling myself that was just because of the stay profile or something and one of these days I probably will dive down the kifaru rabbit hole for the modularity if nothing else but after the side by side comparison I'm in no real rush anymore....I also really like the meat shelf/cargo panel system on the bounty and it can be very modular as well, I run a kifaru lid and grab it on mine. Where are you feeling the majority of the discomfort when the pack is loaded up?

 

[netman]

John where you at in Illinois? I’m near Evansville Indiana. If your close your welcome to try my SO Saker out.

 

[John pettimore]

Main problem with the Slumberjack is I can’t get the weight off my shoulders. Feels like I am carrying every ounce with nothing on my hips

 

[John pettimore]

Appreciate the offer netman but I am one the east side about 50 miles north of St. Louis

 

[netman]

My daughter lives in downtown St. Louis. We go there all the time. Next time I head over you want me to PM you and we can meet up?
Bring a fifty pound bag of dog food with you and we can throw it in the pack and you could go for a test hike.

 

[John pettimore]

My daughter lives in downtown St. Louis. We go there all the time. Next time I head over you want me to PM you and we can meet up?
Bring a fifty pound bag of dog food with you and we can throw it in the pack and you could go for a test hike.

that would be awesome. Thank you very much for the kind offer.

 

[Desk Jockey]

You got a budget in mind? It’s easy to spend +$500 on a top quality rig.

From bottom to top I would say:

$35 - large Alice pack
$100 - molle ruck or filbe
Sub $200 - used Dana designs or high end hiking internal frame off eBay
$200-325 - used high end hunting pack
$325-400 - mystery ranch or another brand on sale
$400 and up - pretty much anything.

I am partial to mystery ranch. Just fit me better. Metcalf is hard to beat as a general do it all pack.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Main problem with the Slumberjack is I can’t get the weight off my shoulders. Feels like I am carrying every ounce with nothing on my hips

There's hope then, I have back issues and have to run about 90% of the weight on my hips about 90% of the time, I haven't really had any issues doing so with the bounty once I got it adjusted properly. Loosen all the straps, load it up with 30-40lbs and make sure the belt is actually seated properly on top of your pelvis then cinch it down. Now adjust the torso length (by undoing the velcro on the sides of the frame and sliding it up/down) so that these little straps to hold your water bladder tube in place are sitting directly over your clavicle or pretty close to it.



There shouldn't be a huge gap between your shoulders and the straps but they also shouldn't be snug right to your shoulders. Their main purpose (at least when I'm carrying a load) is to stop the bag from swaying around, for me I can't carry much weight at all on the shoulder straps or my back really starts to burn.



These are load lifters, they should "lift" the load off your shoulders and transfer the weight to your hips once everything is setup properly. Do up your sternum strap (not too tight, just tight enough to keep the shoulder straps from sliding outward) and then pull on your load lifter straps to distribute the weight to your hips. Walk around a bit and let the pack settle, if you're still feeling the weight on your shoulders repeat the torso adjustment process 1/4 - 1/2" at a time and spend a few minutes walking around, playing with the belt, shoulder strap and load lifter tensions. You also have delta straps at the bottom of the pack on each side that connect to the waist belt, making sure those are secure will prevent the load from swaying as well. If all else fails definitely take @netman up on his offer, wish I lived closer as I've been curious to try one of their packs on as well. Hope that all makes sense, I'm certainly no expert but I've been building my son a DIY load hauler over the past couple months and have had to dive right down the pack fitting rabbit hole, just let me know if I explained anything poorly and I'll try to do a better job.

 

[John pettimore]

Excellent information backcountry bloodline! If it works out I still plan to take netman up on his offer but it is good to know there might be some hope for this pack yet.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Excellent information backcountry bloodline! If it works out I still plan to take netman up on his offer but it is good to know there might be some hope for this pack yet.

Let me know how it works out, I'll take a photo of those delta straps as well if you need me to. I found the meat shelf/cargo panel to be real straight forward but I can walk you through that as well if you have any issues.

 

[Diamond K]

I have the Slumberjack Bounty too and back issues from my 62 years, 40 of them packing big game. BackcountryBloodline has provided some great tips on making what you have work for you. I have found that I position the waist belt slightly higher on my hips with Slumberjack than when I use a freighter type frame. The load lifter are very useful once you get the torso adjusted correctly.

 

[John pettimore]

Progress! This pack might just actually work out. I loaded about 32 lbs in it today and played around with the adjustments courtesy of backcountry bloodline’s post and went on a 3 mile hike. Don’t think I have it completely dialed in yet but 3 miles with very little discomfort is a huge improvement.

Once I got the hip belt snug and the torso adjusted so the water strap thingy was close to my clavicle I adjusted the length of the shoulder straps so they were just a little loose. Once I tightened the load lifters the shoulder straps tightened up quite a bit and would put the water strap thingy above the clavicle. Would still like to get a little less pressure off my shoulders but I think I’m close.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Great to hear. Keep tweaking away and you'll get it dialed in sooner or later, a few small adjustments can make a huge difference.