Elk Hunting with a Backpacking Pack

[trophyhill]

Frank - thanks for that! We need more people like you on here. Sometimes what a man needs is not more gear, but more grit.

Cheers to your old man.

Love it! Right now we have a nation of beta’s in our midst.

 

[trophyhill]

It will work until a nylon strap snaps from 80+ pounds in your bag. Then it will start to sink in how stupid you are 3 miles away from the truck looking for enough p cord in your pack to jerry rig it back together. But hey adventures are fun!!

Ha that actually happened to me in 2012 while packing my first bull. A shoulder strap came apart with a hind quarter in it between 2 and 3 miles in. That after a zipper broke about halfway thru my hunt. Badlands is junk! My guess is it’s made in........you guessed it. Wuhan

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

Moral of the story. Always have a ton of paracord in whatever pack you use. Whether for impromptu furbearer skinning, quarter hanging, rock climbing, or fixing your broken stuff. Paracord is the answer.

 

[trophyhill]

Moral of the story. Always have a ton of paracord in whatever pack you use. Whether for impromptu furbearer skinning, quarter hanging, rock climbing, or fixing your broken stuff. Paracord is the answer.

Lol. That’s like duck tape, bailing wire, wd40 and a pair of vice grips. All true redneck McGyver tools that work for “impromptu” situations. And if toting a cheap azz pack made in Wuhan guys should indeed carry

I went 1 better though. I bought a Kifaru the following year and have packed out probably 2 dozen or parts of 2 dozen animals in that Deluxe Timberline 1 pack without so much as a freyed stitch. I’m gonna miss that ole pack

 

[Stubborn_bowhunter]

Lol. That’s like duck tape, bailing wire, wd40 and a pair of vice grips. All true redneck McGyver tools that work for “impromptu” situations. And if toting a cheap azz pack made in Wuhan guys should indeed carry

I went 1 better though. I bought a Kifaru the following year and have packed out probably 2 dozen or parts of 2 dozen animals in that Deluxe Timberline 1 pack without so much as a freyed stitch. I’m gonna miss that ole pack

The only thing I've messed up on my kifaru so far is ripped a tiny hole from lava rock. And the futile to get out smell of dead predators.

 

[Hoodie]

I used a Mystery Ranch Glacier to pack my elk last year. I will be using an Osprey Xenith 75 this year. The frame is a little less beefy than the MR, but Iḿ not concerned.

 

[eagle_eye]

About 4 years ago three of us packed out a big cow, boned out.
I used a Gregory Snow Creek to pack out a hind quarter and the tenderloins and back straps.
My friends teenage son used a cheapo Wal-mart backpack to pack out a hind quarter.
An old guy came along and packed out the boned out front legs. Don't remember what sort the pack was.

The old guy couldn't handle it all so I offloaded some of his weight into my pack.

All three packs worked just fine. I'm sure my Eberlestock will be much more adequate for the next go around.

I'm hoping for a kifaru frame in the future hunts.

 

[Jb917]

When we first started going out west after elk we picked up a couple frames at a military surplus store. Just a metal frame with two basic shoulder straps. No shelf, we just tied quarters on with pars cord. Not very comfortable but let us pack out a lot more weight than our backpacks. If I remember right we gave like $8 a piece for them. Not very comfortable but got the job done. We packed 7 elk out on them in three years before upgrading.

 

[trophyhill]

I don’t think there is any debate on whether one can make a backpacking pack work. But if a person is going to spend money, why not buy a hunting pack? Let’s support those who support hunting.