First Pack help

[cayres67]

Hey there,
I am planning on going on a spot and stalk mule deer hunt this fall. I have never done any western hunting before so i have never bought a hiking pack before. I plan on doing mostly day hunts but i need to be able to haul out a deer a couple miles or more if i am successful. Could anybody point me in the right direction on brands/models/sizes i should look in to? thanks

 

[kickemall]

Stone Glacier, Seek Outside, Kifaru, Exo, Kuiu in no particular order. Minimum of 5000cu mostly so you can use it for longer trips later. Always err on the side of bigger in pack bags. Hundreds of threads on here that you can look at then come back and ask more specific questions. Good luck.

 

[UpSideDown]

I just replaced my Kifaru with an Exo and it’s a fantastic pack. Very well designed and lightweight, it can pack down small and it can haul meat. It will work great for a regular backpacking pack and can be daypack-ish if needed, though I don’t think I’ll use it for that.

 

[WMag338]

Keep an eye on here. Quite a few used packs come up. Camofire is another good source for Mystery Ranch in particular.

 

[cayres67]

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[Honyock]

Get a bigger bag than you think you need. You can compress it down but you can't make one bigger.

 

[Phaseolus]

Get a bigger bag than you think you need. You can compress it down but you can't make one bigger.

Or get two different bags for the same frame.

 

[LBsporting7]

Stone Glacier, Seek Outside, Kifaru, Exo, Kuiu in no particular order. Minimum of 5000cu mostly so you can use it for longer trips later. Always err on the side of bigger in pack bags. Hundreds of threads on here that you can look at then come back and ask more specific questions. Good luck.

I had a cabelas frame pack for a Colorado elk hunt, once I got home I replaced it with a eberlestock m5 elk pack. Have been impressed so far

 

[ptarmigan]

If you're looking at Mystery Ranch, they give you 20% off your first order and you get free shipping in the lower 48. I got clipped for shipping on my Pintler being in AK, but it was still much cheaper than local. Camofire just never had the right size in stock for me and I wanted to get in some time with it before hunting season.

 

[ScreamingPotato]

Kuiu is having a sale specifically on their packs coming up soon, just got the flyer for it. I think it was May 6th or so.

 

[cayres67]

If you're looking at Mystery Ranch, they give you 20% off your first order and you get free shipping in the lower 48. I got clipped for shipping on my Pintler being in AK, but it was still much cheaper than local. Camofire just never had the right size in stock for me and I wanted to get in some time with it before hunting season.

I actually have been zeroing in on the mystery ranch metcalf. i didnt know they gave you 20% off the first order so that definitely helps me justify the price. How often does camofire have mystery ranch stuff in stock?

 

[LBsporting7]

I actually have been zeroing in on the mystery ranch metcalf. i didnt know they gave you 20% off the first order so that definitely helps me justify the price. How often does camofire have mystery ranch stuff in stock?

I heard the metcalf is probably the best pack, the price made me choose the eberlestock but I wanted the metcalf bad

 

[ptarmigan]

I actually have been zeroing in on the mystery ranch metcalf. i didnt know they gave you 20% off the first order so that definitely helps me justify the price. How often does camofire have mystery ranch stuff in stock?

Sorry about misleading as I forgot the most important bit of info previously. I ordered mine through Campsaver.com. Camofire didn't have the size/color I wanted and the 20% off with Campsaver won me over.

 

[rootacres]

Theres no bad option if you go with a reputable company. Ive used a bunch and Stone Glacier fits me the best. What I will say is there are two items that will turn your hunt from fun to miserable the quickest. . Your boots and your pack. Take care of your feet and your back. Buy once, cry once if you can swing it.

I have found myself making day rips out of a truck camp on my last few hunts more often than not. I used the Solo 3600 and actually just ordered the Approach 2800. For my multi day hunts I will go to the 5900 with the option to run it in bivy mode.

 

[jnawalaniec]

Hill People Gear makes nice packs

 

[thinhorn_AK]

GeT aN AkEk!!!!!

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

If you have some time, I'd recommend buying a used pack off the classifieds. It allows you to try it out for a while and if it's not the ideal fit you can sell it for about what you pay for it. Especially when just starting out I found this very helpful.

Also, I'd recommend really looking at the type of hunting you'll do.

I had followed the advice to get a bigger pack but went from a 5500+ pack to a 4800+ pack to now a 3300+ pack. The + is simply ability to add a lid if you want extra space.

My hunting generally ends up being day, overnight or a couple nights, all of which I can comfortably do with my Stone Glacier Evo 3300 now. Even though the others were great quality, I personally didn't like all the extra material when cinched down and prefer a simple, lighter pack for the hunting I do 99% of the time.

If you're realistically doing 7-10day trips without coming back to the truck, then certainly you'll want a bigger pack or if you will put your meat in the pack vs. on the meat shelf, then a bigger pack is better. I use the meat shelf but know others who use the pack.

To each his own.

 

[landman650]

I’ve found my mystery ranch Metcalf with the addition of a mule pack that uses the same frame to be very versatile.

 

[lukewalmer]

I’m in a similar boat. Currently watching for a Mystery Ranch Metcalf sale. Seems like they do a 25% off around Memorial Day.

 

[JHDoritos]

I have used all the ones everyone has listed above in different degrees. All great products. I ended up with a kifaru frame and reckoning pack. depending on what you do you may not need all that. The only thing I dont like about the kifaru pack is the overall weight empty. Other than that, my brother and I packed out a boned out elk and camp from 13 miles in (stupidest thing we've done) in one trip. he had a kifaru frame and 44mag. The only thing we complained about was our boots, snapped the shanks in mine. on other pack outs with other packs they always left me wanting to try some other pack