TradArcher
WKR
I have a heavily modded popup 28 and I would never buy another popup pack. I like it now that I modded it but I would not recommend that pack to another person. I do beleive it is a gimmick and kinda works in it's stock condition at best. I know some people love them...but I definitely do not.
I have an Eberlestock F1 I put an exo belt on. It has batwings and I used it to haul kills/meat here in CO and it works great for me. My pack size though is 17.5" so the load lifters work for me. If you have a longer back then you would need the longer version.
What is your pack size/back measurement? height? general build? Maybe people that are sized/built similarly could give you some better advice then. Besides the fit of the pack and the frame's load carrying capacity the hipbelt seems crucial to me - that has got to fit, be comfortable and take the load without killing your hips.
If you do not have a well-fitting pack - regardless of manufacturer - your heavy meat packing days will likely be painful.
If you don't know your pack size then get yourself to an REI or similar store and have them measure you. If you have the opportunity to try a pack on *with weight in it* and then hike around the store for awhile then definitely go do that. An empty pack doesn't tell you anything about how it will feel in the mountains. Your biggest issue with a pack for the mountains will be the meat hauling and how that pack treats you then. Thats not just heavy loads - thats heavy loads up/down hills...uneven ground...half-climbing...etc....that is a health & safety issue imo that people should not ignore.
I used to live in the upper midwest and also up in Maine for a couple of years...if I had to have a pack for there and then a pack for western hunts I would have two - I would not try to condense that into one. Maybe with one of the high-end packs with a couple of different bags...like exo or kifaru. But I would rather have the right tool for the job considering the task of meat hauling in Colorado.
I have an Eberlestock F1 I put an exo belt on. It has batwings and I used it to haul kills/meat here in CO and it works great for me. My pack size though is 17.5" so the load lifters work for me. If you have a longer back then you would need the longer version.
What is your pack size/back measurement? height? general build? Maybe people that are sized/built similarly could give you some better advice then. Besides the fit of the pack and the frame's load carrying capacity the hipbelt seems crucial to me - that has got to fit, be comfortable and take the load without killing your hips.
If you do not have a well-fitting pack - regardless of manufacturer - your heavy meat packing days will likely be painful.
If you don't know your pack size then get yourself to an REI or similar store and have them measure you. If you have the opportunity to try a pack on *with weight in it* and then hike around the store for awhile then definitely go do that. An empty pack doesn't tell you anything about how it will feel in the mountains. Your biggest issue with a pack for the mountains will be the meat hauling and how that pack treats you then. Thats not just heavy loads - thats heavy loads up/down hills...uneven ground...half-climbing...etc....that is a health & safety issue imo that people should not ignore.
I used to live in the upper midwest and also up in Maine for a couple of years...if I had to have a pack for there and then a pack for western hunts I would have two - I would not try to condense that into one. Maybe with one of the high-end packs with a couple of different bags...like exo or kifaru. But I would rather have the right tool for the job considering the task of meat hauling in Colorado.