Mystery Ranch pop up's any good?

Dodgeis4me

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 12, 2015
Messages
165
Location
Northern Utah
looking for a day pack that can haul some meat after the kill. I have a Kifaru bikini frame with a few different bags, but when I go out for a day hike I want to be more maneuverable. would the pop up solve this problem or am I better off sticking with the Kifaru.. or even getting the Kifaru lite frame? and which pop up is better? is it worth the 5 once saving for the smaller bag?
 

blkntancj

FNG
Joined
Sep 12, 2018
Messages
78
Location
New Mexico
A buddy of mine has the Pop Up 28 and he loves it. He helped another buddy pack an elk out this year and he said it worked like a champ.
 
Joined
Sep 23, 2017
Messages
630
There’s a thread on this page about the pop up 28 that has 140 posts and tons of info. The guys that use them seem to like them. I packed out a spike elk solo with mine and it was fine. I split a mule deer with a buddy easy day. I’d rather hunt out of it than my nice frame or guide light if it’s reasonable to do so. It’s like you would expect hunting out of a nice loprofile assault pack to be and its stout enough to do real work
 
Joined
Jan 16, 2017
Messages
41
Location
Western CO
I got the pop up 18 for my hunt this year. I'll ride my ATV in in the morning and hunt on foot all day. The 18 was exactly what I was looking for in a pack since I'm not carrying a tent and sleeping bag. It was enough to carry my kill kit, layers, chow/water and other bits.

Didnt get to use the frame portion this year but I'm pretty sure it will perform fine.

My only suggestion is to size up on the belt. I'm solidly in the medium range but would have liked the belt to wrap around a bit more.
 
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Dodgeis4me

Dodgeis4me

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 12, 2015
Messages
165
Location
Northern Utah
Thanks for the replies...I have been thinking about making my own bags to put on the frame... made some to go on my kifaru frame that turned out nice...
 
Joined
Dec 17, 2017
Messages
941
Location
N Idaho
Loving my 18. No elk so far this year but ill be throwing a few deer on soon amd im sure it will do fine. Carries everything i need for the day in a lo-pro package. Good stuff.
 

Formidilosus

Super Moderator
Joined
Oct 22, 2014
Messages
8,010
looking for a day pack that can haul some meat after the kill. I have a Kifaru bikini frame with a few different bags, but when I go out for a day hike I want to be more maneuverable. would the pop up solve this problem or am I better off sticking with the Kifaru.. or even getting the Kifaru lite frame? and which pop up is better? is it worth the 5 once saving for the smaller bag?


Picked up an 18 a few days ago. Shot a deer the next day and carried it out whole.

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The design is awesome. For what it’s designed for, I haven’t found another pack that does it better. I have multiple packs from every top company, and this thing will probably end up getting more use than any of them.
 
Joined
Mar 21, 2012
Messages
1,164
Location
Missoula, MT
I used a Popup 28 for antelope hunting this year and it was perfect. Short and low profile while hunting, belly-crawling, etc. Then popped the frame out when I killed and it worked great hauling meat out
 
Joined
Jun 2, 2018
Messages
40
Location
socal
I bought and used the pop up 18 for deer and elk this year. I used it as a day pack and several days on a horse. I loved it. I kept rain gear, down jacket, kill kit and food in it. I hauled elk quarters in it as well. I was very comfortable to use and never felt it pulling on my shoulders. I love the design. When I took off my outer layers, I just stepped them down on the top of the bag with the straps. Very easy to use the load sling to put the quarter into.
 
Joined
Apr 5, 2015
Messages
5,824
I use mine for a meat hauling daypack. Very happy. Hauled two deer so far. Carries a biggish load very well. The 28 liter bag fills up fast if you are hauling extra layers.
 

prm

WKR
Joined
Mar 31, 2017
Messages
2,144
Location
No. VA
Not exactly the same, but I used a Mule for deer season. Hauled a boned out Muley and head out with it. Felt fantastic. In day hunt mode it was equally fantastic. They really hit a home run with this general design. Just pick the bag size that works for you. I was able to pack in camp for 3 days but much more than about 5 days would have required me to be creative. The Mule is right between the pop up 18 and 28. Obviously how you pack would determine what you need.
 
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Dodgeis4me

Dodgeis4me

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 12, 2015
Messages
165
Location
Northern Utah
Not exactly the same, but I used a Mule for deer season. Hauled a boned out Muley and head out with it. Felt fantastic. In day hunt mode it was equally fantastic. They really hit a home run with this general design. Just pick the bag size that works for you. I was able to pack in camp for 3 days but much more than about 5 days would have required me to be creative. The Mule is right between the pop up 18 and 28. Obviously how you pack would determine what you need.

will the mule fit on the pop up frame?
 

Trial153

WKR
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
Messages
8,187
Location
NY
The only issue I can see with a bag designed for a GL or nice frame would be they are too long for the pop up frame. Kind of defeats the purpose of the frame folding up and being lower profile
 

Tauntohawk

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Jan 15, 2015
Messages
271
Use mine as a treestand hauler for hang and hunts in the east all the time it's been perfect for that. And have used it once for a quartered out whitetail.

It's a fantastic day pack plus.

Sent from my Pixel 2 using Tapatalk
 

Jkling12

FNG
Joined
Jan 20, 2018
Messages
90
Location
in
Have any of you pop-up users compared it with the pintler? I mainly will use it to haul my climber into the woods but go out west once a year for deer or antelope. Can a pop-up handle a whole mule deer that's been boned out? Would rather not have to take multiple trips if it can take it in one like a pintler/mule.
 

Trial153

WKR
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
Messages
8,187
Location
NY
Have any of you pop-up users compared it with the pintler? I mainly will use it to haul my climber into the woods but go out west once a year for deer or antelope. Can a pop-up handle a whole mule deer that's been boned out? Would rather not have to take multiple trips if it can take it in one like a pintler/mule.
I have a pintler on a GL frame. I have hauled mule deer, caribou and moose with it. It hauls better then the pop up, more comfortable especially the belt which has more volume. However the pop up is way more agile and lower profile as day pack, more comfortable with a day pack load by far.
I cant see the pop up not hauling a lope or boned out average size deer easy enough. Now a big buck and cape...plus the meat load. Probably not. You need to decide what to trade off.
 
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Dodgeis4me

Dodgeis4me

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 12, 2015
Messages
165
Location
Northern Utah
The only issue I can see with a bag designed for a GL or nice frame would be they are too long for the pop up frame. Kind of defeats the purpose of the frame folding up and being lower profile

the mule seems to be shorter if you look at the pics with the frame... I see about 5 inch's shorter which would make it perfect... even the cabinet looks to be that way.
 
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