Backpack selection?

I have two packs but I mostly use the smaller day pack with 2ltr hydration bladder. My day pack is a Camelbak Striker and I bought it in 2006. Rugged as hell and super comfortable and carries everything I need in a day excursion along with essential survival items if I had an emergency and needed to stay in place for a few days.
I am not sure the brand of my large pack, it is mossy oak team gear and I have had it for longer than the striker. Awesome pack and infinately adjustable with the Ergo Fit shoulder harness and really nice hip belt with padding.

Problem with the big pack and cinching everything down small is the straps become long and become an issue and all need to be contained somehow. So for day excursions to known hunting spots, the day pack with about 15liters of capacity plus a 2liter hydration bladder and a quality gear belt with essentials like knife, gps, basic first aid and some spare ammunition are my goto and have been for over 20 years now. Too each their own though and it also depends on the animals being hunted and how far you might be hiking in. I might opt for the larger pack on an elk hunt but for deer or black bear, I can get them out a 1/4 at a time with the day pack unless they are huge.... then it would be 1/8ths at a time LOL
 
45ACPKING said:
I have two packs but I mostly use the smaller day pack with 2ltr hydration bladder. My day pack is a Camelbak Striker and I bought it in 2006. Rugged as hell and super comfortable and carries everything I need in a day excursion along with essential survival items if I had an emergency and needed to stay in place for a few days.
I am not sure the brand of my large pack, it is mossy oak team gear and I have had it for longer than the striker. Awesome pack and infinately adjustable with the Ergo Fit shoulder harness and really nice hip belt with padding.

Problem with the big pack and cinching everything down small is the straps become long and become an issue and all need to be contained somehow. So for day excursions to known hunting spots, the day pack with about 15liters of capacity plus a 2liter hydration bladder and a quality gear belt with essentials like knife, gps, basic first aid and some spare ammunition are my goto and have been for over 20 years now. Too each their own though and it also depends on the animals being hunted and how far you might be hiking in. I might opt for the larger pack on an elk hunt but for deer or black bear, I can get them out a 1/4 at a time with the day pack unless they are huge.... then it would be 1/8ths at a time LOL
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FYI there are strap keepers available, either the elastic loops or the fancier shock cord and plastic attacher pieces, I got a pack of the fancy ones off flea Bay for cheap
 
sigpig said:
FYI there are strap keepers available, either the elastic loops or the fancier shock cord and plastic attacher pieces, I got a pack of the fancy ones off flea Bay for cheap
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I know..... but why bother when my day pack has served me very well for over 20 years of hunting and despite carrying way over it's capacity countless times , it is still serving me well today. If I was able to go on high mountain hunts for a few or several days at a time I would still bring both packs , using the big one to get there and support me while I use the day pack for the actual hunting. I'm not knocking anyone else's methods, just sharing my own. I find that a well equipped but not overly loaded duty belt with suspenders , loaded with the essesntials .. wallet with tags, knife, mini hatchet, ezlap sharpener, gps pouch, spare rounds, bandaids, scope wipes and some string. Always on me even if I stray from my pack.
 
The mystery ranch metcalf has a top lid that detaches from the pack that you can use as a daypack. It makes the pack a little more versatile. Your able to pack enough gear in for a weeks hunt, use the lid as a day pack and it has a meat shelf for packing meat out. They are a little pricey but not as expensive as kifaru or stone glacier.
 
well, I have looked at both packs. the mystery ranch Metcalf and the stone glacier 5900 models. both are very nice its a tough choice between the 2.
 
Under $100? Look on Amazon. There are a few very well rated backpacks that will do the job. I have one that I routinely use to carry roughly 50lbs of corn out to one of my deer stands. It works very well and hasn’t fallen apart on me for 2 years now. I use it for most of my hunting now to be honest, but I’m mainly close to home these days. If I where climbing mountains I’d invest some serious money, but I’m just hauling crap around sometimes 10 minutes from home, sometimes a couple hours from home. For that there is no need to break the bank! For your intended purpose Amazon has a few decent contenders that have several thousand reviews. I can’t remember which one I have. MEC also makes some pretty decent day packs, you could check that out as well!
 
Eberlestock Just One pack. Very versatile and expandable, Built in gun scabard as well. Have one and love it.
 
Evanguy said:
I have a small backpack for day trips it's about 33L I have had it for 5 years now. Not a single issue with it and it had held up perfectly. Not even one stich came apart. It's a bit more then your budget but not nearly the cost of some of the other bags mentioned. It's an LL Bean Continental Rucksack in black

My over nighter is a 65L Kifaru Navigator
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Agreed on the LL bean. Most of the other packs mentioned are way out of my price range. Bought one of my kids a pack from LL bean when he was in grade 8....lasted him all through high school, and in his second year of university a couple of the stitches started to fray...called LL bean and no questions asked they sent us a new one. didn't even have to return the old one. The amount of textbooks and crap he carried would far exceed recommended weight of any day pack. He's still abusing both packs and they are holding up great. For a cheaper durable option from a company that backs their products, LL bean is the way to go
 
I just bought my son a TideWe 35L pack off Amazon. It was on sale for 80 bucks. He's not a serious hunter and I'm sure it will last him several years. It has a lot of nice features like a drop down rifle/bow holder, included rain cover, hydration compatible, etc. I think the pockets and dividers are well thought out so as long as it doesn't fall apart after a few seasons it will be worth the money.
 
Eberlestock Gunrunner 2- best pack out there for a good price and will last forever, very well made.
Very versatile and the gun scabbard is great, full sized scoped rifle with sling in out no problem while wearing it.
 
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