Recommend me a backpack

I have a Maxpedition Condor 2 in digital camo, barely used. Two small matching pouches and some extra ties for more gear. Also a Camelbak system which was never used, only taken out of the package and packed away. If interested shoot me a message
 
Take your back to a good sporting goods store and ask it what it likes. Make sure it has enough room in it to carry all that you want it to.. That being said I would ensure that it has a chest strap, and nice cushy shoulder pads. Buy the one you like without looking at the price tags - you have all the rest of the year to pay it off!

Going elk hunting up north for a week at the cabin. Two of those nights we intend to go hiking back in the hills, and will be camping for two nights in the bush.

Recommend me a good pack capable of holding all gear and tying down quarters/heads.

Will be taking:
small one man tent
thermorest
sleeping bag
food/water
rifle/ammo
binos/rangefinder
essentials
 
Kifaru for expensive, milsurp ALICE Pack for cheap, inbetween Milsurp MOLLE 2. All have frames that will allow you to tie your meat to them to haul it out in a few relays.

love my kifaru..... and i'll echo not cheap but it's one hell of a piece of gear , it will no doubt outlive me despite hard use ;)
 
If you don't plan on being a dedicated backpack hunter and your main objective is to occasionally pack some heavy loads and you don't want to shell out $700 for a high-end pack, then the Cabela's Alaskan is a good option. It's tough, cheap and surprisingly comfortable. If you can find a gently used Camp Trails external frame that would be another great option.

Good advise for packs that will do the job without breaking the bank. Another slightly more expensive option is the Tatonka Lastenkraxe. The frame is welded solid, so it can't creak and groan like the Camp Trails freighter frames are prone to to.
 
Buy a Deuter. $300 will get you their best pack. They have been making packs for back country users for along long time. I have a hard time believing in a lot of these "hunting" packs. Heavy, inferior materials, and no R&D. True back country packs are designed for technical use and fit like a glove.

Osprey also makes a great pack.

If its just a meat hauler your looking for then buy an external frame for a lot less.
 
i just bought a mystery ranch 7500 last winter after many years of using a couple camp trails freighters. i can say when you load meat on the camp trails it hauls like no other. mystery ranch doesn't even compare when you load it full of meat. i still love the mystery ranch just not the best meat hauler. i stuffed the back half of a deer on a camp trails as well as the neck and cape/antlers and hauled it out 5+ km, and it never budged off that pack, i coulnt do that with the mystery ranch. i just packed an elk out with the mystery ranch and as tight as i sinched the straps it just didn't feel solid like the frame packs do. mind you i loaded it to the limit as the pack was short it didn't impress me for hauling meat. i might try kifaru but i don't know if there is a huge difference...
 
has anyone checked out the stuff from alps outdoors. My dad has the big bear, I have the pathfinder on order. That have some cool multipurpose gear. They have frames as well with different bag set ups on them.
 
i just bought a mystery ranch 7500 last winter after many years of using a couple camp trails freighters. i can say when you load meat on the camp trails it hauls like no other. mystery ranch doesn't even compare when you load it full of meat. i still love the mystery ranch just not the best meat hauler. i stuffed the back half of a deer on a camp trails as well as the neck and cape/antlers and hauled it out 5+ km, and it never budged off that pack, i coulnt do that with the mystery ranch. i just packed an elk out with the mystery ranch and as tight as i sinched the straps it just didn't feel solid like the frame packs do. mind you i loaded it to the limit as the pack was short it didn't impress me for hauling meat. i might try kifaru but i don't know if there is a huge difference...

The trick with MR packs is getting them to fit. There are loads of adjustments, including the yoke that all play a role in fit. I know if mine is slightly off, I can feel the difference. I've hauled loads up to 140 pounds in mine and it is way more comfortable than any of my old Camp Trails were. Get the weight distributed evenly and adjust the pack to fit and I think you'll be a lot happier with it.
 
The trick with MR packs is getting them to fit. There are loads of adjustments, including the yoke that all play a role in fit. I know if mine is slightly off, I can feel the difference. I've hauled loads up to 140 pounds in mine and it is way more comfortable than any of my old Camp Trails were. Get the weight distributed evenly and adjust the pack to fit and I think you'll be a lot happier with it.

Another problem with the MR as a meat hauler WITHOUT a bag is that the frame is not tall enough to employ the load lifters so it doesn't carry the weight in the optimal position.

OK199, the Kifaru is a taller frame, the load lifters work, but it is skinnier than the MR Nice Frame. If you are hauling full, bone in quarters they can be a little challenging to tie in tightly. I used to haul on the cargo chair but I just bought a cargo panel, I hope that will make things easier.That is one of the nice things about the Camp Trails freighters, there are tons of places to run cord and lash to.
 
Buy a Deuter. $300 will get you their best pack. They have been making packs for back country users for along long time. I have a hard time believing in a lot of these "hunting" packs. Heavy, inferior materials, and no R&D. True back country packs are designed for technical use and fit like a glove.

Osprey also makes a great pack.

If its just a meat hauler your looking for then buy an external frame for a lot less.

Before Mystery Ranch was Mystery Ranch they were Dana Designs producing packs like the Astralplane, a very highly regarded backpacking pack. I know what you are saying, there are "hunting" packs out there that don't have a lot of thought behind them. There are also outfits like MR, Kifaru, and Stone Glacier that have put a lot of thought and R&D into their products.
 
Another problem with the MR as a meat hauler WITHOUT a bag is that the frame is not tall enough to employ the load lifters so it doesn't carry the weight in the optimal position.

O

I always use it with my bag....tons of room and easier to get the weight distributed right for me. I'm typically packing boneless meat though.
 
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