Daypack choice/weight/gear

catorres1

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Please excuse the cross post, not sure where best to place it.

I recently bought my first pack for a hunt that came up very quickly in West Texas. I bought it at Cabelas, so I can return it or exchange it and having used it this weekend, I am considering doing so, but need some advice on what to expect as this is new for me.

The pack I want is for an all day hunt, from a camp, so no need for 3 days or something. I do want to be able to haul meat back on it.

What I want to put in the pack is water, rifle, spotting scope and tripod, maybe shooting sticks, knife, meat bags, flashlight, small camera, and maybe a few other small things depending on the situation and the weather at the time of year.

I ended going to all the local stores (Cabelas, Gander, Bass Pro, REI), and what I found was fit with weight in it is king. The Cabelas pack I wanted was too short, so when I stuck 40 pounds of weight in it, it was all on my shoulders. I am tall enough that most off the shelf packs would not work.

Long story short, the only pack available that was long enough was a Badlands 2200 and the Clutch. I liked the gun carrier on the Eberlestock Gunrunner they had, but it was too short a pack for me. They sold the 2200 before I got back to get it, so I ended up with the Clutch, bigger and more expensive than I planned. But the sales guys said...try it, bring it back after your hunt if you don't like it. So I had to go that way.

The pack worked fine, but things got heavy fast. With all the stuff I had in it, it was in the area of 40 pounds (my rifle is 10 lbs with 10 rounds and sling).

Honestly, my shoulders never hurt,it was all on my waist, but it seemed a little crazy carrying all that weight just for a daypack to me. That said, the pack is 7.2 pounds, rifle is 10 and the 106 oz of water I carried was like 6.5. Is this what most of you guys end up carrying weight wise?

I ask because I am trying to determine what to expect realistically and whether I should keep this pack or move down to the 2200 (two pounds lighter), or some other pack in my price range. However, if this is just par for the course, I will stay with what I have as it seems very versatile and has most of what I want in a pack. What I like about the Clutch is it is described and seems to be a pack for multiple uses, from daypack to overnighter, and it has the kinds of pockets I want...especially for carrying a spotting scope etc.

What I don't like is it's 7.2 pounds....and if I don't ever overnight, then I don't need the larger size of the main compartment, so I could go down to the 2200.....and the rife carrying solution....too slow by far, both pack suffer this problem.

So how much weight and stuff do you guys carry for a day's use?

What should I be expecting realistically for a daypack and equipment to weight?

And what do you use to haul it?


Keep in mind, I have narrowed my choices to:
1) Ones I can afford....Kifaru and every mystery ranch except the Dragon Slayer are just too much for me. The Clutch would not have been possible without a bunch of Cabelas discounts I had saved up
2) those I can try on as I found fit while carry weight was critical to making my choice.

I do like all the pockets, I don't like packs with one big storage area. I would prefer a better rifle carry solution. I thought about the Kifaru gunbearer, but having the barrel in my face seemed awkward. I tried the Gunslinger Corral, but so far, that has not worked and it seems to squeek terribly.

Thanks!
 
Look at the KUIU packs, go to there web sight, very nice pack and are light weight. they have a new frame system that is carbon fiber and they offer a longer frame for taller people
 
Thanks for the response!

I was just looking at their site this morning. It looks like the Ultra is about the same I spent on my Badlands, but it does not have many pockets, so will not suit me well. The Icon seems to be more my style, but the cost is out of reach. Nonetheless, I am going to look for a deal online. I think there was a sale recently, wish I would have taken notice!
 
I use an off brand pack I found at Sportsmanship warehouse for $99.99. Pretty light, lots of outside pockets, good waist band, no internal frame. This last season we put some serious miles in and now I want one with more rigidity. Mine never weighed more than about 20 lbs. (does not include rifle) I carry extra gloves/socks/fleece jacket, food, water, knife, 20ft of rope, 100 ft 550 cord, ammo, scope and tripod.

I really like the looks of the kuiu icon 1850 but I would need to try it on before dropping that kind of cash. If anybody has pictures of it on your back, that would be great. as opposed to the stock photos of it stuffed with paper on the website.
 
Thanks for the thoughts, I am pretty close to that in weight as well. If you remove some extraneous stuff I had (overheavy camera and rear bag), and also remove the rifle, I was running about 23 pounds, including the pack weight.

Right now, I am considering the following packs>
Keeping the clutch
Going down to the 2200
Eberlestock Just One (J34)
Kuiu Ultra (though I don't know it has the pockets I like, I like lots of pockets for easily finding my gear)
Any thoughts out there?
 
I also use my old pack made by nimrod , it's a modular pack system. On day hunts I set it up in the big fanny pack mode and take the meat pack and aluminum stays with me. They roll up and fit in a pocket inside the fanny pack. There are plenty of tie downs on the out side I roll up my raingear and or coat or vest and strap it to the top. You don't Evan know it's on with the shoulder harness system. I also have the upper pack that hooks on to the system above the fanny pack if you need more room. When I get an animal I already have the big meat packer pack with stay in the PAC. Just pull it out and assemble and I can take a load of meat out with me. I have fit a whole boned out deer in it before. Might be something you want to check out. Mine is about 20 years old. If I'm hunting out of a camp like you were saying we usually have several meat frame pacs on hand in camp.
 
I have heard of that brand as I have been pack shopping online lately. I'll have to check them out. A fanny pack with a shoulder strap set makes some sense if it can be expanded to also carry meat when needed.
 
I wanted the same thing and got and Eberlestock X2. Not the lightest pack in the world (5+ lbs) but the frame allows good hauling and fit. It can easily fit a deboned deer in it. I carry everything you listed and it folds up nice and tight across the back so I can go though brush without it getting caught on stuff. It carries weight well but certainly no heavy load pack. I have a spate frame pack that does a better job but I don't carry that around when I hunt.
 
I wanted the same thing and got and Eberlestock X2. Not the lightest pack in the world (5+ lbs) but the frame allows good hauling and fit. It can easily fit a deboned deer in it. I carry everything you listed and it folds up nice and tight across the back so I can go though brush without it getting caught on stuff. It carries weight well but certainly no heavy load pack. I have a spate frame pack that does a better job but I don't carry that around when I hunt.

I thought about that pack as well, but when I talked to Eberlestock, based on my measurements, they told me not that one for me. If I go Eberlestock, I'll go the J34, it's good for up to a 23" torso. But it weighs 7.5 lbs.

At the moment, I am most leaning towards Kuiu Icon Pro....probably the 1850, though I would prefer the 3200. I like it due to it's light weight (4lbsish), and the fact that it is so modular.

Originally, what i wanted was a frame with a small pack strapped to it with a hydration system. I figured that I could carry that, and then strap meat to it if I got anything, but run pretty light until then, and also use it for a rest.

The Kuiu is sorta like that....1850 ci for my stuff, but then an additional 2250ci for meat between the pack and the frame, and the ability to actually put on a bigger bag as needed.

But still not sure on that....price it really too high for me. If I could , I would just get a Kifaru and call it done. But frankly, that's overkill for me and FAR out of my financial means.
 
Too bad this one doesn't work for you.

I have it and it performs perfectly for a day and even longer pack for me. I used it in AK last year and hauled out my gear plus griz and caribou parts for some significant distances.

I love this lack and despite its heavier weight, it does all I need for a pack of this intended purpose.

I used it at the NTO shooting school this past August. Just reinforced the fact that I'll use it on horseback or in any other day use conditions.
 
Take a look at the Eberlestock FI/F2 combo. I've been training with mine for a mountain hunt carrying 75Lb. of dumb-bells around on it and it is by far the most comfortable pack I've ever owned. I started with just the pack frame and will add the F2 Transformer Pack and a rifle scabbard later.

I've seen the pack frame for as cheap as $139 but I paid more for mine to get the camo pattern I wanted.

https://www.eberlestock.com/F1-Mainframe.htm#/
 
I have the Eberlestock Blue Widow. Not the lightest back and at times I have went back to a smaller pack but in the end, I always go back to that pack. I have a bow holder on it that works well. It compresses down great and I have enough pockets for whatever I need. Its heavy but once its on my back I hardly notice it. I have had it for 4 years now and still looks like its new with no signs of wear anywhere. I would but another pack from them in a second. I am actually looking at getting another one for my son.
 
Had the Eberlestock Team Elk and got rid of it. It was just too heavy and bulky. Since then, I purchased the Sitka Ascent 20 and really like it
 
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