Packing a Eberle Just One?

[davkrat]

I've thrown my stuff in the pack a few times and used it for an overnighter or two. Curious how you guys with more experience with them tend to load them. The vertical side pockets don't have a ton of room in them and I end up putting stuff in the meat pouch. That's fine and dandy until I eventually get some meat to put in there. Going to need to pick up a few more compression and stuff sacks so I can hang stuff off the outside. Sleeping bag and extra clothes are the bulkiest items that will need to be outside I guess.

 

[chad44]

I have the J34 blue widow. I pack my scope wrapped in my sweat shirt in the one side and in the other tube I have tripod, jetboil, water filter and my puffy jacket. This separates them from rubbing. In the top lid I have hat, small essential kit, TP, wet ones ect. The main meat compartment has bladder, all my food and in dry sacks I put my sleeping bag, hat, socks any extra clothes. My pad is in there too. My sleeping bag and pad goes in the bottom. I keep heavier foods close to my back and surround it with lighter stuff as I get further from my back. I prob shouldn't have my scope in the tube pouches but I like it there for easy access. Rule of thumb is heavy stuff close to you. Forgot my shelter. It's in the main pouch too. It only weighs 2 lbs. hope this helps
Chad

 

[chad44]

Also if you are worried about it, get the spike duffel. You can put gear in it and meat in the meat compartment. I tried this once with an elk and my pack was freaking heavy!!! Now I leave the spike duffel at home. I'd rather make a 3rd trip then pack 150lbs. lightbulb

 

[Biggs300]

I've used my J34 for the past two years which included two CO elk hunts, one of which was a 5-day backpack hunt. In that particular hunt I packed in and out just over 60 lbs of gear including tarp tent, sleeping bag, bivy, stove, food, and a bunch of other stuff. For this and one other hunt, I used an Eberlestock spike camp duffle and lashed some gear on the outside of the pack in waterproof stuff sacks. Once I get to camp, the duffle comes out and the pack becomes a day pack with just the essentials. How you pack the duffle is important. I pack the bulky, lighter items in the bottom and the heavier items in the top half of the duffle. Carrying this much weight really requires that the pack be adjusted correctly for torso length. On the backpack hunt, I ended up making adjustments in the field which made all the difference in comfort.

The pack is a bit heavy for a day pack but can be cinched down fairly small and works OK. I use a much smaller pack for deer hunting. Hope this helps.

 

[Wyodog]

I think it all comes down to the same issue we all face when we are fortunate enough to have a heavy load on the way out -"how much can i carry? Do i carry camp and meat at once or or separate trips? I dont have the same pack you have but when i was faced with a similar situation i chose carry a stuff sack big enough for my gear that i could lash that to the outside of the pack then put the meat in the main compartment close to me. Worked well enough i suppose.

 

[davkrat]

Thanks. I will run out get a bunch of stuff sacks. The side tube pockets just seem too small to fit bulkier items in. Keeping all your hunting gear in them and setting up a spike camp with gear from the meat compartment is the way they were intended to work. Was just curious if others had some tricks to loading them.

 

[Litehiker]

Love the Just One but won't buy it B/C it's just waaaay too heavy for a backpack.

It needs to go on a diet with lighter Cordura, narrower straps and smaller buckles, etc.

C'mon, we are already carrying an extra 10 to 12 lbs. with a scoped rifle, ammo and all our gutting and packing out gear. Then to carry a pack that is 4 lbs. too heavy? I don't think so.

 

[davkrat]

This is what I settled on. A 35 liter lightweight dry sac fits perfect and easily had enough gear to stay out for a week or so. I just don't see how you could really do much overnight backpacking with just the internal compartments of the pack. Not if you planned to carry any meat out with you when you're done. Pack worked great as a daypack once I was at my destination. Now if I could just find a buck. No one moves to California for the deer hunting I'll tell you that much!

 

[jdouthit]

I agree with Litehiker. I have been using a Dragon Fly (which weighs 9lbs empty) for a few years now. Great pack! Trouble is I am getting older and the darn thing seems like it is getting heavier. I went to a "Gunslinger". I can pack out backstraps, tenderloins in the pack with all of my other hunting supplies. I put an Elk front shoulder over my shoulder and head for the truck. Then, I retrieve my dragonfly and go back for the rest of the Elk. The "Gunslinger" weighs only 3lbs empty. Man....life is good again!