Never buy Mystery Ranch

[Markjames]

Soooo here is my story. Thought I would share it for anyone in the pack market (wish I new before I bought). Purchased a brand new (2019 version) of mystery ranch metcalf. When it arrived it had 2 broken zippers. Not a cheap pack . So I called the warranty department and they told me there was nothing they could do because I live in Canada. If I sent it to them they would fix it but my cost both ways and duty . That would be 3/4 of the bag price !!!!! Absolutely a joke. I talked to many others in the mystery ranch department and no one could help me. Sooo I got 3 Canadian reps involved. Took me hours and about 2 weeks. They decided to send me a new bag ( thank you reps). but since it was a 2019 version they would have to make me a new hip belt because they were out of stock. When the new bag arrived the hip belt wasn’t measured correctly and was 4 inches shorter then the original size.........they my actually told me there was nothing they could do. Said I shouldn’t buy mystery ranch if I don’t live in the states. They do have a repair facility in Ottawa but shipping isn’t covered Absolutely the worst customer service and quality control. Buy something else !!!! Anything else.

[Chrispryn]

That’s got to be the first bad review I’ve seen on mystery ranch. Sucks that happened to you mate.
Is the new backpack useable? Or is the hip belt waaaay too short?

[pg83]

It sounds like a shitty experience, which sucks, but issuing a blanket statement about the company seems a bit much to me.


I have owned an MR pack for over 10 years and have had zero issues with it. I know a number of fellas(guides included) who do their best to run their packs into the ground and get far more use out of them than the average hunter, again with zero issues.

[bigredchev]

I had a bad experience with badlands warranty, I emailed my frustrations and they made it proper ASAP.


Sorry to hear of your frustrations with a quality brand

[Markjames]

I had to disassemble the broken bag and use the original hip belt The one they made at the factory specifically for me ( told me it would be completely checked ) was so small it wouldn’t even fit around my wife’s hips. And she’s 115 pounds

[BrookTrout]

Never once had an issue with mystery ranch products, great stuff. One bad experience doesn’t mean it’s not a great product. Sorry about your luck. But I’m not sure why you’d order from the states when lots of hunting stores in bc carry mystery ranch.

[finngun]

Mark if it is only belt is too short,,,go for shoerepair shop,,they can make it longer...no big money,,,yes it sucks but better get some use out of it.

[butcher]

Thanks for the heads up. I will keep it in mind.

[Markjames]

I wish it were that easy. The actually padded part of the hip belt. If it were just the straps I would have done that exactly

[TARCHER]

Wow, I love my mystery ranch. The only time I ever spoke to them they sent me what I needed and never cost one penny

[35rem]

Same experience with a Badlands pack. Came with a lifetime warranty and within months a number of the tabs on the zippers broke off. Called their warranty department and they confirmed they would fix it for free, but I would be responsible for shipping + duties both ways to the States...

[whitlers]

Hmmm friend bought an MR pack and it didnt fit him properly. They sent him a new yoke within a week no questions.

[The Hermit]

Did you buy it in the US or at one of the Canadian stores that carry it?

[Markjames]

Did you buy it in the US or at one of the Canadian stores that carry it?

bought it online. Came from the states. But what they told me is that even if I had bought it from a place in Canada they still would charge me. I had to get reps from Canadian stores to get involved. There is a repair place in Ottawa. But that costs pretty much the same to ship to. Mystery ranch bluntly told me that I should researched that mystery ranch is an American company and they don’t help Canadians due to international shipping Take it how you will. Just thought I would share my experience so people can make their own decisions when buying a high end pack.

[Stone C. Killer]

Sounds about right. If that happened to me id be pissed!! Just tell em you want your money back and get a SG

[bcsteve]

Weird. I have a Metcalf that the previous owner had removed some straps to save weight. I contacted MR and they told me to send it back, they charged me $10 to re-sew new straps on. I only had to pay shipping to their shop in the states and the $10. No tax or duty since it was a warranty service not new goods coming across.

[kebes]

bought it online. Came from the states. But what they told me is that even if I had bought it from a place in Canada they still would charge me. I had to get reps from Canadian stores to get involved. There is a repair place in Ottawa. But that costs pretty much the same to ship to. Mystery ranch bluntly told me that I should researched that mystery ranch is an American company and they don’t help Canadians due to international shipping Take it how you will. Just thought I would share my experience so people can make their own decisions when buying a high end pack.

I love my mystery ranch setup BUT back when they switched over to the guide light I tried real hard to grab a 6500 and couldn't get one in Canada.... I contacted the store in the states and they refused to deal with me because Rampart was - at the time - the exclusive dealer and they had an agreement with them that they wouldn't sell to anyone in Canada. I 'went through the trouble' of getting a relatives address to send it to and got the same guy on the phone and he told me he wouldn't sell it to me.

I ended up finding a used 6500 in the end... that being said, other than that experience and yours I've only heard guys say good things about MR's service so who knows.

[SR80]

I didnt have as bad as experience as you did with them, but did have one that left a sour taste in my mouth. I had a metcalf and couldnt get it to feel right, I wanted to because i really like the bag design etc. Ive had all the best companies packs, SG, Kifaru and usually always reach out with their CS for something. Anyways I wanted to try a larger yolk, same story i would of had to buy one, send mine back etc. Would of cost me hundreds of dollars just to try it, which it might not even work for me in the end. Where as these other companies would just send you one and i know for a fact they would, just to help and make sure that their pack fits you the best that is possibly can. Just seemed like like they didn't care if it fit me properly or not. Sold that pack and kept the stone glacier, those guys stand behind their product.

[Talltimber1]

I had a MR on order recently but canceled and went with a Stone Glacier.
Still love my Pintler though.

[604ksmith]

I have three MR bags and love them all.

After 5-6 years of ownership I broke a chest strap and after emailing admitting I broke it of my own fault and that I couldn't find the part on the website at the time, they emailed back the same day said they'd ship me up the item free of charge. Three business days later I had the part plus an email following up to make sure everything worked and fit well.

Sorry to hear about your experience. Every company has a bad day, a bad staffer etc, but in my experience MR deserves my brand loyalty over many other brands.

[Everett]

I have two Mystery Ranch packs and still one Dana Design all three have seen serious use outside of a couple broken buckles they have been bombproof. When I needed a new buckle they gave me 3 for free and I paid the shipping. That was several years ago and companies change.

[barongan]

Thanks for the heads up, very helpfullhttps://babang.xyz/assets/10/o.png

[northof49]

Thanks for sharing your experience

[Ourea]

Soooo here is my story. Thought I would share it for anyone in the pack market (wish I new before I bought). Purchased a brand new (2019 version) of mystery ranch metcalf. When it arrived it had 2 broken zippers. Not a cheap pack . So I called the warranty department and they told me there was nothing they could do because I live in Canada. If I sent it to them they would fix it but my cost both ways and duty . That would be 3/4 of the bag price !!!!! Absolutely a joke. I talked to many others in the mystery ranch department and no one could help me. Sooo I got 3 Canadian reps involved. Took me hours and about 2 weeks. They decided to send me a new bag ( thank you reps). but since it was a 2019 version they would have to make me a new hip belt because they were out of stock. When the new bag arrived the hip belt wasn’t measured correctly and was 4 inches shorter then the original size.........they my actually told me there was nothing they could do. Said I shouldn’t buy mystery ranch if I don’t live in the states. They do have a repair facility in Ottawa but shipping isn’t covered Absolutely the worst customer service and quality control. Buy something else !!!! Anything else.

Air Canada has got them beat hands down :razz:

[triggerhappy]

I have been very happy with my Mystery Ranch pack.

[Darksith]

do you still have the old bag with broken zippers? I will buy it!

[Weatherby Fan]

Air Canada has got them beat hands down :razz:

yup I agree, Air Canada is one of the worst but Airlines in general treat customers like shit.

[Markjames]

do you still have the old bag with broken zippers? I will buy it!

no. I bought a new sight for my bow and used the bag for a target. Hahaha nahhh they made me ship it back. But that also took many arguments before they paid for that. Also don’t get me wrong. The bag itself is awesome (when the zippers zip) Just the company isn’t worth wasting your time with.

[Greenthumbed]

Too bad about your experience. It would be a shame to turn folks away from good products because of one bad experience. I have the NICE frame and two pack (Metcalf and CrewCab) along with several other MR products. I'm a big fan. I'm lucky maybe... I haven't had to contact customer service.

[jac]

I have had nothing but good experiences with MR. In fact I have heard very little if any bad reviews. Sorry they screwed you around. sounds like they made good on it in the end

[butcher]

Air Canada has got them beat hands down :razz:

you got that right! Oh god how I hate them.

[JoeSixPack]

I've had two mystery ranch packs and frames since they released the guide light models. Late 2018, when cleaning my bag post season, I noticed a small 1" tear in a seam at the base of the frame. I assume this was caused from the pack snagging on a log while packing a deer through some serious blow down. One email to their warranty facility, with a photo of the tear, and several very basic follow up emails, they sent me a brand new frame, waste belt and yoke, free of charge. Absolute top notch service. This is the only issue I've had with some serious use and abuse.

[albravo2]

Air Canada has got them beat hands down :razz:

AC: "We're not happy until you're not happy."

[rollingrock]

You guys must be making good wages! I've never paid attention to this brand until this thread. $500 for a backpack? Go to Aliexpress and pay $50 for something doing exactly the same thing!

[45freezer]

You guys must be making good wages! I've never paid attention to this brand until this thread. $500 for a backpack? Go to Aliexpress and pay $50 for something doing exactly the same thing!

It never gets any less true, ya don't know what ya don't know! :rolleyes:

For a truly capable mountain hunting pack/frame combo, $500cdn would be a pretty damn good deal.

[rollingrock]

It never gets any less true, ya don't know what ya don't know! :rolleyes:

For a truly capable mountain hunting pack/frame combo, $500cdn would be a pretty damn good deal.

The truth is I can't afford for a $500 backpack and some other fancy stuffs marke with fancy prices. That's why I never look at those brand names. I've found those framed backpacks and other stuffs on Aliexpress do the jobs for me and only cost that much. LOL

[RackStar]

I’ve beat the crap out of my metcalf for almost 2 years. Holding up great. I would buy/recommend them anyday

[Baconator]

Go figure how it works. The dealings I had with Mystery Ranch were all positive. While on the other hand I will never buy anything Swarovski again, yet every one else all had positive things to say about them. It's almost like every now and then they just decide to be ignorant! Maybe its like lets phuck over every 100th customer?

[hawk-i]

Been thinking of upgrading my pack....A plastic frame Coleman Peak 1, first sheep I packed off a mountain with it was back in the mid 80's and the pack is still in decent shape ....I'm pretty sure it was priced around 100 back then so 500 for a good pack now isn't bad.

[Fella]

Been thinking of upgrading my pack....A plastic frame Coleman Peak 1, first sheep I packed off a mountain with it was back in the mid 80's and the pack is still in decent shape ....I'm pretty sure it was priced around 100 back then so 500 for a good pack now isn't bad.

I upgraded from a badlands pack to stone glacier. Will never look back, I have back and shoulder issues and I’ve never been more comfortable while hiking than with this stone glacier pack.

[RyoTHC]

You guys must be making good wages! I've never paid attention to this brand until this thread. $500 for a backpack? Go to Aliexpress and pay $50 for something doing exactly the same thing!


buy once cry once. Let’s quit filling out landfills with Chinese trash. Hell let’s quit supporting those communist liars all together.

[Weatherby Fan]

Been thinking of upgrading my pack....A plastic frame Coleman Peak 1, first sheep I packed off a mountain with it was back in the mid 80's and the pack is still in decent shape ....I'm pretty sure it was priced around 100 back then so 500 for a good pack now isn't bad.

Stone Glacier is a very good pack, EXO Mountain Gear for me was even a little more comfortable than the SG, but funny enough for me the old Mystery Ranch Nice frame is by far the best of the bunch for comfortability, I have two of the new Mystery Ranch Guide Light frames and they are good also but definitely for me the Nice frame is the best.

In saying that its like boots what works for me may not work for you, if at all possible try some packs on before forking out a $1000 bucks on something that may not fit right.

[KodiakHntr]

You guys must be making good wages! I've never paid attention to this brand until this thread. $500 for a backpack? Go to Aliexpress and pay $50 for something doing exactly the same thing!

I truly hope you appreciate the irony of that post considering you have two custom recurves listed in your signature line. Don’t you know you can make your own bow from like $11 of different diameter black plastic pipe?!?!?! Why would anyone have a buffalo horn inlay on a BOW when you can just put a wrap of duct tape on there for decoration! They both do exactly the same thing, fling arrows!

[IslandWanderer]

Real men use a Bullpac. I've always thought that mystery ranch and sitka packs are for the same guys who wear blue camo outfits to the range.

[jac]

You can keep the aliexpress pack, 30mins into a 10 day hike you will regret saving $450 bucks. I like my mystery ranch!!

[grizzly550]

Love my Mystery Ranch Marshall...Great pack...Bought at Great North Precision and their customer service is top notch. No need to ever deal with anyone stateside if you go through them.

[The Hermit]

I like my MR Pintler. Bought it in Cranbrook last season when my Kuiu gave out on me for a second time. Have since bought some MR accessories from Great North Precision in Kelowna... nary a problem.

[Bustercluck]

no. I bought a new sight for my bow and used the bag for a target. Hahaha nahhh they made me ship it back. But that also took many arguments before they paid for that. Also don’t get me wrong. The bag itself is awesome (when the zippers zip) Just the company isn’t worth wasting your time with.
Did you get all of your money back including shipping and duty? I wonder how your experience would have been if you purchased it from a Canadian dealer or directly through rampart?

[knothead]

Sorry other about your problems with CS but I have to say after five years of use I love my Metcalf and 6500. Here's a look at MR and a few other packs and how they compare. Buy once cry once never more true.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2NQmtWUQqc

[hawk-i]

Now thats a stress test! :)

[45freezer]

I truly hope you appreciate the irony of that post considering you have two custom recurves listed in your signature line. Don’t you know you can make your own bow from like $11 of different diameter black plastic pipe?!?!?! Why would anyone have a buffalo horn inlay on a BOW when you can just put a wrap of duct tape on there for decoration! They both do exactly the same thing, fling arrows!

:lol: pretty much. Hell, why spend $50 on a frame pack from aliexpress when you can save $47 and just buy some 1.8mm guyline?

https://i.imgur.com/bQjQJjp.jpg?1

I'm all for saving money wherever I can...boots, pack and sleep system are not places I see fit to pinch pennies if you aren't hunting from the truck though. I think this illustrates the logistical issues of living in Canada more than anything though, after having worked in shipping/receiving for years I'm honestly more surprised when international returns are relatively pain free. Also as mentioned there is no duty applied on returns.

[rollingrock]

I truly hope you appreciate the irony of that post considering you have two custom recurves listed in your signature line. Don’t you know you can make your own bow from like $11 of different diameter black plastic pipe?!?!?! Why would anyone have a buffalo horn inlay on a BOW when you can just put a wrap of duct tape on there for decoration! They both do exactly the same thing, fling arrows!

Ahahahahaha! Hey, chill down guys!

[HighCountryBC]

Air Canada has got them beat hands down :razz:

Air Canada - "We're not happy until you're not happy."