backpacks

[tikkat3]

I'm looking to upgrade my pack situation to a framed pack. I have a day pack that I have used the last couple of years that works fine. Should I get just a pack frame, and use my daypack on that, or should I pick up a skookum pack frame with it's own pack? I want to be able to pack out meat, and load up the pack to do some back country long hikes and be able to pack a tent etc.

What packs should I be looking at? I am like everyone else with a budget, I only want to spend what is necessary, I can put what I have left over in the gas tank:eek:

[Deaddog]

I would suggest looking at a camp trails elk bag model, they are reasonably priced and got us through a lot of hikes and packed tons of meat. If you use them hard you will break the frames and pins eventually but you should get 4 to five years out of them, they run under 200 bucks. If you are willing to spend more I would look to a barney's pack, basically a well built fancy camp trails, they run around 4 to 5 hundred. DD

[kennyj]

I've used a Camp Trails Freighter Frame with a moose bag for years,great for backpacking and packing heavy loads of meat.As mentioned the pins will bend and break.Carry a few extra stainless pins.Great pack for heavy work but noisy for hunting in the bush.
Kenny

[Poguebilt]

I have the Camp trails condor 95ltr... great frame pack and built to haul anything!

[whitetailsheds]

Have really liked the use of the Wilderness Wanderer. Pretty tough pack that has done me well.

[gone hunting]

I have a external frame, jansport pack that is great for packing camp into the hills, but not so great when it's time to take off the bag and pack out the meat. I picked up a camp trails freighter frame which is, as mentioned above, great for packing meat. Last Xmas I gave my son a camp trails elk bag, which is the freighter with a large capacity bag. Liked it so much, that I bought myself the elk bag to go on my frame. We'll put it to the test this year.
As for putting your day pack on the freighter frame... Sounds great for day trips that involve packing out your game. It only takes a couple of minutes to take the bag off the frame and tie on your day pack.
As mentioned above, extra pins would be a good investment.

[dana]

I'd go with an Eberlestock J series pack. Best of both worlds. Great daypack that opens up to be an awesome meat hauler. I've packed out a ton of meat in mine and it definately holds up to serious weight.

[KevinB]

I just bought a Granite Gear Stratus Flatbed. It is sort of a hybrid between an internal frame and an external. Have a look at it on-line and you'll see what I mean. I don't know about durability yet but it does hold weight quite well. I have tried it with 100 pounds (just in the basement so far) and it is way more comfortable than my Gregory once it has that kind of weight on it. I plan to use it for both day-hunting, maybe with a small dry-bag strapped into it, and for backpack hunting, with a couple of big drybags etc. I think it could easily hold well over 100 litres. I think it will work out pretty well for what I wanted - basically something that I could dayhunt with and then pack out either an entire boned out deer, or moose quarters (those son't fit in internal packbags too well!). It cost me about $400 with taxes and everything and I had to order one in since no-one carries them in stock. You need to specify frame size, waistbelt size, shoulder strap size, etc.

[Tuffcity]

jansport pack ...not so great when it's time to take off the bag and pack out the meat

I've had the same jansport since '95, more than one creature has had a trip out of the woods on it. I find it's easy to lash critter parts to and if you do it properly (IE: diamond hitch) it sits well on the hips and is stable.

This (last fall's pic) back half of a mulie was packed off of the ridge at the back of the pic.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a20/Tuffcity/Elk%20Hunt%202007/CanalFlats2007024.jpg

There's definitely better packs out there ( I think this one sits up too high) but for a hunter on a budget it's pretty good.

RC

[tikkat3]

thanks for the tips....might just get a packframe for now and strap my daypack to it to save cash