Eberlestock J107 Dragonfly Pack

[WKCotts]

Any reviews on this pack? Done a ton of research and this seems to be the ticket. Heard lots about the MM but I like the gun scabbard on this pack. Looking for something I can do a 10 day sheep hunt and overnight deer/elk trips in.

Eric

[blaker_99]

Hey there Westkoots,

Try doing a quick search on this site in regards to this backpack. It has been talked about quite a bit. I have owned one for several years now and love it. Its an awsome all around pack that holds up well with 60lbs in it. If you're looking to go on a 10 day backpack hunt i"d look into Badlands OX or a Barneys pack, something with an external frame as you will be needing something to handle 75+ lbs. that being said the J107 is a superbly built bag with a ton of room and a decent internal frame. I'd highly reccomend them for 4-6 days hunts and max loads of 65-75lbs loads. PM me if you want more info.

[lorneparker1]

Kifuru timberline 2

Just in the process of convincing myself to blow $700. Waiting to see Tenzings packs to come out soon, then im gonna pull the trigger. I done have any experience but i have read about all there is to know. hahaha The pack you enquire is a good pack from what ive read but i think its under powered for a 10 day hunt. I think its a bit small for all your gear and a dead sheep.

[budismyhorse]

From what I hear you'll need a "spike duffle" to make that pack into a 10 day sheep hunting bag.

[Shooter]

Ya probably not the ticket for a 10 day pack. But whatever pack you get look into a kifaru gun-bearer system to add to it. Its the only way to pack a rifle on a pack IMO.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7B_iiglCtQ

[one-shot-wonder]

I own one, definately not a 10 day sheep hunting pack, but works well for shorter trips. The gun scabbard is great as I hate carrying a rifle.

[lineofsight]

See you're in Langley, am out there once a week of want to handle one, also have Badlands 4500 that can compare it too.

Like it for day hikes, could see three days, 10 days not so much. The spike duffle attaches to the back (expand out not up) so not help stability.

Fit good, features good, build good (even a little on heavy side for size) but a bit small for multi day trips if also intending to carry game out. Which is why the Badlands 4500 came along. If had choice / could manage it would take the J107.

[sheep.elk.moose fanatic]

I own one, definately not a 10 day sheep hunting pack, but works well for shorter trips. The gun scabbard is great as I hate carrying a rifle.

x2 great day pack or weekend trips...but not a heavy hauler , i just pulled the trigger on a barneys Yukon 860.00 bucks

[OutWest]

I like mine. Used it for a couple years now on back country trips that ranged from 3-5 days. I could definitely see going longer if need be. It's been through the trenches and held together really well. I would recommend it to anyone.

[Farmer001]

Did this awhile ago also and can confirm with the rest of the posts as I got a chance to try a Badlands 2200, J107 and a Mystery Ranch crewcab. The J107 and badlands are good packs but seem to be more suited for max to 3-4 days and for packing smaller loads. The J107M has a slightly wider rifle carrier that seems would be better suited if your rifle had a bipod and the handfree option is sure nice plus it has lots of tie down straps. After trying on the Mystery Ranch the first noticable option is the wide shoulder pads, fits tight to your back and is extremely light. It can be equipped with a kaifu carrier to handle your rifle. But for 600 bucks to get you started and add on another 400 for extended day packs it is the cadillac. You definetly get what you pay for, and if you entend to use it lots would be a good investment. Otherwise there are a few frame packs that would get you out there at a lower cost so you could spend more money on beer or boots.

[Fullcurled4point]

I made the mistake of wasting my money on a badlands a few years back...i bought a j107 two years ago and i agree with Farmer001. The hands free option is unreal and the scabbard fits a rifle with a bipod awesome!

[the sentencer]

Go with the J107, it's an excellent pack. I went through researching them all last year and checking them out and I can say the J107 is a great deal! Get the spike camp duffel to carry all your gear. When you get to camp, unzip your duffel bag and go hunting! I've had a 100 pounds in it no problem. It's all how you pack and compress it. Don't be fooled by the big dollar value those MR packs, you'll be just as happy with this and it doesn't have to burn your wallet as bad. I use the scabbard with a rifle, scope and bipod easily.Good luck! I got mine from www.santanaoutdoors.com (http://www.santanaoutdoors.com) Best deal around at the time. Just get it shipped to the border and go pick it up.

[KodiakHntr]

Was that 100 weighed pounds in your j107? Because the e erleatocks I'v eseen definately wouldn't handle that kind of weight.

One of my hunting buddies bought one last year and hated it on a sheep hunt. After he tried a MR he was ready to burn his dragonfly.

The spike duffle attaches with a zipper IIRC, pretty sure I wouldn't trust a zipper to hold that much weight.

[swampthing]

I love my dragonfly pack. I have had near 100lb in mine. Dont worry about the zipper not holding, it doesnt support all the weight. You put your meat,cape and horns in the main compartment. Your lighter stuff goes in the spike duffel and the excellent compression straps hold it all in place. There are better long excursion packs but if I only had my 107 I wouldnt stay home. I have carried 6 days worth of gear in mine and brought the goat off the mountain. It makes a great, although a bit heavy day pack. The gun carrier is an excellent feature. Buy one and enjoy it.

[WKCotts]

i appreciate all the feedback guys. lots of good info, going to check out the j107 in person on my time off next week

[dana]

I haven't looked at the J107 to see what the differences are from my J105, so I can only comment on the J105. It can and does take a lot of weight. I packed a ton of meat out with it, from monster muleys to bull moose to black bears to lions to whitetails. I can assure you it indeed holds up to weights over 100 lbs. The one thing about that pack is it tightens up to be a roomy daypack and then opens up to be a great meat hauler when the trigger is pulled but...it really isn't an ideal long haul backpacking backpack. I used it many a time to fit that bill, but it wasn't ideal. That being said, I never had the spike duffel on it either. I can tell ya though I used it for countless trips where I went in light and came out heavy and it was indeed ideal for that. I have now passed it on to my son and he is continuing to pack out the weight with it.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/BCBOY/PC040057.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v145/BCBOY/PC040061.jpg

[blaker_99]

I dont mean to stir the pot but when we pack heavy upto 80lbs i find myself walking like Dana's son in the picture. Very hunched over and feels like you're 2 feet from the ground and that's where the back problems start. I find the aluminum supports dont hold up that well under heavier loads. That being said there has been countless elk, deer and bear trip packed out with my J107 and its bullet proof. I just wish the load lifters were a bit more functional and the aluminum internal frame held up a bit better and didn't flex as much. Have i taken it sheep hunting yup, would i do it again if i didn't have the money for a new pack....sure would.

[dana]

There is no doubt that there are better meat haulers on the market that are external frames that don't buckle to any weight you throw at them. But....try to sneak and peek through dense forest canopies with those packs on your back as a daypack. Ain't gonna be too much fun especially when you are ducking under blowdown. ;) Each pack that is on the market has it's best uses. A external frame is great for open country, above timberline and great for leaving back at the truck and brought in when the heavy lifting work needs to be done. For me, I find that last idea too time consuming as well as too much energy. If I shoot a critter way back, I don't want to have the wasted hike out over dead ground to hike back in to start packin'. I would rather hunch over like my son is with some serious weight right after I processed the animal on the ground shortly after the trigger was pulled. That is indeed where I have found the Eberlestock to shine. Sure it hurts. Serious weight isn't supposed to feel good. Too many hunters are lookin for that magic pack that takes all pain and effort away from the carrier. Just doesn't exist. I am in the same thought process, if I didn't have the money for another pack, I'd do a 10 day sheep hunt with it. It isn't ideal, but it would work. Currently I'm running a Mystery Ranch that the previous owners felt hurt them too bad under large loads. I actually find on my back it feels a little less painful than the Eberlestock. But I ain't kidding myself, it still hurts when you have 75-100 lbs on my back.

[Stretch]

Another vote for the 107. I too have had many trips with very heavy boned out meat loads because that is the way I hunt, far away from other people. As Dana has pointed out, this pack is a great dual purpose pack. Solid day pack with the versatility to expand to carry a full mule deer on the return trip. The fact that you can hike / hunt in thick cover with the pack cinched up and reduced in size is the main reason I have used mine every hunting day for 6 years. I have found that it is critical to load your pack correctly so that it will fit your body and keep the shoulder straps and waist belt well positioned and tight to reduce movement. There is no single pack that will do everything, there will always be some level of compromise. Stretch

[Hammerhead]

I bought and used the J107 last August on a sheep hunt and it exceeded my expectations. I do have the spike duffel, *rain cover and the little pack that clips on the front for holding gps, camera, extra clips etc, sorry forget the name of it but it was dam handy. We did a planned 2 week fly and set up a base camp dropping the majority of our gear, hiking to our hunt and spike camp approx 8 to 10 miles away taking with us camp gear, food etc to last for 5 days. The scabbard on the pack was great for leaving you hands free and able to use hiking poles, binocs at will etc. I had no problems packing sheep and meat off the hill but we did have 2 reasonable pack loads each coming back to base camp with the 2 sheep and all our gear. I found strapping the cape and head to the back of the pack was the best and the meat in a pillowcase at the bottom of the pack again on the ext worked good. I tested it before I went while trying to get in shape with loads up tp 90lbs and as Dana said 100lbs is never going to be comfortable on your back. I'm abuck 80 and 5'-11". Compression sacks and mesh bags go a long ways in getting everything into your bag but for 10 days worth of gear and a sheep that could be a stretch without a base to drop off some gear IMO. I also adjusted it twice to make that 90 lb load feel better and sit on the hips properly. I'll use it again this September for the next sheep hunt. Thanks again to swampthing for the help when I purchased mine
Cheers
HH

[harbinger]

Just my $.02

Look at the mountaineering packs if you are looking at a bag for longer backpack trips. I can't speak to the Barneys or any of the other hunting"specific" packs, I have an Arctyrex Bora 80. Check out these packs if you get a chance, they make a 95 litre now. It seems to me that all the hunting packs have a fairly consistent $200-$300 surcharge "hunting" packs.

[Steelpulse]

Continuing the chat about this pack. 4 of us will be going sheep hunting in sept and me right after late sept on a goat hunt with same pack, this fall 2 will wear this pack, I have used one for deer for a couple seasons and love it but I have just purchased the duffle spike camp attachment and see no reason why this won't be ok for us on a 9 day hunt, the other 2 are friends coming along to spot, one will use a Sitka pack and the other a 60-70L trekking pack

will post back after we are back from the hunt

[smoothbor]

WKcotts I live in Castlegar and have the j107 if you'd like to take it for a test run I'd have no problem with that. Shoot me a pm if you want and we can arrange that no problem

[Rob]

I had one and sold it after 2 or 3 years. i would look at others. when I had a lot of weight in it it felt like someone was constantly pulling on my pack from behind, I walked like the hunchback of Notre Dame

[Stone Sheep Steve]

I had one and sold it after 2 or 3 years. i would look at others. when I had a lot of weight in it it felt like someone was constantly pulling on my pack from behind, I walked like the hunchback of Notre Dame

That's the 'Eberlestock walk'. Because of it's narrow and short frame, there is nowhere for the weight in the pack to be except waaay behind you....forcing you to lean waaaaaay forward.

I have one (with spike duffle) and would never use a J107 for a backpack hunt of 8 or 9 days.
I like it for day trips for deer but that's where the love affair ends.

SSS

[Rob]

That's the 'Eberlestock walk'. Because of it's narrow and short frame, there is nowhere for the weight in the pack to be except waaay behind you....forcing you to lean waaaaaay forward.

I have one (with spike duffle) and would never use a J107 for a backpack hunt of 8 or 9 days.
I like it for day trips for deer but that's where the love affair ends.

SSS

Exactly. Especially with the spike duffel attached to it.

[SaintSix]

My dad used one last year for a 12 day hunt and he liked it and it held up well. He had the spike duffle attachment, but keep in mind anything going into the duffel should be the lightest items in your pack. You want to keep anything heavy as close to your spine as you can. Also when the duffel was packed full the strap barely made it around to tighten it up. The side pockets were great size for fitting a tent, you could fit either a MSR hubba hubba NX or a Hilleberg akto (both the tents we had)

[Stone Sheep Steve]

My dad used one last year for a 12 day hunt and he liked it and it held up well. He had the spike duffle attachment, but keep in mind anything going into the duffel should be the lightest items in your pack. You want to keep anything heavy as close to your spine as you can. Also when the duffel was packed full the strap barely made it around to tighten it up. The side pockets were great size for fitting a tent, you could fit either a MSR hubba hubba NX or a Hilleberg akto (both the tents we had)

Did he pack out an animal and camp in it? Cause that's when the pain starts with an Eberlestock.

[300rum700]

I took one on my first sheep hunt and had such a miserable experience that I bought a new pack on the way up for my second one the next year. It was a wrestling match all the way up and down the mountain with that thing.

[huntcoop]

With all the great packs on the market I still wonder why people would start with one that weights 8-9 lbs, EMPTY :shock:

[smoothbor]

They definetly are heavy and I didn't enjoy packing meat out with it. Great for a day or two but not so good for a longer hunt at all. Mines been in the closet for years, scabbard is nice forsure but there's other ways to pack your gun. As stated above always seems to want to pull you backwards. Definetly not a great pack for sheep hunting