Hunting Backpack recommendation!!!

[kutenay]

During the past several weeks, I have received over a dozen PMs here in HBC, requesting advice on purchasing a backpack for hunting. I have responded and today, after toting my latest purchase, decided to post one single recommendation for those interested.

Two days ago, a NICE Frame and Load Sling, colour green, from Mystery Ranch of Bozeman, MT. arrived at my door. This afternoon, I loaded a weighed 70 lbs. on it and went outside to test it out; I am less than two months short of my 60th birthday, have a gimpy leg and any pack that works well for an old phart like me should absolutely rock for younger hunters.

I have some of the best gear available and have backpacked for 50 years last month; I have NEVER worn a pack this solid, comfortable and easy to carry, NEVER. I would just say that if you are looking for the BEST, no BS hunting pack for B.C. conditions, this is it. It is versatile in that you can buy various bags from MR to attach to it, it is compact so you can wriggle through the buckbrush w/o forever hanging up (not like Camptrails, Wilderness Wanderer, even Bullpac) and you can simply carry your emerg. camp in a stuff sack attached to it and STILL pack out a 1/4 of an Elk, bone in or a Moose, boned out.

My emergency camp weighs under 15 lbs. and my hunting gear is very light, so, with a Kifaru Gunbearer attached, as I have on all my packs plus rifle, I can pack out a whole, boned deer, half a sheep and so forth, even an ornery old curmudgeon like me!

The cost is just over $300.00 CDN. delivered and the workmanship is the finest of any pack I have ever had; these are made for the US military and they will last a lifetime. For ONE single pack for everything, this is my choice as the best. No, I don't even know the folks at MR, I just want to pass on info. that might help other hunters.

[MB_Boy]

kutenay.....do you have a link to this pack or their website?

[huntcoop]

http://www.mysteryranch.com/catalog/

[kutenay]

Go to www.mysteryranch.com, this should do it. Be advised that they are a small outfit and are very busy with military contracts; they can be out of stock for quite lengthy periods on some of their gear. They have the finest customer service of ANYONE I have ever dealt with and Dana Gleason has designed made packs since the '70s, I have an original from him that is 28 years old and still almost like new.

Last year, it took them several months to get my B.D.S.B. to me and i have their Deluxe and the old Bomb pack as well; I used to have a Terraplane Overkill that was stolen and this latest NICE model has the BEST waistbelt design of any of them, you don't even notice a solid 70 lbs. on your back. I would not hesitate to pack 100 lbs. with it and am working up to that with sandbags, waterbottles and so forth and it is not unpleasant.....try that with a Camptrails.....groan! Hope this helps, PM me if I can assist further.

[MB_Boy]

I guess I could have googled the site but thanks!

Which model is it that you are referring to? I am assuming the "G Pack" ??

[kutenay]

Go to "military", it is the NICE frame, Load Sling and there are various packbags available, too. The neat thing about this, is that a hunter with family responsibilities, who just can't afford an expensive pack all at once, can buy this, then use it and decide exactly what bags/options he really needs; this is the most economical way of building the "outfit" that you need for the kind of hunting you prefer to do.

They tell me that they will not have green bags in stock until autumn, I don't care to carry the Coyote Brown bags they now have in hunting country as they are too close to Elk hide in colour. I may not bother with a bag as I have other packs, but, the options are there and are more versatile than anything else I know of.

[coastalcowboy]

That is nice.I went for the Eberlestock Just One pack.Two fat Muleys later and no regrets.

[boxhitch]

kutenay - I've read lots of posts of yours, talking up (or down) lots of gear. This one must be impressive, to get such high regard. What is the capacity/volume ?

[kutenay]

There is no volume/capacity as such, it is a packboard which will accept various packbacks specifically designed for it. You can also carry whatever emerg./hunting gear suits you in a large stuff sack and there are straps and buckles to attach this to the actual frame.

Dana Gleason, IMO, is a genius at pack design and his stuff is BUILT like a tank. I find his waistbelt designs work, for me, better than anything else I have used and this latest version is unbelieveable in comfort. Anytime a man of my age can slap 70 lbs. on his back and walk around in TOTAL comfort for almost an hour without a break proves that the pack involved really works This item is the best I have seen for that purpose and should last just about anyone a lifetime.

For some specific tasks, I still prefer an internal and for a few situations, a fullsize rigid frame such as a Bullpac, but, for most hunting, the MR NICE system is awesome, mine gets it's first "bush" trip tomorrow.

[Walksalot]

What would a packboard and bag weigh empty?
My problem is I hate those bloody straps. They make them with so much padding I cannot shoulder my rifle correctly. I hunt the back country and very seldom do I get a chance to take the pack off as the animal, alot of the time, is infront of me and it is all together to much movement. I have addapted wide canvas straps for my Trapper Nelson #1 but it is falling apart on me. I rigged up a #2 but it weighs 8 lbs empty.
I could use a lighter day pack but if I get an animal I want to be making the first trip out with a quarter on my back.

I just reread my post and am going to get some cheese to eat with my whine.