Mystery Ranch Scapegoat

[doncarpenter]

I checked the Mystery Ranch website about two weeks ago and somehow I got lucky and it coincided with the new Scapegoat being available for only a couple hours. It took about a week and a half to get the pack in my hands. For some reason, there isn't a lot of information on this pack, even on the Mystery Ranch website. Here are some of my initial impressions and specs not listed on any websites.

Frame height: The traverse frame is an HDPE frame sheet and two vertical parallel fiberglass rods/stays. The stays are 23" tall. The frame is vertically stiff, but till torsionally flexible. It handles a moderate load (40-60lbs)very well.

The hipbelt is superior to the MR livewing waistbelt comfort wise and at the same time is narrower. The powerpull system works very well.

I have a 21" torso so frame height was very important to me to get some shoulder lift. I am able to get the correct amount of the weight on my hips with the new traverse frame.

Previously I owned a MR bighorn (22") and MR dragonslayer(20"), both are fantastic packs but the scapegoat is more comfortable for me because of my torso length.

I should note that this pack is very spartan and if you like lots of pockets this might not be your cup of tea. There are two pockets on the top, I guess you could call it the lid area. There is also a water bladder pocket. That's it besides the two exterior water bottle pockets.

I am very happy with the pack. For me, it is the perfect daypack. I do wish that MR kept the trizip for this pack, but the horseshoe zipper is very easy to use as well.

Here are some pics:
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Here is a pic so you can get an idea of how narrow the hipbelt is. The belt on the right is a Kifaru duplex belt.

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[Olson]

Any chance of getting pics with the horseshoe zip opened up?

 

[doncarpenter]

Any chance of getting pics with the horseshoe zip opened up?

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[MT_Wyatt]

Don - could you (or anyone else) comment on why you like these smaller internal frame packs over the framed haulers?

To me, the smaller size is really nice, with the comfort of a more flexible framing system and less giant belt, so this fits the bill most months of the year......but......say I'm out for the day and put a deer down 3 hours from the truck, like I had last year......after trying this pack under weight, I think it would be fine. But not as good as my Krux frame.

I'm debating putting a SG daypack on my frame vs running the smaller internal stay route, like this bag, or a Tarryall, or 14'r.

Curious to hear why others like having a dragonslayer or other similar pack with internal stays, that requires you pack meat right in the bag.

Based on this thing's layout, you could do a boned elk quarter or whole deer, but you'd be hurting for room for any hear you had with.


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[doncarpenter]

For me, anytime I am hunting big game and there is a chance I could put something on the ground I use my Kifaru frame, its the most comfortable pack I have under heavy loads. That being said, I am not always the guy with a tag nor am I always big game hunting and I appreciate having a smaller, slimmer, and more nimble daypack such as the scapegoat for those occasions. Plus, now I know from having used the pack, it will easily handle some weight for an initial pack out. I think the tarryall or 14'r would be great packs and could probably handle the weight of a de-boned deer. I was actually going back and forth between the 14'r and the scapegoat. The reason I went with the scapgoat was I don't really care for the way Kifaru internals tend to barrel when stuffed full. I know many guys more experienced than myself will probably say that I'm just not packing right, which is accurate, I just want to be totally happy with a pack I'm spending 300-400$ on.

So, long story longer, I just like to have the option to downsize my pack if the outing warrants, because sometimes a large pack frame is too much for me.

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[Kevin Dill]

I prefer packs with internal stays/framing for daypack use and active hunting. Nothing slips along and hugs as close as a good close-fitting internal frame. My Dragonslayer is a superb daypack and has the ability to manage a heavy load beyond what is comfortable. There are times when I want to hunt hard and may kill something but have no plans to begin packing out meat. I will bring a hauler frame and put it to use for heavy duty packing chores. Horseback hunting/travel doesn't easily lend itself to a pack with elevated stays or load lifters. Horses will hug trees and scoot under branches that will snag anything above the horse's back. I know from experience that a low/close-riding pack is preferable then. Internally framed or supported packs have their place in hunting, and I continue to enjoy using them whenever possible.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Super helpful comments from you both, thanks for offering up your perspectives.


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[doncarpenter]

So I have been using the heck out of this pack, and I continue to be impresssed. I took it apart today just to see all the parts and pieces and the fiberglass stays are 22.5" long but the framesheet is 23" so when the pack is on your back it feels like a 23" frame.

After taking the belt apart I started to realize why its so comfortable. The belt tightens from two different points so it wraps my hips incredibly well.

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The hipbelt wings attached to the pack also fold out of the way behind lumbar pad really well for a fairly clean look for running the pack without a belt.

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[MT_Wyatt]

Mine gets here Monday, I'm super excited. The hipbelt is what sold me, their new lumbar/wrap is really nice.


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[MT_Wyatt]

Pack in hand I noticed three things off of the bat. I'd also add fit and finish is typical MR, top notch sewing, etc.

1) I would put that frame and belt's max load "rating" at 50 lbs. After loading it up in a few different increments, it seems like that's where you really start losing comfort (at the belt/lumbar). The waist belt and lumbar really work well together, the pack sucks down on the hip quite well......but I'd never want to pack meat with it, night and day difference from my SG frame, which was to be expected. So good scouting pack, but by no means a replacement for a hunting frame.

2) the horseshoe zipper is actually pretty awesome - you can just open the top like a top loader, or just open 1 side like my bigger SG Sky archer bag. Obviously you could just open the whole thing....point is, the zipper configuration is quite flexible with this setup.

3) With the frame sheet and vertical stays, it's very torsionally flexible, but vertically stiff. I'm 5'8" and can get quite a bit of lift out of the bag's 23" suspension. Much more than I expected; I could actually transfer almost 90%+ weight to my hips. The bag can skinny up to only be the width of the MR yoke/back pad. It's actually taller than you'd think a daypack would be.....which makes sense given the application it was designed for.

I'll add more to this thread as I use the pack more this summer, Don or anyone else feel free to do the same if you're putting a Scapegoat through the paces.


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[doncarpenter]

Good stuff MT_wyatt. I concur with the your conclusion that this pack isn't intended to replace a pack frame. But, I do believe that it will be able to handle the weight just not as comfortably. Hopefully you get some good use out of it this summer.

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[LBFowler]

Talk to me about the waterbottle pockets.

In general I like the new MR line, and I think they did several things better then their domestic line, but the bottle pockets seem to small for me, the old cordura pockets I thought worked quite well.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Talk to me about the waterbottle pockets.

In general I like the new MR line, and I think they did several things better then their domestic line, but the bottle pockets seem to small for me, the old cordura pockets I thought worked quite well.

Putting a nalgene in there for sure requires some volume out of the bottom of the pack - the bottom 1/4 of the pocket is reg Cordura, not stretchy. With the bag full, pretty easy for a bottle to come flying out of the pocket, unlike their water bottle holder accessory. Not sure that I like them.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Good stuff MT_wyatt. I concur with the your conclusion that this pack isn't intended to replace a pack frame. But, I do believe that it will be able to handle the weight just not as comfortably. Hopefully you get some good use out of it this summer.

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Although it doesn't feel all that great, it's impressive that tiny hip belt can stay parked with so much weight on it.

I'll try and post up some things I found taking it apart, the dual foam belt and the way the lumbar is constructed is really interesting.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Here's so more pics and info for anyone looking at this pack.

This shows the dual density foam setup they are using on the belt and lumbar pads. The softer green foam is against your body, with the denser black foam on the outside.

This is looking behind the lumbar pad. All of the MR hunting packs this year have a really dense foam diamond behind the pad - I was told this is meant to help keep it parked there.....interesting feature. An MR rep also told me the reason they don't use non slip material on their lumbar pads is to prevent chafing.

This shows the dual connections on the waist belt, one on the wing, the other to the bag.

To give a little more info on the bottle pockets mentioned, here's a nalgene in one. The bag does compress in when the bottle is slipped in there, I'd say about a 1/3 of the pocket volume comes from the bag.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

I did a 60 lb training hike with this pack today - I take back saying it's got a 50 lb limit (was using a kettleball on top of a sleeping bag that trip). Using a 40 lb bag of salt and 2x10 lb Dumbbells, the weight distribution was way better, so easier to balance between the belt and harness. The wings on the waist belt are starting to drop down off of the waist belt at this weight, even with it fully tightened down.

The side pockets stretch pretty well, they are taking less pack volume than before.

And I can't say enough about this new MR lumbar/belt design. It's ability to ride well and cup your hips is great when you consider the reduced belt size and foam. I'm not saying you're going to pack an entire mule deer with it, but it's great for what it is.

The structure to this pack is plenty stiff enough for weight, but I really like how flexible it is when it's on your back. It follows your body well when you twist, etc. I'm 5'8" so the 23" frame allows me some lift, which isn't going to be the case for everyone of course....


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[Kevin Dill]

I have to admit this pack intrigues me. I like clean, simple designs and very low fuss levels. I own a Dragonslayer and it probably has more miles left in it than I have...really like the 'Super Duty Day Pack' kind of feel. The Scapegoat looks to be cut from the same pattern of thought that went into my DS. I'm thinking about ordering one to evaluate. My new Pintler is superb.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

A few more notes after some more time with this pack.

Not sure if anyone has commented on build quality with their new Clark Field hunting packs, so I'll just throw out there the actual construction is very, very cleanly done. Supply chain.....well that's another story.

Ran 70 lbs in this pack last week, just trying to get a good feel for what I feel like it's top end is. This pick shows what starts happening once you get over 50; the waist belt wings and bottom of the back start dragging down. Note that the belt/lumbar is totally staying parked though. Those wings are flexible, unlike the guide light frame, which I see trying in the future given how impressive this tiny Scapegoat suspension is.

For comparison I ran 80 on my SG frame a couple days later. The thing that really sticks out to me is how much more secure that MR lumbar/belt system seems to be on my body, and that stiffener plate they put in their yokes really helps distribute weight across your back. When you get a lot of weight in this pack and start getting on those load lifters, those vertical stays can actually start to arc over the top of your shoulders. I've messed with the guide lite and it seemed to be the same way. All of that isn't a dig in the SG frame, just how the two compare on my particular body. And I absolutely love the SG bag designs, materials, and how the load shelf is integrated.

Last thing I'll say for now is the stretch Cordura on the inner part of the MR belts is extremely comfortable, and I prefer it to anything I've tried to date. It's super.

 

[doncarpenter]

I just posted an easy-ish add-on that works really well with the scapegoat, for anyone who's interested.

MR scapegoat compression panel
MR scapegoat compression panel

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[Trial153]

Great thread. I am really wanting either this pack or the 14r ....this info is super. Thanks