3-6 Day Trip Packs

[jacobnicholas18]

Curious if anyone here has run multiple packs and can give opinions. I currently have a badlands 2200 and I love it, but it doesn’t work as a backcountry pack for 3-7 day hunts. Been looking at some packs in the 4,000-5,000 inch range. Been looking at stone glacier, exo mtn gear and mystery ranch. Any opinions or experiences out there?

 

[JD Jones]

I have a BL 2800 and got to say that pack is a big piece of poo compared to my stone w/xcurve. I have experienced mystery ranch in the USMC as well as outside of that arena with their hunt packs. They are ok but again SG is a cut above. I have tried kifaru… great frame but heavy package and to much going on for me. Also reminds me more of a mil pack. Again… Better than MR in my experience

No experience with EXO. Seem popular

 

[jacobnicholas18]

I have a BL 2800 and got to say that pack is a big piece of poo compared to my stone w/xcurve. I have experienced mystery ranch in the USMC as well as outside of that arena with their hunt packs. They are ok but again SG is a cut above. I have tried kifaru… great frame but heavy package and to much going on for me. Also reminds me more of a mil pack. Again… Better than MR in my experience

No experience with EXO. Seem popular

Thanks for the info. What makes the SG packs so great in your opinion? What SG pack do you have?

 

[JD Jones]

I have the 5900 and in my opinion it’s hard to beat for the 3-6 day hunt.

First and foremost the way the frame handles weight is where the pack stands out and why it’s a good fit for me. Every pack feels fine without load. Strap in 60# and packs begin to show their true colors.

Reason 2. I train with this pack year round and can attest to its durability.

Reason 3. Modularity. The 5900 is a great do all pack but the frame is where I place the value. I can swap from shuttle mode with no bag attached all the way to there largest pack with another 2000 while using the shelf.

Reason 4. Great folks to deal with should you need assistance or have any questions or issues with the gear they sale

 

[Taudisio]

Curious if anyone here has run multiple packs and can give opinions. I currently have a badlands 2200 and I love it, but it doesn’t work as a backcountry pack for 3-7 day hunts. Been looking at some packs in the 4,000-5,000 inch range. Been looking at stone glacier, exo mtn gear and mystery ranch. Any opinions or experiences out there?

What is your price range?

 

[handwerk]

Another vote for the SG 5900.

 

[taskswap]

I just upgraded to the MR Sawtooth 45 + Beartooth 80 combo. I haven't had a chance to use it but it seems promising for this kind of modularity. I have the lid as well and after a few test packings I'm pretty confident the Beartooth would have be covered for any length of time, not just a week - I could hike the AT with this thing. I have several other packs that i use for non-hunting excursions because they're lighter (and I don't need a meat hauler's extra weight) but it's hard to imagine using them much again.

One thing I would definitely recommend with larger (more expensive) packs is trying out putting items in them if you can test-fit one in a store. Seriously, grab some random gear from the store and shove it in there. The way most of these packs work with their frame and belt systems, they don't lay down on the ground very well. If you need to retrieve an item and it's not a rapid-access thing (like Chapstick you had in a front pouch) these tall packs can sometimes feel very clumsy and it's easy to dump items out on the ground. Pay attention to the placement of the smaller organization pockets and what that'll mean for how the pack behaves when you open it.

This is my one major complaint about the Sawtooth. I went with it anyway because the price and other features worked for me. But ALL of the organization pockets are in the flap. That means by the time you get your accessories loaded in those pockets, the flap now weighs a ton and it feels like you're opening a sarcophagus lid when you go to retrieve something - heavy and unwieldy. I wish they had worked more mesh-zip pockets into the interior of the bag itself.

 

[justinspicher]

I am not a SG fan, I don’t care for their frames. I had a 5900 but it was too tall for me so I gave it away. I am also not a fan of the Kifaru frames, but I do like their older internal frame packs. I have used MR packs almost exclusively for the past few years, specifically the GL frame. I have a modified CrewCab that sits on it and Ive used it for just about every outing that I seem to go on. I don’t have much experience with Exo, but the little experience I do have wasn’t bad, I just didn’t care for the rounded bottom of their pack, I wouldn’t sit up on its own. That drove me crazy. Ive never tried a BL pack, they just don’t look comfortable to me.

I have done a 15 day trip in Colorado and Alaska with my metcalf, and I have done a month in Alaska with a Marshall. Several smaller 3-5 day trips have been done here in Colorado, at different times of the year with my crewcab.

 

[Goshawk]

I’m in the market for my first “meat hauler” 4-5 days at a time for Elk. I’ve narrowed my search down to S. G. , or Seek Outside. Anyone with recommendations?

 

[Danny Hoey]

Curious if anyone here has run multiple packs and can give opinions. I currently have a badlands 2200 and I love it, but it doesn’t work as a backcountry pack for 3-7 day hunts. Been looking at some packs in the 4,000-5,000 inch range. Been looking at stone glacier, exo mtn gear and mystery ranch. Any opinions or experiences out there?

For more than a 3 day trip, I use my Kuiu 7200 and stuff my 3000 bag inside of it. Drop camp with the 7200 and attach my other bag to the frame. Works good for me.