Woodshanger
FNG
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2016
- Messages
- 3
Hi, I'm new here, but not particularly new to the outdoors. I've been getting by with an Eberlestock Gunslinger II (the one before they added the external frame). It's a sturdy pack, but it's not exactly comfortable for heavy loads. I'm finding that much above 35 lbs can really hurt my back after a day of hiking 15 miles in the mountains. It doesn't seem to have a very rigid frame and I feel like a lot of the load goes into my shoulders and back no matter how I adjust it. Plus it seems to sit right on my butt and slowly reduces circulation to my legs (again, no matter how I adjust it). Also I'm finding that I just want more space - right now I've got half my gear strapped to the outside in DIY MOLLE stuff sacks.
Everyone here seems to have different opinions on the best packs (I've read through a lot of threads). So I'm wondering if there's anyone here who has used the Gunslinger and found it lacking, and could offer advice on what to upgrade to. Maybe the Gunslinger just isn't the right kind of pack for what I want and anything would be an upgrade - I've just seen lots of people speak favorably of them, but I can't tell if they actually use them as anything other than a rangebag.
Anyway, I'd like a pack that can carry 50+ lb loads relatively comfortably and is capable of maybe 100 lb loads for packing out elk. I'm figuring some kind of external frame. I'd also like a pack with comfortable hip straps and maybe replaceable shoulder straps (I'd be getting one for my wife too, and she has less room on the chest for shoulder straps...). I don't mind if it weighs a bit - preferably under 8 lbs I guess, though I'd love a light pack if possible. I'm not too concerned about the cost, so long as it's fairly durable (no $500 cuben fiber pack, please). I'm expecting somewhere between $250 and $500, but I'm not really sure what's out there.
Really, I'm just looking for the most comfortable pack which takes the load off my shoulders, which I can hike and hunt in for days/weeks straight in the mountains without getting some serious back/shoulder pain.
Any advice is really appreciated.
Everyone here seems to have different opinions on the best packs (I've read through a lot of threads). So I'm wondering if there's anyone here who has used the Gunslinger and found it lacking, and could offer advice on what to upgrade to. Maybe the Gunslinger just isn't the right kind of pack for what I want and anything would be an upgrade - I've just seen lots of people speak favorably of them, but I can't tell if they actually use them as anything other than a rangebag.
Anyway, I'd like a pack that can carry 50+ lb loads relatively comfortably and is capable of maybe 100 lb loads for packing out elk. I'm figuring some kind of external frame. I'd also like a pack with comfortable hip straps and maybe replaceable shoulder straps (I'd be getting one for my wife too, and she has less room on the chest for shoulder straps...). I don't mind if it weighs a bit - preferably under 8 lbs I guess, though I'd love a light pack if possible. I'm not too concerned about the cost, so long as it's fairly durable (no $500 cuben fiber pack, please). I'm expecting somewhere between $250 and $500, but I'm not really sure what's out there.
Really, I'm just looking for the most comfortable pack which takes the load off my shoulders, which I can hike and hunt in for days/weeks straight in the mountains without getting some serious back/shoulder pain.
Any advice is really appreciated.