Backpacking vs backpack hunting

[MuleyFever]

I want to carry the weight whenever I can. Its all prep for the big moment. I often take crap backpacking I don't really "need" just for the conditioning.

 

[Jauwater]

I've been using a Duplex Frame for both for bout 3 years now. I backpack far more then I hunt. I'm averaging about 500+ miles a year on the trail. I ran a 30L Osprey Dry Sack sandwiched between the Duplex frame and an HPG Aston Pocket for about a 20 day total trip on the AT this year. Even at full capacity I was lighter then most people on the trail, just under 25lbs. So you can still be, fairly ultralight, with the hunting frames out there. And that was with the Tactical Duplex Frame which is slightly heavier then the Hunter Duplex. I remove the belts though when I'm backpacking. As someone stated above, I have pouches/stuff sacks/pullouts for all my different gear so I'm not having to rearrange or reorganize all my stuff according to which season it is. Season to season most of my hunting equipment stays the same, but I even dedicated pouches, and sacks for small particular items for each season (whitetail/bear/duck/dove/coyote/small game). So I basically have a Duplex Frame/Nomad(which I use for hunting)/30L&20L Osprey Roll Top Dry Sacks(I typicallly use alone backpacking or in between Nomad wings hunting)/HPG Aston Pocket(used as a compression panel. this item is strictly used backpacking cause I need something to compress dry sack and it has pockets)/then a bunch of stuff sacks, and pouches organizing out all my gear. I can be loaded up for a backpacking trip or hunting trip in minutes notice, I like to live spontaneously.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[texag10]

I use just one pack for everything. SO Revolution frame with a fortress 4800 bag and 2 hipbelt pockets. ~4.5 lbs empty, comfortable with just a water bladder and some layers up to a sandbag and some weight plates or a bone in elk hindquarter.

I have other stuff I'd rather spend money on than packs, and the practice setting up and breaking down camp and getting the load in my bag just right is valuable to me.

 

[desertcj]

If I go backpacking just to go, or a fishing trip....I just use all of my "hunting gear" minus the weapon. I like knowing it's all dialed in for hunting season and it's the stuff I have anyways.

 

[ElkElkGoose]

I use my Kifaru Nomad pack for everything. Dayhikes, dayhikes to fly fish, upland bird hunting, coyote hunting carrying in my gun, photography trips, weekend hunts, weeklong hunts, foreign travel, etc. The pack and a large sea to summit bag to put between the wings when you need it and you are good to go.

I sold all my dedicated backpacking gear and can't stand seeing all the walking highlighters in the woods. They always wonder why they never see any animals....

Financially speaking, extra gear that isn't actually needed is what I call dead money. You could be investing it or putting it towards something you actually need. Sell it and in two weeks you'll wonder why you held on to it so long.

 

[Violent Hippie]

My 45-75 liter ski and climbing packs (currently a mix of black diamond and deuter ) are WAY lighter than my hunting packs and dont need to carry much weight so I usually just use a non hunting pack .

 

[blackpowderhunter]

I do a lot of backpacking along with back pack hunting.
When i got my exo pack, I was SO close to selling my osprey backpacking backpack to lighten up the gear closet.
Then it hit me...I do a lot of international backpack trips (patagonia, peru, etc), always going the carry on route, and did NOT want to deal with my pack having blood stains or gun powder/black power residue on them.
Am I being over cautious? Probably, but would rather do that than spend extra hours going through customs, especially with tight lay overs.
Domestically, sometimes I'll rock the exo for a weekend overnighter in the summer, just depends what Im taking.

 

[Huntingpreacher]

I just finished going through this same process. I'm taking my first backcountry hunt next month. At first I tried a Mountainsmith Apex and a Kelty Red Cloud since I already owned them and they both have 6000+ ci. However, once I loaded them to the 60lb range they were awfully uncomfortable on training hikes. So I started doing a lot of research on the dedicated hunting packs that have a good reputation for being able to haul heavy loads. I tried Kifaru, Exo, and Seek Outside. It may just be my body type, but the SO was far and away the most comfortable with 80lbs and up. And it was quite a bit cheaper than the others as well. I'm sure I could have made one of the other packs work, but I'm glad I tried all of them and found one that fit me. As to your specific question about having a dedicated pack for backpacking versus hunting, I'll still use my old Six Moons Designs pack for one night solo stuff since it weighs next to nothing. But for anything else, I'm grabbing the SO Brooks pack. Unbelievable how comfortable it is. I think if you find a high end hunting backpack that fits you well, it'll be hard to go with anything else. Good luck on your search.

 

[lapormobezz]

Thank you for your stories. I need a quality backpack. My backpack is already old and needs to be replaced. I want to choose the best backpack so that it is light and can withstand a large load. And I think I can trust Japanese quality or Swiss quality in this case. Actually, I liked your suggestions, I will look at the characteristics of these backpacks to choose the best one that will last me a long time. But I need another small backpack for cycling, which I do several times a week. I think I'll choose something from these backpacks https://coraandspink.com/best-backpack-shop-mens-womens-backpacks-vegan-backpacks/. What do you think of this?

 

[brsnow]

I'm sure I could get by with one pack, but I see no reason to. Why use a 6lb (or more) pack to carry 25lbs when a 3lb pack carries it well?
My hunting pack carries my gear well, but it really shines when carrying meat. No chance of that happening when I am just backpacking.

Esse quam videri

Seek outside, their packs are extremely light but carry weight and function as well or better than any other hunting pack out there.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Seek outside, their packs are extremely light but carry weight and function as well or better than any other hunting pack out there.

Already tried them, preferred other options but thanks.

Esse quam videri