Budget bacpack ILBE vs

[Amac1989]

Have an ILBE gen 2, but haven't got a chance to use it yet. Wondering if anyone who has used it and other packs prefers something else, or can give insight here.

Looking for a pack that can:
Hold 3-5 days gear
Can haul meat, would be hunting deer and possibly bear if I see one.
Won't tear when I'm hauling back

I've read the ilbe can be decent but might need an upgraded hip belt and is also heavy.

Any suggestions for $200 or below budget?
Or what range do packs start to be worthwhile?
Thanks

 

[adamm88]

I had an ilbe and it was a good pack, bomb proof the waist belt was ok but it wasnt great. I timmed a ton of stuff off if it and got it weighing 6 1/2 pounds empty but i never could get it fitting me perfect. I sold it and ended up with a slumber jack 2.0, i think i got mine for about $240 from ebags. Its a much better upgrade and only a little over your budget. Check out the review someone posted on rockslide thats what sold me on it, its a heck of a pack for the price.


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[Desk Jockey]

For the cheapest solution I would hunt the ILBe as is. You can make it work fine. There are tons of grunts hauling fairly unpleasant loads with those and they get by.

I would think about upgrading the waist belt and shoulder straps if I wanted to spend some $$

For a really solid upgrade I would pick up a used mystery ranch nice frame on eBay for about $150. That thing will haul some serious weight and you can rig the ilbe to it very well. I have one, and apart from no load shelf and the pack bag being a bit heavy, it is a hell of a rig. I wouldn’t Hesitate to use it as a hunting pack on a trip like you describe.

Top shelf packs are a bit of an investment. If you use them often and long enough they are definitely worth it. I think the cheapest way to get into a top shelf pack is going to be buying used on here or another site. Mystery ranch is on eBay but it is mostly. Their .mil packs. Kirfaru and others are best sourced from the swap meets and classifieds on these forums.

 

[Fatcamp]

I am putting together a Molle II frame combined with a Kifaru Cargo Panel. For me, day hunts and maybe overnights, it is looking to be a solid choice.

Bought the pack off Craigslist for $25. The panel here for $100.

My other packs are Cabela's frames, which are light and tough, but I just hate them sticking above my shoulders.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I am putting together a Molle II frame combined with a Kifaru Cargo Panel. For me, day hunts and maybe overnights, it is looking to be a solid choice.

Bought the pack off Craigslist for $25. The panel here for $100.

My other packs are Cabela's frames, which are light and tough, but I just hate them sticking above my shoulders.

^^^^^This^^^^^. I have a ILBE Gen II pack and have carried a bunch of weight for miles in it. It does fine. I put a Kifaru belt on it I bought cheap. Even better with that. However, it does absolutely not compare to the MOLLE II Army ruck sack in weight carrying ability. As long as your torso is 19 inches or less. God Bless

 

[Amac1989]

So you take molle 2 frame and shoulder straps and detach the pack? Replace it with the cargo panel? Or does the cargo panel attach to the main pack somehow?
If just the frame and cargo panel, how many days camp can be stored in that?

Thanks

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Just use the Molle II pack bag. The important thing is the frame.

 

[desertcj]

I've been using a gen 2 ILBE for years. Bought it new off of ebay with the assault pack and hydration bladder and that has been the base of my backpacking system for years like I said. I've done some pretty serious hikes with it, the worst(Best?) was 15 miles in from the truck, pack was a little over 60lbs. After the first couple years I decided to get serious and I started cutting stuff off to trim it down. I also put a Kifaru waist belt on it which is really more comfortable. You have to be really smart about your gear though because you can fill it up in a hurry and then where are you going to put the meat you are hopefully packing back out? When I first started, I had the thing stuffed to the gills weighing about 70lbs and I'd go as far as I could from the truck until I realized "WTF am I going to do if I kill something?" Lol, I had so much junk and bulky gear that I had no place to put meat and I was doing pretty good just to haul everything and myself back to the truck! Good stuff...lol. Good luck

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

I put together a MOLLE based setup last year. It worked great for the amount spent.

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/backpacks/70719-budget-pack-build.html