complete heresy - one pack only

[mfllood3800]

So funny! Canteen on your belt, bdu pockets with snacks. Froze your butt off in the morning because you didn’t want too heavy of a jacket to lug later after it warmed up and when it did you tied the sleeves around your waist to carry it.

All true, I fell asleep in a snow drift one time as I made a cut out from the wind and woke up wet, cold and confused, at dark. Started heading out following the creek's direction of flowing. Problem was I was at an area where it curved 180 degrees in the wrong direction. I ended up several miles further away. I got chewed out by family when I finally made it back around 10:00 pm. I was 15.

 

[mfllood3800]

Yeah but packing out the meat in your pockets is a bit tedious.

heresy, we drug our white tails .
lol
I even thru a little guy and my shoulders once and carried it to my dirt bike where I set it on seat and sat on him the whole ride back to the cabin. Don't need no stinking packs. packs are for sissies. Don't be a sissy.
Wait.......... I have several packs now. But I am hunting elk. I did drag 1 spike elk with a buddy. Never again.

 

[Geronibro]

I love this thread @mtwarden. I’m new to western hunting but I am a minimalist by nature. A do it all pack that would work for backpacking here in the east with friends and backpack hunting out west is something I’ve been thinking about for a while.

I currently have a Kifaru 14’R for overnight camping in CT but I’ve been looking at the SO packs because of your decision to keep the divide.

 

[WyoKid]

Funny, that is exactly the same rifle I have. Gifted to me, used, as my first “big” (non-.22) rifle. I’ve looked around but haven’t found any reason to expand beyond that…

That is cool - I don't find many folks with the old Ruger M77s. Other than a trigger job to 2.75 lbs and putting a featherweight stock, it has never let me down. I've shot everything from prairie dogs to moose with it. And, I like the tang safety as it sits conveniently at my thumb for quick shots. Over the years I toyed around with the thoughts of a new rifle, a custom Tikka, Weatherby, Nosler or Christian Arms or going to a .300 Win or 6.5 Creedmore but there just was no real good reason to do so.

 

[BBob]

I don't find many folks with the old Ruger M77s.

I did one for a friend way back. Took a .257 Roberts out to an improved, bedded it and did the trigger. Fine little Coues deer rifle.

 

[wceatmon]

I love this thread @mtwarden. I’m new to western hunting but I am a minimalist by nature. A do it all pack that would work for backpacking here in the east with friends and backpack hunting out west is something I’ve been thinking about for a while.

I currently have a Kifaru 14’R for overnight camping in CT but I’ve been looking at the SO packs because of your decision to keep the divide.

Agreed, super fun thread. I ended up going with the SO Lanner when I was still living in NC. I've put more backpacking miles on the pack than hunting miles and have zero regrets. Decided to pair down the guns too before moving west and now just stick with the trusty .270 for everything. About the only place I don't use the SO pack is on the ski hill lol

 

[Kevin_t]

Agreed, super fun thread. I ended up going with the SO Lanner when I was still living in NC. I've put more backpacking miles on the pack than hunting miles and have zero regrets. Decided to pair down the guns too before moving west and now just stick with the trusty .270 for everything. About the only place I don't use the SO pack is on the ski hill lol

That is what the Flight is for .. I actually use them Ski touring a lot .. but I respect your one pack desires so no worries .

 

[wceatmon]

That is what the Flight is for .. I actually use them Ski touring a lot .. but I respect your one pack desires so no worries .

Send a Flight my way and I'll rock it at Mammoth every weekend this season!

Love your pack, thanks for a quality product!

 

[venado mula]

I'm not sure what prompted me to get down to a single pack- too many in the garage, striving towards some kind of minimalism, the "boss" telling I had too many packs , not really sure. But I am now the owner of a single pack.

The packs I owned I liked and they worked. I had a couple of very ultralight packs (sub 16 oz) for short/fast backpacking trips. But I'm finding myself doing less of those type trips, they were the first to get cut.

It got more difficult from that point.

I owned a couple of different "normal" backpacking packs- most in the 40-50-ish liter range. These were still pretty light packs, but had frames of some sort and carried typical backpacking loads much better than the frameless ones above. After several different packs, I finally settled on a Seek Outside Flight for "general" backpacking duty. Great pack.

I've been rocking a Stone Glacier frame (and a few different bags) for almost 8 years. I never even considered another hunting frame/bag they performed so well.

A couple of years ago I purchased a Seek Outside Divide for use outside of hunting season for winter trips (where I typically need more volume) and longer backpacking trips. I was very impressed with this pack, not ultralight, but light and carried really well.

The Seek Outside Flight while perfect for what I intended for it, wouldn't work for hunting and didn't have enough volume for winter & longer trips. It went.

So now did I have a pack remaining that I could use year round, including hauling meat when needed.

I know several guys that run SO frames/bags for hunting. I conferred with them, as well as several folks on this site. At the end of the day, I was convinced that my Divide could work for hunting.

My other option was to keep rocking the SG and use it year round. I know for a fact that it would have worked.

In the end, I gave the Divide the nod as it's closing in on a couple of pounds lighter.

Will I be regretting thinning the herd down to one pack, very possibly, but in the name of science I'm going to give it a go

Now I find myself eyeballing the gun safe- beware the man with one rifle

I ran into the same situation. I run one pack all the time. A Stone Glacier Sky Guide 7900. My hunts are no less than 7 days to 14 days and it will handle anything the horses and I can throw at it. Less is more when you are deep in my experience.

 

[Rwplummer]

I have a few packs, but when it comes to use, I am effectively a one pack guy. Kifaru Stryker. I can haul ladder stands, pack in for elk or mule deer hunts, excellent for day hunts, hauling sand bags around my local area, etc. It does everything I want, and does it really well.

My Stryker works great for me for everything I need it to do.

 

[Rokwiia]

Will I be regretting thinning the herd down to one pack, very possibly, but in the name of science I'm going to give it a go

No you won't.

The good news, as you already know, is you can separately buy a bag. I have the SO Gila that I use as my daypack and for an overnight. I separately bought a Unaweep 6,300 (bag only) that I can swap in and use for an extended trip in cold weather or when I carry a lot of equipment.

My first SO pack was a Revolution 6,300 and I was content to use that on all of my hikes except quick day trips with almost no gear.

Your Divide rolls down into almost nothing, as does my Unaweep, and the weight penalty compared to a small pack is 2oz-4oz. I'll take that all day long as it simplifies life for me.

Best of luck with your Divide, it is a great pack.

 

[The Ri Guy]

I've been using one pack, one rifle for 7 years with no issues Antelope-Moose, kills them all. I will add though I do have a spare identical rifle, and an old pack as back up, just in case.

Got you beat -- over 8 years on my SG pack (bought it back when Schnee's was the place to buy them) and over 10 years on my Tikka T3X.

They do the job every season...why fix it if it ain't broken?

 

[justinspicher]

This past weekend I realized I needed to modify my one pack. I have a MR crew cab and those wings are driving me crazy. I find them to be useless in my travels and if I do try to use them they catch on everything. So, with this in mind I’m going to have them professionally removed.

 

[NorthIDHunter]

That is cool - I don't find many folks with the old Ruger M77s. Other than a trigger job to 2.75 lbs and putting a featherweight stock, it has never let me down. I've shot everything from prairie dogs to moose with it. And, I like the tang safety as it sits conveniently at my thumb for quick shots. Over the years I toyed around with the thoughts of a new rifle, a custom Tikka, Weatherby, Nosler or Christian Arms or going to a .300 Win or 6.5 Creedmore but there just was no real good reason to do so.

My dad has one, .300 win mag, killed my first decent buck with it. Paired with a Vari-X 6.5-20 its quite the rifle

 

[Krem]

I love looking at gear but I hate paying for it. I'm cheap bastard but I've learned the ol buy once cry once. Still debating on a bag, I'm just getting into back country hunting but seems like the sg 5900 checks all the boxes just $$$.

 

[mtwarden]

Put the Divide through it's paces on a tough eight day outing; lots of off-trail and scrambling that I'm sure an internal frame would have been better suited, but the pack did fine.

 

[CMF]

@mtwarden How has the Divide performed over the last two seasons?

 

[mtwarden]

@mtwarden How has the Divide performed over the last two seasons?

I’m using the Divide mainly for winter and long backpacking trips.

I’ve since added their Revolution panel which converts the frame to a breakaway. I bought their biggest breakaway bag, the Goshawk 6300 and used that on a 10 day sheep hunt. Left it that way for deer/elk season.

I’m happy with it.

 

[roosiebull]

I'm not sure what prompted me to get down to a single pack- too many in the garage, striving towards some kind of minimalism, the "boss" telling I had too many packs , not really sure. But I am now the owner of a single pack.

The packs I owned I liked and they worked. I had a couple of very ultralight packs (sub 16 oz) for short/fast backpacking trips. But I'm finding myself doing less of those type trips, they were the first to get cut.

It got more difficult from that point.

I owned a couple of different "normal" backpacking packs- most in the 40-50-ish liter range. These were still pretty light packs, but had frames of some sort and carried typical backpacking loads much better than the frameless ones above. After several different packs, I finally settled on a Seek Outside Flight for "general" backpacking duty. Great pack.

I've been rocking a Stone Glacier frame (and a few different bags) for almost 8 years. I never even considered another hunting frame/bag they performed so well.

A couple of years ago I purchased a Seek Outside Divide for use outside of hunting season for winter trips (where I typically need more volume) and longer backpacking trips. I was very impressed with this pack, not ultralight, but light and carried really well.

The Seek Outside Flight while perfect for what I intended for it, wouldn't work for hunting and didn't have enough volume for winter & longer trips. It went.

So now did I have a pack remaining that I could use year round, including hauling meat when needed.

I know several guys that run SO frames/bags for hunting. I conferred with them, as well as several folks on this site. At the end of the day, I was convinced that my Divide could work for hunting.

My other option was to keep rocking the SG and use it year round. I know for a fact that it would have worked.

In the end, I gave the Divide the nod as it's closing in on a couple of pounds lighter.

Will I be regretting thinning the herd down to one pack, very possibly, but in the name of science I'm going to give it a go

Now I find myself eyeballing the gun safe- beware the man with one rifle

I like streamlining things, but there has to be limitations! One rifle is certainly doable for me, but I’m not that practical, I like guns… especially new ones

Packs, I have always been a one pack guy, even when I have owned several at once, I still only use one. Currently have a k2, pop up 18, and a k4, I like the k4 too much to use anything else. I plan to give my pop up to a friend, and there is just no reason to sell the k2, I would rather keep it than the money it would yield. I’m sure at some point I will meet some young hunter that’s not wealthy and give it away, but besides that, I’ll just hold onto it… don’t need a backup, but I guess that’s my justification

I only own one compound currently, and it’s 3-4yrs old, but I know a new bow is pointless, won’t be faster, won’t be more accurate, it will just be unfamiliar, and that’s more of a con than pro

I like simple and streamlined, but I also like guns… packs, one solid system is all I need/want

 

[CMF]

I’m using the Divide mainly for winter and long backpacking trips.

So the Divide never made it on a hunt? Just curious how it would do hauling meat, etc.
Whats the total weight of the Goshawk pack?