Do I need to buy a dedicated meat hauler?

[xziang]

I ended up purchasing an OLDER Alaskan pack which I had planned to haul meat out with and never used it but tried it for 'training' around home and it would have worked but wasn't the best. (Craigslist buy)

I recently purchased one of these which actually are on sale now for 99.99 which I plan to use for hiking around home with weight on it and will leave at the truck for packout if and when I'm lucky enough to down something.

Cabela's Online Store - Quality Hunting, Fishing, Camping and Outdoor Gear

Otherwise you have all summer to keep your eyes on CL and Ebay and HERE for dedicated meat hauler pack. (if you so choose)

 

[Frito]

I don't have as much experience as most of these guys but I've packed out a handful of elk, most of them not my kills all with the same pack. I just recently bought a smaller, lighter more mobile pack that will haul my first load of meat just fine, but I think I will purchase either the Kelty, or an Eberlestock F1 Mainframe to make the rest of my trips. It will be experimental this year to say the least, but I have tried on both frames and I think they would both be adequate for me. My only reason for not buying a frame by Kifaru for this is because I would only be using it once a year, maybe twice and then it gets hosed off and stored. As far as using the Kif frame for hauling and daypack duty, I'd rather not. I like my lighter hiking pack that I will use close to 50 times a year. To each there own. The 3 guys that I pack out with all have different preferences.

 

[matthewmt]

I don't have as much experience as most of these guys but I've packed out a handful of elk, most of them not my kills all with the same pack. I just recently bought a smaller, lighter more mobile pack that will haul my first load of meat just fine, but I think I will purchase either the Kelty, or an Eberlestock F1 Mainframe to make the rest of my trips. It will be experimental this year to say the least, but I have tried on both frames and I think they would both be adequate for me. My only reason for not buying a frame by Kifaru for this is because I would only be using it once a year, maybe twice and then it gets hosed off and stored. As far as using the Kif frame for hauling and daypack duty, I'd rather not. I like my lighter hiking pack that I will use close to 50 times a year. To each there own. The 3 guys that I pack out with all have different preferences.

I used a F1 mainframe last season and it was alright at least the right direction from Eberlestock, I realized quickly a gen 2 F1 with some refinements from Eberlestock would be nice (weight savings/options). Other down side to them are the bags that are compatible with the frame are heavy as well. The "little big top" is probably the best option or just using a dry bag or spike duffel IMO.
A friend runs a kifaru frame with a lid and pouches (not sure specifics) but it's pretty minimal for day hikes as well as light weight but plenty capable.

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[Frito]

I used a F1 mainframe last season and it was alright at least the right direction from Eberlestock, I realized quickly a gen 2 F1 with some refinements from Eberlestock would be nice (weight savings/options). Other down side to them are the bags that are compatible with the frame are heavy as well. The "little big top" is probably the best option or just using a dry bag or spike duffel IMO.
A friend runs a kifaru frame with a lid and pouches (not sure specifics) but it's pretty minimal for day hikes as well as light weight but plenty capable.

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It's good to hear experiences with the Mainframe. Seems that there are a few that are dissatisfied with it. I've always looked at the Kelty Cache Hauler and thought it would be a good option, especially the frame only for about $130. My wife won't flinch too much at that price. I'm honestly not very interested in the Eberlestock bags. They seem too busy for my liking. My day pack is a Kifaru 14'r and I think I will stick with that for 95% of my hikes/hunts and probably get a budget frame for the once a year stuff.

 

[zman]

Hello all,

I'm fairly new to hunting out west, and I'm not quite at the point where I'm about to head off on weeklong alpine expeditions in search of goats and elk. I will be hunting this coming fall, though, and I can hope to be carrying some elk pieces out of the woods, even if we're just two or three miles away from our vehicles.

I was wondering if I need to buy a pack frame like the Kelty Cache Hauler for that sort of thing. I've been backpacking for a long time, and the biggest pack I have is an 80 liter (4800 cu in) Mountainsmith pack that I actually really like (it replaced a Gregory Palisade, and I like it more). It seems to have a pretty stiff suspension and the construction is solid, at least by REI-type pack standards. Could hauling meat with an 80 liter internal frame pack be feasible? Is that too small, or am I just crazy to think this would be a good idea at all to use a non-hunting pack?

I'm not ready to spend much money, so I've kind of honed in on the Cache Hauler or the LL Bean Hunter Carryall if I decide I need to get a new pack. Someday down the line I can pass one of those on and get myself a Kifaru or Mystery Ranch pack, but not quite yet.

I ordered the LL Bean hunter carryall and then sent it back. It's not a bad pack but more suited to carrying treestands around versus backcountry use. I would save your money and eventually buy a kifaru/exo/mr pack. Don't dismiss the packs you find at REI or even better a used one from REI... they can handle a pretty lot of weight. Gregory and Mountainsmith make nice packs.

 

[matthewmt]

It's good to hear experiences with the Mainframe. Seems that there are a few that are dissatisfied with it. I've always looked at the Kelty Cache Hauler and thought it would be a good option, especially the frame only for about $130. My wife won't flinch too much at that price. I'm honestly not very interested in the Eberlestock bags. They seem too busy for my liking. My day pack is a Kifaru 14'r and I think I will stick with that for 95% of my hikes/hunts and probably get a budget frame for the once a year stuff.

Yes, they definitely are busy. For the price of the F1 it's not horrible but a little more and you could get into a better frame with better bag options. The waist belt was not my favorite either.
I don't have any experience with the Kelty but my paradox/SO 4800ci pack and frame when not carrying much can be compressed a lot and weighs nothing empty so I feel it works well on day or extended trips.

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[karibunisana87]

Thanks for all the advice! I'm going to load up my Apex 80 with 80 pounds and take it for a spin. I've really liked this hipbelt. It does have plastic stiffeners on the sides, which I've read don't work as well for super-heavy loads but certainly help out just fine for me at backpacking-type loads. The X frame suspension isn't the typical parallel stays that terminate in the lumbar pad, so I don't know but I'm thinking that might make load transfer not as great. Still, X frame suspensions are not unheard of on load haulers. Even if it's not for massive loads, NOLS has used their special Deuter Expedition packs for years to haul loads well above 50 and 60 pounds in the mountains and for long periods of time. The new Mountainsmith suspension seems influenced by the Deuter suspension, with the ladder-velcro style torso adjustment and all.

I also like the idea of a mean bag that hangs in my bag to keep the meat high. Not sure where I'd attach that, but I can brainstorm something. These packs are definitely designed for backpacking, not for hauling meat. I'm not sure how I feel about some parts of the layout of the pack (I've had it for a year), but I think the suspension and hipbelt are excellent. The shoulder straps are maybe kinda thin, but they are soft and wide. Goes against the Deuter tradition of super hard and thick shoulder straps. Not sure which is better. Still, I like some of the new Mountainsmith packs better than the Ospreys and Gregorys out there. It's a fit think, mostly, but I also like that the construction is great these days and the suspensions are solid. Not as many gimmicky suspensions and flexible perimeter rods that don't hold under a load.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Regarding the use of a hanging meat bag: You only benefit from the hanging aspect if your meat load needs to ride very high or if your pack doesn't have compression straps running side-to-side. My tapered meat bag has no attachments for hanging. I fill it with meat and then it goes on/in the pack with the pack laying horizontal. Then tighten the compression straps very tight to keep the meat load secure and distributed along the vertical axis of the pack. A blood-proof meat bag (you may need to seam-seal it) allows you to carry meat in your pack without completely blood-soaking the interior.