Eberlestock F1 Mainframe

[Ailaikdabuht]

I’ve heard so much positive reviews about this frame + batwings that I’m on the verge of pulling the trigger. But for due diligence, I’d love to hear some opinions on its disadvantages when compared with EXO 1800, SG Approach or a Kuiu 1800?


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[bsnedeker]

I have that frame. I use it when I want to put weight on my back when I'm on a treadmill. That is about all I would ever use that pack for. It has no load lifting capabilities whatsoever. It's also heavy. The only advantage to that frame is the cheap price in my opinion.

Do yourself a favor and get yourself an SG, EXO, or Kifaru. I would skip the Kuiu personally but some guys really love that frame.

 

[Bearwhisky]

Agree with the above post. Its built pretty damn sturdy and is easy to attach weird stuff to for training hikes, or hauling stuff in and out of spots like blinds, chairs etc. It does not carry weight very well at all. It can handle any weight your body can handle but it is not comfortable/distributed well. 50 lbs in my Kifaru frame feels about like 30 lbs in my Mainframe (on my hips and shoulders etc). That is a huge difference. I have the tall version of the mainframe which helps some with the load lifters capability over the regular size. But it still is not in the same league as my Kifaru. If you plan on hauling any kind of weight at all, I would suggest saving up and getting something different. If money is tight, it can handle whatever you throw at it...just less comfortable.


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[EastMT]

I trained for all my sheep and goat hunts in one with a 50lb bag of salt, hunted goats, bears, deer in one.

Good:
1-they are as durable as anything out there
2-modular accessories are extremely handy, rifle scabbard, batwings, duffel etc
3-very simple and fast to use
4-very quiet while hiking
5-Budget minded, batwings, dry bag and you are hunting.
6-I like the solid frame of an external with features of an internal

Bad:
1-load lifters are non functional and put lots of pressure on tops of shoulders
2-very narrow, can be annoying getting a large load stabilized
3-for large trips (7-10 days) room to haul camp, food, meat etc out can be difficult.
4-over 50 lbs isn’t as comfortable as the higher end stuff

All that being said, if you aren’t wanting to blow a ton on a top tier pack, can deal with some top of shoulder pain under large load, they are great. I have probably 1000 miles training with 50 lb sand bag in mine, several hunts, still looks brand new.

I choose barneys 99% of the just because I like the larger frames, mainframes work fine, just not the “best”. I absolutely love the rifle scabbard, and add one to every pack.

If they would just take a few pointers/complaints and take the top of the frame up 3-4”, add a little padding to the straps this could be a great all around set up, so dang handy. But they don’t seem to listen to us for reason.

Overall they are fine, if you are gonna be upset with a little shoulder pain, then spend the money and get a high end. If you are carrying moose quarters, get a high end. Smaller animals no problem.

 

[Ailaikdabuht]

Thank you everyone for the great input. It seems the consensus is that the mainframe does but carry weight well…which is kind of ironic as it was built to carry weight. I’m going to look into EXO and SG as alternatives


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[Ailaikdabuht]

I have that frame. I use it when I want to put weight on my back when I'm on a treadmill. That is about all I would ever use that pack for. It has no load lifting capabilities whatsoever. It's also heavy. The only advantage to that frame is the cheap price in my opinion.

Do yourself a favor and get yourself an SG, EXO, or Kifaru. I would skip the Kuiu personally but some guys really love that frame.

Why do you not like the Kuiu frame? I thought there were a lot of improvements on the 2019 suspension that made it more viable?


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[Ailaikdabuht]

Agree with the above post. Its built pretty damn sturdy and is easy to attach weird stuff to for training hikes, or hauling stuff in and out of spots like blinds, chairs etc. It does not carry weight very well at all. It can handle any weight your body can handle but it is not comfortable/distributed well. 50 lbs in my Kifaru frame feels about like 30 lbs in my Mainframe (on my hips and shoulders etc). That is a huge difference. I have the tall version of the mainframe which helps some with the load lifters capability over the regular size. But it still is not in the same league as my Kifaru. If you plan on hauling any kind of weight at all, I would suggest saving up and getting something different. If money is tight, it can handle whatever you throw at it...just less comfortable.


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Which Kifaru frame are you using? I’m having trouble finding a good one that can be slimmed down to act as a day pack, but expandable to potentially do 3-5 day trips


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[Bearwhisky]

Which Kifaru frame are you using? I’m having trouble finding a good one that can be slimmed down to act as a day pack, but expandable to potentially do 3-5 day trips


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Duplex lite frame 26” with Reckoning bag and Guide lid. Here is a pic of mine loaded with 7 days of late season gear, and a pic of it with a 50 lb bag of salt for training. It can cinch down really small IMO.

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[bsnedeker]

Why do you not like the Kuiu frame? I thought there were a lot of improvements on the 2019 suspension that made it more viable?


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I've never worn one, only put my hands on one. In my opinion, when you put the Kuiu frame next to a frame from say, Kifaru, the Kuiu just looks pathetic. I've heard they can really struggle carrying heavy weight and I'd believe it by looking at the thing....too flimsy looking for me.

Again, I have ZERO experience with the frame in actual use and I've heard a lot of guys on this forum talk about how much they love that frame so take my opinion for what it is worth.

 

[hunting1]

I like my Kifaru and my Kuiu. For comfort the Kuiu wins but when the 100 +-lb loads come in the Kifaru is KING!

 

[Ailaikdabuht]

Duplex lite frame 26” with Reckoning bag and Guide lid. Here is a pic of mine loaded with 7 days of late season gear, and a pic of it with a 50 lb bag of salt for training. It can cinch down really small IMO.

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That actually looks really good! I went online and watched some of the reckoning videos and it looks more and more compelling now.

One follow up question, say you have the Pack cinched down for day hunting, but needs to detach from the frame to pack meat. Does your equipment get disorganized in the bag because the pressure was lost from unbuckling the straps?


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[Ailaikdabuht]

I've never worn one, only put my hands on one. In my opinion, when you put the Kuiu frame next to a frame from say, Kifaru, the Kuiu just looks pathetic. I've heard they can really struggle carrying heavy weight and I'd believe it by looking at the thing....too flimsy looking for me.

Again, I have ZERO experience with the frame in actual use and I've heard a lot of guys on this forum talk about how much they love that frame so take my opinion for what it is worth.

Great input. I’ve never even laid my hands on one, so I have no way of comparing at all. Which pack are you using for day hunting + occasional 3-5 day hunts?


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[bsnedeker]

One follow up question, say you have the Pack cinched down for day hunting, but needs to detach from the frame to pack meat. Does your equipment get disorganized in the bag because the pressure was lost from unbuckling the straps?


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The answer is yes...but you are packing meat out...why would you care?

Edit to answer the previous question: I have a Kifaru 24" frame with a Dall bag. I like a big bag that cinches down so I can do everything with one setup.

 

[McCrapper]

I didn't have any shoulder pain as Coop mentioned but I'm sure if I packed out my deer a few more miles it could've been there. 50-60 pounds wasnt a problem. Concise review on his part and i largely agree. I like the simplicity of the pack, less pockets, you can slim it down quickly.

 

[Ailaikdabuht]

I trained for all my sheep and goat hunts in one with a 50lb bag of salt, hunted goats, bears, deer in one.

Good:
1-they are as durable as anything out there
2-modular accessories are extremely handy, rifle scabbard, batwings, duffel etc
3-very simple and fast to use
4-very quiet while hiking
5-Budget minded, batwings, dry bag and you are hunting.
6-I like the solid frame of an external with features of an internal

Bad:
1-load lifters are non functional and put lots of pressure on tops of shoulders
2-very narrow, can be annoying getting a large load stabilized
3-for large trips (7-10 days) room to haul camp, food, meat etc out can be difficult.
4-over 50 lbs isn’t as comfortable as the higher end stuff

All that being said, if you aren’t wanting to blow a ton on a top tier pack, can deal with some top of shoulder pain under large load, they are great. I have probably 1000 miles training with 50 lb sand bag in mine, several hunts, still looks brand new.

I choose barneys 99% of the just because I like the larger frames, mainframes work fine, just not the “best”. I absolutely love the rifle scabbard, and add one to every pack.

If they would just take a few pointers/complaints and take the top of the frame up 3-4”, add a little padding to the straps this could be a great all around set up, so dang handy. But they don’t seem to listen to us for reason.

Overall they are fine, if you are gonna be upset with a little shoulder pain, then spend the money and get a high end. If you are carrying moose quarters, get a high end. Smaller animals no problem.

Thanks for the great review. You covered most of the points I was looking for. Originally, I wasn’t sure how likely I was going to pack out meat as I’m still very new to hunting, so I wanted to go with something basic like the F1 to start out. But I still remember the pain from 5 day hiking trips with no hip support a few years back. Now I’m definitely considering investing in a more expensive pack right off the bat


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[Ailaikdabuht]

The answer is yes...but you are packing meat out...why would you care?

Edit to answer the previous question: I have a Kifaru 24" frame with a Dall bag. I like a big bag that cinches down so I can do everything with one setup.

True true. The Dall bag looks gigantic How does it compare to the reckoning?


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[bsnedeker]

True true. The Dall bag looks gigantic How does it compare to the reckoning?


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Yeah, it's a big boy! I haven't tried a reckoning, but I did try a crater (centerzip with one side pocket if I remember correctly). For my style of backpacking it just doesn't work. I'm a "jam it in the bag and go" kind of guy, so having all kinds of pockets and zippers for organization actually slows me down. I can never remember what pocket I put stuff in so I end up having to tear the bag apart every time I need something anyway. Now I just have a big open bag, I throw my stuff in order of how often I need to access (stuff I rarely need like kill kit and possibles goes in the bottom, stuff I need readily available like my daily food goes at the top). This way I always know where everything is....I sometimes have to dig a bit but that's pretty rare.

I think I'm the exception to the rule though. It sounds like most guys are way more organized than I am and like having different ways to access stuff.

 

[Bearwhisky]

That actually looks really good! I went online and watched some of the reckoning videos and it looks more and more compelling now.

One follow up question, say you have the Pack cinched down for day hunting, but needs to detach from the frame to pack meat. Does your equipment get disorganized in the bag because the pressure was lost from unbuckling the straps?


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I guess while it is detached it can get disorganized, but once you cinch it back down to stabilize the load on the meat shelf it will all be compressed just like it would be straight on the frame.


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[Ailaikdabuht]

I guess while it is detached it can get disorganized, but once you cinch it back down to stabilize the load on the meat shelf it will all be compressed just like it would be straight on the frame.


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Yeah that’s what I thought too. But I think all the packs share the same problem SG, EXO and Kifaru, so there’s really nothing to complain about. Thanks a bunch again for your input!


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[Ailaikdabuht]

Yeah, it's a big boy! I haven't tried a reckoning, but I did try a crater (centerzip with one side pocket if I remember correctly). For my style of backpacking it just doesn't work. I'm a "jam it in the bag and go" kind of guy, so having all kinds of pockets and zippers for organization actually slows me down. I can never remember what pocket I put stuff in so I end up having to tear the bag apart every time I need something anyway. Now I just have a big open bag, I throw my stuff in order of how often I need to access (stuff I rarely need like kill kit and possibles goes in the bottom, stuff I need readily available like my daily food goes at the top). This way I always know where everything is....I sometimes have to dig a bit but that's pretty rare.

I think I'm the exception to the rule though. It sounds like most guys are way more organized than I am and like having different ways to access stuff.

I like to say a bit organized, so maybe the reckoning could be a better fit for me haha. The Dall looks way too big for the time being, but maybe I can try it in the future. Thanks again for your input


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