Eberlestock J34 vs F1 Mainframe vs Alternative

[CMP70306]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

So I am currently in the market for a backpack for whitetail hunting here in PA. I typically do a mix of tree stand, ground sitting, still hunting and putting on drives, sometimes all in the same day. The properties that I typically hunt aren’t large but depending on our stands and drives I could be walking several miles with several hundred feet of elevation change then spending several hours sitting. We also have a nearby SGL that offers hunting on a few thousand acres and is comprised of a mountain with about 1000 ft of elevation.

I had previously tried the Big Trick, Kite and Gunrunner, they all had their pros and cons but none of them seemed to work ideally for my application. I’m keeping the Gunrunner for short hikes carrying my spotting scope and tripod or in turkey season but the Big Trick and Kite I’ll be putting up for sale as they just don’t work for me.

Ideally I’m looking for a back pack with a scabbard that I can carry my spotting scope, tripod and additional cold weather gear in along with some other smaller items. I have the First Lite Solitude set that I wear while sitting when the temps are colds but they aren’t great for walking so being able to carry them on the pack while walking in and out would be ideal.

This lead me to the J34 and the Mainframe. The J34 looks like it would be ideal, it has a scabbard, two large pockets for a spotting scope and tripod plus the large pocket that can be opened up to stow my cold weather gear. The top pocket and pouches on the hip belt would cover all the small items and the extra loops are there if I need anything else.

The downside is that apparently the J34 is being discontinued so that leads me to question if it is not a good pack or if something like the F1 provides all the same benefits but with more modularity. It seems like the F1 could be configured similarly but with the added benefit of being better for hauling heavy loads if I decide to pack a deer off of the mountain. Additionally I already have the EMOD lid that I got for the kite so that would cut the accessory cost down a bit for the F1 as well.

I personally have no experience with either pack and so any advice you all could give me would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Wildhorse]

Eberlestock discontinued the F65 which to me was probably the best pack they made that on an F1 with the bolt action rifle scabbard between would be perfect

 

[The_Dinkmaster]

Good Afternoon Everyone,

So I am currently in the market for a backpack for whitetail hunting here in PA. I typically do a mix of tree stand, ground sitting, still hunting and putting on drives, sometimes all in the same day. The properties that I typically hunt aren’t large but depending on our stands and drives I could be walking several miles with several hundred feet of elevation change then spending several hours sitting. We also have a nearby SGL that offers hunting on a few thousand acres and is comprised of a mountain with about 1000 ft of elevation.

I had previously tried the Big Trick, Kite and Gunrunner, they all had their pros and cons but none of them seemed to work ideally for my application. I’m keeping the Gunrunner for short hikes carrying my spotting scope and tripod or in turkey season but the Big Trick and Kite I’ll be putting up for sale as they just don’t work for me.

Ideally I’m looking for a back pack with a scabbard that I can carry my spotting scope, tripod and additional cold weather gear in along with some other smaller items. I have the First Lite Solitude set that I wear while sitting when the temps are colds but they aren’t great for walking so being able to carry them on the pack while walking in and out would be ideal.

This lead me to the J34 and the Mainframe. The J34 looks like it would be ideal, it has a scabbard, two large pockets for a spotting scope and tripod plus the large pocket that can be opened up to stow my cold weather gear. The top pocket and pouches on the hip belt would cover all the small items and the extra loops are there if I need anything else.

The downside is that apparently the J34 is being discontinued so that leads me to question if it is not a good pack or if something like the F1 provides all the same benefits but with more modularity. It seems like the F1 could be configured similarly but with the added benefit of being better for hauling heavy loads if I decide to pack a deer off of the mountain. Additionally I already have the EMOD lid that I got for the kite so that would cut the accessory cost down a bit for the F1 as well.

I personally have no experience with either pack and so any advice you all could give me would be greatly appreciated.

I have the F1 and like it for the most part. I dont feel like they had the best system for day hunts, but it definitely works for me. In a perfect world you would be able to attach the Bandit backpack to the F1 frame and that is what I would need as it offers much more compartmentalization than any of the other packs that attach to the mainframe.

I ended up going with the Batwings for the F1 and it does okay. I prefer more compartmentalization than they offer, so I ended up adding some attachment packs to the outside to compensate for that.

As far as the frame itself, it does a good job being able to haul a lot of gear and is very comfortable to wear. Not sure how it would do hauling all the gear AND a deer, as I have not had to do that yet (Im pretty picky about the deer I kill way in the backwoods for obvious reasons. If I want a doe/meat buck Ill kill it near the road lol).

 

[Gmr777]

I’d be surprised if the Just One gets discontinued, it’s probably getting a new version. They just came out with new versions of the X2, Team Elk, Mini Me and vapor bags this last year and all the previous versions were “discontinued”.

I have both packs. The F1 is definitely more modular and customizable but the Just One for your application and wants would be a great pack. Have carried heavy loads no problem and definitely has more pockets to store your gear around. I’d have no hesitation getting that pack especially at the current price. I’ve zipped into the Just One the dry bag to really give me a ton of storage on backpacking hunts.

 

[CMP70306]

So another thing I have been recently considering is the new redesign of the Team Elk pack. I could put my gear in a dry bag and sandwich it in the meat hauling section, the tripod could either go on the outside or in the scabbard, the side pockets should be big enough for my spotters and the new hip belt looks like a nice improvement with room for the smaller pockets for my assorted small gear.

 

[Gmr777]

Had to call Eberlestock today re my order so just asked about the J34 and not being discontinued just minor redesigns but not much changing. I personally really like the J34 and think for what you’re talking about would work great. Pouches work great on the J34 belt also.

 

[CMP70306]

Had to call Eberlestock today re my order so just asked about the J34 and not being discontinued just minor redesigns but not much changing. I personally really like the J34 and think for what you’re talking about would work great. Pouches work great on the J34 belt also.

Did they say what changes they were making?

 

[Gmr777]

Did they say what changes they were making?

He said minor things like the elastic exterior pockets that they’ve been doing and minor things like they did on the X2. Personally I’d take the existing one at 40% off and use that money to get some pouches for the belt and their dry bag and still have money leftover. I use the dry bag for hauling meat. Slips into the main compartment when fully opened and keeps the bag clear and super easy to wash.