High and Low? Or High or Low?

[trophyhill]

How do you pack your meat when the work is done and it's time to head back to the truck from "5milesback"? High? Low? Or both?

 

[5MilesBack]

Whatever it takes........high, low, up, down, around........but I tend to be a "straightest point between two points" kind of guy.

 

[ElkNut1]

Most packouts seem to favor downhill. A little up here & there but negotiable!

How about you Dave?

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Newt]

I think he means position on his back. Lol

 

[ElkNut1]

Well, if it's about meat height I like it high without a doubt!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[trophyhill]

Newt. Yes I meant in the pack. Paul, The easiest pack I've ever experienced was about a half mile to the truck. All down hill.
Typically my meat ends up in the bottom of the pack. I haven't mastered Mike's method of up, down sideways, all around to make pack outs any easier lol

 

[FYT]

Get the meat/weight-distribution as close to your back/body as possible. That’s the key. Otherwise the extra force it exerts down and away from your body messes with your center of gravity and makes the pack feel heavier and more taxing.

 

[spike camp]

Use cylindrical, non-stretching game bags.
That’ll stop the meat from balling up.
Carry the weight heigh and tight to the frame.

 

[Beendare]

I like it right in the middle of my back...not too high...but not all balled up in the bottom of my pack like a sack of potatoes either. SC's^ cylindrical bag idea works good.

Dan Mchale made a load adjustment sling inside my pack to adjust the weight to the height I want- its pretty slick...keeps it from sliding down and balling up.

The one thing you notice after doing this for awhile...the shortest route when meat packing AIN'T always the easiest. /Grin....the easiest route is the way to go even if its longer!

...

 

[Newt]

I too like the meat as close and centered in the middle of my back. The weight is then transferred down to the hips, but even though it is transferred down there, you don't want it to be down there(I don't think) because it will constantly pull you backward. Too high up and it constantly pushes you forward.

 

[Wrench]

I like to keep it as close to my back as possible, as centered as possible and as spread out as possible .....do all three and it's pretty natural.

 

[MedicineMan]

High on the frame and as close to the body as possible.

 

[ElkNut1]

I've found it's either high or low. At any rate with heavy loads you start low & it gets lower, you start high & it gets lower. Distance & terrain shifts stuff no matter what on those heavy loads. I agree, close to the back is best. I like the Exo Pack where it easily allows pack separation from the frame in a hinge style to get the load right against your back like others mention!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Newt]

I've found it's either high or low. At any rate with heavy loads you start low & it gets lower, you start high & it gets lower. Distance & terrain shifts stuff no matter what on those heavy loads. I agree, close to the back is best. I like the Exo Pack where it easily allows pack separation from the frame in a hinge style to get the load right against your back like others mention!

ElkNut/Paul

Do you mean that if you start high you make adjustments on the way to bring the load lower?

The packing frame I used last time wouldn't allow the load to shift. Once you locked it in place, it stayed there the whole trip. The daypack I used to haul the first load out was different. It did give enough to allow the meat to slide down. I only used it for that one first trip out though.

 

[5MilesBack]

Newt. Yes I meant in the pack.

I've never put any meat "in" my packs. It's either on the meat shelf between my pack and frame with my SG, or strapped to the frame and resting on the shelf on my Bull Pac. I don't get too concerned with it......I strap it on, get pointed in the right direction, and I'm on the move.

The one constant for me though, is I cinch that waist belt down above my hips so that it can't slide down anywhere.

 

[ElkNut1]

Newt, if anything the load will need to be adjusted back up no matter your starting position. There are times that your load creeps down so you sorta hike it back up with both hands on either side of bottom of pack then you tighten load lifters a bit more to maintain that height. It's easy to do. When you travel through lots of different terrains & sidehill up & down while going over downfall you will see a load can shift it doesn't matter what pack you have!

The better quality packs will handle heavy loads best.

ElkNut/Paul

 

[Newt]

I see. The pack I was using was a homemade rig built on a Kelty frame. Once it was cinched down tight it did not move a muscle(little pun there). I made it to where you could adjust the bottom 'meat shelf' to whatever height you wanted(up to a point). And I had a flap on either side that cinched to the other side in three different directions. It was a fairly heavy hauling pack(compared to some of today's packs), but it worked.

But I can see if you put meat inside of a pack how it could shift some because there is not much of a way to provide a solid bottom for it to rest on except the very bottom material of the pack itself.

 

[ElkNut1]

Yes sir, I know that Kelty Pack, I've owned several of them in years past! Honestly there is no comparison from Kelty to the Exo packs. The Exo is worlds ahead of them. I've used both many times.

Here's a photo of the Kelty, notice after a 1/2 mile or so that the meat shifted on it & so Jerry tried roping the crap out of the load to hold it from shifting. Terrain can be a shifting killer! The other pack is the X2, no load lifters but look how secure it is! The Exo performs similar to the X2 but has load lifters & more carrying capacity at less hat a 4# pack!

ElkNut/Paul

 

[5MilesBack]

I just realized that I don't have a single pic of any packout I've done. Probably because by the time I get it all cinched down and ready to go.........I'm ready to go.

 

[Newt]

Yes sir, I know that Kelty Pack, I've owned several of them in years past! Honestly there is no comparison from Kelty to the Exo packs. The Exo is worlds ahead of them. I've used both many times.

Here's a photo of the Kelty, notice after a 1/2 mile or so that the meat shifted on it & so Jerry tried roping the crap out of the load to hold it from shifting. Terrain can be a shifting killer! The other pack is the X2, no load lifters but look how secure it is! The Exo performs similar to the X2 but has load lifters & more carrying capacity at less hat a 4# pack!

ElkNut/PaulView attachment 116992

Those are always great pictures!

My Kelty is not what your thinking. I stripped a boy scout pack down to the frame and belt. Then added two aluminum stays in a verticle fashion in order to, in my mind, keep some airspace between me and the load. Then I sewed some canvas cloth into a sling with wings on either side(I made the wings way too long). Then I put straps all over it - 2 each - horizontally(both directions), vertically, and crosswise.

So, when you have something inside of it, it was tight to the frame. It works well, and I think I will revamp my canvas material making the wings not so long. It got blood-soaked from hauling another guy's elk out and I just haven't been able to clean it very well, so it might be a good time to start over.

Here are some pictures that you might be able to see. I put a box inside the pack on the last one so you can see kinda how it envelops the package. I searched for some pictures of me using the pack, but they are all pictures of me from the front. It's hard to see, but the canvas attaches to the frame with 2 straps vertically, and two horizontally. Then there are 8 straps that secure the meat inside.

All this adjustment allowed me to position the meat just right, then cinch it down to keep it there. I really like the pack, and I'll keep it around to use, but the frame and belt just do not fit real tight to my body.