I am looking to get my first bag and had decided on Reckoning since Fulcrum and many others looked too big for my needs. Several of you say it works well in daypack mode. Better to spend a little more to have a single bag that does it all? Trying to decide whether to save a little money and risk another purchase or buy the big one first. I am a rookie with no experience here.
This is one of the main key points that leads me to the reckoning actually. That meat shelf looked quick to set up. The weight of the meat would be right up on your back, and you don't have to move a bunch of crap around in your pack, or worry about all the contents at the bottom getting full of blood. The second key point is that I am not a fan of a water bladder inside a pack. I like the location of it on the reckoning. If it leaks, my pack contents stay dry.huntdoc, There are several key differences between the 2 bags you mention with 1 being the Reckoning having a meat shelf vs the Fulcrum were the meat is carried inside. The meatshelf function has never appealed to me although others prefer this function.
This is one of the main key points that leads me to the reckoning actually. That meat shelf looked quick to set up. The weight of the meat would be right up on your back, and you don't have to move a bunch of crap around in your pack, or worry about all the contents at the bottom getting full of blood. The second key point is that I am not a fan of a water bladder inside a pack. I like the location of it on the reckoning. If it leaks, my pack contents stay dry.
So tough to decide between these two packs....LOL
This is one of the main key points that leads me to the reckoning actually. That meat shelf looked quick to set up. The weight of the meat would be right up on your back, and you don't have to move a bunch of crap around in your pack, or worry about all the contents at the bottom getting full of blood. The second key point is that I am not a fan of a water bladder inside a pack. I like the location of it on the reckoning. If it leaks, my pack contents stay dry.
So tough to decide between these two packs....LOL
I already got the bag. Had a ship date of dec 8th and today it just showed up.
Looks nice so far, my frame is 2 hours away currently so I can't play much with it. I'm happy to see that it comes setup with auto lock buckles, everywhere. Stitching, fit and finish is also much neater than some of my past bags. Now it's going to sit in the box till spring.
You don't need a meat shelf to haul meat between the frame and pack.
The 2 bottom straps are all you need.
I am getting the Fulcrum, and will utilize the compression straps to allow the bag to pull loose from the frame sheet enough to haul meat there.
That is just my preferred way to haul meat.
The meat shelf is nice but not needed.
yepi had the little meat shelf rectangle deal for my highcamp. When it came time to use it, after finding out there's no way that all the bone in quarters were going to fit in the 4800 bag, i disconnected the bag, all but the bottom ladder locks, flopped it in, sinched it down and starts walking. After two of these incidents, i decided i wanted a bigger bag.
I like that i can haul meat on the fulcrum without needing to try sliding it through a top opening, or monkeying with disconnecting anything.