How do you guys pack your j34 just one backpack for elk hunting

[ethan4895]

Hi I'm trying to buy a eberlestock j34 just one backpack and I was wondering how and what do you guys put in your packs

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[rbljack]

are you talking for dayhunting use, or what you would carry to pack in and stay a few days? big difference.

 

[ethan4895]

Well actually yes I'm gonna be staying overnight

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[rbljack]

I don't know how much help I will be, but I have an eberlestock dragonfly, and the Blue widow which are similar but not the same as the J34. I will start out by saying that I want to step up to a kifaru pack, but I was able to get both of these used for less than the price of one new kifaru pack. Im sure the kifaru packs are more comfortable from what Im told, but for now I have been running these. We (my wife and I ) just got back from our Mule deer hunt, and I used my dragonfly as a daypack each day and she used a badlands superday pack. Here is what I have been carrying in the dragonfly. Maybe you can take some ideas on what works or wont work.

I carried my GPS in one belt side pocket along with my reading glasses in the small zippered pocket on the front. On the other belt side pocket, I carry compass, mouth calls for elk or turkey, ammo pouch which holds 10 rounds total (4 end up in the magazine of the gun, and that leaves 6 extra rounds) and wind checker.

I throw my tripod in the dragonfly gun pocket, and stick my Vortex razor HD 65mm angled spotter in one of the tube pockets. I also cram my first lite puffy coat and an extra pair of wool socks in there with the spotter for extra protection. In the other tube pocket I carry my cook/fire kit, kill kit (includes bags, 25 ft orange paracord, and a havalon knife) , one days food, first aid kit and possibles bag.

Possibles bag key items include: leatherman, 600 zebra light headlamp, my titanium spoon and knife, headache pills, water treatment tablets, spare batteries for GPS, electrical tape, a few "hothands" for really cold days, etc etc.

TP always goes in the outer pocket of the tube pockets, ALWAYS. LOL...that way its easy to get to when you need it. First Lite rain jacket got crammed into the main bag pocket. Another thing that worked well for me is this; I always attach the horizontal compression straps first, and then the vertical strap. This allows me to get into a lot of the items in the pack without undoing all three straps each time. For water on this trip, I just stuck a water bottle in each outer mesh pocket. I have also ran a bladder in the designated pocket on the dragonfly, but I think the design may be different on the J34.

I will be adding a Kifaru supertarp which will be used for basic shelter to get out of the rain, stay overnight in case of emergency , etc. I should also mention that everything I have mentioned was packed into the bag without unzipping the main bag pocket. doing this leaves plenty of room we shot a mule deer I could unzip the main bag section. this would give me enough room in the bag to get all the boned out meat in there and carry out it in one trip IN THEORY. We haven't shot a mule deer to test this theory on though....LOL. Im sure I have left some stuff out, but that should give you a starting point. Get back to me with any questions, and I will help if I can. I am no expert by any means, but have used the eberlestock packs for the last two seasons and found a few things that work well.

Also, this was all set up for daypack mode. But, if you were to unzip the main bag pocket, I think there would be enough room to pack in a sleeping bag, small shelter, and sleeping pad to extend this to an overnight or 2/3 day set up.

here is a you tube video showing a guy on an elk hunt with the J34. he does a bag dump for ya, which may help also...
Eberlestock J34 Pack and it's Content - YouTube

 

[KurtR]

I just got back from Idaho and had just day hunt stuff in my j34. It is now sold and will have a kifaru with reckoning bag. Save the money I thought it would work fine but after a few days both me and the other guy I was with who ran the same pack came to the same conclusion the eberlestock just won't cut it. I had my tripod and razor spotter a jet boil and a kill kit my and a few other things shoulders hurt by the end of the day. I can't imagine what I would have felt like if I would have packed an elk out

 

[rbljack]

and I do agree with KurtR, my shoulders hurt at the end of the day!! If you have the money, get the kifaru. I had to buy 3 packs in one season. My wife, my son, and myself....so we ended up with the blue widow, the dragonfly, and the badlands superday pack, so the option I chose was more cost effective for me until we can upgrade.

 

[bitetnebullet]

I also have the dragonfly but pack a little different then most. I put my water bladder in the scabbard, kill kit including game bags in the bladder compartment. My water filter, gloves and sneaking socks in the small compartment below that. Tent and sleeping pad in one side pocket and sleeping bag and a light jacket in the other. Pretty much every thing else goes in a spike camp duffle and slid into the main bag. When I get to where I'm going I set up camp. I then pull out the duffle, zip the center zipper on the pack up, put my jacket, spotting scope on the tripod in the main part of the pack, my lunch in one of the side pockets, and I'm off for the day. Now to let you know as of last year this this pack lives on a Kifaru duplex frame. Both of my boys think I pack strange but it works for me.

 

[Takem]

I used an Eberlestock pack for for six years and it's tough to use for packing out elk. I would keep a pack frame in the truck for return trips. I'm on my third year with a Kifaru Nomad and as mentioned if you can afford it it's the way to go.

 

[rbljack]

I also have the dragonfly but pack a little different then most. I put my water bladder in the scabbard, kill kit including game bags in the bladder compartment. My water filter, gloves and sneaking socks in the small compartment below that. Tent and sleeping pad in one side pocket and sleeping bag and a light jacket in the other. Pretty much every thing else goes in a spike camp duffle and slid into the main bag. When I get to where I'm going I set up camp. I then pull out the duffle, zip the center zipper on the pack up, put my jacket, spotting scope on the tripod in the main part of the pack, my lunch in one of the side pockets, and I'm off for the day. Now to let you know as of last year this this pack lives on a Kifaru duplex frame. Both of my boys think I pack strange but it works for me.

Curious to know more about how you modified the pack to go on the Duplex frame...please explain and include a few pics. Also curious what the empty pack/frame weight ends up being when compared to an EMR2 or Reckoning.

 

[ethan4895]

Also I would carry my first aid kit water purification pills and a map compass and extra ammo and magazines for my rifle also maybe a rain cover for the pack

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[bitetnebullet]

First I took out the stays, took off the shoulder strap assembly, and cut off the lumbar pad. Now in the center there is a vented material, I cut that at the top of the narrow section. I sewed some 1" webbing across the pack just above that cut and folded a piece of hypalon material inside that pocket and that pretty much makes the sleeve to go over the frame. I did leave the plastic frame sheet in the pack because the pack is about 3" wider than the duplex frame. I found I like the older belts with two delta straps because with the upper strap the pack doesn't pull back against my shoulders with a lighter load. So I added a buckle to the bottom corners of the pack and one on each side about 8" up to attach the delta straps to. I also have the bag attached to the frame on each side about half way down. I took the padding out of the scabbard and cut the bottom of it off and then sewed it back up. This is getting a little long so I will end with the frame and pack with out the fanny pack weighs 8 lbs. hope this helps

 

[ethan4895]

I don't know how much help I will be, but I have an eberlestock dragonfly, and the Blue widow which are similar but not the same as the J34. I will start out by saying that I want to step up to a kifaru pack, but I was able to get both of these used for less than the price of one new kifaru pack. Im sure the kifaru packs are more comfortable from what Im told, but for now I have been running these. We (my wife and I ) just got back from our Mule deer hunt, and I used my dragonfly as a daypack each day and she used a badlands superday pack. Here is what I have been carrying in the dragonfly. Maybe you can take some ideas on what works or wont work.

I carried my GPS in one belt side pocket along with my reading glasses in the small zippered pocket on the front. On the other belt side pocket, I carry compass, mouth calls for elk or turkey, ammo pouch which holds 10 rounds total (4 end up in the magazine of the gun, and that leaves 6 extra rounds) and wind checker.

I throw my tripod in the dragonfly gun pocket, and stick my Vortex razor HD 65mm angled spotter in one of the tube pockets. I also cram my first lite puffy coat and an extra pair of wool socks in there with the spotter for extra protection. In the other tube pocket I carry my cook/fire kit, kill kit (includes bags, 25 ft orange paracord, and a havalon knife) , one days food, first aid kit and possibles bag.

Possibles bag key items include: leatherman, 600 zebra light headlamp, my titanium spoon and knife, headache pills, water treatment tablets, spare batteries for GPS, electrical tape, a few "hothands" for really cold days, etc etc.

TP always goes in the outer pocket of the tube pockets, ALWAYS. LOL...that way its easy to get to when you need it. First Lite rain jacket got crammed into the main bag pocket. Another thing that worked well for me is this; I always attach the horizontal compression straps first, and then the vertical strap. This allows me to get into a lot of the items in the pack without undoing all three straps each time. For water on this trip, I just stuck a water bottle in each outer mesh pocket. I have also ran a bladder in the designated pocket on the dragonfly, but I think the design may be different on the J34.

I will be adding a Kifaru supertarp which will be used for basic shelter to get out of the rain, stay overnight in case of emergency , etc. I should also mention that everything I have mentioned was packed into the bag without unzipping the main bag pocket. doing this leaves plenty of room we shot a mule deer I could unzip the main bag section. this would give me enough room in the bag to get all the boned out meat in there and carry out it in one trip IN THEORY. We haven't shot a mule deer to test this theory on though....LOL. Im sure I have left some stuff out, but that should give you a starting point. Get back to me with any questions, and I will help if I can. I am no expert by any means, but have used the eberlestock packs for the last two seasons and found a few things that work well.

Also, this was all set up for daypack mode. But, if you were to unzip the main bag pocket, I think there would be enough room to pack in a sleeping bag, small shelter, and sleeping pad to extend this to an overnight or 2/3 day set up.

here is a you tube video showing a guy on an elk hunt with the J34. he does a bag dump for ya, which may help also...
Eberlestock J34 Pack and it's Content - YouTube

Also I would carry my first aid kit water purification pills and a map compass and extra ammo and magazines for my rifle also maybe a rain cover for the pack

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Also I would carry a pillow case for some meat and my knives and a saw and some fire starters and some game bags

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[Schaaf]

Pack it in a nice box and sell it on Craigslist. Then go buy yourself a Stone Glacier, Kifaru, or Exo.

 

[castandblast]

I loved the concept of the J34 but in reality it just didn't work well. Carrying all the weight on my shoulders with no way to transfer to my hips sucked. It was a heavy pack to start with but on one trip after 7 days straight in the rain and snow it sucked up so much water that I came out heavier than I went in after eating all my food and without meat. I thought my partner snuck a rock into my pack.

I use the same concept now with a Kifaru Bikini Nomad/camp bag. Much lighter and more comfortable with weight.

 

[rbljack]

I loved the concept of the J34 but in reality it just didn't work well. Carrying all the weight on my shoulders with no way to transfer to my hips sucked. It was a heavy pack to start with but on one trip after 7 days straight in the rain and snow it sucked up so much water that I came out heavier than I went in after eating all my food and without meat. I thought my partner snuck a rock into my pack.

I use the same concept now with a Kifaru Bikini Nomad/camp bag. Much lighter and more comfortable with weight.

What is your total weight (empty pack) for comparison with the J34? I have the dragonfly and the blue widow, and haven't had an opportunity to put on a kifaru yet. I know my two packs are heavy empty, but was curious to know what the total weight of different kifaru packs come in at, once you add in the side pockets, belt pouches, etc etc... I am eyeing up an EMR2, and that new Reckoning Pack for my next upgrade

 

[KurtR]

I would guess a couple pounds but that is not what i am worried about. i want functioning load lifters and being able to put more weight on my hips

 

[Mischief209]

My blue widow was great intill you had more then 40ibs in it, then it just killed my shoulders and back. It about 8ibs empty so that sucked. Very tough pack. I've since bought a stone glacier. Night and day difference. I kept the blue widow and use it as my day fishing pack.