I have the best backpack

[mtmiller]

I know everyone feels they have the best backpack made, but would like to hear about how you got to that pack, ie. what was the evolution to your current pack?

 

[Higbean]

...sorry didn't realize this is a Kifaru site.

 

[Becca]

Gregory Jade50-> Arcteryx Bora 60-> Mystery Ranch NICE 6500->KU5200....all good packs (I.e. never had a catastrophic incident or failure), but I have gradually moved towards the pack that carries heavy loads the best (for me) at the smallest weight penalty. For my body size and type and the loads I need to carry, the KU pack gets it done and weighs next to nothing.

Have also used GoLite Pinnacle and Granite Gear Vapor trail, which remain in the gear closet and are good for daytrips/backpack/scouting trips but aren't really my go to packs for hunting.

Also have used Luke's Kifaru T1 and DT1 with good results, but they aren't really "mine" so I don't claim them

 

[weaver]

I'm off to a good start. Duplex frame with cargo panel and 2 35L sea to summit dry sacks. It is not convenient at all but will get me through this year. They make pack bags for a reason.

 

[JG358]

Let's see.... It all started out with an old army ruc. Couple keltys, a badlands test drive, several eberlestocks, then came along a Kifaru ZXR. Next was a T1 that I returned for a DT1. Don't plan on adding to the list for quite some time unless I add a KU3700 to the arsenal.

 

[HellsCanyon]

Had a crappy Cabelas pack that I returned. Picked up a badlands 2200 that saw a lot of blood and i really enjoyed it. Hunted with a BC Barbarian 2.5 last year.
Bought a Gregory Palisades for backpacking and hunting. Then received my T1 this year and have been very happy with it. As others have said I don't plan on buying another pack for quite a few years! Though there are some great new options out there!

Mike

 

[dotman]

Had an old pack frame my dad gave me, eberlestock blue widow, eberlestock X2 and ku5200. Currently only use the ku for western hunts and the x2 for my local day or two deer hunts. No longer have the others but when I first had them, all of them, they were my best pack ever.

 

[belly-deep]

I have three packs, all for different uses. My smallest is a Sitak Ascent (overgrown fanny pack with shoulder straps) that I use for shorter day hunts or hunting on horseback. Next is a Badlands Hypervent. It is my medium pack; nice and light, will carry a spotter and tripod and can pack out a deer. My biggest pack is a Mystery Ranch Longbow. I also have a load sling for it. It is my backpacking/elk packing setup.

I tried a number of packs before settling on these three and I feel they are all about as good as I could want. Over the past 5 years, I bought and sold a Badlands 4500, a Sitka Bivy 45, and a Blacks Creek Canadian. Every one of the pack I sold were good, but not great. The ones I have now fit my needs pretty well.

 

[actionshooter]

I don't feel I have the best backpack out there, I hope there is a better one to be found. This is a list of what I have used in the last 20 years.
Cabelas external frame.
Lowe Alpine
Dana Design Arcflex Terraplane
Sitka 4500 (very short period)
MR Grizzly currently.

I like the MR, But I am starting to lean toward something lighter. Next is???

 

[fillthefreezer]

gamehide cheapy pack
wilderness packs bighorn
kifaru longhunter, like this bag but orgnization is a chore with no pockets to speak of...
maybe pick up a dt1 bag for next year

 

[ams]

I'm still on the hunt but have tried a browning pack (can't remember the name), gregory z65, kelty falcon, kifaru T1, ll bean carryall, and currently a dana design terraframe with some hillpeoplegear. I still have and love my kelty falcon for around 50 pounds or lighter. The T1 is badass and originally sold it to go to a DT1, just wasn't an option this season so I started looking around. I like the modularity of the hillpeoplegear stuff so far with the terraframe. I can day hike/overnight with the highlander and 4 days with the C25, highlander, and frame. I will be trying some of hillpeoplegears upcoming products but still want a duplex frame.

 

[JNDEER]

Field and stream walmart pack (rookie) >>>>> Camelbak Commander >>>>> Badlands 4500 >>>>> Eberlestock J34. (the last three packs are still in use).

Most everything was learned via online forums. Guys talking about pack concepts, etc. I than looked into different packs and concepts to fit my hunting style and found the last three on the list.

 

[Yellowknife]

Started out with a K2 (Dana Designs) frame pack when I was about 15 years old. Moved to a Dana internal, but it never fit that great, so went back to the K2 pack until I wore out the harness. It was a good solid pack, but hip belt tended to slip on me when over 80 lbs. Then I moved to a Barneys frame pack with the "Hunter" bag, which I really liked. The "floating" hip belt fits me well and cured the slippage problem when packing heavy loads. Traded that bag out for the larger "Pinnacle" bag, for a bit more volume, and ended up cutting and sewing on it quite a bit to fit my needs. I then moved the modified bag and the Barneys harness over to the old K2 frame I've had for 15 years. Nothing wrong with the Barneys frame, but the K2 was 10 oz lighter. So... After all these years, I'm still carrying the same frame I started out with.

Original K2 in 1996

FrankenBarneys 2012

Yk

 

[luke moffat]

Nice pack YK Please tell me those are the same hiking staffs in both pics!! They are sweet!

I started with an Arcteryx Bora 95, Mystery Ranch NICE 6500, Barney's of Alaska pack, and Kifaru T1, Kifaru DT1. All great packs in their own right but still have the latter two as they fit me the best thus far. Can't go wrong with any in the list. Its more what works for you at that point.

 

[Yellowknife]

Nice pack YK Please tell me those are the same hiking staffs in both pics!! They are sweet!

Sorry Luke, the stick in the second photo is about the 29th generation... I have them strategically located at airstrips and base camps around the state. A costly effort, but worth the convenience.

And yeah... that pack bag has starred on Rokslide before as I recall. It has a couple holes and patches on it now, but thanks for passing it along.

Yk

 

[Yellowknife]

Actually, now that I think about it my first pack pre-dates the K2. Even earlier was a original Trapper Nelson. No idea how old it was, but probably a 1930's or 40's vintage frame that I inherited from my great grandfather. Hauled many traps and a number of dead furbears around with that thing in highschool. I think of that Trapper Nelson every time I see a picture of a Mystery Ranch NICE frame. Nothing new under the sun as they say..

Yk

 

[ScottR_EHJ]

My first backpacking trip was in 4th grade with a pack that we borrowed from a pawn shop. It was an orange external frame that I couldn't even guess the brand. I have moved up in the world quite a ways since then.

1. 6th grade I got a Kelty Frame pack, and it turned quickly into my meat hauler as a teen.

2. Daypack was a cheap Walmart camo thing. I didn't have any money in college, so this was the way to go for a few trips. Terribly uncomfortable but I got tougher.

3. Badlands 2800- Bat Wing stinks on ice, paid way too much for way too little performance. Broke it several times and will never buy from Badlands again. So frustrated with that thing by the end of it's life that I gave it away.

4. Black's Creek Mossback Edition Bounty Hunter- Way too heavy, and provided me with just about zero shoulder lift. I liked that I could detatch the bag and have a daypack frame. By the end of this pack's tenure I had trimmed all of the compression straps, cut out extra material, and even cut the extra shoulder/hip harnesses off the bag to get it to a decent weight. I never broke the thing, so that is a plus, but it was built for someone 6'2" at the tallest. 135lbs of elk last fall was about all that I could handle. Pad ran flat on my back for the most part all the way up so I sweat like crazy.

5. Kifaru Duplex Frame with Longhunter Standard and Guide bags- Biggest selling points were the limited contact points on the back, proper shoulder lift from a 26" frame, and the ability to change bags on one frame. The limited contact points helped with breathability which means I don't have as big of sweat spot on my back. That in and of itself is a huge plus. The duplex frame also matches the curve of my back, and I can bend the stays to match it even better if I so choose.

I didn't like the top lid offerings so I added a MR Daypack lid. To save a little bit of weight I cut the shoulder straps off of it as the longhunter compresses down plenty for uses as a daypack.


I tried on a MR and quickly realized that many of the complaints that I had about the Black's Creek would be transferred over to the NICE Frame system including lots of pad and lack of shoulder lift. Especially if I used the Crew Cab or Longbow for shorter trips or as a daypack. I would like to try on a Stone Glacier just to see if I like it, but will wait for more reviews. Haven't tried on a Kuiu either.

 

[ohhiitznik]

I've had a few packs!

Eberlestock blue widow for starters then on to the
Horn hunter full curl system - loved this pack, great pack and very functional. I could have lived with it for sure but I'm a damn gear head and I hate it.
Kifaru T2- I loved this pack and it could haul some loads, but then the DT system came out and I decided to just go big or go home.
Kifaru DT1 with XTL lid- The pack I'll keep for as long as it will last me. This pack carried out a hiker who broke his ankle 4 miles and he was about 160 lbs + 35 lbs of my stuff.... True testament to the quality of stiching and materials. I have no worries ever about taking the Kifaru DT1 into the woods with me and being able to carry anything my legs will handle out.

 

[Becca]

This pack carried out a hiker who broke his ankle 4 miles and he was about 160 lbs + 35 lbs of my stuff.... True testament to the quality of stiching and materials. I have no worries ever about taking the Kifaru DT1 into the woods with me and being able to carry anything my legs will handle out.

This sounds like quite a story, I don't suppose you have photos?? Did you use the cargo panel or put him into your pack bag?

 

[thru-hunter]

This sounds like quite a story, I don't suppose you have photos?? Did you use the cargo panel or put him into your pack bag?

Nah, he boned him out... but still pretty impressive!