I have the best backpack

[DWarcher]

using the cash to buy a Dana/K2 External like Yellowknife's.

I have a DD Shortbed that I'd be willing to part with...PM me a fair price and it's yours.
-Dave

 

[phil]

Kelty Tioga, arcteryx Bora 40, DD Long Bed, Kifaru LH G2, KU 3700, KU 2200. All great packs. My favorites are the LH and KU 3700 with KU 5200 belt upgrade. phil

 

[vegas hunter]

I'm on the other end of these lists. I'm just getting started into this style hunting at age 41 and Rokslide has been an awesome source of information. I thank all you guys for sharing info with the group. I went with an REI Mars 80 this summer. High end gear is expensive and the pack will have to wait a year. I will say the Mars does a respectable job, at least up to the 65lbs I have carried in it while training. Hope i get to put a deer in it at the end of October and really test it out.

 

[Jimbob]

I have the worst pack

Read some great reviews a few years ago about the eberlestock j104. A few years later and now I have an idea on how to read reviews (or better yet which ones to disregard) and what makes a good pack. the j104 does not make a good pack.

I donn't have money to buy a new pack so i "fixed" the j104. The rifle scabboard was the real problem, so i cut it out. Then I just cut the whole bag off the frame. the I added some extra aluminum stays horizontally to stiffen up my new frame. Sewed up a load cell and purchased a dry bag from army surplus. The pack now carries a MILLION time better. Also if i have a full load I put my mattress up top the connect straps over the top and onto my shoulder straps which give me "functional" load lifters. I pack a small dry bag that weights a few ounces for day hunting and I'm good to go.

Here is a pick of the pack before i butchered it. 122lbs- a whole boned out moose calf, the pack felt horrible even at 40 lbs.

Here is a pick after all of my improvements. It is still far from good but it carries better than before.

 

[luke moffat]

Very cool improvements Jimbob....does look a lot better indeed. Wish I had the skills to do mods like that, but I'm afraid it wouldn't even be close to looking as good as your end product looks.

 

[badkneesbro]

Impressive ingenuity. Looks like you got some lift out of it. Great skills.

 

[sk1]

yeah id be screwed if i tried to fix a backpack like that........glad you could make it work

 

[hunting1]

Very cool! I really like the Eberlestock concept and have owned the J104 G1, 2,3, 105, and Blue Widow, but like you said it carries weight like a drunk hooker hanging on your back. I have spent wat too much money trying packs and at the risk of adding to the this is a Kifaru site, well worth every cent! My only other pack that I still have an use is I really like my Horn Hunter Full Curl packs. I bought a second one incase it goes away. Packs are such a personal fit thing like boots. It sure makes time out much more enjoyable having one that fits well though!

 

[hammer0419]

Very good work on the pack improvements!! Those over the counter "one size fits some" packs are far from good and some worse than others. I know these high end pack cost a fortune and do take some savings. However, once you first carry a high end pack...... it all becomes clear. They put giant padding here and giant padding there and that is supposed to make it comfortable. NOT! I remember getting my first Kifaru 13+ years ago. It was a Spike Camp. First thing I said was "this thing barely has any padding!! Low and behold it fit and felt like an extension of my body!!

 

[phil]

hunting1,it scares me that you know what a drunk hooker feels like on your back. Just kidding!! I love your analogy. phil

 

[hunting1]

Phil, sorry my explanation was missleading as I have no first hand knowledge of the subject (drunk hooker), but can imagine it would feel like a Just one full of meat or weight.

 

[Lawnboi]

Another kifaru guy here.... iv used a few others that i didnt care for. But the Kifaru is without a doubt one of the best pieces of gear that i have. Solid construction, carrys like no other, light, modular, adjustable. What more could a guy ask for.

Ill keep buying kifaru packs.... I have a t1 now. Will be getting a spike camp for day/weekenders. After that i should be good on packs for 10 years hopefully.

 

[phil]

hunting1, I liked your explinaition. Keep them coming. phil

 

[7mag.]

I started with my Marine issued Alice pack, then once I got out, I bought a cheap Cabela's pack, then lashed that to a cheap pack frame. I upgraded to a Nimrod pack (loved my Nimrod, as long as I wasn't carrying more than 35 lbs.), then tried out a cheap internal frame pack, I think it was a Academy Broadway, that wasn't working, so I ended up buying a used Mystery Ranch BDSB and I love it so far. Last week took a couple of days and scouted my elk and deer area, carrying all my water, which made my pack weigh in at 71 lbs. I did 10 miles the second day, and the pack held up very well, I didn't like it, but I can't complain about the pack.

 

[belly-deep]

Jimbob,

It takes some balls to start cutting an expensive pack apart. I admire your style!!!

 

[Jimbob]

I'm glad you guys like the changes. If you want the perfect pack I think you need to be able to do a few modification of your own. I have a few more ideas for that pack to make it even better.

Also I purchased a used G1 spikecamp and made some pretty major modifications. I have the weight down to 2lbs 6ozs and added 21" composite stays plus load lifters. I'll have to start a thread about the spikecamp mods cause it came out really good.

 

[Hunt'nFish]

Dredging up this blast from the past......

My first pack was a very small fanny pack w/ a bic lighter, a knife, and a couple Pay-Days that I used for day hunting & WWII pack board for meat hauling.
Then I moved onto an Alice ruck & frame, even making a couple custom slip-on pack boards for it.
This was my first foray into the modular pack concept, I had the ruck slipped on the frame but the ruck bag had it's own set of shoulder straps tucked inside. That way when we killed I could pull the ruck bag off the frame, slip that little alum shelf on, lash a load of meat on the frame and then hand the ruck bag off to my buddy/brother/Dad (none of which even wore a pack of any sort) to haul out the rest.
Then I experimented w/ a cheap ext alum frame pack. It was comfy but was just too tall and cumbersome.
After that I modified a Smart Rig fanny pack w/ shoulder suspension, adding buckles on the back of the shoulder straps to buckle on bladders bags, ruck bags for overnight gear, straps for hauling meat qtr's. That worked well for several years.

Then a buddy loaned me his Nimrod pack, and I fell in love. I got their Pinnacle bag, later added the bladder bag and then the Wilderness gear bag for 3-5 day trips. I liked the modularity of their system but never could wrap my mind a round their frame design. Noisy, loose and unsecure.

Then I played around w/ the Wilderness Pack Specialties packs. The owner sent me 5 of their packs to test and I ended up w/ two I liked that fit my style of hunting, which included a lot of riding & packing w/ mules. In the end I came away with a fondness for their Compact frame and adapted it to my Nimrod harness. Some mods to my nimrod gear bag and I could mount either Nimrod or WPS bag sets of the frame. So now with the stock I just pack my gear bag w/ my clothes & crap in the mule panniers along with the frame which is thin and slides easily in between the pannier bags and one of the coolers. The Pinnacle bag I just attach behind the saddle, and wear the base belt harness, which has all my day gear: radio, gps, binos, filter bottle, and kill kit, a couple bic lighters for fire, and 2-3 power bars. About all a guy needs to jump off a mule and set out on foot w/ rifle in hand after elk. I also designed a couple meat straps that weigh like 2-3oz that allow me to buckle an elk qtr on the back of the base belt harness. This gave me the ability to move meat to a better place to get at it w/ the mules w/o having to have the frame. All this means I hunt super light, but yet have the tools on hand to eliminated needless trips up out of the hell hole we hunt. The only problem w/ the Nimrod/WPS frame combo is the lack of good load lifters. The molle frames WPS uses are just too short for good load lifters. But they are light, short, compact and CAN haul ridiculous loads for short distances. SO it's kinda a double edged sword.

I also have the Oregon Pack Works "Whole Shebang" I don't really care for it due to the total weight, but I do like the "Orion" configuration. I had the Orion before buying the Shebang configuration from a fellow Oregon Rokslider on here. He'd modified the stays with the horz bars mod which I really like a lot. So I sold my original Orion to my hunting buddy and I kept the Shebang for myself. Over-all I really like the OPW design. In a lot of ways it's similar to the Bikini that Kifaru came out with later and both are built like tanks. Both are super airy and comfortable, both USA made and both have excellent warranty & customer service.

On last year's WA Rokslide Hike I got the opportunity to try on some of the Kifaru packs.
I really liked them for backpacking, but IMO they don't fit my style of modularity and mule use. They're just too tall, and if I go w/ the shorter 24" stays I loose the awesome load lifters. And since I don't really do that much back packing having stock, I haven't seen the need to change. But I still admire those K-Packs, particularly the Nomad.

Oh I should mention I have a large Barney style external freighter pack that I use for meat hauling when truck hunting. But again I rely on my Nimrod Base Belt Harness with it's 600ci back pouch and my meat straps to hunt with and get that first load out. After that, I don the freighter and go to work.

My idea of a rokslide is 4 hooves planted with me leaned back in the saddle.
So that's my pack history. For me modularity in the field is King.
Hunt'nFish

 

[Outwest]

I've owned a few packs but haven't had one that I just really love yet. Yet.....

Started with a Fieldline Pack from Big 5-Not much to say, pretty low quality, I think I gave it away to someone.

Then a jump up to a Blacks Creek Western Hunter. I think I was 14 and the waist belt never fit so I sold it. Solidly built pack with some harness adjustments but it just never fit.

After that I bought a Eberlestock X2. I thought this one would be the last one I would buy for awhile but that was silly Great day pack. I loved the tubular frame and it was able to carry some good loads but The harness was just too short for me and It was uncomfortable to carry anymore than 30-40 lbs.

I traded the Eberle for a Badlands 2200 (current pack). Super solid pack. Not crazy about the batwing design and its pretty heavy for its capacity. Will probably keep it around just for kicks because it has been pretty good to me.

And my next pack will be the Exo 5500. Really excited about this one. I know its still early but I have read only good things about them so far, can't wait to get my hands on it. Hopefully it will be here next week.

 

[Evoac05]

Hi-Tec Odyssey 65
Badlands Ultraday
Cabelas Alaskan Outfitter Frame
Kifaru Bikini with DT1
Kifaru Bikini with DT3

My Badlands and Cabelas frame were my go to packs, but it's going to be Kifaru this year. I need to spend more time with the Kifaru packs to see if I prefer standard or flat back (got one of each to try side by side).

 

[tttoadman]

Started with fanny pack to hunt with. If we got an animal, it was back to camp to get my Dad's vintage Army green board.

Got a Camp trails frame and bag to use for over nighters and packing back in the early 90's.

I got a Wilderness Pack Specialties "big" lumbar pack in about 1999. It has been my go to pack for all hunting until 2013. I could pack the kitchen sink worth of clothes and cameras with it, but it is not made to haul meat. I went for a few years strapping the WPS bag onto the top of the Camp Trails bag and i thought it was pretty good at the time. I have always wanted to support WPS because they are a local company, but I have not been very impressed with their equipment in the last few years.

Got a SG Solo in June 2013 and wow have i been missing out. I took what I have learned since then, and modified my Camp Trails frame pack to add load lifter straps. It has become a totally functional pack again, and weighs in with a bag at only 4.5lbs. I have some more mods planned for the Camp Trails frame to lighten it up a little and improve funtionality.

The best part is i got my kid to go deer hunting with me this year, and the Camp Trails frame fits him "OK". I don't have to spend a ton nof money to get him setup.

The only other unit I have looked really hard it is the EXO 5500. I understand the allure of the large capacity bags after Luke Moffat set me straight on a couple of my old ways.