Don’t know the Stryker but have been down the mystery ranch road. FWIW the styker is a better comparison to the MR mule than a pop up. Small bag + cargo panel on a full size frame.
90% of my hunting is NY and PA. Lots of day hunts. I bring more and more gear to stay warm and comfortable once temps drop. Sometimes a climber stand strapped to the outside or sometimes I haul in portable ground blind camo screens. Conditions vary but 2/3 of the time I am in a place where dragging a deer out solo isn’t an option. As you will see below, I tinker with my gear line up a lot...
I looked for the best “daypack that can haul a quartered deer” option for the last few seasons.
- I started with a mystery ranch crew cab, similar to the mule but one a NICE frame and more pockets. It worked fine.
- I bought a 26” kifaru fame and a reckoning. Added a woodsman bag but quickly decided I didn’t like the 26” frame and put it on a 22” frame. It worked fine.
- never got to a point that I preferred the kifaru fit over mystery ranch and I got a deal on a Metcalf. Sold my way out of the kifaru stuff and added a pintler to the stable. It worked fine.
- bought a pop up 28. It is awesome as a daypack and adequate as a meat hauler.
- I swapped out the Metcalf for a sawtooth on the newer frame.
These season, I used the pop up until it got so cold I needed more bag to hold layers. Switched to the 45 liter sawtooth sometime in November.
Both are great packs and there is some overlap. The pop ups are heavy for what they are but the feel much smaller and more nimble on your back. However, they don’t carry a load as well as a full size frame pack.
If you want a full size hauler with a small bag the go Stryker or mule. It you want a daypack that can handle the occasional heavy load them the pop up is a great option. If I only had one it would be the mr sawtooth for sure. However, since I have the option for two, I will stick with the pop up and will likely upgrade to the 38 L when it rolls out. A 30 liter bag just fills up too fast once I start hauling lat season comfort gear.