MR Pop up 28 or 38

[Stilllearning123]

(Repost because I posted this in the wrong category last time) Hey, all. I'm getting into mule deer hunting and am trying to pick out a pack. I will be doing day hunts and maybe a lightweight overnight, and a lot sneaking over ridges and crawling towards the deer, as I got a tag in Southern California. I was looking at Sitka's daypack, and it looked real good for stalking, but then I found MR's Pop-Ups. These could actually haul meat. So my questions are: how quiet are the MR popups, and would the 28 or 38 be better for my applications?

 

[North61]

The 38 is more versatile... You can get 2-3 days out of it while the 28 is pretty small unless you sleep under a bivy and eat like a bird. Pretty quiet but I am up in the Alpine.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have hunted one since they came out after casting around for 2-3 years for a pack that could handle day hunting gear and haul a whitetail. I started with 28 but it is easy to fill With layers in the northeast. I have done some overnights with my 38. I have also hauled loads of #80 in relative comfort. I don’t think it fully replaces a full size frame for multi day trips but it is a very capable hauler that folds down to a small footprint on you back In daypack mode.

as far as noise, I don’t think it is any more or less quiet than other nylon packs. I will say after a few years of trying to put the sneak on critters it is rarely my pack noise that gets me busted.

 

[CoStick]

I wouldn’t go bigger than a 28, with heavy weight of the pack there are much better options once you hit the 38 size.

 

[Drenalin]

Pack noise shouldn’t be an issue with cordura. I tend to agree with Costick above, but recognize the price point of the Pop Up is more attractive than stepping up to a full frame. I’d lean 38, simply because I don’t think most people could do an overnight trip out of anything smaller. Cue the dozen or so guys on Rokslide who overnight out of a Pop Up 18, lol.

 

[eaglemountainman]

I have and love the Pop Up 28. For strictly day hunts, it's perfect in my eyes. But I don't see myself overnighting with it. If I was looking to upsize so that I could do an overnight, I would skip right over the Pop Up 38 and look at a Guide Light MT frame with a Pintler or Sawtooth 45 bag.

 

[roosiebull]

I wouldn’t go bigger than a 28, with heavy weight of the pack there are much better options once you hit the 38 size.

I agree, the 38 defeats the purpose of the pop up… if going that big, get a full frame pack IMO

 

[Desk Jockey]

I agree, the 38 defeats the purpose of the pop up… if going that big, get a full frame pack IMO

I am going to take the other side of this. I hunted a 28 and now a 38. I also own a pintler. For a day hunt where I might haul, the pop up frame is much more compact. The 38 ves me nearly as much capacity as my pintler on a smaller more nimble frame.

I was hunting my 38 this am. Two rolls of cami blind material, a puffy and a kill kit made it pretty full. I liked the 28 but kept filling it up late in the season when I was carrying extra clothes.

I agree the pop ups are pretty specialized but for me, in a certain roll, they really shine.