New Sitka pack

[RustyHazen]

Thank you. That is precisely what I was getting at. I will probably soon own a pack with a meat shelf, simply because there are becoming precious few options without them. I believe I was simply refuting a comment that a pack without a load shelf was "useless."

 

[JP100]

I talked with Bryan from AMO, who has used the Sitka pack during testing. he said it was ok.
So it must be alright.

I dont think a meat shelf is make or break, I have used only once or twice, yet carried packs around with them for a lot of hunts and never used them. To me they just like a piss around and difficult to get things set up on tough terrain I find.

For mountain game, most are not particularly 'big' in terms of meat, boned out meat is pretty compact and does not actually take up much space. I prefer one big bag with no meat shelf and have never had an issue so far fitting gear in.
For me Skins/hides take up way more space than meat does.

 

[Pronghunter]

I honestly don’t quite get how some of you are packing these elk out. I can’t seem to get pics to upload...but I usually pack out 4 or 5 elk a year. This idea of a pack being “difficult, time consuming or cumbersome” to use the meat shelve if purely from inexperience or never using one. They are beyond easy. Way easier than ever packing meat in a bag with all the gear. They are stupid easy to use.
Stone Glacier Meat Packing Tutorial - YouTube

 

[Sverimerica]

I honestly don’t quite get how some of you are packing these elk out. I can’t seem to get pics to upload...but I usually pack out 4 or 5 elk a year. This idea of a pack being “difficult, time consuming or cumbersome” to use the meat shelve if purely from inexperience or never using one. They are beyond easy. Way easier than ever packing meat in a bag with all the gear. They are stupid easy to use.
Stone Glacier Meat Packing Tutorial - YouTube

In training with a 60lb salt bag, before I did anything, I watched this video. Whether it is switching bags, adding a load cell dry bag, training with salt with or without a pack on it, I would say after watching this video one time and doing it one time, if I can load up the shelf as fast as Pete, anybody can. Super simple and easy. It takes more time, and is more akward to open up a bag and drop a solid load in than using this load shelf.

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[Trial153]

Just me. My days of unpacking and repacking my pack to try to fit meat in the bag it are over. I would end up with crap lashed all over the pack to fit the meat bag. a meat shelf does several things for me. First it easier, i can be loaded in minuteswithbout unpacking my bag. second the meat can ride higher on my frame then in my pack. Third its less mess and stink. Forth the meat shelf gives me more capacity when i am not hawling meat as well. A dry bag gets all my food and some additional stuff on the way in.
lastly i have deicated seperate shelf that i had pods8 make for me ... now when i get back to the truck or camp with the first load the bag comes off and the shelf goes on the frame....at that point load hawling is as simple and easy as its possible can be.

For anything bigger then a deer ....i want a load shelf.

 

[les welch]

I honestly don’t quite get how some of you are packing these elk out. I can’t seem to get pics to upload...but I usually pack out 4 or 5 elk a year. This idea of a pack being “difficult, time consuming or cumbersome” to use the meat shelve if purely from inexperience or never using one. They are beyond easy. Way easier than ever packing meat in a bag with all the gear. They are stupid easy to use.
Stone Glacier Meat Packing Tutorial - YouTube

You're going to pack 60, 100, or xxx#'s out per trip. Doesn't matter what the number is. If you're using the Sitka Mountain Hauler 6200, a Kifraru Fulcrum, or a SG R3 makes no difference because the pack will have more room then 99% of the people on this forum WILL carry. Whether you carry a partial meat load and a full camp load, or a full load of either makes no difference. I would be willing to bet not many want to carry the full camp in the bag, with a quarter between the bag and frame, out from the backcountry. Yes, for those who do, a meat shelf would be the best option. Also it's an option, that even if one has and doesn't use, isn't a bad thing. I've got a lot of packs with the option, and very seldom use it, and I might pack my fair share of miles each year.

Back to the OP's thread. The Mountain Hauler is a good pack, far from "another typical Sitka" pack, as stated by an uninformed poster. The Sitka pack is far different than the older Bivy series packs. Is it a Kifaru, absolutely not, it wasn't intended to be. Is it just a "Matchy Matcherson" pack, no, it wasn't intended to be. I've used it, I've packed weight in it. I would not be afraid to use it if I needed to. It does have some options that are pretty neat.

It's an all around good, well made pack that will come in at $600. There will be lots of them sold, and 90%+ people will be satisfied with them. Some will be happy because they match, some will be happy because they won't know the difference, and some will be happy because it will really work for them and do more than they need. Some haters will complain, just the way it is. There has been a lot of thought, effort, and testing put into the pack. It's good for customers, it's good for the industry, and it's good for Sitka. If ya don't like it, don't buy it, simple enough.

 

[Pronghunter]

You're going to pack 60, 100, or xxx#'s out per trip. Doesn't matter what the number is. If you're using the Sitka Mountain Hauler 6200, a Kifraru Fulcrum, or a SG R3 makes no difference because the pack will have more room then 99% of the people on this forum WILL carry.

Back to the OP's thread. The Mountain Hauler is a good pack, far from "another typical Sitka" pack, as stated by an uninformed poster. .

I guess I’m the 1% and I’m far from uninformed when it comes to the MH6200. I should have a biased opinion with this pack.. . ....but I don’t.

 

[les welch]

I guess I’m the 1% and I’m far from uninformed when it comes to the MH6200. I should have a biased opinion with this pack.. . ....but I don’t.

If you're filling up the internal of a 7500 inch pack, and then running a load of meat out, you are in the minority. I'll wager everything I own. As far as uninformed, in your first post it was your statement. Just another typical Sitka pack. That statement is far from the truth, hence my feeling you are uninformed on the new pack. Also as I said, for certain people a meat shelf would be the way to go, maybe that's you. Doesn't make the Sitka pack wrong for others though, as you state that it doesn't make sense to buy.

 

[DWP51]

Also, a meat shelf affords the option to separate your gear and the meat easily instead of having to stuff gear under & around your load of meat. Some like it this way some don't. The extra benefit is that in theory it becomes easier to keep gear and stuff cleaner, which again some like and some don't.

What actually happens in the field is a different story, and experience goes a long way towards how "easy" loading everything up becomes. To me a meat shelf might make getting the proper load characteristics squared away more intuitive. I have not used one yet, but I have packed out meat in a packbag before and it requires fine tuning. I have had to stop and redistribute stuff before and it is a PITA.

Hopefully with whatever new pack system I end up with this next season I will be able to utilize a shelf if I need to, and I expect it to be easier to configure the load well. That is why I am getting a pack with the shelf option. Do I expect to use it on every trip out that I have meat to carry? Nope. Having the option to expand if needed is worth it in my opinion.



Also, in regards to how the pack manufacturers pictures look on their websites when they have their meat shelf deployed and being used... Just look at the pictures of their packs stuffed full and looking all symmetrical and try to mimic that when you have the same pack full of your gear. Not going to happen. Pictures of packs being used in the field are a far more realistic comparison.

 

[Pronghunter]

Poor picture, but had 4 days worth of gear and food in the pack minus water coming out in the pack itself along with a deboned hind quarter in the bottom, deboned hinde quarter in the middle, and a deboned front quarter with both back straps and tenderloins in the top meat bag. Other front quarter and rib meat were lost due to blood shot. And rack stacked on top while hiking. Don’t see how you would ever put this meat in a bag even the size of this 5500 and still haul all your gear....and can’t see why you would do it any other way. The new Sitka 6200 pack is heavier than some of these SG and EXO packs and don’t have near the capabilities....
Imgur: The magic of the Internet

And Les Welch. You are correct. I should not have stated another useless pack because it is not. I’m sure that hundreds of hunters will get good use out of it and it is built very well with a neat design. But for me it just won’t work. I do apologize for my first statement

 

[Josh Boyd]

What actually happens in the field is a different story, and experience goes a long way towards how "easy" loading everything up becomes. To me a meat shelf might make getting the proper load characteristics squared away more intuitive. I have not used one yet, but I have packed out meat in a packbag before and it requires fine tuning. I have had to stop and redistribute stuff before and it is a PITA.

Hopefully with whatever new pack system I end up with this next season I will be able to utilize a shelf if I need to, and I expect it to be easier to configure the load well. That is why I am getting a pack with the shelf option. Do I expect to use it on every trip out that I have meat to carry? Nope. Having the option to expand if needed is worth it in my opinion.

DWP51,
The Sitka Mountain Hauler does have a load shelf for easy loading and proper adjustment of the meat; it's just internal. The load rides as close to the spine as in other packs where the bag separates and is intuitive to pack. Look for a full review and video of the new pack soon....like mid-April.
-Josh

 

[les welch]

I’m sure that hundreds of hunters will get good use out of it and it is built very well with a neat design. But for me it just won’t work.

This statement sums up my thoughts and probably is accurate for all packs.

 

[unclericco]

I bought my first Stone Glacier 3300 last year and packed an elk out with it. I had never used a pack like that before and it did work fine but I get confused with all the straps and properly loading it down I guess. Hoping I get faster/more efficient at taking it all apart and loading it the more I use it.

 

[Steve O]

I only spent some time fiddling with that Sitka 6200 at a couple of the shows I attended this winter. Compared to everything else Sitka has had pack wise it is HEAVY DUTY—the frame, harness and belt all were very substantial compared to say the old Bivy 45. It has a nice internal shelf to dump the meat/quarter into and cinch it all quickly right flat against the frame. Looks to me like it will be excellent for what it was designed; meat hauling.

 

[sneaky]

DWP51,
The Sitka Mountain Hauler does have a load shelf for easy loading and proper adjustment of the meat; it's just internal. The load rides as close to the spine as in other packs where the bag separates and is intuitive to pack. Look for a full review and video of the new pack soon....like mid-April.
-Josh

What's the stay length on this new pack? Couldn't get an answer to that at the Hunt Expo.

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[Josh Boyd]

What's the stay length on this new pack? Couldn't get an answer to that at the Hunt Expo.

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It's 26"

 

[md126]

Josh, How does it compress down? Can it be reasonably be used in daypack mode?

Whats everyones thoughts on the use of an internal shelf as far as breathability and meat spoilage? I haven't heard that mentioned as a concern but a lot of high end packs are water resistant which means they don't breath well. Might not be an issue depending on weather, distance to camp, etc.. but it might be in my opinion. Thoughts? Mike

 

[Justin Crossley]

I own Kifaru, Stone Glacier, and Exo packs and have hauled my fair share of loads in all of them. I have packs that seperate from the frame and some that don't. I think the design of this Sitka pack is very well thought out and will be another great option for people to choose from. Like Josh mentioned, look for his full review of Mountain Hauler to be published in the near future. It should answer a lot of the questions you guys have about the pack's capabilities and the areas it may lack.

Pronghunter,

If you don't have anything of value to add to a thread, keep it to yourself. You have been warned and the next time I see it you will be banned.

 

[DWP51]

DWP51,
The Sitka Mountain Hauler does have a load shelf for easy loading and proper adjustment of the meat; it's just internal. The load rides as close to the spine as in other packs where the bag separates and is intuitive to pack. Look for a full review and video of the new pack soon....like mid-April.
-Josh

I do understand that, I was referring to statements made earlier about an external meat shelf and its uses/strengths. Essentially I was echoing these statements made by Pronghunter:

"I honestly don’t quite get how some of you are packing these elk out. I can’t seem to get pics to upload...but I usually pack out 4 or 5 elk a year. This idea of a pack being “difficult, time consuming or cumbersome” to use the meat shelve if purely from inexperience or never using one. They are beyond easy. Way easier than ever packing meat in a bag with all the gear. They are stupid easy to use. "

 

[PNWTO]

Any scuttlebutt as to when we'll see reviews of this showing up? I really like what I've read so far and with a military discount this may be my new pack based on cost.

Given a guy like John Barklow and his background I'm sure this will be a fine pack to suffer under.