Non hunting brand backpacks

[justinspicher]

I used to try and use non hunting packs and they always broke so I ended up using my ALICE pack, which also sucked. I tried a DD K2 short bed, but the bag came apart at the seams during a climb on Mt. Rainier. I almost had to carry everything down in my arms. Not impressed with backpacking packs.

 

[Wood Trekker]

I use a Gregory Palisade 80, and it works fine. It deals well with reasonably heavy loads, and has been very durable. By reasonably heavy loads, I mean weight that I can realistically lift by myself and carry for 10 miles. I'm sure at the very top of the scale, you will see differences between this pack and a Kifaru or SG, but for the weight I can physically carry, it's more than enough. I generally have very little hunting specific gear. I've been backpacking for a long time, so I'm comfortable with what I use. I've been looking at the SG Solo, just to save weight. The Gregory Palisade 80 is on the heave side of 6lb.

 

[Olson]

I used a Karrimor Sabre 60-100 for one season. It packed everything well until I had to add some deer meat in Colorado. At about 80lbs the suspension system started to be exposed as not great and my lower back was killing me. Recently purchased a Kifaru T2 and hoping for better results!

 

[krummholz]

+1 for the Gregory Palisade 80

I used one for a season and was very impressed with the comfort and load hauling capabilities. Packed out camp along with 1/2 a sheep and it handled it pretty comfortably. That was ~100 lb load. Got rid of it for a KUIU pack since I was looking for more pockets to organize my day hunt gear.

 

[Reflex]

I have the Mountain Hardware BMG 110 liter pack. I haven't carried really heavy loads with it yet (>60#), but have routinely trained with 40-50 pounds. It handles the load really well and couldn't be happier with the pack

 

[Techbrute]

Aside from the designed capabilities, some people care about where the packs are made. USA labor ain't cheap.

I realize some don't care, but I kind of like the idea that I could hop in my car and drive for about half a day to CO and talk to the man who sewed the pack that is in the room with me right now.

 

[LitenFast]

I have an Osprey Aether 70 that I have used on many backpack trips since I bought it in 2006, the thing still looks like new and this past fall it saw its first use as a hunting pack in CO on a weeklong bivy trip. It was plenty big for my gear and carried the 50# well, but the thought of filling my tag and looking at a pack weighing over double that has scared me into seeking out a Kifaru. I think like others have said MOST non hunting packs just don't have the suspension to carry big pack out loads.

 

[Bughalli]

I don't agree when folks say most non-hunting packs can't handle big loads. It's too broad a statement. Most hunting packs can't either. Non-hunting packs cover a very broad range of activities. So it's important you do your homework to know which ones are meant for the task. The key is to go with quality brands and know what it was designed for. A good large volume mountaineering pack will hold up to anything you can comfortably carry. Your legs will fail before it does. On avg a person doing a multi-day mountaineering expedition will carry more weight than 99% of the backcountry hunters. The nature of what they do means a lot of gear, cold weather clothes and equipment. Frankly the mountaineering industry was way ahead of the hunting industry when it comes to packs.

That said, do your homework and make sure you get one designed for the task. There's a lot of mediocre packs out there (in both industries). You can save some $$ buying used or catching a good year end sale. Pack technology doesn't change that much. But generally the cost of a good mountaineering pack is similar to the cost of a good hunting pack. You might find more deals for non-hunting packs simply because it's a bigger market.

I use an older, high end Northface pack. Internal frame. Back when their brand stood for quality. It was $450 new and I got it for less than $200 at their outlet. Solid pack. Carried many deer and a few elk out with it. Every year I think about upgrading and go look at the latest designs of hunting packs. There just isn't enough of a difference to justify the cost. Slightly lighter fabrics, nice camo print, but that's really about it so far.

Weigh your options and if cost is a factor then there's lots of things you can do to save money.

 

[Bughalli]

Another piece of advice....know the limits of your equipment AND your legs. More often your legs will let you down first. In my opinion, it's better to make more trips to get your meat out vs load up super heavy. I carried two small elk quarters out once and it was stupid because it wrecked my legs. They were totally done. I got aches, pains and cramps in places I didn't even know had muscles. I had to send two buddies in to get the rest of the meat. Had I broken the weight into smaller loads and done more trips I could have done it myself. Long way of saying.....just because your pack is rated to carry more weight, doesn't mean you should.

 

[RockChucker30]

I've had a lot of packs over the years and currently manufacture one. FWIW an old Bozeman made Dana Arcflex is a good value if you can find one on Craigslist or eBay at a good price. The Stillwater I had was the third or fourth best at 100 lb loads I've tried.

 

[Ramcam]

Deuter aircontact Pro 70 this looks like a very good pack for heavier loads .Notice the X bracing type stays.Half the cost of the name brand hunting packs

http://www.deuter.com/en_US/backpack-details.php?category=120&artnr=33843&title=Aircontact%20PRO%2070%20%2B%2015

 

[chevy_dog]

For a few years, I used a Coleman Peak 1 external composite frame backpack, shown here. It was $30 used and was fairly comfortable with 30 pounds of gear. That was until I shot a deer and had to pack him out. It nearly killed me it was so uncomfortable. While you can add as many pounds as you can carry to the frame and the frame will support it, the waist belt could not and by the time I got back to the truck, the stitching holding the waist belt to the frame was almost completely pulled free. I figure I could have only gone another mile before it finally gave out.

I bought a stone glacier after that and less than a month later, my packout with a mule deer was a breeze!

Coleman Peak 1:

 

[bigfish b.c]

i ran a old arcteryx 110 ,i packed some huge loads in it & it worked great,now run a longhunter for the last about 10years,just upgraded to the emr2,when i first started mtn hunting when i was a teenager i was rocking a trapper nelsonnow that was a challenge.i still have the arcteryx & use it for light summer pack trips,its comfy & fairly light for a big pack.