One pack for many uses

[Paul84]

Hey all,
I apologize if this has been beaten into the mud already but not really able to find the info I was looking for yet. I’m curious if its worth trying to find a pack that can be used for more than purpose? (ie: day pack and 3-5 day pack) I’m relatively new to overnight hunts and not sure if its worth getting one pack to fit several uses or just bite the bullet and buy two or three packs. Thanks in advance for the help.
Paul

 

[gorby]

Going through this myself and exploring a bunch of options. I would say go with a large capacity pack where you can switch the bag out for a smaller one if it is a pain on day hunts. If you want 2 bags and money is an issue, then I say go expensive on the big pack and cheap on the small.

Not advising on brands as I have not used enough to say what is good, but I am trying a KUIU Ultra 6000 for multi-day this fall as I want something light and an Eberlestock Mainframe for dayhunts/shooting as it is easy to strap stuff to and I like all the pockets mine has. I buy stuff used, so these choices were influenced by deals and availability. I also have the KUIU 1800 bag I will experiment with that fits on the Ultra frame.

 

[crmiller84]

I have several different sizes but I always seem to take my EMR2 from Kifaru. With a few different pockets it will do anything I want. It's a little stiff and bulky when empty, but that doesn't hinder me at all. Most of my use is either midwest whitetail or predator hunting (life keeps getting in the way of a western hunt) and hiking.

However, if you've got it to spend, having a lot of packs is nice sometimes!

 

[wekilldeer]

It's different for everyone but for me it's get the best pack your budget can afford or buy used if you want to save a little. Get a bigger bag for long trips that will compress well for day trips. Exo and stone glacier are exceptional at this. A Kifaru nomad would also be great with dry bags or smaller bags between this the wings. Good luck, many options out there

 

[Mt Al]

I had the same goal (one pack for 99% of what I'm going to be doing) and bought a MR Selway, love it, but every top end pack company has a great alternative in the 3500 cu in range, tough to go wrong. I went MR because they're close. A bit big for a day pack, can do a few nights by strapping things to the top, bottom and outside, can even put more gear on the load shelf.

 

[Paul84]

Thanks folks. I’ve been looking at the MR “cabinet” and can get it for a pretty good price right now. Just not sure how it will function as a day pack as that will be most of my hunts in the foreseeable future.

 

[couesbitten]

I have no experience with MR packs, but I would assume that much like the other top tier hunting packs, when loaded for day use, the extra space compresses down to nearly nothing and thus allowing you to have a pack that can be used for 3-5 day hunts, also being useful for day hunts. I have an Exo 5500 and a Kifaru Highcamp 7000 and use both of them for day hunts, but if I get an animal down, that same pack can be loaded with a substantial amount of meat, allowing me to haul a good portion if not all of it out in one trip.

 

[Paul84]

I’ve also been looking at the SG and Kifaru but know even less about them.

 

[Paul84]

I’ll keep my eyes peeled for something to pop up in the classified section here

 

[Mjw195]

Exo gets my vote

 

[Paul84]

Oh ya Ive been looking at exo too. Good packs aren't cheap, that’s for sure.

 

[Brett8133]

I use my mystery ranch metcalf as both it sucks down nice to nine a day pack but I’m using this yr as a 4-5 hunt pack .4200 cu in so I figured when I bought it it work for both .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[colersu22]

From my experience the exo 3500 and 5500 compress to damn near flat so you would have no problem with the 5500 for day hunts and multi day hunts. Now I have a Kifaru woodsman and mountain warrior and they both compress pretty much flat for day hunts as well. I seem to always reach for the woodsman though just because I like the bag layout but wish I would have bought the reckoning instead for more room on longer hunts. I do add pockets and a roll too pod if I need more room in the woodsman and it works good as well.

 

[muddydogs]

Thanks folks. I’ve been looking at the MR “cabinet” and can get it for a pretty good price right now. Just not sure how it will function as a day pack as that will be most of my hunts in the foreseeable future.

The Cabinet is a great day pack, its the right size for wearing everyday and will haul a load when needed. It's kind of small for anything but maybe a night or two camping trip and even then its going to be tight with gear on the load shelf. Sometimes the cabinet side pockets drive me crazy always flopping out when I undo the compression straps to unzip one of them but I have gotten used to this. The side pockets are nice and big, one side holds my not so needed gear and the other side will hold my 20-60 by 82mm spotter with room to spare. I keep my needed gear in the big front zippered pocket and the really needed gear like my headlamp in the smaller front zippered pocket so I don't have to dig to much for it. I have thought about getting a Pintler bag but I think the Pintler is just a tad to small and I wouldn't have the nice place between the cabinet pockets to slide my tripod, jacket or rain gear into.

 

[Desk Jockey]

I used a version of the cabinet for a while. iMO they can work but it required a lot of strapping the load and at the end of the day it just didn’t carry as well as a normal pack. It is hard to get stuff in and out of them and the loads will shift. Great concept. They work really well for bulky, awkward loads though. I still use mine as a training pack and to haul stands.

IMO, a pack like a Metcalf or similar size is the best if you are only going to have1. A bit too big for day hunting but they work. For me, 70 liters does 2-5 days pretty easy. Longer trips or colder weather can require a little bit of creative loading with the load shelf or added pockets but be done pretty well too.

If you are looking for something cheap I saw a sale on MR Glaciers for $200. That is a lot of pack for that price.

 

[Ross]

Another vote for exo3500 just big enough for short trips and lightweight and compresses nicely for use as a daypack.

 

[Paul84]

Great input...thanks

 

[jnordwell]

I picked up a krux evo frame and dry bag a few months ago and was in your shoes. Kept tossing the idea around about say 3300 for a day hunt to maybe a overnight... then read some reviews on the bigger bags compressing down a great deal.. then focused on that aspect about a big bag that would compress...to use for multi day hunts or just a big day use pack. So I settled on the stone glacier sky archer6200. Just the bag and frame comes in sub 5 lbs. and in what I would consider day hunt..comes in under 20 and that number is more like 15-17...Happy shopping

 

[Billy Goat]

Lots of variables. Depending on how much gear you carry depends on how much space you need for 3-5 day hunt. I like a pack where the bag will detach from the frame so you can load heavy close to your back, then carry bulky items further out. I use an exo 2200 and a 3500. I can day hunt with the 2200 and I'm able to pack quarters between the bag and the frame. Same with the 3500.

Everyone is built different. Try as many packs as possible. If you buy used and don't like it your usually stuck with it. If you get a good buy on it you can probably easily sell it for what you paid. But if you purchase from most of the pack companies they will except a return. This is how I was able to try many packs. The pack that carried the best for me the bag didn't detach. I didn't want to be putting quarters or hides inside of the bag or deal with trying to strap it to the outside. So I ended up with the setup that carried the second best on my back.

 

[handwerk]

My boys both have exo 3500s and like them fine, I also had one in the past and although it fit me OK I find when it comes to packing I much prefer the SG 5900 I now have, it hauls a heavy load great, yet shrinks down pretty small as needed.