Pack for Day Hunting

[Mike G]

Good morning. I am new to this forum. I am a midwesterner and haven't hunted the west for many years. My son took a job in Wyoming last year, and he now is eligible to start hunting. Initially, he will be deer hunting public land (which mean a lot of walking to get away from the roads).

I would very much like to get him a good pack for his birthday next month. What I'm looking for is a small to medium sized pack that work for day hiking and hunting. But in the event he got a deer down, I would also like a pack that could handle boned out meat and/or quarters without having to walk back to the truck for a freighter pack (even if he has to make a couple of trips). Would any of you be able to recommend a light weight day pack that could also double as deer hauler in a pinch? Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

[rcb2000]

Kifaru Shapecharge
Stone glacier Avail

Both good options, I have the Shapecharge and use it for day hunts, tree stand hunts, but it’s $400 now.
If I had to make the call today, I would probably go with the stone glacier.

 

[bigunit]

Mystery ranch pop up seems to be what you're after.

 

[sodaksooner]

KUIU Venture divide series. I bought mine on sale to use as a computer bag and am actually surprised at how good the suspension is and how stiff it is. Mine is the 2000 ci and I only paid $155 on sale. There are different sizes.

 

[Tick]

A frame pack in the 2000 cubic inch range from Exo, Stone Glacier, or Mystery Ranch. It will last and he can swap to a larger bag later if his pursuits change.

 

[SuperDUECE22]

K4 3600 Pack System

Efficiently designed for those that like to move fast and light. The K4 3600 is an ideal pack system for hunting adventures up to 3-4 days. The K4 3600 features an ultralight and ultratough carbon fiber frame, an integrated load shelf, and a personalized fit for ultimate comfort and performance...

exomtngear.com

 

[eaglemountainman]

Though I'm a big fan of the Pop Up 28, for your son's purposes, I would recommend going just a bit larger with the Sawtooth 45. That would put him into the Guide Light MT frame, which can handle heavier loads in more comfort. That's not a knock on the Pop Up. They're two different packs, designed for different applications.
The GLMT frame will also allow him to buy and switch to diffent size bags as needs dictate.
Mystery Ranch is not as popular on this site as some of the pricier options, but they are built tough as nails.

As always, I recommend finding the pack that's most comfortable, and fits best with weight, for his particular body.

 

[Mike G]

Thanks to all. I appreciate the feedback.

 

[realunlucky]

My go to is the Kifaru 357 mag.

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[N2TRKYS]

Kifaru Stryker XL or the Hellbender(I’ve used both). I don’t have any experience with them, but the Exo K4 3600 or 5000 looks pretty slick.

I started off and still use a Kifaru AMR(unfortunately it’s discontinued) for day hunts. It’s like a 7800cc bag, but packs down nicely.

The difference in weight of a small cc bag and a large cc bag ain’t much. But when you need the space it’s awesome.

 

[EmperorMA]

I’ve been looking for the same thing. Some nice choices for a daypack, in alphabetical order:

Exo K4 2200 (just released!)
Kifaru Stryker XL, Hellbender or 22 Mag
Mystery Ranch Pintler or Sawtooth
Stone Glacier Approach or Solo

The other thing you could do is go a bit larger so he has both a daypack and a weekend pack all in one. These would be nice to have if he needs to be out overnight or even 2-3 nights:

Exo K4 3600
Kifaru Bedlam or 44 Mag
Mystery Ranch TerraFrame 65 or Metcalf
Stone Glacier Col or Sky 5900

 

[Jake_B]

I’ve been looking for the same thing. Some nice choices for a daypack, in alphabetical order:

Exo K4 2200 (not out yet, but they have gift cards!)
Kifaru Stryker XL, Hellbender or 22 Mag
Mystery Ranch Pintler or Sawtooth
Stone Glacier Approach or Solo

The other thing you could do is go a bit larger so he has both a daypack and a weekend pack all in one. These would be nice to have if he needs to be out overnight or even 2-3 nights:

Exo K4 3600
Kifaru Bedlam or 44 Mag
Mystery Ranch TerraFrame 65 or Metcalf
Stone Glacier Col or Sky 5900

FYI - the exo k4 2200 is available as of last week

 

[GoDawgs48]

I’d recommend the Mystery Ranch Pintler. Having the frame will allow you to swap bags in the future as some others in here have noted.

 

[GunsAreFun]

Wait until KUIUs July 4 sale starts and get him one of their pack systems with a 2300, 3600, or 4000 bag. If their sales are like previous years, it will be about $400. I have found that the current version of their frame system carries VERY close to a Exo K4 for half the cost.

If he decides to get into overnight trips later on, he can buy a bigger bag for like $150.

 

[Skeezer69]

I like the Kuiu pro pack 3600.

 

[RgrLW2012]

I've had a Mystery Ranch Pop-Up 18 for about a month and couldn't be happier. I really prefer the lumbar-style compared to the daypack-type bags I've been using for ride, maneuverability in the woods, and accessibility while worn. The only thing you lose w/ some of the MR packs vs. a comparable Kifaru (Scout in this case) is pouch mounting options (limited MOLLE).

 

[jg1418]

Mystery Ranch Pintler

 

[HuumanCreed]

The Mystery Ranch PopUp would be my recommendation. Its very maneuverable in the woods and its not often done, but you CAN fit other Mystery Ranch packs on the PopUp Frame with minor modifications. Most popular has been putting a Pintler bag on the Popup Frame.

 

[eaglemountainman]

The Mystery Ranch PopUp would be my recommendation. Its very maneuverable in the woods and its not often done, but you CAN fit other Mystery Ranch packs on the PopUp Frame with minor modifications. Most popular has been putting a Pintler bag on the Popup Frame.

I didn't know that. I have a spare Pintler bag and a first Gen PU 28. Care to describe the procedure?

 

[HuumanCreed]

I didn't know that. I have a spare Pintler bag and a first Gen PU 28. Care to describe the procedure?

Not me, but this is basically how it is done. Mystery Ranch got wind that a lot of people are doing this so they basically add a modified Pintler bag and a small Metcalf to the PopUp frame and are calling it a PopUp 30 and 40.