pack frame

[mrolen]

hey guys im looking into getting a larger pack and im thinking of going with a pack frame I have only used a pack frame once and it seemed all right i did not have a lot of weight on it so im just looking for some pros and cons from you guys.

This is the pack im looking at http://www.cabelas.com/product/Cabelas-Alaskan-II-Pack-and-Frame/1229744.uts does anyone have info on this pack specifically?

This will be for solo trips into the back country for up to four days and hopefully carrying some weight on the way out!

I am on a tight budget but i dont want to buy crap if you have any other suggestion that would be great thanks!

 

[Tanner]

I've got one of those and for your intended purpose it'll work just fine. They are a damn good value for the price.

You'll probably get lots of recommendations for stuff like Kifaru, Mystery Ranch, Stone Glacier, etc, and while they all are probably better built packs, a budget is a budget.

Grab that Alaskan II, hunt it, and squirrel some money away for an upgrade. Also, look at some of the Dana Terraframes on eBay or some non-hunting packs like the REI XT85, Bora-80, etc... They can all be had for $100-200.

Tanner

 

[ohhiitznik]

Look for a used horn hunter full curl system. They are new at $330, and they work great for budget hunters. you can also find deals on them online. Ive seen them as low as 200 before as well. Just another option near that price range.

 

[Vance in AK]

I've got an older version of the same pack & it has served me well for 15ish years. Hauled a few moose & smaller loads as well as just backpacking. It will do what you need.
Not as comfortable as my new Kifaru... BUT, it will serve you well for years!

 

[Ray]

Be careful when looking at old Dana Design frame packs online. Some has seen lots of hard miles, while others have been in a closet for 20 years.

You can also look at the Kelty Cache hauler. Very comfortable system that can handle a big load.

 

[Lukem]

I have an older Alaskan Extreme and like it. It hauls more than I can and is quite comfortable. I'm sure the higher end packs are better, but for the money the Cabela's Alaskans are good.

 

[Lukem]

Here's an older RS article written by Jared Bloomgren: http://www.rokslide.com/2012-01-09-...cabelas-alaskan-guide-external-frame-backpack

 

[mrolen]

Here's an older RS article written by Jared Bloomgren: http://www.rokslide.com/2012-01-09-...cabelas-alaskan-guide-external-frame-backpack

Thanks for the link. sounds like this pack is in my future unless i find a good deal on a used pack, I do have a badlands 2200 but it has never seemed like that awesome of a pack i think the most i have carried in it was right at 50 pounds and the pack became uncomfortable very quick and space seems to be limited especially if i get something down a few miles in I want to be able to take out as much as i can carry each trip as comfortable as possible.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

Maybe take a look at the Kelty cache hauler. It's in that same genre and price range.
Personally I find it much easier to hunt with a quieter frame. An internal or a hybrid external are generally quieter and still offer game carrying capabilities. The REI XT85 is a pretty good budget minded internal pack.

 

[Shrek]

If you want one in really cool Kryptek camo you should check out the new Slumberjack tactical packs. One looks like the kelty cache hauler in tacticool and the other looks like a knockoff of the standard military pack frame . Kelty owns slumberjack so they know how to make a reasonably good pack when they want. Kryptek is owned by a couple of vets so somewhere down in the bottom of the Chinese sellout there is a drop of patriotism.

 

[tttoadman]

I have had this basic pack for many years. Mine is actually a version from Camp Trails, but it is identical to this. I have the single bag (Alaskan 1 style) without all the pockets. It is a little lighter. I actually have put some load lifter straps on mine which were not there when new. I never understood how a pack was supposed to be until a couple years ago. I intend to get many more years from mine.

For just a couple bucks more, the cabelas guide frame is likely going to perform a little better. My brother uses the guide frame and lightweight dry bags. The bags that cabelas offers are just too heavy.

 

[8Crow]

I think one of the things that helps that Cabela's Alaskan frame is that it has a distinct lumbar pad with a rubbery, "grippy" sort of texture to it to help keep it where it belongs. Some of the more expensive Cabela's packs don't have that.

 

[Floorguy]

Kryptek is owned by a couple of vets so somewhere down in the bottom of the Chinese sellout there is a drop of patriotism.

Care to expound on this a little more?

 

[bz_711]

I have just the pack frame (no bag)...and can say it rides well on me, comfortable - which I typically have 50-60lbs on it. It will always be in my vehicle as a backup or second hauler for someone to borrow. Plenty of pros for what I paid for it.
The two cons:
-its noisy. I've tried to get these squeaks and creaks out of it, but the more weight I put on it, the worse it is. Now that is at a fast walking/hiking pace...not at a hunting pace.
-The other con for me is that I've only used it as a training hauler in the summer...as the original plan was to down an elk, go back to vehicle and get hauler...but for all 3 elk I've been involved packing out, we all meet at kill site and have packed the deboned animal out in one trip (which I've used my Cabelas scout day pack - and although it handles 70+lbs with no damage to pack, it tried like heck to damage me). Its one reason I'm now looking for a larger internal frame pack I can do day hunts with, but also stuff it full of meat for the trip out. Even for return trips, the Cabelas frame wouldn't quite work as I like to pack everything such as food, water, camera, rain gear, etc...even if just a return trip for meat.

Still glad I purchased the pack frame as an additional hauler, and for summertime training...

 

[Shrek]

Care to expound on this a little more?

Kryptek is owned by some veterans who are still active in helping other veterans and if called upon would do whatever was needed in the future. They license their patterns and spend some of the proceeds on other vets. There is the patriotic link. American Rec is an importer who sells foreign made goods at cheap prices. Mostly made in China. China is a country that we have no common social moral ground with and may very well end up at war with in the future as our and their imperial ambitions collide. The Chinese sellout part. Since all low cost packs I know of are made in the far east the most palatable to me is the one with some link to patriotism , however tenuous the link.