Pack size recommendations

[samsut93]

Just starting to gear up for back country hunting and trying to decide just how big of a pack I need. Right now I'm looking at 5 to 7 day hunts with the need to pack out meat, hopefully. What size pack should I be looking for ? Is a 4800 enough or should I be looking for something in the 7000 range?

 

[farmermail]

Buy a bigger pack. Have room if you need it, don't have to load too max if you don't. Weight between the two is negligible.

 

[Idahobugler]

Depends on how you pack/ what you want to bring. 5000ish cu in should be fine.

 

[TaperPin]

When you aren’t packing meat, is the same one your day pack? I’ve had small, medium, large and gigantic packs, and the largest make terrible day packs. I’d rather have a 4000 cubic inch pack that barely holds enough for 5 days and requires strapping stuff to the outside. Height also matters - something that you can turn a head and look over is important.

Elk hunting I’ve brought two and left the largest in the truck - after the first load is out, switch to the big pack for the rest.

 

[Paladin]

What TaperPin said. You'll do yourself a favor to maybe pick one of the mid-range sizes, 4000, 5000. For me at least, it keeps me from packing too much food, too many extra clothes. If you've got those things dialed in already and you still want/need a big bag, absolutely, that's why they make them.

 

[TheHammer]

I did 7 days on my pintler w/lid and 13 days on my k4 5000. Confidence in gear and your ability is key. I would highly recommend the k4 5000 or if you have high quality light weight gear, the k4 3600 is plenty sufficient unless this is late season and several more layers are required for survival.

 

[Antique0s]

My consideration for the 3400 is that it is a roll top configuration,and I could easily roll the top down…..


im just not too good at judging the smaller packs.

 

[Marble]

Just starting to gear up for back country hunting and trying to decide just how big of a pack I need. Right now I'm looking at 5 to 7 day hunts with the need to pack out meat, hopefully. What size pack should I be looking for ? Is a 4800 enough or should I be looking for something in the 7000 range?

How much experience do you have doing this?

What are you hunting and what time of year.

Sent from my SM-S918U using Tapatalk

 

[GetWestern]

Anywhere around 5k to 6k for a 5-7 day hunt would be my recommendation. Most packs these days are modular and can attach a add on that will give you another chunk of cubic inches.

I use a lid on top of my Kifaru 44 mag that is 1200 ci and all my food fits in there, so I can use the bag itself for other things.

 

[Watrdawg]

5 - 7 days I go with what the consensus is here 5000 +/-. I'm running a Exo K4 5000 and it works as a day pack just as well as an extended overnight hunt. I can easily carry what I will need for 5-7 days and then some if I'm smart.

 

[Solowhunter]

Past couple years I've used a Kuiu Pro 6000 and its great for the 5 -7 day trips. Packed a deboned buck (load hauler mode) and my camp out 6 days in. I did a 10 day trip with it and it was all that 6000 ci could handle, I've gone to a 7000 ci for anything over 7 days. You can cinch the larger pack bags down and use them for day hunting when your deep. Like mentioned above a removable lid is useful, I fill my lid with freeze dried meals, camp stove, etc. and remove it when I stake my claim to a camp spot.

+- 5000 will work if you manage your gear properly, if your packing a tripod or spotting scope they can be strapped to the outside, same with your tent or other longer items. I try to keep my pack going in 40 lbs or less, sometimes that spotter needs to stay at home.

 

[Stalk’nAwe]

In my personal experience the more room I’ve got the more crap I’m gonna pack that I’m probably not going to use anyways…I’ve never had trouble carrying everything I need plus some in a 4800-5 pack for 5-7 day hunt

 

[ben h]

I think 95% of the time I use my big pack as a day pack, so something that compresses well is important to me. Gearwise there isn't that much difference between a day or two vs a week or more except food....unless of course you want to pack an extra hammer for tent stakes.

 

[mtwarden]

I’m not aware of any of the major hunting brands that don’t allow a pack bag to compress fully.

The size of the frame is the size of the frame (other than Seek Outside that lets you change sizes), sooooo a 3500 with the same load as a 6000 (compressed) is going to be almost identical.

I’d lean towards 6-7000 cubic inches for a full week. Down the road if you really want a smaller bag for day hunts, get one. To start, I’d go a little bigger.

 

[strongarm]

What time of year? This makes a big difference in answering your question for overall size needed. Winter bags and heavier/extra layers eat up cubic volume really quickly for colder weather hunts. If warmer, can go smaller. As other note, you can always make a big bag smaller, but you can't make a small bag bigger.

 

[fngTony]

Just something to keep in mind when shopping, some bag sizes are based on the main compartment not including outer pockets. So a 4000ci bag might be 6500 by extending the collar and using a lid or a pocket attached.

 

[BradArnett]

I used a stone glacier 5900 for a few years and never really maxed it out. I then switched to a solo 3300 for a couple years and liked it more. I have my gear pretty dialed in and had 7 days in my 3300 for this past october in wyoming. I did use the load shelf to carry in food though. I'm in the market for another 5900 for those longer trips though, and my boy is starting to go this year so I'll be carrying gear for him too.

Size also matters more If you want meat in the bag and not on a load shelf. Lots of times day hunting I dump meat right in the pack and don't mess with a shelf.

I'd lean toward a 4800-7000 starting out with just 1 pack and add a smaller one later if needed as mtwarden mentioned.

 

[strongarm]

Another thing to consider is accuracy of stated capacities. While cubic inches or liters should be standard, not all manufacturers/brands are necessarily created equal in how they report their stated sizes. I think some are conservative, while others can be a bit liberal in their claims.

 

[bowhunthard88]

I’m not aware of any of the major hunting brands that don’t allow a pack bag to compress fully.

The size of the frame is the size of the frame (other than Seek Outside that lets you change sizes), sooooo a 3500 with the same load as a 6000 (compressed) is going to be almost identical.

I’d lean towards 6-7000 cubic inches for a full week. Down the road if you really want a smaller bag for day hunts, get one. To start, I’d go a little bigger.

These are both configured in a "standard" strap configuration... For compressibility, when the space is not needed, the EXO blows the Mystery Ranch out of the water...

Not saying that you couldn't route/connect straps differently, but nothing changes on the EXO to get to this point.

 

[mtwarden]

Is that the way all Mystery Ranch hunting packs are? If so, I stand corrected- every manufacturer other than MR