Packing meat question

[Bigfeet]

There are lots of questions and discussion about packs on this site. Its great info. and I really enjoy reading it all. But I couldn't find a discussion about the following (sorry if its been brought up before, I just can't find it) -

I've packed meat quite a number of times and everytime its been hard work. I've used quite a number of different packs to do the job, and none have done it well. So, I've decided to get a new pack this year to handle meat better. I know it will still be work, but a better pack is bound to make it easier. In every case of packing meat, I've found that is easier to handle by keeping the weight up higher on the pack. I'm not certain how to accomplish this with the 2 packs I'm looking at.

The first pack I'm looking at is the Kifaru Timberline 2. From what I understand, loading this pack with meat is simply a matter of putting it in the main compartment. I have two concerns over this - first, the meat will settle to the bottom of the pack which would make the center of balance relatively low. On a regular day hunt, the gear I carry with me (extra jacket, and other odds and ends) wouldn't provide much of a fill to keep the weight up high. My second concern is, if I did use what I carry to lay in the bottom of the pack (to keep the meat higher), blood from the meat would make a mess of items I have at the bottom. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to avoid these two issues with this style of pack?

The second pack I'm considering is the Stone Glacier. I really like the idea of having an expandable meat loading shelf between the frame and the pack. Smart idea I think. However, it still does present the problem of the weight being held, or settling, lower and being difficult to carry because of the low center of gravity. Perhaps the answer it to tighten up the straps to keep it from sliding down - does this work? Is there another solution to this issue?

Before I make the decision on which pack to get I'm hoping I can get more info from those of you who have experience with the meat carrying aspect of things with these two styles of packs. I have packed meat with both external and internal frames - none of which could truly handle the job. With a better pack, I'm positive the job will be easier, but hope someone has some suggestions on how these two styles handle the load.

 

[ohhiitznik]

In the timberline specifically, it has a meat shelf in the bag to use to keep meat off the bottom. But when you're packing meat along with camp or other gear I would put all of my gear in the bottom of the bag, and use that to elevate the meat. Kifaru also sells a hanging meat bag that hangs inside the timberline which has somewhat of a upside triangle shape. This is to keep the meat very high in the pack and keep the weight up on the frame where it is easy to carry. I can't speak for stone glacier as I don't have one and haven't put my hands on one. I would assume you could do the same with stacking the gear in the bottom of the pack and then putting your meat in.

Check out this video http://www.rokslide.com/forums/showthread.php?1525-Heavy-Hauling

Aron really explains how to carry meat in the main compartment if that is what you're going to be doing.

 

[gobbler1662]

I can't speak to the stone glacier but I have owned two KUIU packs and three KIFARU packs. My current first out pack is a KU 3700. Your spot on where you need to carry the meat. With a kuiu it also has the meat shelf between The pack and frame similar to the Stone Glacier. This works well if you are just packing meat and not much on the pack bag. Loading meat and your pack puts a lot of backward tilt on your back for lack of a better word and makes a very uncomfortable pack out. With the Kifaru you can use the Kifaru hanging meat bag.It actually hangs off the frame on the inside keeping the meat over you thoracic and lumbar areas of the spine. With this system you can still load other stuff in the bottom or main compartment if you wish but the meat cannot slide down. I am not sure if the hanging meat bag also works on all other Kifaru packs. I would suspect it does but hopefully Aaron or one of the other KIfaru guys will jump on here.

 

[Bigfeet]

Great link - thanks for that.
I can't find any reference to the Kifaru having a meat shelf in the bag though. I have used the garbage bag idea before for my gear, but the bags have been pretty fragile and I still end up with blood leaking on stuff. Probably unavoidable to a degree and I'm probably just not careful enough!
Again, thanks for the link.

 

[Broken Arrow]

You could put your gear in a trash bag and in the bottom of your pack and it wouldn't get bloody.

 

[jmez]

Use a contractor bag instead of a regular garbage bag. It won't tear of leak.

 

[Becca]

We bought some light weight, non compression style dry bags to put meat in. They weigh next to nothing and they keep the majority of the blood contained. We got a different color for our "meat bags" to make them easy to tell apart from the ones we use for clothes and sleeping gear.

For keeping the weight of the meat higher in our packss, we typically put a drybag full of day hunting gear at the bottom, and then put the meat above it, using the side cinch straps on the pack to stabilize the load tightly.

 

[Jared Lampton]

Use a contractor bag instead of a regular garbage bag. It won't tear of leak.

Word...
However I use the trash compactor bags which are also very tough and I put the game bag full of meat in it instead of my gear. Never had blood leak out in my pack...yet

 

[Backpack Hunter]

With the Timberline you can either use the existing meat shelf, or tighten the bottom straps before putting the meat in which basically creates a shelf.
Contractors bags are much more durable than standard trash bags. Of course you could also seam seal any of the Kifaru hanging or plain meat baggies and use those to keep the blood from getting everywhere.

 

[wyelkhunter]

the meat shelf they are talking about in the timberline is the divider between the main compartment and the sleeping bag area.

 

[Heather Stomper]

Use Kifaru Meat Baggies. They are the same material as the tipis and will not leave your pack a bloody mess. The bags have a sewn in loop on the bottom so you can hang them in camp to drain. They will easily hold a boned out deer.

 

[luke moffat]

Word...
However I use the trash compactor bags which are also very tough and I put the game bag full of meat in it instead of my gear. Never had blood leak out in my pack...yet

Everytime I've used these trash compactor bags (be sure to get the unscented ones btw ) they have leaked. Not sure what I'm doing wrong but now that I use silnylon dry sacks its a non-issue and they are reuseable and actually lighter than the trash compactor bags and they do not leak at all. For $7-8 per bag they are quite the bargain.

 

[wyelkhunter]

Luke, do you just use silnylon stuff sacks or dry-sacks?

 

[luke moffat]

Luke, do you just use silnylon stuff sacks or dry-sacks?

Dry sacks...

 

[Trout bum]

Alaskan game bags placed in Zip loc xtra large bags keep things very clean. They are lightweight, giant zip locs made out of slightly more durable material (normally found on bottom shelf at Walmart or other stores below sandwich bags). That combo placed on top of gear in a Kifaru Longhunter or KU 3700 works well for me for boned out elk meat. I place them directly in cooler for the ride home. A bloody pack may look "cool" but I find it is a pain in the ass to clean.

 

[Bigfeet]

Good ideas for the Kifaru style - thanks all for the responses. Anyone with experience on the Stone Glacier - and I think Mystery Ranch has the same system - and the expandable meat loading shelf between the frame and the mainbag?

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I have not specifically used the Stone Glacier pack, but have used several with similar setups and basically it was a matter of tightening the straps to keep the load from settling.

 

[MattB]

Good ideas for the Kifaru style - thanks all for the responses. Anyone with experience on the Stone Glacier - and I think Mystery Ranch has the same system - and the expandable meat loading shelf between the frame and the mainbag?

Kifaru offers an expandable shelf between the frame and bag as well, but I personally would rather go up than back. For that system, I would definately want the meat packed in something waterproof (meat inside a trash bag or silnylon meat bag) and preferably shaped in a manner to keep the meat from settling.

 

[CC]

What size dry sacks do you use Luke?

 

[Jared Lampton]

Everytime I've used these trash compactor bags (be sure to get the unscented ones btw ) they have leaked. Not sure what I'm doing wrong but now that I use silnylon dry sacks its a non-issue and they are reuseable and actually lighter than the trash compactor bags and they do not leak at all. For $7-8 per bag they are quite the bargain.

Sounds like a good idea. Thanks for the tip.