quick meat question

[skindaddy]

so i see everyone says just stuff meat in backpack instead of meat shelf!
so is it bad to put your meat in a garbage bag to keep pack clean?
it would be in a game bag also, but will the plastic hurt by retaining heat?

 

[yak]

I've always put my meat in a game bag and place a garbage bag around it while it rides in my pack. It'll save you a solid hour or two of cleanup time when you get home.

It will retain some heat/moisture, so you have to be sure to remove from the plastic bag as soon as possible. Let the meat cool as much as you can prior to putting it in your plastic bag. Hope this helps.

 

[pods8 (Rugged Stitching)]

so i see everyone says just stuff meat in backpack instead of meat shelf!

Personal preference and situationally dependent in my mind, not a universal statement that is for sure. But yes as noted above if putting in a pack a garbage bag is handy to keep it clean assuming the meat isn't going to stay in it for a long time.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Here's another option: Get in contact with a custom gear maker like Jimmy Tarps or Bear Paw or several others. Have them sew you a stout sil-poly or 500 cordura meat transport bag with a top drawcord. Drop your loaded meat bag into this transport bag. You can reuse it for as many loads as necessary and wash it when finished. It will not puncture or tear like plastic bags and it's not as slippery. I used one recently for 10 loads of moose meat and it was the best system I've ever tried.

 

[5MilesBack]

Whether using the meat shelf or the pack bag, I always put the game bags inside "white" trash compactor bags. One, because they are thicker and tougher than even most contractor bags, and two, because they are white.......so they don't absorb the heat from the sun like black bags do.

 

[orionsbrother]

Here's another option: Get in contact with a custom gear maker like Jimmy Tarps or Bear Paw or several others. Have them sew you a stout sil-poly or 500 cordura meat transport bag with a top drawcord. Drop your loaded meat bag into this transport bag. You can reuse it for as many loads as necessary and wash it when finished. It will not puncture or tear like plastic bags and it's not as slippery. I used one recently for 10 loads of moose meat and it was the best system I've ever tried.

Kevin - Out of curiosity, did you go sil-poly? And did you size it to the full interior size of your pack? Really enjoyed the story of your moose hunt.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Kevin - Out of curiosity, did you go sil-poly? And did you size it to the full interior size of your pack? Really enjoyed the story of your moose hunt.

My pack is one in which the pack bag disengages from the frame and 'hinges' open to reveal a meat shelf. I would slip a full (white) bag of meat into my transport bag and snug the drawcord. Then lay the meat on my open pack...swing the pack bag up and reconnect the 6 buckles. Tighten securely and that's it. I've never used an easier method for boned meat. My pack got no blood on it or in it after 10 bags of meat plus a big moose skull. The same loaded bag could be dropped inside the main pack bag. In the case of my pack I think the meat load carries better when placed between the frame and bag. I sized my sil-poly bag to create a more vertical meat carry. I had him taper it from 18" top opening to 13" bottom width, and it's 30" long. To me, that is a major factor in how well the overall rig performed. The shape and dimensions of the outer, tapered transport bag prevented the common teardrop bulge of meat into my lower back. I had meat weight distributed from my middle lumbar area all the way up between my scapulae.

Apology for the windy details. Sil-poly works fine but needs a little care to prevent major abrasion or puncture. I think it is better suited for single-load packouts or use inside a main pack bag. I am about to receive a 500 Cordura version of the same bag which should prove to be better suited for the way I carry meat when successful on moose or caribou.

 

[daddie63]

I appreciate the detail myself. Did you go with a Jimmy tarps or Bearpaw? Thanks Kevin.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Jimmy Tarps created my bag. I figured out the dimensions I wanted and he helped me get it going. This picture shows the sil-poly bag I just used in AK. It is still in good shape after 11 loaded trips, but has a few abrasions from being pinched in buckles or from the skull rubbing hard. Anyway I'm getting the same bag in 500 Cordura which will be tougher.

 

[daddie63]

Thank you

 

[Beendare]

Whether using the meat shelf or the pack bag, I always put the game bags inside "white" trash compactor bags. One, because they are thicker and tougher than even most contractor bags, and two, because they are white.......so they don't absorb the heat from the sun like black bags do.

I do the same....and then take it out of the plastic when I get where I'm going. Kevins idea is a good one too. I think if you are going to sew one for your pack, you want it tight to hold the meat to a packable shape, less shifting.