Seek Outside minimum components to haul meat

[WhiteOak]

Hey all,

This will be my first year in the backcountry and if I'm lucky enough to draw an elk tag I will need a good meat hauler. With all of the other investments in gear I am trying to do this on a budget. I have been eyeing up the seek outside fortress for a while but know I will also be dropping some money on a tent, coolers, and possibly boots, if I can save a couple hundered on the bag right now and pick up the bag next year that will be a huge help.

If I go with just the revolution suspension and a base talon will the base talon be strong enough to hold substantial weight between it and the frame, are there horizontal straps as well that come with the suspension to help bear the weight?

Thanks in advance

 

[RockChucker30]

The Revolution Suspension will come with six side compression straps plus the load shelf.

The Base Talon as a compression panel will carry anything you can unless you're He-Man. I carried a whole field dressed whitetail with that setup, load was around 165 lbs.

You can use that setup wth a drybag, but honestly it's a lot more dialed with one of our packbags.

 

[WhiteOak]

Thank you much! I definatly plan on getting a SO packbag and some accessories and do realize you save about 40 or 50 bucks just getting the complete setup. Just trying to explore some options as i will need some other peices of gear as well. Decisions...

 

[Rossi]

I've used the exact setup you are describing and it worked great. You don't need a packbag necessarily. The load shelf and compression straps on the Revolution frame and suspension will haul about anything you can carry. The talon provides a good place for day trip necessities and a water bladder. You can add a packbag later if you decide that you need one.

 

[RockChucker30]

The Merlin on a Revolution Suspension makes a pretty nice UL dayhunt setup.

The Merlin works as a Talon same as the Base, but it functions as a daypack standalone as well.

Shrink it to a 24" frame and then you can stuff maybe 15 lbs of stuff in the Merlin. It'll barrel some with that big a load, but the Revolution is carrying it, so it doesn't matter. Add a couple hipbelt pockets and it's a lot of organization.

The Merlin has a water bladder pocket, small zippered pocket, side zippered pocket big enough for a 1.5L bottle, & main storage zippered pocket.

If you run a drybag instead of packbag that would get you some more organization, and it'll haul a load as well as a Base Talon.

Lots of ways to skin a cat, as my Dad says.

 

[sndmn11]

The Merlin is a pretty awesome little bag. I can fit a lot more in it that one would think, and use mine as an everyday bag as well.