Seek Outside Unaweep users - questions about integrated setup

[douglasfir]

Do many of you here use an integrated packbag from Seek Outside for hunting as opposed to a breakaway setup? The integrated options include the Divide, Unaweep, and Brooks packs. How does that work for you? Do you find yourself wishing you had the breakaway meat shelf feature?

 

[BigCountry49]

I have a unaweep 6300 and really like it. The bag is big enough for meat and gear for me. I may be in minority but I don’t understand the need for several different size bags as you can just roll down a big one for minor weight penalty.

 

[Rokwiia]

My decision was identical to yours except I am not a hunter--I'm lifelong hiker and backpacker. Most backpackers won't need a breakaway capability, right?

The difference between the Unaweep and Fortress, either 4,800 or 6,300, is 5oz. I struggled deciding which way to go. In the end, I chose the breakaway platform for several reasons. One, is it is easier to swap out different bags. The most important reason for me was the ability to carry more things than planned in an unexpected emergency.

If you never foresee the need to carry something using the breakaway platform, then you should choose the integrated platform. I was never going to fritter away that capability for 5oz.

I've have yet to use the meat shelf but were I buying against I would choose the breakaway platform again, without reservation.

 

[Kevin_t]

FWIW half or more SO employees use integrated for hunting more often than not.

While integrated hunting users may be the minority we have seen just about every critter imaginable packed out in both platforms via customer photos


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Runwilderness]

I used a Brooks for my cow elk this year.

Even carrying boned out balls of meat, I found it was a snap to toss a boned out rear onto the load shelf, a shoulder ontop of that, tweak the load shelf straps, zip the bag, and cinch everything down neatly from the outside. I probably spent as much time retying my boots for the downhill hike as I did loading meat.

 

[Frank Grimes]

I have a lanner. I’ve never used the break away part of the bag. I’ve always just found it easier to throw all my gear in the bottom in a ball, then stack the heavy quarters on top and zip the bag up. If I were to buy again, I’d go intergrated.

 

[jrol]

I have the divide, though I have not packed it with meat. I did, however, find myself using my MR crewcab often to haul odd things (tools, boxes etc.) around the property and would like to be able to do that with the SO as it is more comfortable.

 

[Gseith]

I use the Unaweep 4800 and never felt crushed for space. I have a Merlin and just pack extra gear between the two. Once at camp, the big bag gets flattened and day gear goes in the Merlin. No need to unhook any bags.

 

[Kevin_t]

I use the Unaweep 4800 and never felt crushed for space. I have a Merlin and just pack extra gear between the two. Once at camp, the big bag gets flattened and day gear goes in the Merlin. No need to unhook any bags.

That is how I do it , when I've used the Unaweep.

 

[bozeman]

I have a Unaweep 4800 and a Merlin.....like has been mentioned, i use the Merlin like an external load shelf on the back of the compressed bag.........this is quick, efficient and keeps the inside of the main bag clean.

 

[mvmnts]

It's not as if the integrated SO options are any less capable. Even Snyder at Kifaru (at least used to) seems to prefer carrying meat out in the bag directly. It was pretty late that they started building shelves into their frames. The main benefit I see to using the breakaway shelf is if you're going to save weight by running a smaller pack and stowing a dry bag on the shelf for food or whatever else. FWIW I run a goshawk 4800 w/ the shelf, and I love it. I'm an unapologetic gram weenie and it's light enough for me.

 

[CoMtnMike]

I'll come at your question the other way. I bought a Lanner on the breakaway platform convinced I needed the separate meat shelf option. But after using it 2 seasons and packing out 4 animals... I'm not so sure. I might have been happier with the Brooks style internal shelf and a big UL silnylon sack ready to stuff things in that I dont want to get bloody after a kill... not that there is an issue with the breakaway meat shelf, I just dont think it is as needed as I assumed going down this path. I think I was over thinking it...

 

[roosiebull]

i had a peregrine, and if i were to buy another SO i would just get an integrated pack that was bigger than i need.. the x-pac material cleans easily and keeps the blood off of the places that don't. i'm a meat shelf fan, but the SO is the exception to that. i could see their integrated system being great.

you can get big bag for minimal weight penalty, and of all of the pack systems, i think SO is best suited for carrying meat in the bag. i packed out 2 whole bucks and one bull in my peregrine (bought in May) and the first buck i just dropped a contractor bag in as a liner and dropped the meat in there. being a 3500CI bag, it was a little over full, but it worked. of the 3 critters i packed in mine, the inside the bag buck was my favorite.

their meat shelf is fine, and works, it's just not as streamlined as other packs. an integrated frame and big bag seems like the best option to me for SO. if blood does get on stuff, the x-pac is a breeze to clean, and it will not bleed through to the frame material or you... their bags are big enough with no weight penalty that it makes sense with their packs vs competitors.... the gate keeper straps with the internal frame make evening the load and balancing it easy.... easier than most load shelf setups.

like i said, i am a load shelf guy, never considered a pack without one, but if i was running a SO, it would be their internal frame, they changed my mind on meat in the bag

 

[Boiserunr]

I have used a Unaweep 6300 and a custom 4800 which is basically a smaller unaweep and I choose it as they weighed a little less. This past fall packed out 105 lbs with some on the inside the pack on some between the pack and the talon and it felt as good as it could with that much weight. I figured that the weight savings, and simplicity, would be better all the time and the times when hauling meat would not be a hug inconvenience and I have found that to be true. To me the breakaway frames would be great if you regularly haul heavy odd shaped items like a pack raft type item. But with the talon and all the compression straps the unaweep works great for me.

 

[ethan]

I recently purchased a 4800 custom and chose to go with the integrated frame. I’ve owned several packs over the years with internal meat shelves and I’ve never used any of them, with the exception of hauling a stand in on a small pack, like an MR pop-up. I can see the benefits of being able to use your frame without a bag at all, but for me it doesn’t outweigh having to just strap whatever im hauling to the outside of the bag.
Very interested to follow along on this one and hear others opinions