Slumberjack vs Eberlestock Budget Packs

[McCoppin]

What are your thoughts on the two brands?

Looking at the Slumberjack Bounty 2.0 and the Eberlestock F1

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[Carr5vols]

Love my mainframe for what it is intended for. Get the bigger belt it makes a huge difference. I run the main frame with the jtype dry bag and two bat wings.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

No experience with eberlestock but the SJK bounty 2.0 is a great setup especially considering the price. Not as modular as a kifaru by any means but similar design as far as the meat shelf goes, the frame is definitely well built and rides very comfortably compared to some other budget packs I've tried. Had it loaded with over 120lbs this spring and was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it was hauling that much weight. My only complaint is that the bag is a little bit small for 4+ day late season hunts when I need a few more layers in the pack but lots of attachment points for extra pockets, with one medium sized pocket and a 1000ci lid the pack is good for over a weeks worth of gear.

 

[McCoppin]

No experience with eberlestock but the SJK bounty 2.0 is a great setup especially considering the price. Not as modular as a kifaru by any means but similar design as far as the meat shelf goes, the frame is definitely well built and rides very comfortably compared to some other budget packs I've tried. Had it loaded with over 120lbs this spring and was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it was hauling that much weight. My only complaint is that the bag is a little bit small for 4+ day late season hunts when I need a few more layers in the pack but lots of attachment points for extra pockets, with one medium sized pocket and a 1000ci lid the pack is good for over a weeks worth of gear.

Do you feel it would be overly big for a day hunt?


Also can you remove the main bag and just use the smaller one on the frame?

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[BackcountryBloodline]

I use it to pack all my gear up the mountain then I dump camp, hang my food and compress the pack...it stays on my back at all times when I'm hunting, usually just have my kill kit, water/steripen, insulation layer, camera gear, first aid kit, inreach and some snacks in it. Don't really notice it's on unless I'm trying to duck under a low branch and it's been raining out, in that case though it's the frame that's getting in the way not the pack and any load hauler that's tall enough for heavy loads will most likely get in the way in that scenario...not a big deal most of the time but sucks knocking drops of water all down the back of your neck. Made a successful stalk and archery shot with it on this year, no issues with noise or drawing back. You definitely could make the day pack work with just the frame, might look a little funny but certainly doable...I would just run the main bag and cinch down the straps to compress it into day mode until you tip something over though, if I don't have gear in my pack and have a meat bag with me I would prefer to just run the meat in the main bag.

 

[FYT]

I can't speak to this setup specifically, but I will say that I like SJK gear - they make quality stuff as far as I can tell. I have a frame pack and a day pack that can hook into the frame pack from SJK and it has work worked pretty well for me, especially considering the price (frame pack was a little less than $200, day pack was on sale for like 50 bucks).

They also had good customer service. I called them because the daypack I had bought wasn't integrating properly with the frame pack because I had bought the frame pack a few years before and they had updated clasps. I called them and they had new clasps that would work in the mail that day.

 

[0uTkAsT]

I love my Eberlestock X2 so much I've been considering an F1 to go with it. I own a few SJK items but no packs, and they seem to make a quality product also. I'd go with the Mainframe just because of my own experience with the X2, but honestly I don't think you can go wrong either way.

 

[Jackal7]

I used an Eberlestock Main Frame with a Transformer 3200 pack in Alaska in September. Added the rifle scabbard between the two packs and the Nosegunner bino case. I had no complaints at all. Maybe a little heavy, but it carried all of my gear conveniently and balanced well for, and worked great hauling out our two bull caribou. I would buy the same set up all over again.

 

[FYT]

Oh, and whatever pack you go with, I highly highly recommend a Kifaru Gun Bearer. Most return on investment for a $30 piece of gear you will ever find.

 

[BackcountryBloodline]

Oh, and whatever pack you go with, I highly highly recommend a Kifaru Gun Bearer. Most return on investment for a $30 piece of gear you will ever find.

Get the nalgene holder while you're at it too, the tarantula bow hook is also the best $10 piece of gear you'll ever have if you're bowhunting and fits perfectly on the PALS webbing on the SJK hip belt

 

[NW307]

I ran an Eberlestock Just One for years until it started coming apart on me on an exceptionally heavy pack out. It was a decent hunting pack but it really didn't carry meat well at all. It held the load too far away from the back and had no load lifters. The scabbard was nice but the pack was really heavy even empty.

I found a first generation SJK rail hauler at sierra trading post on sale for about 100 dollars and decided to give it a go. I chucked the day pack that came with it and put an OR drysack in its place for the pack body. I ended up putting a huge load on it last year and it was a night and day difference in comfort. A buckle did break but none of the seams let go. I've since stripped it down even further and like it a lot. That being said I haven't used a high end pack but santa might have something up his sleeve this year haha.

 

[adamm88]

I had a slumberjack bounty 2.0, great pack, i feel compared to kifaru theres not quite as much adjustments to fit yourself, but it did what i needed 95% of the time, main reason i sold it is im a gear whore and like to try different things.


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[sargent]

I've had a SJ Bounty (the original) for about 4 years. I just got a Stone Glacier 3300 with the X-curve frame and I'm not sure if I like it any better. The Slumberjack is a great pack for the price. For day hunting, I often remove the main bag and just use the smaller daypack portion on the frame with a Kifaru meat baggie in the load shelf for storing extra layers etc.

 

[lkwoolsey]

My buddy had a Bounty 2.0 for a while, packed out at least one elk that I know of. It did the job well for him. He switched to a Kuiu but honestly I think he still runs the Bounty at least on trip every year.

 

[Timnterra]

I have the eberlestock mainframe and a buddy of mine has the slumberjack pack. They are pretty different packs, kinda comparing apples to oranges. The mainframe has the metal shelf at the bottom of the frame, a good thought, but not really practical. The mainframe comes with no bags but has a myriad of potential options. I like the batwing set up myself. I bought a rifle scabbard and used it a couple times, but it’s pretty heavy and not as convenient as I thought it would be. My buddy likes the slumberjack but I think the main reason he chose it was his military discount.

 

[Valkyrie]

I have the F1 Mainframe with a Little Bigtop. Haven’t used it yet to hunt but I load it up for work outs. It’s comfortable and I like the modular ability it has. Hopefully this fall I get to try it out. Planning on some hiking camping trips this spring and summer too.

 

[Yorker]

Friend had a lumberjack break on an old model and was replaced with new model for free!

 

[Kgolding05]

I too ran an Eberlestock Just One for a couple years, thought or was great until I started carrying some real weight. It never stayed where I needed it to, and pulled my shoulders back in a weird way. Have never ran a Slumber Jack personally. Run an EXO K2 5500 now for the last few years and love it.

 

[bruceleroy]

I run the F1 Mainframe with batwings for a day pack and when I plan to stay out longer I use the dry bag. I love this setup. I have tried several other companies products, some on the much higher end, and the F1 worked best for me.

 

[Travis907]

I personally use a Eberlestock Just One for many years. Pretty good pack but you better be in decent shape with packing 80-85lbs. I have the extra duffle bag zipped in to it to add a lot more room but with that added room it’s sets off your back a lot farther making long hikes fairly uncomfortable. For the money it’s served me great overall but the older I get the more I’m looking to upgrade!