Spiking in with a framed daypack?

[gostovp]

Anyone spike in with a framed daypack like the K3 1800, Popup 28 or Stryker XL and use the meat shelf as a place to put an extra sack with camp in it (tent, sleep system, and food?). If you’ve tried this how did it work compared to just using a larger bag? ( note this would just be for spike type pack ins… not necessarily camp-on-your-back type hunts)

 

[Kirby86]

I have both the Stryker XL and the Popup 28. Got the 28 on our honeymoon (now I can’t get rid of it EVER).

In 2019 I did the spike camp thing with the popup 28 for 5 days. Pack weight was in the 60lbs range. It was 8 miles in, and I’m an idiot for even thinking I could get an elk out with that thing alone, that far.

The popup 28 is a wonderful pack if it’s below I’d say 40-50lbs. Above that, things get painful quickly. It doesn’t have the rigidity or the hip/shoulder padding to handle near what my Kifaru does.

For the Stryker, I can throw 2 50lb bags of corn (I live in Texas and we can bait on some public here) and it handles it NP. Though it’s overpriced, I bought the Bane as well which I run as my Whitetail pack and it can piggy back on the outside.

The Stryker XL was made to haul goofy loads and it excels at that. Only thing I wish I had done was not gotten the 26 inch frame. It snags on brush pretty bad because of my goofy torso height, but it handles heavy loads phenomenally.

The 28 would be for sale on my end were it not for my wife, but I will say that it’s pretty awesome in daypack mode.

Hope that helps some.