Thick Country Packs & Maneuverability

[hhargrave]

I’m on the hunt for a replacement pack and looking for real-world feedback. 80% of my hunts are day hunts, 20% are one to two night stays. The majority of my time is spent in thick brush in steep country, so general ninja maneuvers are required. I’ve used a MR Metcalf for the past 2 years and while it’s packed out meat for me just fine and I have no complaints on capacity for overnights, I can’t stand the thing when maneuvering. The overall profile is just not ideal for the terrain I consistently bring it into; specifically, the top of the frame is either getting stuck in brush or a nuisance to the back of my head and neck.

So, to the point: I am looking for a better suited option for day hunting in thick, steep country, ideally with overnight capacity. I have tried on SG, EXO and a few others and everything FEELS great on me, but I’m in analysis paralysis regarding mobility during my general usage. I’d appreciate any feedback here.

 

[Randle]

I have been using the MR pop up 28 for years now , I hunt just like described and it is great in thick brush . Low frame is the key. most packs compress down fine but you still have the frame sticking up.

 

[Elk Chaser]

I don't think you could go wrong with an Exo K4 with 3600 bag. I've got the 5000 but if you're limiting to 1-2 nights out I think the 3600 would serve you very well.

 

[JohnB]

Seek Outside has removable extenders for their frame so you could conceivably be in hunt mode, then spend 5 minutes switching to meat packing mode and have a frame that 4" taller. I thought I'd do that with my Seek pack but once the extenders went in I've just kept it in tall mode.

 

[Macintosh]

Any pack with a frame extending above your shoulders/back is going to do this. I use a couple of the smaller (18l and 28l) MR popup packs on day trips for this reason, especially the older gen-1 versions are very good for this. BUT that isnt going to help you for an overnight-capable pack.

Exo has specific guidance on their fit chart about choosing a frame length on the shorter side if you deal with this issue. Obviously it makes the load lifters less functional, and its still going to stick up some and get in the way. I dont know how bad it would make load hauling if you went WAY short. Example, according to their chart I can use a 25” or a 26.5”, and I chose the 25” for this reason…but I dont know what would happen if I went with a even shorter frame. Certainly there’d be a cost in load carrying functionality. Id call them and ask.

 

[hhargrave]

I have been using the MR pop up 28 for years now , I hunt just like described and it is great in thick brush . Low frame is the key. most packs compress down fine but you still have the frame sticking up.

Thanks, I will look into the Pop Up. Do you see any problem with using your Pop Up for the occasional overnight, assuming you're keeping your gear pretty minimal?

 

[hhargrave]

Any pack with a frame extending above your shoulders/back is going to do this. I use a couple of the smaller (18l and 28l) MR popup packs on day trips for this reason, especially the older gen-1 versions are very good for this. BUT that isnt going to help you for an overnight-capable pack.

Exo has specific guidance on their fit chart about choosing a frame length on the shorter side if you deal with this issue. Obviously it makes the load lifters less functional, and its still going to stick up some and get in the way. I dont know how bad it would make load hauling if you went WAY short. Example, according to their chart I can use a 25” or a 26.5”, and I chose the 25” for this reason…but I dont know what would happen if I went with a even shorter frame. Certainly there’d be a cost in load carrying functionality. Id call them and ask.

This is super helpful, thank you. I'll give Exo a call and chat about frame lengths. This may be one of those situations where I have two different packs. The Pop Up looks ideal for what I mostly do, just might need to get a separate pack for those overnight trips. Very much appreciate the feedback.