Coyote813
Lil-Rokslider
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2016
- Messages
- 187
In my first foray into serious backpack hunting last year, I made a few mistakes by taking too much crap (clothing/food/etc). I still landed what some would call a respectable pack weight of 52lbs including bow and 100oz of water for a 5 day hunt. I ran a kifaru frame, reckoning and guide lid as a pack system, and while it perfomed well, I was left feeling it was a bit too much after a 3000’ gain in the first 1.3mi. So this year I am trying to not buy a whole new pack system, but cobble together some parts that I already have to try and drop some weight. Here is the best I can come up with thus far:
Drop the reckoning completely (I am not totin a spotter for September elk) Replace with 55l dry bag, held on by cargo net, then run a native as a compression panel to sandwich my bow between the two. This, coupled with cutting out a few things and a couple lightweight gear upgrades, cut my pack weight by nearly 10lbs. I can hit camp, dump the dry bag with clothes and camp gear, and just run the native on the frame on top of the cargo panel for day hunts from spike camp.
Here is where I am running into issues... I need LOTS of water, therefore the ol’ nalgene and steripen is out for me. I run a 3l bladder and try to keep it topped off when I hit half a tank. I was trying to use the native to carry my bladder/kill kit/puffy/food, but this puts the weight pretty far back when I try to use it as a compression panel for my bow (i strap it to the pack on the way in). Trying to keep the dry bag as flat as I can to combat this, but if I add to the dry bag to take away from the native - it grows backwards as well. Kind of a catch 22 situation. My OR dry bag aint exactly got a hyro port, and I would like to keep it fairly buttoned up in case of a thunderstorm (which happens quite frequently it seems).
Tried running the native all the way up top horizontally, and the width doesnt bother me, but with the weight of the bladder it seems to try and pull the pack backwards off my back and destabilizes the whole she-bang a bit. Cant seem to get it to stay up high where I need it.
Does anyone run a similar setup that you have had success with? Or am I just being too nitpicky with the way it carries and just suck it up for the several hour hike in?
I have been eyeing SG packs, as they seem to have a taller, more slender profile than kifaru, which MAY carry a bit better, but Im sure with the collective knowledge of you all I can find a solution within my current set up.
Drop the reckoning completely (I am not totin a spotter for September elk) Replace with 55l dry bag, held on by cargo net, then run a native as a compression panel to sandwich my bow between the two. This, coupled with cutting out a few things and a couple lightweight gear upgrades, cut my pack weight by nearly 10lbs. I can hit camp, dump the dry bag with clothes and camp gear, and just run the native on the frame on top of the cargo panel for day hunts from spike camp.
Here is where I am running into issues... I need LOTS of water, therefore the ol’ nalgene and steripen is out for me. I run a 3l bladder and try to keep it topped off when I hit half a tank. I was trying to use the native to carry my bladder/kill kit/puffy/food, but this puts the weight pretty far back when I try to use it as a compression panel for my bow (i strap it to the pack on the way in). Trying to keep the dry bag as flat as I can to combat this, but if I add to the dry bag to take away from the native - it grows backwards as well. Kind of a catch 22 situation. My OR dry bag aint exactly got a hyro port, and I would like to keep it fairly buttoned up in case of a thunderstorm (which happens quite frequently it seems).
Tried running the native all the way up top horizontally, and the width doesnt bother me, but with the weight of the bladder it seems to try and pull the pack backwards off my back and destabilizes the whole she-bang a bit. Cant seem to get it to stay up high where I need it.
Does anyone run a similar setup that you have had success with? Or am I just being too nitpicky with the way it carries and just suck it up for the several hour hike in?
I have been eyeing SG packs, as they seem to have a taller, more slender profile than kifaru, which MAY carry a bit better, but Im sure with the collective knowledge of you all I can find a solution within my current set up.