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What's your go to pack?

Murph4028

Murph4028

Well-Known Member
Vendor Rep
Joined
Jan 2, 2019
Messages
1,489
Location
North Carolina
I posted a poll about pack size but what's your go to pack? For me, it's hard for a pack to keep me satisfied. There always seems to be something missing and I probably own 20 packs. I never get rid of them because I change my mind depending on what I have planned for my hunt and what time of season it is. Here in North Carolina, early season is 90 degrees and by December it's in the 20s so my load out will change. I feel like this wouldn't be as big of an issue for Northern hunters who have it cold all season long. The two most important things to me for a pack are organization and external molle or a solid strapping system. Out of all my packs if I had to pick just one it would probably be the horn hunter G2 daypack. It has a good external tie down system, decent internal organization, and it's a medium sized pack that can hold a lot if I need it to. I wanna see what everyone else is using.
 
I think im going to order the tenzing tz 1250. I like lower lumbar packs because i do alot of walking and this cuts down on my back getting over heated. Im using a smaller lumbar pack now and have really enjoyed it. When it gets cold and my load out changes from high 80s to in the teens i simply strap my bulky outer layer to the exterior of the pack. I put my outer layer on at the base of the tree like most people and find it very efficient to have that layer accessible without digging through my pack. The TZ 1250 also has a waterproof liner which im also looking forward to. Nothing i hate more than unloading everything to dry out.
 
Im like you and have a handful (not 20..... obsessed much?) I'll switch them around. I have kinda settled on a military surplus gunbelt based rig with two big dump pooches for off season scouting, x2 for carrying sticks and platform, and fanny pack for hunting off the ground.
I've only had 3 hunts with the x2 and I'm really starting to like it. It's heavy out of the box but it carries the load better than any of my others packs... By day 3 of the hunt my back and shoulders aren't sore anymore. If I didn't walk around so much with sticks/platform attached then my cheap academy brand pack would work just fine. I've always preferred a small bag....I don't take much. This x2 is huge but it's all a compromise
 
I too have a pack problem. My go to this season has been. Badlands silent reaper.

I really like the simplicity, top loading and lack of zippers. I don’t carry much. Grunt, range finder, bladder section holds my asat leafy if I go to ground. Rappel rope in the bottom. Platform in the pack that I can access while climbing. Mini sticks go on the bedroll straps. Rest of my stuff in my saddle pouches.

I have a eberlestock bandit that just came in AND a badlands super day that I got used for a good price and wanted to try. Reminded me that I don’t care for waistbelts and don’t really need that much pack in the South.




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I've pretty well settled on the MR Popup. It gets me through the whole season. It carries very well. It packs my platform and sticks in the load shelf. It packs out deer adequately. I'll probably never use a frameless shoulder bag again. Even scouting and family picnics I grab the Popup. That's known as EDC in the tacticool terminology. Nothing like a blanket, a few ham sammiches and a couple Busch lights to really test the load out capabilities.

If I could design the thing ground up, I would use a quieter fabric for the bag, and have the Y zipper that the Pintler has.
 
Murph4028 said:
Here in North Carolina, early season is 90 degrees and by December it's in the 20s so my load out will change. I feel like this wouldn't be as big of an issue for Northern hunters who have it cold all season long.
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I know it's cold up here, but it's not cold early season! Our archery season starts mid-sept (average high in the 70s usually some in the 80s) and ends Dec31 (average high in the 20s, average low in the single digits, average high in the 20s. Occasionally highs are subzero. We start out with as small or smaller pack needs, and end up needing to bring more into the woods. Humidity and cold-tolerance aside, lows in the 20s/highs in the 40s or even 50s sort of weather(which looks like what you mean by "in the 20s" I think...) is basically a warmish midseason day, and one that I would typically have significantly lighter-weight clothing than I would later in the season (as it will get up to ~40 degrees colder).

I don't really have a pack setup that I 100% endorse, and I'll switch it up depending on clothing volume.
 
This year it’s been a eastern day pack by badlands. It’s got the same noisy inner material @g2outdoors talked about in the pack he reviewed. Rancho safari makes some fleece packs. I’ll probably be trying a couple of them next season.
 
I'm liking my Vanguard Pioneer 2100RT. It's big enough and small enough at the same time. It carries the predator well and if I needed to pack my bow I still have enough room. The one thing I would change is the zippers. The only pack that I have that has good zippers is my Gander mtn. fleece pack. I don't know why manufacturers went with these fine toothed zippers, and noisy fabric on their packs. Badlands did the same. The fine toothed zippers are super loud. I'd like to see Natgear make a fleece pack with the material they use for their interceptor jacket and use the same zippers on it. I like long pockets on the side, with the wings with straps, like my Vanguard. I can also remove the frame if It's early season, to shave some weight. The biggest thing I dislike about the Vanguard is they lined one of the side pockets with a cheesy insulation that's useless and loud. I put my coffee thermos in there, but I'd prefer just a normal pocket.
 
Early season no pack or using vario day mid Dash pack and late vario 33 I'm packing out all my layers and wearing just base unless I hunt less than 1/2 mile than I'd just use the day pack with vario frame. It's a life saver though to have a frame pack especially in the late season
 
It's funny how much all of us saddle hunters think alike. I agree with everyone's reviews of the packs listed...MR pop-up, Eberlestock X2, Tenzing, Badlands, vanguard... I agree with all of you.

I have about 6 packs right now and I've sold at least 5 or 6 others. I struggle with a lightweight do all pack. There are lots of good options if you're willing to carrier a heavier pack, or for late season when you need a lot of space.

The lightweight, early to mid season pack is a tough one to find.

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G2 Hornhunter has been my go to for a few years. Just ordered a G3 Hornhunter due to my pack starting to wear out.
 
eyedoc said:
G2 Hornhunter has been my go to for a few years. Just ordered a G3 Hornhunter due to my pack starting to wear out.
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How noisy are those packs? I’ve seen mixed reviews about the zippers and material.


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Eberlestock X2. Perfect for my needs. Don't see the need for any other pack.
 
I use the predator pack and attach a similar sized pack with pockets to it for early season.
Late season I am using the horn hunter main beam. I think I will be sticking with them both for a while.
 
John E encouraged me to try an all fleece Kathy Kelly pack - that has been my go to pack from that point on. I personally find most packs way to over engineered with pockets, zippers and straps and most are way to noisy for me and my hunting. Bad news is that she is pretty much done making packs. for quiet hunting you simply cannot beat a 100% fleece or wool pack. I still have an old screaming eagle wool pack that is 30+ years old. One main compartment and two smaller side pockets is all i really need for day hunts. If I need to pack hunt (pack in and set up camp) I use my 30 year old Dwight Shuh hunting pack. That thing has hauled out a ton of elk, deer, antelope over the years and still is going strong.
 
Packs??? I'm a pack hound. I have the kifaru Escape and evade as my early...EARLY season pack. I place my platform and now 52' of oplux rope and go. Attach one of my pouches to carry other "essentials" but for the most part that is what I carry in October. Mid-October to December...my pop-up 28. It will carry anything I need in this time frame as the days gets colder...I need to carry my outer wear. First lite tops that keep me warm. December on...I break out my kifaru duplex frame with woodsman pack. I can carry my first lite sanctuary bibs and coat, lunch, coffee thermos, kill/drag kit, water bottles and whatever I need.
 
The Badlands Dash works great for me. I strap kneepads and platform onto center back, and either my spikes or BEAST sticks fit on the sides. I can get everything I need inside or strapped onto the bottom straps, even cold weather gear. Did I mention it's a daypack?

I will say, that new Sitka pack is amazingly quiet and engineered with no zippers. I'm not sure there is enough structure to haul my load, but I'm hoping a buddy will buy one so I can try it.

Downside to the Badlands pack is its a bit noisy, but strapped onto the tree it seems to be okay.
 
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