JBDaddy
Well-Known Member
I want to haul my heliums, predator, bow, layers and daypack in a single load, and haul them all back out plus a quartered deer in one trip. This usually limits options to the Rokslide.com faves: Kuiu, Eberlestock, Kifaru, Stone Glacier. But those have a price tag that won't fit my budget. Even used, they're rarely under $150 each: frame, bag, etc. I've hear "buy once, cry once" and "nothing good is cheap, and nothing cheap is good," and I believe that... but I AM a cheap bugger.
One great cheaper option if you can find it is the discontinued(?) LL Bean Hunter's Carryall - a barebones frame pack. There's one in the Classifieds here that is sorely tempting, but I've already spent my money, and wanted to show what I got, and what I changed on it. For anyone else, jump on that Carryall. If you follow my path, there be sore fingers and thumbs ahead, matey.
Alps Outdoors has a "boy, that looks like a knock-off" version of the LL Bean available two ways: Frame only, and Frame plus 4000 cu in Bag. A few weeks ago the Frame + Bag option popped up here. I found the bag-snobs (I kid, sorta) over at Rokslide don't like it because it's heavier than the expensive options they've got, but people who've actually used it tend to like it, and like the cash they saved on it.
So here's what I got:
Barely used. The top cover comes off, the outer pack comes off, the large bag zips and clips off, and you're left with the Frame-Only option:
It's an internal frame, shoulder straps and waist straps. There's a grab-handle on the top, and "wings" (one side has an elastic pocket on the inside, the other does not, and there's an elastic pocket up against the frame between the wings), and an outer "shelf" that wraps up from the bottom and clips in at the top. There's a ton of extra buckle ends going up the sides, but there's no built in attachment options on the outsides for stand, sticks, etc.
So I added some: On the outside outer shelf, and on the outer surface of the wings - where it wouldn't impact the pocket:
I have somehow neglected to get a picture of it, but 3 24" cut down helium sticks will fit side by side (I mean next to each other, not stacked/thick) under those wings, clipped and cinched down and quiet, then the predator will nestle over them, and the outer shelf folds and clips up over it to keep everything snug, compact and quiet. I'll try to remember to add a picture of that.
But that's not all I want - no daypack option yet. The full frame & bag has an external pack that clips onto the 4000 cu in bag, but it uses a smaller size clip that doesn't fit into anything on the frame itself. (Warning: Rant...) This design is slightly stupid, Alps. Stupid. Are you listening Alps? Your small buckles actually fit inside the large buckles already - it would kill you to make them actually click together? Come on, innovate a little! (Rant over).
So I added more matching small clips on the top & sides that give the outer pack a place to connect:
This is where sore fingers and thumbs come in. The molle strapping I could do on a machine. I couldn't get a machine to do this and had to push a needle through the edges - sometimes with a pair of pliers. It sucked, but it works:
This is just about exactly what I wanted. The sticks & stand all fit in with just a few clips to open for access. Cold weather layers can fit in on top of them, or attached in the bottom straps (this thing has a LOT of extra compression straps, which is nice). The outer pack is big enough for my kill kit, snacks, etc. Range finder, pistol and other fast-access items fit on the waist belt or in its pockets. As-is, everything cinches down, all extra straps are tucked up, and it's pretty quiet to carry, jump in, remove and open up. A bow holder can fit on top of the outer bag, but carrying a bow there might add some extra "bounce" noise. If I were to quarter a deer, the wing-space and shelf will hold it, and sticks/stand can attack to the external molle webbing where they'll definitely make more noise, but are still pretty secure.
Nothing was destroyed, so I can still add the 4k inch bag and use it to carry gear if I want, and it still disconnects easily. That removable bag has 2 sections separated by a zipper, so a sleeping bag can be stored in the bottom and layers/gear above it. There's toggles in it for a water bladder (I may yet add a copy of those to the frame-only version in that between-the-wings pocket), an external gun/bow boot, rain fly, soft pocket for a spotting scope, and top-detachable pocket that has hidden straps to wear as a separate waist pack. It's a pretty cool, if slightly heavy bag. Alps could make it better by ditching some of the "decorative" double-layers or going with lighter materials, and if they dropped half a pound from it, it would really compete with the high-end bags.
The only other things I added were some rubber-coated wire, coiled up in a pocket, and Velcro One-Wrap, where I cut the 3/4" width ties into 6" lengths, and then in half length-wise. They snug into the sewn-over ends of straps, that then wrap up and allow the one-wrap to go around the finished bundle to hold it all together snugly, and they're WAY cheaper than webbing dominators. I left a few feet of it in one of the pockets in case I need extra options for cinching, attaching, etc. Either the one-wrap or rubber coated wire will securely hold most anything into the added webbing and is very light to add/carry.
So there's a project documented and shared. If anyone is interested in specific pictures, ask. I'm also open to suggestions for improvements - that's why I'm sharing. Feel free. And if you see an error in my ways, well that's welcomed to note, too. "Face it, your mission in life may be to serve as a warning to others."
One great cheaper option if you can find it is the discontinued(?) LL Bean Hunter's Carryall - a barebones frame pack. There's one in the Classifieds here that is sorely tempting, but I've already spent my money, and wanted to show what I got, and what I changed on it. For anyone else, jump on that Carryall. If you follow my path, there be sore fingers and thumbs ahead, matey.
Alps Outdoors has a "boy, that looks like a knock-off" version of the LL Bean available two ways: Frame only, and Frame plus 4000 cu in Bag. A few weeks ago the Frame + Bag option popped up here. I found the bag-snobs (I kid, sorta) over at Rokslide don't like it because it's heavier than the expensive options they've got, but people who've actually used it tend to like it, and like the cash they saved on it.
So here's what I got:
Barely used. The top cover comes off, the outer pack comes off, the large bag zips and clips off, and you're left with the Frame-Only option:
It's an internal frame, shoulder straps and waist straps. There's a grab-handle on the top, and "wings" (one side has an elastic pocket on the inside, the other does not, and there's an elastic pocket up against the frame between the wings), and an outer "shelf" that wraps up from the bottom and clips in at the top. There's a ton of extra buckle ends going up the sides, but there's no built in attachment options on the outsides for stand, sticks, etc.
So I added some: On the outside outer shelf, and on the outer surface of the wings - where it wouldn't impact the pocket:
I have somehow neglected to get a picture of it, but 3 24" cut down helium sticks will fit side by side (I mean next to each other, not stacked/thick) under those wings, clipped and cinched down and quiet, then the predator will nestle over them, and the outer shelf folds and clips up over it to keep everything snug, compact and quiet. I'll try to remember to add a picture of that.
But that's not all I want - no daypack option yet. The full frame & bag has an external pack that clips onto the 4000 cu in bag, but it uses a smaller size clip that doesn't fit into anything on the frame itself. (Warning: Rant...) This design is slightly stupid, Alps. Stupid. Are you listening Alps? Your small buckles actually fit inside the large buckles already - it would kill you to make them actually click together? Come on, innovate a little! (Rant over).
So I added more matching small clips on the top & sides that give the outer pack a place to connect:
This is where sore fingers and thumbs come in. The molle strapping I could do on a machine. I couldn't get a machine to do this and had to push a needle through the edges - sometimes with a pair of pliers. It sucked, but it works:
This is just about exactly what I wanted. The sticks & stand all fit in with just a few clips to open for access. Cold weather layers can fit in on top of them, or attached in the bottom straps (this thing has a LOT of extra compression straps, which is nice). The outer pack is big enough for my kill kit, snacks, etc. Range finder, pistol and other fast-access items fit on the waist belt or in its pockets. As-is, everything cinches down, all extra straps are tucked up, and it's pretty quiet to carry, jump in, remove and open up. A bow holder can fit on top of the outer bag, but carrying a bow there might add some extra "bounce" noise. If I were to quarter a deer, the wing-space and shelf will hold it, and sticks/stand can attack to the external molle webbing where they'll definitely make more noise, but are still pretty secure.
Nothing was destroyed, so I can still add the 4k inch bag and use it to carry gear if I want, and it still disconnects easily. That removable bag has 2 sections separated by a zipper, so a sleeping bag can be stored in the bottom and layers/gear above it. There's toggles in it for a water bladder (I may yet add a copy of those to the frame-only version in that between-the-wings pocket), an external gun/bow boot, rain fly, soft pocket for a spotting scope, and top-detachable pocket that has hidden straps to wear as a separate waist pack. It's a pretty cool, if slightly heavy bag. Alps could make it better by ditching some of the "decorative" double-layers or going with lighter materials, and if they dropped half a pound from it, it would really compete with the high-end bags.
The only other things I added were some rubber-coated wire, coiled up in a pocket, and Velcro One-Wrap, where I cut the 3/4" width ties into 6" lengths, and then in half length-wise. They snug into the sewn-over ends of straps, that then wrap up and allow the one-wrap to go around the finished bundle to hold it all together snugly, and they're WAY cheaper than webbing dominators. I left a few feet of it in one of the pockets in case I need extra options for cinching, attaching, etc. Either the one-wrap or rubber coated wire will securely hold most anything into the added webbing and is very light to add/carry.
So there's a project documented and shared. If anyone is interested in specific pictures, ask. I'm also open to suggestions for improvements - that's why I'm sharing. Feel free. And if you see an error in my ways, well that's welcomed to note, too. "Face it, your mission in life may be to serve as a warning to others."