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"The official saddle hunting backpack thread"

Topdog said:
This is no contest for me, pruning trails is not an option for the miles I hike in and my back is trashed so ducking whips and such is not happening, for the light loads I carry with my stand set up the popup hopefully will be the ticket, I totally agree having a dedicated pack for meat is the only way to go, mine stays in the truck all season, old school dana design long bed.
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I hope the pop up works for you. I can, and have done in the past, minimally prune thorny brush when blazing a trial. Not illegal for the majority of my hunts. And, in the majority of my hunting grounds, if I find I need to prune stickers, it isn’t just happening at shoulder or head level.

I would love to hear of everyone’s successes while using the pop up. Maybe I can find a way to make it work better for me. I am hoping I can fabricate a minimalist type of meat shelf / bag for it.
 
sojourner said:
I hope the pop up works for you. I can, and have done in the past, minimally prune thorny brush when blazing a trial. Not illegal for the majority of my hunts. And, in the majority of my hunting grounds, if I find I need to prune stickers, it isn’t just happening at shoulder or head level.

I would love to hear of everyone’s successes while using the pop up. Maybe I can find a way to make it work better for me. I am hoping I can fabricate a minimalist type of meat shelf / bag for it.
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Here is a thread with some information on fitting a quieter bag to the 28. https://saddlehunter.com/community/index.php?threads/mystery-ranch-pack-users.11773/

I think the MR Popup bags are just what you described but, by design. They aren't designed to be a serious meat hauling pack or a light day pack. They are designed to be a day pack that can on occasion pack out meat. I agree that I do wish the bag was quieter though.
bob1sh said:
I could not appreciate this more, thanks for your input. I have no issue paying for quality and that’s what I’m after in the end. Not being familiar with hunting packs in general I didn’t think the bag would be what you mentioned but I see it now that you have in regards to it being a hybrid and not specific to one or the other features. Makes me want to go with an Eberlestock frame and one of their bags.


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Here is one thread with a lot of info on the MR 28, there are several others if you do a search. I believe @kyler1945 has a pretty extensive review somewhere also.
 
My pop up bag has quieted down considerably having hunted through several rain showers, and soaked/rinsed it several times to remove blood and mud. My attempt at a quieter bag was simply to cover every single scenario - the one I had in mind was below freezing, dry, crisp mornings, and having deer in close that i'm not aware of, and making noise with the bag. It's quiet enough now, and that's a rare enough scenario, I wouldn't spend the effort to resolve if I could do it over again. But most of my hunts are north of 30 degrees.

I have a kifaru proper frame pack for hunting western us/backcountry hunting and camping. If I had 70lbs in my pack, for a 1 mile hike, I probably wouldn't notice the difference between the Kifaru and the Popup. If I had to carry it all day, I'd notice the difference. Just like I would notice the difference between a popup and a 75.00 academy pack without proper load lifters and a junky belt. I average a few miles a day during season for deer scouting/hunting. I am usually carrying 10-30lbs for those days. This is what the popup is designed for in my view. I can then strap in 40-70lbs of boned out whitetail if I'm fortunate. I've only toted about 80lbs, but have spoken with someone who's hit 100lbs and the pack performed just fine. I wouldn't do 100lbs on the regular, and I would do it with full expectation of damaging it. I'm sure there are other packs that work well for whitetail hunting, but the Popup works perfectly for me. I've owned an eberlestock pack, and carried a couple others. I'm simply not a fan of their shoulder harness setup. There are far superior options.

I refuse to drag a deer. I won't own a sled. I was convinced by hunting partners last year to attempt to get my Mizzou public land deer out by cart in the snow. The cart lasted 75 yards in a cut field the axle snapped when we hit a rut. He got packed the rest of the way. I hate walking out and walking back in. All of this seems inefficient and silly. I can take apart a deer on the ground in about an hour with a two inch long blade. I want a pack that is comfortable to carry 30lbs walking ALL DAY. Because many days I walk all day. Any pack without load lifters and a proper hip belt, and that is not properly fitted to your torso length, will get the job done. But it won't be comfortable. And that lack of comfort leads to me wimping out instead of pushing forward.

All of these points, (and saddle hunting weight weenie ultralight gear stuff generally) are moot points if you hunt private land less than half a mile from the truck. I can't understand the desire to spend hundreds or thousands on gear that never really gets use in these scenarios. But if you're like me, and you average a few hundred miles a season walking through nasty thick rough terrain, do yourself a favor and get a pack that fits you right, and is designed for being worked. If you don't cover a bunch of ground, save your money for beer and food to keep folks around the hunting camp!
 
Good points [mention]kyler1945 [/mention] My popup is loud as ever. Just hiking / scouting / training so far. I hunt from late Sept through middle February in the north, so my colder days probably are colder then your southern hunting. And the loudness would be intolerable.

The popup with 30 lbs is nowhere near the comfort of my stone glacier at that same weight. That is an issue for me, the full frame pack is more comfortable, but it is a 26” frame. Popup had me excited, but definitely not lived up to the internal hype I had for it.

Back to upping my sewing game so I can use the frame with a different bag. May even try to change the waist belt too.

Hopefully this back and forth will give others data points for their purchase decision.
 
This will be my setup for 2020

LWCG Ambush With mini sticks

Kifaru guide lid with a large belt pouch.

I’m going to add a couple straps to the bottom of the lid and it will act like a compression panel for carrying in outer layers etc.

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Here’s an action shot of me and my pack coming out heavy. I had my saddle, sticks, platform, misc stuff and a quartered out deer. I think the total weight was 89lbs on my scale. The pack is a Kifaru Rekoning. It’s made for hauling weight and I am not. I’ll be making two trips next time lol.


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Well UPS just dropped off my pop up 28, first impression WOW, I like it, obviously I have not used this thing yet so time will tell but it’s quality through out, it’s narrow which is what I wanted for going through the thick stuff, nothing wider than me hanging off the sides to catch on brush and such, I also bought the mystery ranch 2 day assault this year and this packs material Is night and day different for noise, I have no idea why, the assault sounds like a empty bag of potatoe chips, maybe after some use it will change but that’s what mine is like, this pack is not fleece quiet but is good enough for my intended use, the fabric is more pliable and overall just quieter than the assault, I am pleased. Maybe this weekend I can get it loaded up with my windwalker or predator and post some photos for those on the fence, I know all the info I read on saddlehunter was a big help in making my decision.
 
Topdog said:
Well UPS just dropped off my pop up 28, first impression WOW, I like it, obviously I have not used this thing yet so time will tell but it’s quality through out, it’s narrow which is what I wanted for going through the thick stuff, nothing wider than me hanging off the sides to catch on brush and such, I also bought the mystery ranch 2 day assault this year and this packs material Is night and day different for noise, I have no idea why, the assault sounds like a empty bag of potatoe chips, maybe after some use it will change but that’s what mine is like, this pack is not fleece quiet but is good enough for my intended use, the fabric is more pliable and overall just quieter than the assault, I am pleased. Maybe this weekend I can get it loaded up with my windwalker or predator and post some photos for those on the fence, I know all the info I read on saddlehunter was a big help in making my decision.
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Please do, I’m still on the fence about this pack. I thought I was sold until I had a couple convincing nay sayers.


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I can’t say I’ve tried that many but I’m a PopUp28 fan for the simple logic of it packs all I need in and that with buck parts out. Quality, ergonomics, hunter design- worlds better than the cheap chit, hiking back packs, tenzig, game plan gear or horn hunters of my past.


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So I am no pack expert, and I think everything said here about the pop up 28 echos my first impressions, I like this pack. My windwalker fits like a glove, I loaded probably 30 lbs or so total quick just to get a feel for the pack and it rides like a dream. I wanted a small frame pack to carry a big load if needed and this fits the bill perfectly in my opinion. Narrow so it doesn’t snag on brush, yet stout to handle bigger than normal loads. My problem with packs has always been something unexpected and extra always happens and I am constantly strapping and lashing stuff to the outside that never rides good and 300 yards in half of my load shifts and that drives me nuts, this big dump pouch is the answer for me, any extra jackets or who knows what I can just throw it in there. Could this pack out a deer, I think so, it would not be my first choice but would work in a pinch I suppose, I never pack meat, we get them out one way or another, I am in several local contests where weight is important. Overall I think this pack has exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend it.
 
Topdog said:
So I am no pack expert, and I think everything said here about the pop up 28 echos my first impressions, I like this pack. My windwalker fits like a glove, I loaded probably 30 lbs or so total quick just to get a feel for the pack and it rides like a dream. I wanted a small frame pack to carry a big load if needed and this fits the bill perfectly in my opinion. Narrow so it doesn’t snag on brush, yet stout to handle bigger than normal loads. My problem with packs has always been something unexpected and extra always happens and I am constantly strapping and lashing stuff to the outside that never rides good and 300 yards in half of my load shifts and that drives me nuts, this big dump pouch is the answer for me, any extra jackets or who knows what I can just throw it in there. Could this pack out a deer, I think so, it would not be my first choice but would work in a pinch I suppose, I never pack meat, we get them out one way or another, I am in several local contests where weight is important. Overall I think this pack has exceeded my expectations and I would highly recommend it.
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Glad you are happy with it.

In looking at sewing up something for my popup 38, I looked at the mystery ranch site. It has a mule bag only ($125) and the back strap ($50) that will fit the 2020 popup frame. I am now considering either of these two options if I can sell the 38 bag.

Or just sew my day one pack onto it somehow.

Also, care to share some details on local contests where weight is important? Curious.
 
The day one bag would be slick! I have an old fieldline usa made fleece pack that is basically the same thing, I plan on leaving the pop up on the ground and bringing that up the tree with me.
 
My last cheap pack lasted about 8yrs, stitching finally gave up the ghost. Looked around on the web for something a little nicer but that wouldn't break the bank. Hopefully this one will hold up for a few years.
 

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This thread got me talked into buying the Popup 28 before I jump off the deep end for a Kifaru pack. And as my luck goes you’d know they out of stock now. I wonder how long it’ll take to be back in stock with the mess that’s going on.
 
Outdoorsman33 said:
This thread got me talked into buying the Popup 28 before I jump off the deep end for a Kifaru pack. And as my luck goes you’d know they out of stock now. I wonder how long it’ll take to be back in stock with the mess that’s going on.
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I’ve been in the same boat, had my mind made up, changed plans, didn’t matter because everything I want is now out of stock


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I got mine at Safari Supply for $243 shipped, it was on sale, mystery ranch popup 28, that was a couple weeks ago.
 
Topdog said:
Most every bar in the North, Upstate NY has a buck contest, most are old school and count points, spread, and weight. Just a few actually measure just the horns by inches. It’s mostly for bragging rights as the pay outs are minimal but it definitely keeps things interesting, theres nothing like hanging a bruiser off the front porch of an ADK gin mill, it’s kind of tradition around here.
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Well, now you got post some pics! :tonguewink:
 
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