Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Can't decide on a daypack

I am in the market for a daypack. I just looked at and tried on the tenzing 2220 and I liked the way it fit and looked. Obviously I have no idea how it packs but it looked like it would be ok. My ideal features are that the pack is small for day use but big enough to possibly carry out some meat from a deer or small hog size animal. I want the ability to cary a rifle on the pack for long hikes. I have searched and read a ton of stuff on this subject on numerous forums. There is just so much info its hard to decide. Other packs I have researched but not seen in person are the eberlestock gunrunner and the x1e. I just dont want to end up with a bigger pack than I need as I intend on purchasing a larger elk hunting pack in the future.

I'd pass on anything Tenzing or Eberestock and check out a Kifaru Spike Camp or Late Season.

This. I ran the Ebrlestock experiment and hated the two I had purchased.

And get a gunbearer from Kifaru for the rifle! Nifty piece of kit, IMHO.

I use a tenzing 2200 and their 1250. For day hikes and packing backstraps out they work very well. I have a Badlands 2600 that I use for heavier work. I can carry my hunting gear and my big coat in my 2200 until I get settled then pull my heavy coat out and put my light coat in. I have logged an average of 14 miles aday wearing that pack for two weeks straight and it did not bother my shoulders. I have had it for about 3 years now.

I just bought a Stone Glacier Solo pack, and I really like it. It has a load shelf that will haul an elk quarter or a whole boned deer, and still be able to leave the pack bag attached so you don't have to make two trips. It is a cordura bag that I thought might be noisy, but I just hunted the timber in the snow yesterday and was really surprised how quiet it was. It is so much more comfortable than my old Cabela's daypack that it's like night and day. They are a little pricey, but I love the thing. The other thing about the Stone Glacier packs is that you can buy other Stone Glacier Pack bags by themselves and have a completely different pack.

The HPG Ute is worth looking at. I used one as a day pack elk hunting this year. It's got a great belt, great shoulder harness, great compression system, and a simple, durable bag. Colorado company. Built tough as nails. Plenty of room for a day's worth of hunting gear and emergency overnight stuff. An elk hind quarter fits perfectly and carries comfortably. You could probably use the wand pocket on the side to hold your butt stock, or just add a kifaru gun bearer to the belt.

http://hillpeoplegear.com/Products/tabid/762/CategoryID/3/ProductID/10/Default.aspx

Otherwise, as mentioned, it's hard to go wrong with the Kifaru offerings.

Horn hunter full curl system! Does everything and is versatile in all conditions!

Having a HPG Tarahumara delivered today. Not going to be much for weight carry, but I'll report back on how I like it. Mostly for day hunting when I have other options (truck/utv/atv) for getting the animal out.

I have that pack as well as the Highlander. The Tara is too small IMO to be really useful as a hunting pack, especially in foul weather. I'd go with the Highlander.

For hunting, I'd actually go with the HPG Umlindi over the Tara or Highlander, especially if you want to bring some meat out. The Ute works great as a daypack as well, and offers more versatility and load carrying ability. Have a Tara, Umlindi, and Ute and really like the Umlindi as a dedicated hunting daypack.

Good point on carrying meat. Since OutdoorAg was looking at the Tara, and said he wouldn't be hauling meat, I naturally assumed meat hauling was not an issue.

CCH, are you going belt or no belt with the umlindi?

No belt. With a belt, I'd probably just stick with the Ute. However, their new Recon belt would be a good match for the Umlindi.

Smoke, I saw meat carrying in the first post and had that in mind.

This summer I bought an Eberlestock F1 Mainfrme & SuperSpike Duffel. It was really reasonably priced for what you get, and has performed beautifully for me though I'll be the first to admit I use it a lot less than others here.

I like the combination of affordability, versatility, and freight capacity for meat hauling. Very comfortable to boot.

Have the Tara in hand. Will post some pictures, my first take, and a few questions. There are some cord locks and shock cords that I can't figure out. I figure you boys can help.

The shock cords and cord locks on the front of the shoulder straps? They're for holding water bottles. The curvy bicycle kind.

Just my opinion, but I wouldn't spend a great deal of money on a day pack. It's just that; a day pack and most hunters/hikers don't buy them for their load lifters, heavy suspensions and other features that are important when carrying a lot of weight. I have a Kifaru Longhunter and an Eberlestock J34 for that purpose.

+1 on not spending too much on a day pack. Anything can haul your incidentals easy enough. I saved my dough for a meat hauler, actually a couple. I use a Cabela's a bargain barn special for a day pack. I had an early model Eberlestock X1 but it was larger than I needed for a day pack. It wouldn't quite hold a boned out Blacktail- and it sucked with that much weight.

Outdoorsmans Optic Hunter just pushed my dear old Terraplane to Craigslist. Love the pack, weight stays close to your body. Easy to pop the bag off and use as a hauler or add the Muley as a daypack'ish kind of deal.

Or just slap on a drybag. Nice to be done looking for a pack for sure.