Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting My McHale Pack Experience - Part III

It's been almost 15 months since I received my custom McHale backpack. I've been documenting my experience for others who may be interested in a truly custom pack.

The previous threads can be found at the following links:

http://24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/4599504/1

http://24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/4711125/4

Since receiving my pack I've been on roughly 40 day hikes and scouting trips, 3 multi-day backpack trips and 3 multi-day backpack bivy hunts.

This pack has met my expectations. Is it perfect? No. But it's as close as I have ever come in a pack. At last count I've used over a dozen different packs in the last 15 years. For the first time ever, when visiting REI, Cabelas, or Sportsmans Warehouse I walk right by the pack sections. I am satisfied! Well almost...

Likes:
- The double waist belt straps are amazing! They were the first thing I noticed when I tried on the demo pack. It's surprising to me other manufacturer's don't do something similar.
- The ability to change the pack to match the trip. One Day Trips: Compress down, add water bottle pockets, leave by-pass straps, bayonets and any other unneeded accessories at home. Multi Day Trips: Expand bag, add top lid, put the by-pass straps and bayonets in, add hydration sleeve, put on waist belt pockets, good to go. One pack to cover all my outings.
- Pack durability has been outstanding. The bottom and back are showing no signs off wear after over 50 days in the field except for one issue listed below.
- The pack is extremely comfortable to wear. While I missed out on my muley this year, some of my trip loads have exceeded 50 lbs. I have tried it at home with 100 lbs loads, but 30 minutes around the house isn't quite the same as bringing that type of weight off a mountain. As such, the 100 lbs verdict is still out.
- Fit. This may go without saying since it is, after all, a custom pack, but the fit is the best I've had. The waist belt is the right diameter. The shoulder straps are the right length and width. The frame stays match my torso length and profile. Lumbar pads sits nicely into the small of my back. The pack just fits.
- The back pouch / pocket. This pocket has been great. Easily fits my 65mm spotter, tripod, and a hat and gloves. It also has a couple of small internal pockets at the top where I can store my wallet, keys, phone and flashlight. My most used gear in a location that's easy to get to.

Dislikes:
- Even though the pack is light for it's load hauling ability, I still wish it was a pound lighter. This was a compromise I settled on during the design. I could have gone with lighter fabric, but went with the 500d Cordura for durability.
- The white Dyneema and Spectra fabrics are not dye-able like standard nylons and polyesters. Dan uses a special process to get the colors you see on his website, but due to the fabric's characteristics it's not a completely permanent process. I've noticed the gray Dyneema panels on my pack have lightened up a few shades.
- This one isn't a dislike per se, but it makes the most sense to list it here. I was able to rub a small hole in the back Dyneema kangaroo pocket. I inadvertently placed the sharp corner of the tripod adapter plate on the bottom of my spotting scope in a position where it could rub against the riser of my bow. And it did just that for a couple of hours during a hike. The result was a small hole about the size of a pencil eraser. This would have happened to any fabric, but it did shatter my misconception that Dyneema was "bulletproof".

Trust me, it IS. I've seen it. (Of course it takes about 20 or 30 layers to make it happen). Hahaha

Thanks for the third portion of your review Russ! It's been a great help to those of us interested in McHale packs in general and the LBP packs in specific. Is there a way to embed those two pictures you attached like in your second review?

So the big questions...would you do it again? And if so, is there anything you'd change? I know you said you'd like it a pound lighter, but are you willing to sacrifice that for the better longevity of the 500d nylon (meaning would you have picked the same fabrics next time)?

Yes I would do it again. My pack gets used on a weekly basis so having it right was worth the price.

The best part is my pack will last for many years. Longevity was a factor in going with a McHale instead of something like the Kifaru UL, which came out about the same time I ordered my pack. That was also the rational behind the 500d Cordura and Dyneema fabric choices. A little heavier but built to take abuse, year after year.

Russ, I've got nothing but good to say about Dan and his packs. I have two of them, both full dynnema. The one I go for each time it seems is the white windsauk on his web page, and I bought it used off of eBay (my luckiest eBay find to date). First Dan sized it, added side compression straps, and dyed it black and green, and Dan named tthe color "lizzard-horror". Since then I've sent it back across North America for him to add the P&G and a zipper panel and an accessory pouch. I'm now getting a hip pouch top and water bottle pockets in Cuben to lighten up some. He's been a gem to deal with all along. No holes in the dynnema, and I've logged many miles. Dan told me about your occurance, and I can't imagine what stress that must have required! I've often wondered if Dans dynnema fabric would stop a .22.
Can't wait to see the stuff in cuben. He encouraged me to hold off getting load bearing parts out of cuben until he has more experience. I'm heading to the Yukon again with mine in September, can't wait
Don

It would be interesting to see if a single layer of 1000d Dyneema would stop a .22. I sort of doubt 1 would, but 2 or 3 layers, at offset angles might. Like I told Russ in his other thread, my hard armor plates are approximately 20-30 layers of Dyneema, and will stop high velocity rifle rounds (5.56mm, 7.62NATO, up to 300 Win Mag) at muzzle velocities.

By the way Don, do you have pics of your pack after the color change? I'm thinking we should have a "Show your McHale packs" thread.

docdb,

The hole surprised me too, but a sharp corner rubbing against a hard surface for a couple of hours can do a lot of damage.

The hole is actually a little smaller than a pencil eraser. What's been interesting to me is the fabric hasn't frayed. I thought for sure it would need to be reinforced with Seam Grip or something to keep it from propagating. The jagged edges of the Dyneema are holding together very well on their own.

the new hard armor plates will stop a 300 Winny?

The company did not list it on their site, so it could simply be that the results were not consistent or that it is not a threat they were designed to stop. But I was told personally by a rep for the company that the plates had reliably stopped 300 Win Mag. They make Dyneema plates in both 7.5 lbs (10"x12"), and 3 lbs (same size). I got the lighter weight plates. The 3 lbs plate (1 plate) stopped the following (all shots were at 3 meters):
5 rounds- 7.62 NATO @ 2780 fps
5 rounds 5.56 NATO @ 3200 fps (M193)
3 rounds 5.56 LeMas 40grn @ 3718 fps
1 round of 5.56mm "Green tip" did penetrate.
It also stops 30.06 M2 @ 2736 fps.

13 rounds of high velocity rifle ammo would have destroyed a ceramic plate IMHO. That you can get a 3lbs plate that will take multiple hits of this nature is beyond impressive to me. I forgot to add, following these 13 rifle rounds, the same plate was shot with 47 various handgun rounds. Of course none penetrated.
PS- I just checked where the 300 Win Mag stat came from. The heavier Dyneema plate (the 7.5 lbs version) was shot by a 300 Win Mag and stopped 2 out of 3 rounds (The round that penetrated was an edge shot).

Sorry for the minor thread hijack, but the bottom line is...Dyneema is impressive stuff!

The black and green initially looked a little like the old tiger stripe camo of the Vietnam era. As others have stated, this color doesn't take to dynnema easily. But as I mentioned, it started out stark white for the original owner.
Don

BTW, the buttstock of a rifle (NULA in this case) fits nicely into the water-bottle pocket, and the forend can be McCollugh straped to the frame right where the shoulder strap connects to the frame, for a transport option. I also have successfully used the kifaru system, although one fall to earth will usually bust the upper strap (so, don't fall, or carry spares).
Don

Been there, done that. I agree - carry a spare upper strap.

Scott

Nice setup you've got there Don. Thanks for the picture!

I used to have a older ULA in that same color scheme.Every body I hunted with hated it but I loved it.Cool rifle Doc.

Good info bringing to top.