Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting McHale pack picture thread

McHale is in the raft on the left. It's been a great pack with some years on it now I know what I'm going to change when I get my next one. Saying that there's nothing wrong with it the way it is right now.

I will be using this pack for my extended sheep hunts. I have hunted all over BC for sheep. This year is early Stones to find one for my buddy then off for Bighorns in the Koots for the last few weeks of the season.

Ernie's is the other one I have seen photos of that I like and his assistance to me some time ago is greatly appreciated. I also know exactly what I want in a McHale and am hoping to buy this year as my earlier plan was delayed by my wife's medical issues.

...Bighorns in the... Kootenays, one of BC's most challenging hunts and the finest gear certainly helps in that endeavour. I have put my bootprints on many mountaintops all over that, my home, region and hope to do so for a few more years.

Well, very nicely done pack, probably my favourite among those I have seen.

This is identical to my CMII bayonet model in full dyneema except my waist belt is also full dyneema. RIVERJET was able to check it out last year before he ordered one. I had Dan add some extra buckles and straps on shoulder straps and waistbelt so I could use my kifaru gunbearer(not the universal). Also had the shelf modified so I can set it in two different positions depending what I'm packing, and added internal straps for lashing a bag of deboned meat close to my back for stability. Only packed one deer with it last year but I used it on two different sheep hunts, one 14 days, and I couldnt be happier. Believe it or not the standard CMII has more capacity than my kifaru LH guide and is a lot more comfortable with a big load on my body type(skinny).

I am currently working with Dan to determine which accessories to add to my CMII.

River jet I like the idea of the zippered back utility packet for easy access to spotter/tripod (I have an an angled swaro and slik mini II tripod.) But am trying to decide that or the side pockets. River jet what difference do you see between the side vs. back pocket other than the obvious location difference?

I am also thinking of adding a few more loops inside the pack to secure meat.

I had Dan make 16" long sewn in side/slot pockets instead of water bottle holders. My thought is that it would hold a spotter and tripod or other things like my small dry bags. I also had him put a set of dasiy chains inside the back of the pack for straping in a load of meat with some g-hooks and webbing kit from HPG. That should keep the meat bag high and in place against my back, keeping my pack stable with the heavy load. I cannot wait to get mine! I am so excited!

How do you plan to strap your rifle to the pack w/o the bottle holders? I had thought about putting the butt of the rifle in one of the bottle holders.

Did you go w/ a platypus holder inside the pack?

Ernie,
Glad to see others like to bring the Crocs for camp shoes.
They're light, they float, and rumor is you can boil and eat them if times get tough.

I never strap my rifle to my pack where I cannot get to it fast. I either carry it in hand or use a Kifaru gunbearer. To answer your question though I will still be able to put the butt of the rifle in the side pockets I am having built. They are open at the top and have crossed webbing for bottoms. They can also be used for packing skis.

I am having a water bladder holder built in the top lid. Also a hole for the hose in the main pack, hang loop should be just fine.

It was only after seeing Mod7Rem's pack did I commit to this build. He provided valuable feedback!!

I have an angled Swaro and Slik CF 613. I have used side pocket on other packs before and have no complaints...For my style I wanted a nimble pack which meant not too much "width". This system sucks up tight to the back and has built in padding so if you tip over backward you won't crunch your optics too bad.

The CM-II that Mod7Rem posted a pic of is mine, and above it rides nicely in the Misty Fjords in SE Alaska on a goat hunt.
Very comfy, 'course it helps to have a guide/packer....guilty of both on this trip
Don

I seem to recall,( poser that I am, ), having some input on the design and building of that particular McHale and also advised Vigilguy on his first one.

Mine will happen, late this year and will be much like the ones shown here. I will go to Dan's shop and finetune it with him in person.

I will, I suspect, still use my Dana and MR packs for some things as they suit me just fine.

I had some issues this past season with the Gunbearer on my Kifaru Longhunter. With the butt bucket adjusted as low and as far back and/or forward as possible, my gun's barrel was in my way while glassing. The rifle is a Browning 300 Win Mag with 26in. barrel. I'm open to suggestions for adjustments on the Gunbearer that might help. The Longhunter is a great pack but, I'm going to try something different this year since glassing is a big part of the way I hunt elk and deer.

I use my gun barrel while glassing with binos to keep steady. I could see how a long action with 26" barrel would get in the way though.

I have carried my original P-64 Mod. 70 Alaskans, in .338WM, with their 25" tubes in the Kifaru Gunbearer, on a Longhunter Rendevous, Gen. 1 and a MR NICE OK-6500 pack and in some fairly dense BC timber. It is OK and the Gunbearer is a brilliant design and with my little mod. of a safety strap, the best way to carry a gun I have ever tried.

I have carried a lot of rifles for decades during my years in forestry work and most times, I hated packing a gun. When, I got my first Kifaru Gunbearer, it ripped as soon as I put my rifle into it, this is in the photo of me sometimes shown here. So, I got a replacement and dicked with it and I would not be without it, by choice.

I have seen a lot of gear issues and everyone has likes,dislikes and issues; I really like the GB and have several of them and need some spare straps for mine to keep one on each pack. I place the buttholder as far to the rear on a given pack as possible and keep the rifle snug to my body and it works well in almost all situations.

So,experiement with it and see how it goes. I am doing that with posting pix, but, I am a stubborn old baztard and I will get it done if it takes me all month!

Hey, you're talking to a guy who has never owned a cell phone and never figured out how to set up voicemail on his homephone... If I can post pictures on the internet (and I do often, because it's fun), anybody can. hahaha

Here is a picture of how I modified my gunbearer. Its an adjustable strap I sewed onto the back of the "butt bucket". Its got a ring on the top so it slips onto the strap that connects to the shoulder strap. Depending on what type of load you have in the pack(whether youre upright or leaning foward) just tighten the strap if the barrel is in front of your face and it swings the barrel out. It makes a good thing even better. I used to have some close-up pics of the bearer by itself but I must have deleted them a couple years ago. I can take a couple if youre interested.

Here is a photo of the demo that Dan sent me, prior to building my SCM-II. It was loaded with 70 lbs of water jugs and other gear, and after a 10 minute workout of the incline trainer. I really like how there is no sag in the waistbelt, and there is excellent load distribution on the shoulder straps. Dan REALLY critiques these photos when building your pack! He is quite fussy when it comes to insuring a perfect fit, and I am grateful that he is. The load certainly did not feel like 70 lbs...it felt more like 45-50.

That's a nice svelte looking pack. What is the ventilation like on your back? Also, it seems like there is uncomfortably little room behind your head. Is there "cup" or indentation of some sort that allows for more clearance than is otherwise shown in that side profile picture?

Allen