Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting Reasonably priced packboard/packframe?

I use a Kelty Cache Hauler... with the load wings, not the full bag. It's no Frontier Gear, but it's as comfortable as can be expected with 100+ lbs, and was about 90 bucks. The wings are nice for securing a "squishy" load.

You couldn't pay me to carry another load on a Bull Pac...

MattMan,

Thanks, I was going to look into the Kelty one, seems reasonably priced. They probably no longer make their stuff in the States though? Had friends that used to use a lot of their stuff for backpacking, way long ago.

Care to elaborate on your Bull Pac comment? You can PM me if you'd like so you don't get burned with all the flaming you might get from the BullPac lovers. I'm not against them yet, just a bit more than I'd like to spend. I might want to try one on since they are made locally. Who knows , maybe they'll even be up at the Spokane show tomorrow and I can try one on there. If you've had problems I'd sure like to know what kind before I make up my mind.

Thanks for all the input guys, it's one of the things I like about this place.

Geno

Mav, I missed that earlier, musta jumped right over it while I was reading the rest of your reply!

I have no Valeries running around (that I know of! ). Val is my dog, short for Valentine. Can you guess her birthday? (She's about the sweetest dog one could ever have too)

Geno

Looks like the Kelty went up a little...

Cache Hauler

Just take a look at the Bull Pac straps and waist belt. It's not a question of quality, it's design and suspension. BTDT.

Bull Pac

Want to say the Kelty cach hauler is still $89.99 at our 2 local sportsmanship warehouse.

I use an old Kelty Rainer frame with the kelty bag that I got at a garage sale for $5 about 10 years ago.

A quick call to Kelty had a new set of shoulder straps and waist belt very similar to the Cache Haulers sent to me for $50. Used a tubing bender to bend a piece of 3/4 EMT conduit into a shelf and bolted it on with nylon washers so it pivots up. I have some 1/8 aluminum struts that I pin on to support te shelf when needed. Works great for $50 and an hour of my time.

Mallard,
Thanks for that post. I seem to remember the Rainier frames from "long ago". Seems like you came up with a dandy fix. Now I'm going to have to look around my garage for an old backpacking frame that might be able to serve (it might even still exist, we have moved so many times I'm no longer sure what's in there). I never gave much thought to making my own shelf.

So, those straps they sent you just went on with the pins you already had? No drilling for a new location?

Thanks again,
geno

Thanks Matt,

I can never tell too much from pics on a website, that's why I like to find out from real users. I appreciate your input. Something for me to consider.

Geno

Valsdad,

My straps are off a kelty super Tioga. They are supposed to attach behind the shoulder blades instead if above and use a load lifter straps to where the old straps connected. I cut the load lifter straps off and it works great. Had to use my old lower straps as they didn't come with them. The waist belt went right on. The only holes I drilled were in the side of the frame to drop the bag down to shelf level.

Just last night I chit canned the folding shelf idea and bolted it up permanent and replaced the second pin up with a 1/4x 20 bolt same as the bottom. Strapped my 130# girlfriend to it and carried her around for a few minutes with no shifting or creaking from the frame or shelf.

I'm at work tonight but will get a full picture posted in the morning. Here is a picture of the frame being painted last night. The struts you see now are bolted to the second pin holes from the bottom.

Thanks, I look forward to seeing the pics tomorrow (or whenever I can get back on this darn thing).

Work tomorrow, sleep now,

geno

I was going to ask if anyone had used the Kelty. I have been thinking about upgrading from the old military surplus ones we've been using. Those straps are killers on the shoulders.

Straps and a waist belt will make the military ones a lot more comfortable.

That being said I have a Kelty Cache Hauler.

I also have a Wilderness Pack Specialties Bighorn Frame. I haven't hauled anything out with it but for a straight meat hauler it looks like a great copy of a molle frame.

http://www.wildernesspacks.com/big-horn-frame

Maybe I will find out 2nd season at the coast.

That may be the only pack that's harder on the user than a Bull Pac.... LOL

Ha! Ain't that the truth. Those things should be in a torture chamber in the dungeon of a castle somewhere.

I don't post here much, but I do hunt a lot... I use a Kelty Cache Hauler, not sure where they are made, but I have hauled my entire camp and a boned out blcaktail out 5 miles (@120 lb) and I have hauled multiple elk quarters, it works great. I have also wanted to check out one of these:

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/6439...;attrValue_0=Olive&productId=1077114

Also, unfortunately, not sure where it is made. Used a camptrails last week, back still feels it...

ll bean pack is a good pack for the money. I used mine to pack out a small deer and my camp. it worked good. I sewed para cord loops on a day pack and laced it to the frame. it worked very well.

Valsdad,

Here is a pic of the new straps attached. On the Super Tioga they would attach below the spacers between the horizontal braces and the load lifter straps would attach where I have the shoulder straps. I trie both ways and for me it was more comfortable this way so I chopped the load lifters off.



Picture of the support struts for the shelf, I just made the strut to line up with the second hole up and ran a bolt through the whole works.



Picture of the bag lowered onto the shelf.



I packed out both a rear and a front quarter yesterday afternoon from a nice 5x5 bull my buddy shot. Didn't take any pictures of the pack out but the frame as I have it set up worked superb.

I may add an eye bolt or 2 on the shelf and on the now unused top holes for lashing points but undecided yet.

Thanks for those pics Matt, gives me ideas. Congrats to your buddy on the bull too, he's lucky to have friends like you to help pack out. Hope you get one if you've got a tag too.

Everyone else, I sure appreciate all the info. Now I just have to try to find some to try on to make up my mind. Although Matt's ideas might just work with an old frame I have down at the wife's place. Assuming I can find it when I get down there in a few days.

geno

If I didn't have my old frame to play with I would buy the cache hauler at sportsmanship and not fret it.

An old timer we saw elk hunting had a wicked cool frame. I think it was Swedish but can't remember the name. It had a solid shelf like the bullpac but the shelf was up about 4" from the bottom and the ledge of the shelf had legs to the ground so it stood up on its own. He said it was about $180 but I don't recall the name.

Sounds like the Tatonka Lastenkraxe although I have seen another similar frame of European origin.



The Lastenkraxe is a farily heavy/long frame at about 7lb, but its waist belt and shoulder harness are miles ahead of the Bullpack.

Regards,

Peter

After using different pack frames for years, they all seemed darned uncomfortable when packing heavy loads up and down hills.
I bought a couple Army Molle frames and they have the best waist/shoulder belt I've ever seen and they are extremely comfortable with a load strapped to the frame. They also have a ton of mounting points for tying down your load. You can get lashing straps for them on ebay for $3.50 for a couple at a time.

We bought the large bags for this year and they didn't work out quite as well as strapping directly to the frame, but I'm thinking just a little adjustment on the mounting will take care of that problem.

I think I paid $50 for the one without the bag and $72 for the one with the bag. The bags sell separately for around $25 or so.

Bob