Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Back Pack(s) for Bow and/or Gun Hunting.

I've struggled through the years with climbing the steep hills of PA and having my gun or bow slip off my shoulder. What new back packs are on the market that will keep my hands free for climbing and such? I'd really like to here some actual experiences (good and bad). I don't currently plan to pack out any meat; but that could change if I get the opportunity.

Eberlestock Just One gets my vote! You could quater and carry out a whole deer while your doing it as well.

Try Kifaru

Kifaru Gunbearer works well for me. It can be fitted to your existing pack if need be.

hunting1
I checked the Eberlestock site and their X1 looks pretty interesting for both gun & bow. The Just-One looks good if I were to pack out the meat at some time.

Nerfherder & CCH
I can't get to Kifaru site from work (that one's blocked) I'll check over them over the holiday weekend.

Additionally:
A person at the local bow shop said to check out Cabella's. Anybody have any experience with their backpacks that integrate bow and/or gun totting?

Kifaru with gunbearer.

I have one of those hooks that goes on my hip belt and it is good for glassing and to give you a break, but would not recomend it for long term and or distance carrying. Eberlestock makes good stuff as well Kifaru depending on what you want to spend.

+1 with some more explanation.

The positioning of the weapon makes it easy to get at while keeping it out of the way. At first, I thought it would be IN the way, but the weapon snags far less on overhanging brush or rocks than it does when slung. As a big bonus you have both hands free to ward off brush, climb, glass, or use your hiking staff. IMO the gunbearer is the best solution to carrying with a pack on and I feel it is indespensible.

JimF

I bought a Kifaru Longhauler to see if I would benefit from this system and soon put a Rendevous bag on it. I then put Gunbearers on EVERY pack I own and am waiting for a Combat GB with regular topstrap to put on my MR NICE system.

I find this to be the best method of carrying a long gun I have ever used and will never use a pack without one from now on.

Kutenay,
I have just (finally) added the bunbearer to my Kifaru Zulu and am nearly embarrassed that it took me this long to see the light! What a difference!

Huntr

Kutenay, what kind of rifles do you put in your gunbearer? I never got mine to fit right with anything that I use. Either the barrel's whacking me in the head or the butt is jumping out of the cradle. You prefer a rifle with a bit of heft, no?

I have big game rifles from about 7 to about 10 lbs and so far they all work fine; it took me a bit of tinkering to get my Gbs to work, though. I prefer the hypalon Combat GB bottom to the nylon webbing version and pay the extra $$$$ gladly as it really works better.

Try to lower the butt position on yours and adjust the barrel to lean out a bit from your noggin, a sudden whack on the skull from an icecold steel barrel struck by a whipping tree branch on a "darkthirty" November deer trail ain't my idea of fun! I think that you can play with it until you find your own "sweet spot", that's what I did.

Yeah, I need to keep my limited marbles In my head!

So, let me get this straight. You threaded a hypalon GB through the universal attachment point and mounted that on a pack? Or did you just slap the whole military lower piece on a the longhunter?

Does this rig work with your MR packs, as well?

K:

Great minds......etc........ <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I trust your opinion enough that I decided I'd better order the hypalon version for field trials this fall. After all....I currently have two Kifaru packs, but only one GB.

Like anything, getting the GB "just so" is a matter of a little fiddling. When tuned up and dialed in, it is the "answer" plain and simple.

JimF

Guess I'm touched! I did a LOT of fiddling! I'm not knocking the GB, BTW. My T3 rode well, but when I went with a heavier rig, I starting noticing some misbehavior.

I'll get the hypalon version, then fiddle some more. There is no sense in spending too much time on it until then.

Don't feel bad, the first time I put one of my treasured P-64 Mod. 70-.338s into my LH-Rondy GB, it fell out and I said things that shocked my hunting pard (he is a gentlemanly sort, originally from Germany and educated in British public schools). We were high on a West Kootenay Elk mountain and I wanted the thing to WORK, but, it took time to get it exactly right. The following month on Elk hunt #2, I was enraptured by the rig while humping the same rifle through heavy Dougy Fir/Ponderosa Pine and it just takes a bit of dickin' with.

My Hypalon CGB IS what I use on my MR-BDSB due to the Molle slots on it's hipbelt, this is my heavy-duty, longtrip pack for serious, remote wilderness and I always carry a beargun now, it totes my Browning 1886 SRC repro. .45-70, my Oberndorf sporter 9.3x62 and my P-64-.375H&H with equal comfort, these are my bear rifles.

For my MR Deluxe, I went with the regular "Universal" GB as it can be removed in areas where I do not carry and do my training hikes. I do not want to alienate fellow hikers with gun accessories on my pack as I get a lot of chances to stop and talk about hunting to urban hikers and it seems to have positive results, I avoid camo in ranch area hunting for the same reason.

The Combat GB REALLY works with my MR waistbelts and one is enroute now for my NICE Frame system, they cannot be easily removed, however, if this is important to you.

another vote for the gunbearer, have a bad shoulder, so when I see the setups where they carry it behind the back it makes me shudder!

Twas one of the best pieces of gear I've bought in many a moon.

Have it on my barney's frame and got one for my old Camp Trails that I let my boy use.

Didn't know about the hypalon version, may have to check it out. Thanks for the heads up on that kute.

Gunbearer. Nothing beats it, period.

For practical use, hunting gear storage, and rifle stowing ability, I think the "just one" series packs from eberlestock are without peer. They are also extremely comfortable and the 105 is fully adjustable. I believe there are better technical packs out there, but for an all around hunting pack this is it for me.

Chuck, I'm glad it works for you, but my first thoughts upon seeing the way that rifle is carried, were

#1. My bad shoulder, but that's just me, most folks may be fine with retrieving it like that, but I'll win the quick draw every time with a gunbearer.

2. Even when I duck my head I got a limb grabber still above me, and now I got a hard tail between my legs to snag stuff below me.

If it works for you, I'm tickled for ya, but at $17 dollars or whatever they cost now, I'm thinking a guy is robbing himself by not trying a gunbearer. though I know of a few folks that can't like them. Guess it's that mileage thing, but I love mine.