I was checking out the crew cab on MR's website and had a few questions...

It says that the pack is 1900 cubic inches and can be expanded up to 5000 inches. Retail price is $490.00

There is also options to purchase such as a day pack lid for $90.00, a large load cell for $30.00, and a couple of small load cells for $50.00.

My question is do you have to buy all the options for $170.00 to get the 5000 inches bringing the total to $660.00???

Thanks, KC

Interested to hear some responses on this one....I have a NICE frame and a CB/MR Cerberus pack....I love it but half of me wonders if the CrewCab would be a better fit for me.....

No just the CC is 1900-5000 by it self. You can add more with the day pack lid (900ci), a couple of flip top boxes (180ci each) and some zippered waist belts. The waist belts are a must if you plan to use a range finder. They fit perfect in the pockets.

The load cells are nice for keeping your gear together if you have the pack expanded. When its expanded (5000ci) there is no sides to hold loose stuff in. I think one large and two smalls fit perfect in the CC.

I have the MR CC and have opted not to purchase the lid and load cells. The CC setup alone is pushing 8 pounds, and with the lid and and a couple of load cells it's around 10 pounds. IMHO you are better off buying some light-weight dry sacks to fill the middle with and strap on top. MR has a strap extension kit you can purchase that helps with placing extra gear on top.

With my light weight gear I can usually get everything into the CC I need for 3-4 days, with the sleeping bag strapped on top, and sleeping pad strapped on the bottom. If all goes well and I harvest a deer, I fill the middle with the boned out meat and set the head/rack on top and strap the sleeping bag down at the bottom with the pad.

Well hopefully Mark will catch this one and comment.

I have the Crew Cab and a 6500.

Kenaiking has got this question handled but as confusing as this pack can be to understand all the variations of it... I'll offer my take.


Maybe I understand your question wrong but the crew on its own is (2 long pockets that fold in or out and the small day pack portion that compresses toward the frame) in my guess that is 1900 ci. Typical day pack mode for me.

You can expand this out (fold the pockets out and extend the compression straps out- to put the load cells into that space or to carry meat out. In that area you can use your own bags (dry bags, stuff sacks...) or the load cell system (spending the 90 bucks on the load cells). But the load cells (2 sm, 1 lg) are made to fit that space best. Without some type of bag to contain your gear in that center area.... it is of course, not well suited to small items you care about.
Those three load cells and the basic crew cab total the 5,000 ci.
My understanding is the day pack lid adds 900 ci.on top of that but looking at it next to my 6500 loaded.... I am not so sure that isn't figured into the 5,000 total capacity.

You can add a little as you go - or just hand over your money and get it set for whatever type trip comes your way. That is pretty much the beauty of this system for me. Just hope my wife never does the math on how much I've got into it.

Goodluck!

I have a CC on the way, but was quite confused about the configuration possibilities of it until I came across this review of it: http://www.militarymorons.com/equipment/mystery/mystery3.html.

It's the best overview of the flexibility of the CC I have seen. Perhaps it will be of help here.

Bitt, just curious about the fact that you have both the CC and the 6500. Different applications? Trade-offs of the two or just the additional space?

I struggled choosing between the two but got a very good deal on a like new CC that made the choice very easy (at least as a starting point).

I have the CC and thinknits very functional. I use an army waterproof bag of two to stuff my gear in throw it in the middle section. I almost wish I had the 6500 b/c the load lifters don't pull the straps off your shoulders but instead just suck the weight onto your shoulders. It feels pretty tight and comfy until the load gets heavy (meat) and then you start having issues if you have a long haul.

I think the added height of the 6500 would adjust the lifter angle to instantly fix this. But that's only a guess.

Bitt you have both. Am I crazy or should I trade my CC infor the 6500?

Well, I have the 6500 with a load sling for bigger trips. With its additional height (the bag has it own frame that extends above the NICE frame about 6 inches). It shines with a big load and the extension of the load lifters is a good thing. I also do winter trips and I tend to run out of ci's before legs with the bulkiness of winter gear.
But... it is more pack than I want for my day trips and shorter hunts.
The crew cab is pretty hard to beat for that stuff.

So what's a fella to do?

I have collected quite a few packs over the years and really with the NICE frame and those two bags I am thinking the rest of them are just going to collect dust or get handed down to me boys in the near future.

I am not a pack designer - just been around it a while. So this is my thinking.
The angle of the load lifters is a leverage game. The higher the attachment on the pack frame the more load you can transfer to the frame. The shallower the angle the more its going to pull the pack toward you but not transferring as much to the frame,,, except that if it is fitting your back shape correctly pulling it in will also help it carry good through contact. If the crew cab it load properly and fits right it should be good to go. The 6500 is bigger and deeper so the weight could be further away from the frame and leverage more. The increase angle helps compensate for that.
Again not a designer - just think about that stuff a lot when grinding my way up the trail.

70 #'s....

Two conflicting views here

For $490.00 does a guy get a CC that has a 5000ci. capacity?

Or does a guy have to buy the load cells and daypack lid to get the 5000 ci. which then makes the price $660.00?

Thanks, KC

You need some kind of bag or load cells. So no.... you don't have to buy the load cells you can use a dry bag or stuff sack.
I am just not sure the day pack lid wasn't figured into the total. kenaiking is probably right that it isn't. Just sitting the cc next to the 6500 I wonder.

From the link provided earlier, my understanding is the following:

CC Main bag: 1000 ci
Each long side bag (2 @ 450): 900
Basic bag total: 1900

Load cells (large 1 @ 1400): 1400
(small 2 @ 950): 1900
Load cell total: 3300

Subtotal (CC, LC): 5200

Daypack lid: 900

Grand total (CC, LCs, DPL): 6100

So, to answer the question posed before: yes, one does need to have the load cells (or your own equivalent) to get to 5k.

Does seem very close to the 6500, but there is a slight premium (~$50) for the additional flexibility of the CC.

I have the CC and 6500 as well. I use my CC for Day trips where I will hauling meat and my 6500 for over nights. You could get away with the CC for a short 2 or 3 day trip but its going to be tight if your hauling out meat.

The dry bag method works but I prefer to have my stuff some what organized. The CC excels as a meat hauler that you can store some gear in.

If your looking for a extended stay pack go with the nice 6500 over the CC.

Also keep in mind load lifters are not made to lift the load onto your sholders. They are two bring the load closer to your body. Let the hip belt carry the loads.

Good find. That does sound right.
With the 6500 I also have to buy and carry the load sling if I plan to haul meat out.

The load cells dont add room as they just sit in the void of the CC. The CC doesnt have walls on the sides to hold gear so the Ci's are not increased. That would be like saying the elk quarter in the pack if hollowed out would add more room to the pack. The CC with all its pockets and completely open should be 5000 Ci.

I will try to snap some pictures tonight but my daughter didnt add any Ci's to the pack either

Yup thats a pretty good set up.

I have been trying to think of a good way to get that accross.
And that seems to be the problem with this picture...


In this case - That waist belt doesn't have much hold it in place so as the pack slides down and the shoulders are carrying the brunt of it. And then in an effort to get relief he tries a little of this.... (conrad101st correct me if I'm wrong)



The extra height of the load lifters (on the 6500) isn't going to help keep that waist belt where it should be. Its just a tough fit with that much weight in any pack with his body shape.

OK here are the pics. I tried to get the void of the CC to show all the space. The other pack is the Nice 6500 to show the difference. Just for kicks I threw in a shot of the new sweet pea quiet.







[img]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c249/kenaiking/DSCN0205.jpg[/img]
[img]http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c249/kenaiking/DSCN0208.jpg[/img]

I am gonna give one of the NICE 6500's a try, but I have a question for you guys, are any of you familiar with the design they had on the old Dana Terraframes where you could cinch the load lifters down by the waist belt on the sides, and take all the weight off your shoulders by lifting the load, and then pull in on the load lifters by your shoulders to suck the load in closer to you to where there was little weight being applied to your shoulders. That is my all time favorite features from a pack when hauling heavy loads, and am curious if the NICE 6500 has something similar since I have never seen one up close.

I have never seen a terraframe but my wife has a terraplane. I will take a look at it and see if it has those.

You might want to give Dana a call at MR and ask him about them. He will be able to help you for sure

Yeah I intend to give Mark a call tomorrow, I PM'd him but havent heard back, guess he's taking a break from here for the weekend.

I think Mark is traveling. Did you try to email him? He may be out of the shop.

Yep that's me! I absolutely realize the point of the load lifters is to suck all the weight in and pull the load close to your body. The problem is that on my rig, it puts all the load on my shoulders and does nothing to let my hips carry the weight with pack pulled in to me. My bora 70 rides perfect as the belt sits on my hips and carries 99% of the load. The lifters suck the ruck to my back and there is an incline of the shoulder straps up so no weight is carried on my shoulders. The shoulder straps only keep the load pulled forward, not up. The nice frame feels more like a body harness that holds weight. Another problem is the CC is to damn short so you cannot stack high before you run out of straps so you get the freaking horizontal spread where weight goes aft and obviously creates mor torque which pulls the load away from you. Don't misunderstand, I like the CC for the hunting, just not the loading.

Thank you! I get it now.

KC

Btw, Thanks for not calling me a fat boy!!! lost 12 pounds since that trip. I realized I was a fat body, but that really has no bearing on the load's riding position. I have always put my hip belt on my hips as opposed to my waist.

I've found a couple of things that mitigate the load lifter issue.

First, when carrying extra gear, beyond what can be carried in the pockets and inner cavity, I always go up or down and not out the back. Putting gear out the back shifts the center of gravity back further, and forces you to lean forward as a counter balance. MR does offer a strap extension package to get more out of the top straps.

Second, with the extra gear on top I can run a second set of straps to the shoulder harness at a more appropriate angle. This helps with the load distribution on the shoulders and pulls the top of the pack in further to your body.

No, I don't mean to offend ya.... its just that I read your thread and analyzed those pictures for a long time. Packing 120#'s is no easy task and you did it! Congrats on that bull and getting it out!
I was just trying to figure out what could have helped with that situation and what the fix is. I was waiting to hear it come out on your thread.

If you start with the hip belt that low does it travel even lower with a load? I can lengthen my yoke until the shoulders are as lite as I want. As long as the hip belt stays put.

Maybe that 6500 is your fix? With the yoke set right I have been able to dial it in with the just a tug on the load lifters give the shoulders a break - I am the dealing with some circulation issues in my hips after a while though so alternate it.
I have been doing a few miles a day with 70+-. I think I'm getting things adjusted pretty well and move up in weight. Today it was out with the CC with weight...


Good Luck!

Well I have the entire set up that I just purchased with Mark's suggestions. Mark is a huge advocate of the top lid. He explained to me it is useful with akward loads. The pictures that were posted with the load so far away from the pack would be tough to pack with any pack. I try and and keep the weight close to my body and stack it higher to accomodate the extra gear, that is where the top lid functionally can handle the highest of loads because it has fairly long straps. The CC should be able to handle any five day trip and packing out your game if loaded and strapped correctly. The hip belt must ride higher than what was pictured and for the "load lifter straps" I think that is a mis representation to what those straps do on this pack. They are more of "load stabilization straps" as they are just to pull the load into your body, stabilize it from swaying, which will essentially transfer more of the weight onto your hips. This pack has some trial and error in both packing it correctly and getting it adjusted correctly. But when both are done, I done I am not sure it can be beat. The guys that have the 6500 also probably have the best set ups going. The CC and the 6500 may be the only two packs you will ever need for any type of hunting. Also, don't hesitate to call MR, I have spent countless hours on the phone with them regarding their packs and they always seem enthusiastic about answering my questions and helping out.

is the NICE 6500 big enough for a 8-10 day DIY sheep hunt...doesn't look very big?

When I spoke with Mark from MR, he explained to me that the CC and the 6500 would be the two he would pick, although he can pick them all. The 6500 bag is huge. I have handled one, but don't own one yet, just the CC and all the accessories for it. I think the 6500 would be perfect for the 8-10 day sheep hunt. If you can try and PM "Oak", that is what he used and he has several picture of it in action.

Depending on how compact your gear is I would say no problem. The 6500 is a pretty big pack. Check out the pic on there site with the moose in it.

The 6500 is what I used for a 10 day Stone Sheep hunt w/ Bryan Martin of Canadian Mountain Outfitters this past August..... if you can't fit all of your gear in a 6500 bag, you might be taking too much stuff!

In all fairness to Mark, I'm going to meet him in Fort Worth in March and get his help on tricking this beast out. I figure to go vertical with a mongo load, what I need is some straps that can attach at the bottom of the bag and go all the way around the bag and over a higher load and possibly the top bag and then attach to the shoulder straps where the load lifters usually fit in. I was unprepared on my trip to go higher as I had no more strap capacity in the organic setup. Mark, what's the story with the extra straps?

Thanks,

Conrad

Unless you are in "Special Forces/Navy Seal Shape", and even then......If you are thinking of strapping on things to the 6500, dude.
Call me BTDT

in the past I have used an Osprey Crescent...very big pack and filled it up. Just want to make sure I have enough room in the NICE 6500

Well said Doc.
Here's my BTDT photo with a full NICE 6500. Pain is a great teacher.



BTW, as a reference point I'm 6'3", so the 6500 looks smaller on me than it might on others. It's a very large pack, and should haul everything (or more) than you'll need. I had two weeks of supplies with me in that photo, including a bunch of gear I should have left home in such rough country. Did I mention the pain?

Well in the last 48 hours I have managed to read about 10,000 responses on a half dozen different forums with testimonials relating to the Mystery Ranch packs. And in closing, where I was sure that I wanted a NICE 6500 , I have decided that I am leaning more on picking up a G6000 instead. I want a super comfortable, well supported sub 8 lb pack, and that appears to be it. I can only imagine that with new innovative ideas and materials that the G series packs have to at least be as well made as the Dana Design Arc Flex packs were, yet not quite military grade in material make up and or designed to carry heavy military equipment. I think that for the day hunters that plan on hauling out there meat the CC is probably an awesome setup, but it is not a set up that will work for my uses unless I load another 2-3 lbs of gear bags to it, and then with the shotness of the frame I am gonna end up like the fella hauling out the elk with all his gear stacking back and away from him as opposed to in line with his spine. Its clear that many of our uses are different when talking packs, when I use mine it will be to haul in all my camp and gear and then haul out whatever I kill too. I have spent thousands of dollars shaving weight with the finest lightweight hunting/camping gear money can buy, and adding at least 2 more pounds in pack weight is just not something I can swallow, and appears to be regression in my quest. Will be calling the boys at MR tomorrow to get a G pack coming. Been interesting reading soo much about these packs in the last few days. So ......anyone have any experience with the G6000 or G7000?....grin

AKCUB,

Let us know how that works out for ya. How much are they gonna soak ya for a G6000 or 7000??

AKCUB, I also count my ounces to the end and had the same concern about the MR CC. I can personally tell you though my CC with the top lid weighs exactly 8# 7.8 ounces, which is less than the Badlands 4500 by a couple of ounces. I have also found it carries the weight much better, so I can't tell the difference between 40 and 42 pounds at all or coming out with 68 or 70 pounds. But I don't think you can go wrong with the G Series packs either. Their solid in their construction also.

Because of the open nature of the CC (even with the lid), I am curious if there is a preferred or recommended rain cover for the CC? I don't recall seeing one on the MR site.

Thanks.

There isn't one. The material though is very water repellent. I have also heard of guys using the dry bags by Sea to Summit to put gear in and then put it into the load cells. They weigh less than a half ounce. You could also use any generic back pack rain cover with it that has the elastic closure.

AC,
I don't intend to hijack the topic, but what does Mystery Ranch offer that one of Barneys' packs does not?

Its a different animal bw. The Barneys is a monster load hauler with some really cushy shoulder straps and waistbelt, but it in itself is not near the animal that a well designed internal is when we speak of hiking and backpacking and not just meat hauling. Theres some things that the Barneys is made for, and then there are things that the internals are made for. Why cant a guy have both?...grin

Oh yes, the great "which pack should I take debate". Been thee, done that many times. Its all fun while the money lasts. Keep us posted on what you decide.

Here is another image of us packing in. My buddy has the Kifaru. I really dig his gun bearer. That's going to be my next purchase.

Sorry for the gratuitous comment, but I just received the CC (and three load cells) I'd been expecting (private transaction -- never used, like new) and now understand all of the raves about the MR gear.

Looking forward to getting it loaded and out, but I am very impressed about the design and build quality. As a tinkerer, I really like the flexibility this thing provides. Nice work, MR guys!

Well I picked up a set of 4 straps in their little kit. Got two 2-footers and two special cut 6 footers with female ends on both ends. I played with the ruck and think this is going to make a HUGE difference. I can now go straight up with my load and use the long straps to go from the frame bottom all the way across the top and then down to my shoulder straps creating my own load lifters st a downward angle. They just click right in and cinch em down. MR was very helpful and charged nothing to add two feet to the longer straps and change out the buckles to all female. Could not be happier with the rig now.

Mark, a good instructional CD with video would really be nice. The setup is not nearly as obvious as with a standard internal frame ruck.

I guess the next purchase will be the gun bearer for use with the crew cab. My buddy has the Kifaru one. I don't need quick access or anything, just a secure carrying system. Any suggestions on that?

My son used a Kifaru gun bearer with his CC last season. He had nothing but good things to say about it.

DJR

I used the Kifaru Gunbearer as well.......did a lot of hiking this year with my Cerberus and man it makes carryin your rifle handy....

Took a while to get used to and get it positioned how I like it....

So the Kifaru gunbearer can be used/fitted to other brands of packs?

Sure can if you get the universal, I have used it on several different packs.

Another little custom mod I learned here on the 24hr site a while back is to add (2) female buckles on the bottom of the day pack of the CC. This allows the two straps from the bottom of the NICE frame to buckle in and create strapping for your sleeping pad or other gear on the bottom of the pack.

Here it is!!!


One thought for those who are going to get a NICE w/ the crewcab. When using the CC there are two straps w/ male ends on the bttm of the frame that are not used w/ the CC. They suggest rolling them up and stuffing them away in between the frame and CC. If you could get MR to add two short female clips to the bttm of the CC bag on the outside you could use these straps to carry stuff like a pad, bag, etc. I did add two fem. clips to the loops on each corner and this does work. This little addon would be very useful. just a thought.--Allen--


a little tip take the tag end from each side of the belt and run it through the first bar on the three bar on the belt and know you have a forward pull to tighten your belt. Much better.--Allen--

CrewCabs are really good backpacks im planning on using one this year sometime and they are really light i would recommend using this.

Have any pictures??

If you buy the Kifaru Military Gun Bearer it attaches right to the straps of the MR belt.