I am in serious need of an upgraded backpack for a gutless deboning and/or quartering game meat hauling and hunting pack. The total load weight would probably never exceed about 75 pounds. I know I will have about $200 or so in Cabela's gift cards for Christmas and have been looking at the Cabela's website for options. Sorta been leaning toward the Eberlestock X2... thoughts and opinions appreciated.

If the X2 fits you then it can be a nice day pack with some meat hauling capability. I could never get mine to fit comfortably with any kind of load so I sold it.

Just my opinion after owning an X2: Hauling 75 pounds of meat would not be one of the best uses for that pack but it could be done and I'm sure someone will post photos of an elk quarter in the X2. There are other packs more suited for heavy meat hauling loads.

Look at the Kelty Hauler. Can be found for less than $200. I've had 75lb of sandbags in mine and it rode pretty well.

Horn Hunter Full Curl is my meat hauler. I used to use the Kelty and it is a great choice too. X2 is too short IMHO as well the Just One, etc.

Really like my Kelty Cache hauler, son has one as well.

I hauled out a butchered whitetail doe from a gorge with an Eberlestock X-2. Yeah, it'll work but not the best tool for the job. The load was a hair over 60 lbs.

Specific for meat hauling, I'd want something larger that is designed to carry heavier loads than the X-2. I use my X-2 for carrying turkey decoys and gear during turkey season. While it will work, I categorize it more of a day pack rather than a meat hauler.

Realizing you're using Cabelas bucks, likely you won't find some of the more popular haulers people on here use. I like my Paradox and it will do anything I need. Not available at Cabelas though. I doubt they carry the Kelty mentioned above either.

Are you going to be hunting out of the pack or just hauling meat with it? If just hauling meat, my pard has hauled literally tons out with his Cabelas frame pack. The frame and load shelf would come out way under what you'll have in Cabelas bucks. One of those, some game bags, and paracord could haul a lot of meat.

If you're gonna hunt out of it, IMO, come of the options in the camping section are better overall than those listed in the Hunting Packs section. A couple of the Kelty and Gregory packs look well designed, assuming they fit you.

http://www.cabelas.com/catalog/browse/hiking-backpacks/_/N-1100682/Ns-CATEGORY_SEQ_104199480?WTz_l=SBC%3BMMcat104795280%3Bcat104758380

+1 I saw Sportman's Warehouse had them on sale for $79 on black friday. I think I paid around $100...

If your looking for something to actually haul meat in stay very far away from eberlestock and the rest of the packs that marketed towards "western" hunters and sold in big box stores...Since you have gift cards at cabelas your best option is to buy one of their external from packs....I don't know what kind of hunting you do which would also help everyone to answer your question and find out what pack is best suited to your needs.

I appreciate the responses and experience. I hunt large blocks of public land in the Ozark mountains which is steep, rocky and brushy country that is heavily timbered. The better bucks tend to hang out away from the crowds and in the deepest hollers. Hunting well away from roads we never have competition from other hunters and can get pretty secluded quiet areas to ourselves. Primarily this pack would be used for getting deboned and/or quartered whitetails out of these deep hollers and back to the truck. Distances can easily be a couple miles, usually around half that though. Prior to Telecheck we field dressed our deer and then dragged or when possible used a game cart to get them to the truck. Then later at home you have the carcass to handle and dispose of after the processing chores and that is very inconvenient.

Now with Telecheck we can check our deer and handle them in the best way. The last couple of years I have been doing the gutless debone and quarter method. It is light years better than dragging a buck uphill for long distances through the timber, downed trees, rocks and brush. Much easier to final process the meat at home also and very little cull to have to put in the trash. Better in early bow season when it is warm too. I never have cell service where I hunt so after a kill I have to go back to the truck, might have to hump a climbing tree stand back there anyway, then drive to a high spot or closer to a town where I can get cell service. After the telechecking process I then return to the kill with the gear for processing the deer in the meat hauling pack, do my thing and then ruck up and pack out to the truck. I keep a large cooler iced down at the truck and the meat bags go in the cold cooler.

My current pack is a no name inexpensive internal frame that has given up on me. So I need a replacement and probably need to use these Cabela's cards for the purchase. Between myself, my son and wife through bow hunting along with rifle and muzzleloader we kill as many as six to ten deer per year so I will put this pack to work. Again, help from the more experienced is surely appreciated.

Ok, yea id probably go with a stripped down cabelas external frame, you can easily lash anything to it from meat to stands. I think they are fairly inexpensive too... Some other more expensive options: Kifaru Duplex,paradox evo,stone glacier and mystery ranch..all will do the job well and can be found for reasonable prices used

I have an eberlestock x2 as my day pack. When I get something I take the first load out with it and then grab my bigger pack. I've packed out elk quarters in it and it fits me like a glove. I think you would be fine using it as a day pack and then packing out your boned out whitetail with it.

FWIW, a good size whitetail buck I doubt you'll get packed into an X-2 unless you take it all the way down to deboned. In other words, two loads. Early season bowhunting, well, there just isn't time to waste with temperatures, especially if you're already packing out the treestand.

I agree with a stripped down frame. I believe Cabelas has some external frame packs. You could also pack the tree stand in and out with it.

This "Telecheck" you speak of. I'm assuming you must call in your kill and record it before moving the carcass or otherwise processing the meat? Otherwise, it would make sense to pack out your meat on the first trip, call it in, then go back for the tree stand after your meat is on ice.

Packing out warm meat in warm weather is a recipe for disaster if a lot of time is wasted before getting the meat on ice. Don't ask me how I know.

If you are spending your money at Cabelas get one of the externals if you just need to haul. For backpacking, from what I have seen that they have the Kelty internal is probably the best.

Best idea I have, call ^Kevin T^ and get yourself a Paradox. Dont do like I did, wasting tkme and money on packs for several years I didn't like and ended up selling.

Then you'll be set with a quality pack that will do any job you need and last a long time.

If you want just a frame, get his Evolution frame.

Then spend your Cabelas Bucks on other cool gear to put in the Paradox pack.

Check out a SLK rail hauler. I used one this year and love it for whitetail. I have more expensive and larger packs for larger game, but this thing is perfect for a whitetail hunter who hunts in deep.