Reasonably priced packboard/packframe?

So is there such a thing available today? Preferably American made and less than $150. Just a good packboard or frame will work. I don't need the bag itself. I know of one available in our local Bi-Mart from China but don't know how well it would hold up. I need something in case I get lucky later this month and actually have to get something out of the woods.

Thanks for any advice.

Geno

Yes, Sportsmen's Warehouse sells an excellent packframe (sans bag) that works really well and is reasonably priced. I bought one a couple/few years ago for use on various hunts in the Desert Southwest, where an attached bag isn't necessary. My clients were so impressed with it, that several clients have now bought the same frame and use it on hunts in Arizona, Alaska and elsewhere. I believe it now costs about $70.00 or so. It's a great frame and quite comfortable and it'll support at least 150 pounds when negotiating rough terrain. I can't recall the name of it - off the top of my head - but the only place I've ever seen it available was at Sportsmen's Warehouse stores, nationwide. It's an unmistakable frame and easily identifiable; tan/grey in color and without the bag attachment. You should be able to find it online or at any Sportsmen's Warehouse retail store.

Thanks Maverick

IS this the one?

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...Hunting-Packs/prod999901361666/cat100177

If so, it's sold out but I'll keep my eye on the website and check the store near where my wife lives.

Or maybe this one?

http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/...Hunting-Packs/prod999901362860/cat100177

Sold out too, but it's the one I mentioned is available at my local store.

Geno

Lewiston's own............


Developed, designed and built by Idaho elk hunters!
Your BULL-PAC is the last pack you'll ever buy!

Bullpacs.com

You can look at them at LOLO Sporting Goods.

Valerie's Dad:

I clicked on the link you provided and took a look at that frame, even though it's not the one I was referring to. On a quick "once-over", I wouldn't recommend that frame for anything more than casual weekend camping trips. It's not put together well enough for rugged and remote big-game hunting.

The frame I was referring to doesn't seem to be on the company's website. However, when I was in Wasilla, Alaska the other day and then in Anchorage, I noticed that both stores still had the frame I mentioned, in stock. I haven't checked the Phoenix store, as yet, but I would imagine they have it in stock, too.

There is another frame on the website, though, that seems to pass muster in terms of reliability and affordability. If I recall, I think it was displayed on the second page of the listings. However, that frame is not currently in stock, on the website.

I didn't notice which state you reside in. Is there a Sportsmen's Warehouse store near you, perhaps?

Maverick

I'm in E WA right now, but going south in a couple of weeks. WIfe lives/works in "Suckramento" CA area, there's a warehouse about 20 mins from her place on the way to the range I use when I'm down there.

I may check out the Kelty frame, that one is still available and the poster right above you says to check out Bul Packs so I've got a couple of leads at least.

Thanks for the help.

Wasilla and PHX? that's some serious distance between those two stores!

Geno

Thanks WS, I'll check them out. I appreciate the help. I've heard good things about them, but they are "spendy" no?

Geno

PS, how's the smell of the paperplant today? when the wind blows this way we can smell it 35 miles or so downriver. Reminds me of Humboldt State Univ.

Geno:

Yes indeed, that IS some serious distance between store locations, no doubt.

I did take a look at the second link you provided, after I sent my initial response. That frame seems to be a pretty good frame and I think it would work. Nothing "horribly inadequate" jumped out at me when I was reviewing it, so you might want to try it on and see if it fits you properly and then give it a whirl in the field. I think it would work just fine, actually.

If you're not planning on packing much over 100 pounds in rough terrain, then there's really no reason to go "hog wild" with expense.

In my case, when I'm packing loads in excess of 150-175 pounds in really difficult terrain, I go with a astronomically expensive packframe (Alaska Frontier Gear) because that seems to be the only thing which can stand-up to an inordinate number of unbelievably heavy loads, year-in and year-out.

But, for the lighter weight ventures (100-150 pound loads over difficult terrain), there's really no reason to go to exorbitant cost.

Maverick

I actually have a Nimrod pack.
I almost bought the bull pac, but I got a killer deal on the Nimrod and I already had a bunch of their gear and liked it.

Lower Granite?

90% of the time the mill odor goes east of town.

We smell the compost soil plant here a lot more than the mill and I live purty close to the mill.
The compost smell moves downriver nearly every evening in the summer.
Maybe you guys are getting that.
It's horrible in Clarkston.

Maverick, now way am I going to put on a 150lb pack. I've got to have knee surgery after my elk hunt and Im old and somewhat out of shape, have some decent arthritis in my lower back that causes sciatica. 50-100lb would be my limit. Yes, a lot more trips but I'm not looking at 5-8 mile hikes out with meat where I'm going. I can't remember a time when I was young and dumb I'd want to carry a 150lb pack. Dude, that's serious!

WS, yes, LGR. Mostly the smell from the compost plant never makes it this far. Wind from your place will bring the papermill smell here. I remember it from N Cal 'cause when the wind blew from the south and we could smell the mills we knew there was a storm on the way. I was here for a few month when it first happenend and knew what it was when I realized it was coming from Lewiston.

Where do I find a Nimrod pack?

Geno:

I can certainly agree with you in NOT wanting to carry huge loads. I don't like carrying them any more than anyone else. But, for me it goes with the territory - professional hunter. I mean, a moose hind quarter isn't tiny and a coastal brown bear hide isn't much lighter. And, a quartered Dall sheep or mountain goat isn't a light load, either. I've been on some backpack hunts for Coues' whitetail deer (even) whereas I was packing over 100 pounds of meat, cape, antlers, camp, optics and hunting gear, back to the end of a two-track (4WD road) where the truck has been waiting over the course of a week or so. But, by no means do I enjoy carrying big loads. It's just that I'm required to, that's all.

http://www.nimrodpacks.com/

You can borrow mine if you like.

Well, I'm sure glad I didn't sign up for your job!

I probably could have done it in my 20's but certainly not now nearing 60. (Geee, except for all the fun I've had over the years, I almost hate seeing that in print :o)

I certainly would take a guess that you enjoy your job. Perhaps I'll have to look you up if I ever get lucky drawing one of those Coues tags. I'm hunting the late general hunt up in Unit 10 at the end of the month. Reasonable tag for me as I no longer have to purchase a license every time, I got my lifetime AZ one before I left there in '07.

Geno

Thanks for that link. Dude with the pistol looks like guys I know that lost the right to "bear arms" when they went to the big house! It seems to be getting "fashionable" for some LEO's to go with "sleeves" and lots of ink nowadays. Nothing against it, I'm just "old" (see post to Maverick) and that stuff wasn't done when I was growing up.

geno

Geno:

Yes, I love my job. I'm not far from sixty, myself. I've been doing this "job" for several decades and wouldn't give it up for anything else.

I presume you're referring to Unit 10 elk. There's some nice bulls in that unit, for sure. Trick is to find them off the reservation.

Sure, let me know when you draw a Coues' permit. There's some awesome units with virtually 100% chance to draw. I prefer chasing record-class Coues' bucks during November, when specific bucks are more "predictable". The early hunts are easy to draw, too.

Anyway, best wishes on your upcoming Unit 10 hunt. Let me know how you do. If you're down in the Phoenix area and if I'm not in the field, maybe we can get together for a cup of coffee.

Maverick

I'm with you.
I don't mind a tat or two on the arm, but on wimmins? Or covering like skin?
Not my cup o tea.

Course, my folks didn't like the Beatles long hair either........

Then they sure wouldn't like the way I look now. (My folks weren't always pleased either) I haven't cut my hair or beard completely, other than trimming now and again since '79. Twice a day shaver when I was younger, got REALLY tired of that.

Too old now to care if it bothers anyone, figure it's there problem.

Geno

Mav, yep Unit 10 late bull. I've seen good ones in there, hunted cows (unsucessfully :() there twice with a traditional bow. Dandy, just Dandy bulls in that unit.

This'll be my first rifle elk hunt down there and I'm leaning toward looking for a "good bull" the first couple of days, especially if I'm seeing animals and the weather is cooperative. If the weather looks like it's going to get nasty, or I'm not seeing the bulls, the first legal one to walk by might be in trouble. It took 7 yrs to get that tag, don't know as I want to be 65+ for the next hunt. I'd like to get a bull and then put in for cow tags.

Yeah, a coffee sounds good if I ever get down that way. I've got a brother looking at retiring in AZ, maybe Prescott, Maybe the Flag area, so I may make it down there more often then just for hunts. I usually try to getdown to 18B for the HAM hunt every few februaries too.

Guys, I'm getting off work in a bit and have to get going. Thanks for the help.
Geno

Get a BULL PAC and then find a nylon pack on Candelas that fits right onto the Bull Pac frame. Never look back..............

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

If those are the "plastic" frames, they are available on Ebay for around $20 for the frame only..The straps ect are also available.. From what i have read, its best to go with the latest Generation IV frame as some of the earlier ones were prone to breakage under heavy loads/impacts, ie they failed when soldiers were less than gentle with them...

If I lived in the States, I would certainly try one of these...

Used Cabela's Alaskan Outfitter. I picked mine up complete with the bag for $125.00 shipped.

Yeah, they are priced around $20-26 but the shipping runs the prices up pretty quickly. The Gen III and IV frames are the best and you can get the belts in different camo schemes- desert tan or green.

Bob