Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Mystery Ranch Crew cab.....again

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.