I guided with Ralph, the sewing partner to Barnie back in the '80s. I had a Barney's Moose packer bag from the first batch sewn overseas (the wedge in the partnership) and he basically took my bag apart and resewed it with every bell and whistle they had at the time. Ralph died in the very early '90s of pancreatic cancer and the bag lived on. Riley took the pack on many hunts in his early years. Then he went on a day hunt and left the mostly empty pack in the boat they were pulling. At Girdwood they stopped for fuel and snacks. At some point they noticed my pack was gone. They may have not seen it blow out or it was stolen while they were in the store.
That pack had hauled a lot of sheep, moose, and caribou by then. It was before my serious addiction to Sitka blacktails....
The Barney's Freighter had replaced an old Kelty. At my weight limits these days the Kelty is probably more than I need.
