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What backpack have you found is best suited for your day trip hunting trips?

I'm asking mostly about deer and turkey hunting backpacks. I need pockets for knives, a rangefinder, calls, water, scents, and the usual other stuff used while hunting. Plus, I like to carry my bibs and coat/jacket with me to the stand or hunting site. The pack I have now allows enough room for me to stuff those clothing items inside the pack, which I like. I usually strap my quiver to my pack if I am bowhunting, so I like to have lashings on my pack as well.

So, my preference is a large pack with big pockets and lashing points.

What do you know of or use that would fit this bill? The pack I have now is okay. The straps are starting to unravel, and the shoulder straps are too short, so I am looking to upgrade for next season. Hopefully by spring turkey season.

Right now, this LL Bean backpack looks good, but I really hate to buy something without getting my hands on it first.

I'm watching this thread - I'm kind of looking as well.

I've used more than a few Badlands over the years. I have a Blacks Creek fanny pack at the moment. It works but I'm not enamored how it rides. I like the looks of the LL bean. You should buy it and let us know how it works <G>

Looking at the LL Bean pack you posted, its the right size. I also like the looks of the Maine Warden and Big Game Pro packs.

I have not found a single pack that does it all. I'm not sure there is such a beast.

My most frequently used day pack the past year or so has been a 5.11 Tactical Rush 24. There are a lot of things I really like about it. External access to the water bladder is nice. The number of separate pockets is great. If anything the main pocket is a little too large, I have to be careful not to overload it. The pack itself is too heavy for what it is and it has no waist belt. Overloaded, as happens too often, it creates a lot of neck strain and, at times, headaches.

The Rush 12 might be a little better choice for me. I like the OD green of the 24 which is not available in the 12.

The other pack I've used a bit this past year is a Eberlestock H3 "Sawed Off". It is lighter, has a stowable waist belt, but may be a step too far the other direction.

I've used quite a few Badlands packs. One of my favorites is the Ultraday. Like the Eberlestock, the waist belt is high enough not to interfere with a handgun holster on my pants belt. My other fav, which I've packed a lot for many years, is the Pursuit. It has no waist belt. Have to be careful with it because, like the Rush 24, it will hold a lot more heavy stuff than I want to carry without a waist belt, but if I am circumspect in that way, it clears a handgun holster very well. My other favorite badlands pack is the Reactor. It carries a large water bladder and not much else. It has an external section with a ton of spots for organizing little things like small flashlights, small knives, and mouth calls. It's pretty cool for grabbing a couple boxes of HMR ammo, ear plugs, water, a rifle, and spending a day walking and shooting.

I have used some regular day packs as well. The North Face Terra 35 is pretty good for scouting. Its suspension handles a good load of water, has good pockets for maps, and so on. It's not quite big enough for an overnight pack for me. Kelty's Redwing 32 is in the same boat. I really like the upper side pockets which have slip-behind slots ... good for fishing rods especially. Both have full padded waist belts and pretty much require carrying my handgun in a bandolier -ish setup.

I think of all I have used, probably the Rush 12 does the most but I wish it were made of lighter material like the Badlands packs, wish it had a stowable waist belt like the Eberlestock H3, wish it had pass-behind side pockets like the Kelty, the split upper pocket of the Rush 24, and wish it had as much organization as the Badlands Reactor. For me that'd be perfect.

Badlands ultra daypack.Bowhunted with recurve/longbow right hard this year with one.Has some very nice features but needs to be customized or personalized to advance it.Which is easy enough,a little web belt and a needle N thread.BW

I use a kifaru antero as my daypack. organizer pouch and grab-it....

When a spotting scope isn't needed I cary my Bison Gear Lost River for my day trips