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The MR Crew Cab gets great reviews as day hunting, meat hauling pack. Anyone have experience with the MR Cabinet or Mule? If you’ve carried both the Crew Cab and either the Cabinet or the Mule, I’d be interested in how they compare.

Thanks.

Frank

Sorry, I have no experience with the packs mentioned. Not quite as large, but I bought and used an MR Pop Up 28 this year and was very impressed with it's abilities and comfort.

I used the Mule to pack out 4 bulls and a buck this year. I think all told I put in 72 miles in the first 6 days either hunting and packing quarters out of the wilds of Idaho. Loved the MR Mule for both purposes. Tim (TDN) had a Pintler and was equally impressed when we packed his bull out. My other hunting partner just bought a Sawtooth as a result of seeing the Mule perform so well this season.

While I've loved my Mule,...were I buying a new one today I'd get the Sawtooth for sure. Just a little more room without much weight penalty with a better waist belt.

Dave

I only have experience with the Mule. I did pack out a deboned mule deer and the head. I don’t think it carries heavy weight as well as my Kifaru, but I still really like the pack. For hiking/hunting all day then hauling some meat I think it’s a great pack.

Another vote for the Pop up. I've used a crew cab with the nice frame for about 10 years now. It's a great hauler, but for a day pack I've decided its base weight is unnecessary. I tried a Metcalf for awhile but the bag design and 5 miles of straps didn't impress me. This fall I switched to a pop up 18, which has proven to be the ideal situation. My daypack weight with essentials runs 12-15 lbs all up and I've hauled various meat loads so far this season weighing 50-92 lbs. For day hunts, I see myself using just the pop up from here on out.

I'm with Dave, although my big pack is a SG 5900 which I love...if I don't have camp on my back yet still want to haul meat the MR Sawtooth worked well for me this year.

I have become a fan of the Pop Up 18. For day hunting with the ability to comfortably pack meat the PU 18 is a winner. I have packed out two whitetail with it so far this year and it worked very well.

I have hunted and packed meat with both a Cabinet and Pintler. If you are going to carry odd shaped items regularly, (i.e. tree stands, climbing sticks, ground blinds) then the Cabinet is a great choice. If you spend most of your time hunting or overnighting then the conventional Mule, Pintler, Sawtooth would be a better choice in my opinion. The pocket configuration of the Cabinet just didn't work for every day hunting as well as the more traditional bag/overload options. They all pack meat very well and MR offers a great bang for your buck no questions asked. If you are still not sure buy the Cabinet. That way if you want to switch you and can buy a Pintler or Mule bag. They don't offer the Cabinet as a bag only so they are much harder to find.

The ones you listed- They’re all the same on a guide light frame. The crew cab is heavier the mule Doesn’t have room for much more than lunch rain gear kill kit. They all handle the load. Which one of those you go with depends on your basic load out and very subjective personal presence. The mule is a little tight on space for me. The crew cab /
Cabinet has the space but breaks it up too much or me. I’m prefer a longbow or pintler - but that’s a bag layout/ access issue. I love my pop up28 also but it’s be better with a 3zip.

The ones you listed- They’re all the same on a guide light frame. The crew cab is heavier the mule Doesn’t have room for much more than lunch rain gear kill kit. They all handle the load. Which one of those you go with depends on your basic load out and very subjective personal preference. The mule is a little tight on space for me. The crew cab /
Cabinet has the space but breaks it up too much or me. I’m prefer a longbow or pintler - but that’s a bag layout/ access issue. I love my pop up28 also but it’s be better with a 3zip.

Been using a Pintler for the past couple years. Hauled an elk and deer so far. I find it as comfortable as it gets when hauling 60-80 lbs in a pack. I have a pop-up 28 and the smaller Scapegoat (28?) and still carried the Pintler in deer season this year. I find the Pintler a very good all around pack. My Metcalf bag has only seen use a few times in the past couple years.....

I also have a Pintler. I can carry enough for two days out (tight) with a very compact pack that is completely unobtrusive. Very comfortable and forget it is even there. Belt is comfortable and it doesn't slide down my azz.

Great pack.


Lefty

I had a Crew Cab and now own a Cabinet. The cabinet frame is much better IMO for packing heavy loads out.

As impressed and pleased as I am with my Pop Up 28, the new Sawtooth 45 has been calling my name. It's got about 35-40 percent more volume than the PU28, but the big thing for me is that 270* U shaped zipper. For me, that would be my idea of the perfect pack....for now.

Post Script: While the PU28 is just small enough to meet aviation criteria for overhead baggage, The Sawtooth45 might be just outside limits for certain carriers. Although, I've seen people put some way outsized pieces in the overhead bins without being called on it.

I am pretty new to this pack stuff, and find this accessory intriguing. It seems like a good way to carry a rifle, any one try one?

https://www.mysteryranch.com/quick-draw-rifle-sling

Can’t speak to that one, but the Kifaru version is AWESOME. The “generic” model works great with any pack fwtw.

Dave

^^^^^^^^^^^^^ This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^

And it's only around $20.

Yep....I love the generic Kifaru Gun Bearer.

I use the Kifaru GB as well.

I hunted one day with a guy who used the gun bearer and after that I always made / make excuses why I’m unavailable. I don’t like thinking about other guys rifle all day, and slings in general and the GB in particular just sort of always make me wonder how much attention the other guy is paying. Occupies too much of my mind. Takes me out of the hunt

I like the gun bearer because I can have both hands free in rough terrain or fishing with the gun immediately accessible for brown bears or deer that need shot. I keep tabs on the gun and release tab constantly, maybe because the gun is in there for a reason, not just to lazily get it out of my way.

Are you saying you're a "hand on the rifle" all day kind of guy? I guess I can see that mindset from some, but I am having trouble reading into what you posted. General question with no offense intended.

I have a couple MR packs, Pop Up 18 and Scree. The more I use them the less I like them. I used the Scree a lot last summer day hiking, fishing, setting up trail cams, stuff like that. It pushes "funny" on my back and though comfortable initially, I'm pretty sore at day's end with it. It was a replacement for the previous year's Kelty Red Wing 32. It will go on the burn pile as the Kelty did and be replaced by a Recon from The North Face. I lugged the Pop Up 18 around through 2 deer seasons and 1 elk season. It doesn't have enough organization or volume, couldn't lug my sacks in it and have any room for anything else. It rides somehow off center / pushes harder on one side of my back than the other. It's not a win, not a long term solution, but I don't really have a viable replacement yet. The 28 would likely be a better choice but since both MR packs fit sort of off-center / "hinky", I don't see investing in another, it's time for some other brand. I'm pondering a return to a Badlands 2200, a pack I abandoned several years ago. So far the successors have been downgrades.

Tom

TOM have you looked in a MR with the new frame and/ or Stone glacier packs?

I'm guessing he is referring to the barrel position of a rifle carried in a gun bearer. I could see it making someone nervous to walk in front of the person wearing a gun bearer while treking up a steep hillside. Maybe while the person behind bends over on flat ground as well? Aside from that, the barrel position is always a known and is controlled...at least in the manner I use it. If for some reason there was a discharge the bullet path should be up and safe....the muzzle blast for the carrier could be an issue. My chamber's usually empty when I'm using it...and it's very rare for me to hunt with someone else so it's not something I give much consideration.

Example pic that's very close to the way I carry with it...muzzle blast from an AD could be hard to handle but bullet path should be safe:

I think MR is trying to make something like this:
http://gunslingercorral.com/

Both of those products look like a fail compared to the Kifaru Gunbearer. Extra junk and attachments in order to be slower getting the rifle into action. No thanks.

The Stone Glacier gun sling hands Kifaru it’s rear end with both hands.

In what way?

It keeps the rifle clear of your movements, holds it extremely securely (no wobble), and is as easily accessible. The SG sling allows use like it isn’t there where the Kifaru GB is like an annoying monkey in the way all the time. I’ve used them both. A bunch.

EDIT: Oops! Sorry, confused Kifaru with Kuiu. The Kuiu Quick Draw has the rifle riding behind the shoulder,(out of the way, and both hands free!), very safe and securely, yet it deploys extremely fast. Again, just 20 bucks. Depending on your pack, a pair of their Venture hip belts straps may be required at 9 bucks/pr. All in, $29.

Agreed.

Thanks for all the replies Have been in touch with MR. The cabinet is currently unavailable and will be dropped for 2020. After reading a bunch of opinions on numerous hunting sites, it seems to be an unpopular choice(for most) when compared with other packs anyway. The Mule will only be available in2020 as a "bag only" option. The Sawtooth will be available in Optifade for 2020 and the Pintler will still be in the lineup. All will be on the upgraded Guide Lite MT frame. Looks like it will be either a sawtooth or Pintler for me, leaning toward the Pintler. May pick up a Mule bag later. New packs should show up on the MR website at the end of next week.

Happy New Year to all.

Thanks again.

Frank

Stuck between the Pintler and the Sawtooth. Anyone have experience with both and a recommendation for 95% day hunts?

Thanks.

Frank

Sawtooth will be my next pack.

I used a Pop Up 28 all this past season and its a very versatile and useful day pack/hauler. I'm extremely pleased with it. It's not going anywhere. I'm keeping it. I would have zero reservations recommending it for 95% day hunts. That's its niche.

However, I want something just a bit bigger that will allow me to stay out 2 or even 3 days.The Sawtooth looks to be about the right size for my needs, plus it has that fantastic access with the 270* U zipper.

The Pintler is a well proven pack and the Sawtooth has been getting good reviews. I don't think you can go wrong with either.

I see Black Ovis is having a pretty good sale on MR packs right now. Some are a $100 or more off regular price.

Have had a Pintler for 2 yrs. Packed a whole boned out deer plus my gear 6 miles this fall, and used on a number of other hunts up to 4 days out. Have also used the crew cab and NICE frame, older kifaru, and a kuiu icon 1850 a bunch. Pintler is a good pack. I like the kuiu belt a little better, like the mr for converting to haul meat better than the kuiu. Sawtooth looks great, and I think the newer frame has a couple of improvements worth looking at- buckles that make prepping to haul meat(or a dry bag with camp gear) easier and better belt.

I did top my pintler with a lid that doubles as a lumbar pack and provides a bit more space...

Ordered the Sawtooth in Optifade.

Thanks for the input.

Frank

You can ALWAYS make a big pack small with compression straps but you cannot make a small pack big. Don't screw around with small packs on a serious frame. Get a big bag if you think you'll ever need one.

Over the past 4 decades having carried packs from old Kelty exterior aluminum frame packs to Gregory internal frame packs to the original Dana Design packs to Kifaru packs to the new Mystery Ranch packs they all have features that should be individually evaluated by the end consumer. But for my money I like the way Mystery Ranch packs carry better than any others.

Nice moose John.