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Which pack do you use for elk hunting. I'm considering a Elberstock M5 or Mystery Ranch Metcalf. Any other packs to consider?

All of my camp are using the Sawtooth 45. No complaints and we have a half-dozen bulls on them through 4 years or so.

Dave

I have a Pintler and a Marshall. I use the Pintler way more than the Marshall but both are the same frames, just a bigger bag on the Marshall. I can’t say a bad work about MR packs. Love em.

ALPS COMMANDER X-

I love my Eberlestock F1 and vapors. I have the vapor 2500 and 7500. The 7500 can do it all.

You may want to check out the “Pack Ideas” thread in the backpack hunting forum. I believe T O M has the M5 and wasn’t too keen on it. Maybe if you are set on that pack you could ask if he wants to sell it.

Thanks guys. Ill look harder at the Mystery Ranch line.

I've been using a Seek Outside pack for several years and tried out a MR Pintler this past year. The MR pack feels more compact using as a day pack but I think the SO hip belt is more comfortable. I tend to get a little pressure on a nerve in my hip with the MR but may just need more adjustment to fit my torso.

I looked at Stone Glacier in a local store recently - loaded some weight in it and carried it around the store for a bit. If I was buying a new pack today, I'd probably go that route...

Mystery ranch, if you wanna carry a rifle a spell, eberlestock, heavy but $$. Fuuck the dumb “gunbearer “ systems from kifru etc..

The best elk pack is anything that fits a strong young guy who'd like to tag along to learn how to hunt.

I've tried most of them except Stone Glacier. The SG only comes with 26 inch height. At 5 ft 8 in and a short torso (17 in) it sticks up way to high. I landed on Exo for these reasons:

MR: I think their lumbar pad sucks. It does not have enough area or non-slip surface to keep heavy loads off my butt no matter how hard I cinch the belt. I really liked their bags and everything else but the lumbar pad plain sucks.

Kifaru - I like kifaru well enough but found the 4000 buckles and attachment points a bit of a PITA. The lumbar pad and belt system works well. I did struggle a bit with getting the torso length short enough.

Kuiu : this pack just didn't fit me well. Plus the flex in the frame concerned me. In hindsight, frame breakage is an issue.

Eberlestock: I simply couldn't get it to fit my short torso. It felt really uncomfortable with anything over 30 lbs.

Badlands: Same as Eberlestoxk.

If you are more "normally" shaped one of these packs may work. For a good review of high end packs, look up Mindful Hunter. He spent $5000 to review most of the high end packs.

With Exo, Mark/Steve will tell you the 1850 is for day hunting. It is excellent for day hunting - if you want to strap clothing to the outside of the pack. It works but I greatly prefer having all my stuff inside of a pack. In that regard the 3200 is perfect. The 3200 works well for 1-3 day backpack hunts/hikes too. The 4800 compresses down well and can wok as well. I have all 3 and use whatever pack works for the situation I'm in. Make sure to get a lid. The 1850 really needs the lid to serve as a functional day IMHO.

Main function is to pack meat out. I tend to hunt "light".

I've used a "Bull" pack.

Exo, KUIU, and Kifaru in that order for me. I have used a bunch buying and selling and these are the ones I kept. I am 5-11 with a long torso. If money is tight I say MR Pintler and a second big bag. Eberlestock is absolutely painful with any heavy weight.

Have used an Eberlestock Mainframe with 2 Batwings for the last several years ~5 bulls. This year I am trying a Mystery Ranch Pop Up 28. A little smaller and lighter pack while still being able to haul meat on the first trip. Second trip will probably be with the Eberlestock Mainframe.

By "light", I'm assuming you're day hunting, and not packing a camp with you for extended overnights. If that's the case, I would also highly recommend the MR Sawtooth 45. The Guide Light MT frame is a meat hauling tank. The 270* U-shaped zipper is great for accessing gear no matter where it resides in the bag. You can also stay out 2-3 nights, depending on how late in the season. If situations change, and you needed to stay out longer, you could always purchase a Beartooth 80 bag only. Same exact bag as the Sawtooth 45, just a lot more volume.

Having said all that, the biggest consideration is determining what frame fits YOUR body. The plain truth is, NO pack is a pleasure under a heavy load of meat for any distance. But some will feel better/worse than others. IT's easier said than done, but try on as many packs as you can with at least a 40lb load, to help with your determination.

And don't assume that throwing $800 at a pack is going to buy you a better experience. Again, fit trumps all.

MR: Agreed on lack of non-slip, and I had continuous belt "creep" at the waist when cinched under load, I ended up taping the loose ends - but I did like the fit.

Kifaru - Been playing with the Stryker system - the lumbar pad and belt system works well, but it's a "skinny jeans" fit. My spare tire is comfortable in it, but it's not a good picture - definitely lets me know where the excess is.

Kuiu : My favorite still - from the 1800 through 3200, and it's carried, trained, and been great so far - however, the frame breakage is an issue - my ME daughter says this will happen sooner or later based on her FEA of the design.

Eberlestock: Comfortable, but very weight heavy when empty - for the return in volume carrying capacity, I was carrying more padding than gear - or that's what it felt like.

Badlands: Other than an Ox frame, I've just used their daypacks, most with good success in doing what I needed done.

Exo - this pack nearly killed my back - BUT, it was a Gen 2 or earlier, the newer updates are well ahead of what I had - I couldn't seem get the torso length set right, and it seemed to transfer a lot of the load pressure to my tailbone area. I was hurting for two weeks after a 5 day hunt.

Tenzing - the other pack that I wanted to like, didn't like the lack of load stability in the bigger sizes - but I could not kill the pack and I tried hard over multiple training seasons, even loaded beyond what it and I was capable of.

Interesting comments on the short torso and MR lumbar pad. I'm just under 5'-10" and also have a short torso (about 17"). I was constantly hiking up the MR pack and tightening the belt to get it up higher to relieve pressure on that nerve in my hip I mentioned above. At times, I felt the belt was more around my gut than on my hips. I don't have that issue with the SO hip belt that is continuous with no lumbar pad. When I tried the SG, the lumbar pad made very noticeable contact with my lower back whereas the MR hip belt feels like all the contact is on my hips. I didn't notice the height of the SG sticking up too high, but wasn't focused on that.

Kifaru.

The "skinny jeans" comment is pretty wrong in my experience.

Packs carry weight really well to the point all my buds run the packs. 7ish day backpack hunts coming back with an animal.

Ymmv

I didn't take Greg's "skinny jeans" comment to mean that Kifaru packs don't carry weight well for him...quite the contrary actually. I took it to mean he likes the packs very well but if a guy has a spare tire, the belt design most certainly lets you know.

It depends on whether you are backpacking in for a few days, or day packing from camp, lodge or truck.

For the day pack, I really like the Eberlestock X2. I carry a full size spotter and tripod on the outer sleeves, lots of room inside which can be compressed down. The driving factor for me is that I can haul a quarter out on the first trip. It can be cinched up to the back, and the lower straps hold it up higher for a better ride out. It also helps to have the rigid metal frame. It just works well for me, several times.

When I get back to the truck, I trade out the X2 for a Kelty meat packing frame with shelf for the rest of the meat.