Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Kifaru spike camp or Badlands 2200

I'm having a hard time deciding on a smaller pack for hunting. It will not get used a whole lot, but I think I better have one for getting game out on a future hunt. Will the 2200 be a good enough pack for a boned out mule deer or should I go ahead and spend twice as much and get the spike camp?

You get what you pay for. Spend the money, Go Kifaru.

If you decide down the road that the Spike Camp isn't for you - the Kifaru name will hold its value in re-sale.

+1 on both counts.

i just bough the redhead spot and stalk pack and i love it, its got tons of room, bow/rifle holder,seat that comes out,spotting scope pockets,pull out blaze orange its really nice pack!

I think if you put a mule deer in that pack you would be disappointed with it's performance.

I would definitely go Kifaru, but would recommend looking at the Late Season. It's bigger but has compression straps to close it down with a light load and give plenty of room for a big mule deer when boned out.

Havin a hard time talkin myself into a $400 backpack.

If I were you I'd buy one of each pack you are interested in, check them out, load them up, and it will be clear which one fits your criteria. Send the others back. You will be out the return shipping, but you'll get a small taste of what makes a serious pack worth the money, and whether it's what you need or not.

Allow me to show you how to spend money on yourself:

A Badlands 2200 is what? $150-$175.00? And it's roughly a 2000 cubic inch pack right?

You can get a Siwash (2008 version) from Kifaru for $310.00 right now. It's 4,000+ cubic inches.

So even though it's double the price, you're actually getting not only double the size pack, but a far better name in the re-sale department if you decide it's not for you.

So we are only looking at a $150.00 difference here. And you have a bigger pack, and you have a handmade American product and a very easy item to offload if need be down the road.

And besides. I'm sure you work hard. Aren't you worth that extra $150.00?

And that gentleman, is why I'm always broke...


Travis

I packed a black bear hide and scull in a Badlands 2800 about a mile one time. I don't ever want to repeat that again. The badlands are fine daypacks but they just do not have the suspension to support a real load.

Where do I go to get one for that price?

Maybe this will help you. I have 3 hunting packs currently in my garage- non of them I really like. Just ordered the Late Season.

How far ahead would I have been if I would have got the right pack to begin with?

Or, since I'm a gear junkie,and going to buy new stuff anyways, was I better getting the cheapie packs to begin with?
And I thought I was going to help you make a decision,sorry!

The worst money you spend is money spent on something that isn't really up to the job.

It works out cheaper in the long run to buy the right thing the first time. It's one thing to buy a cheaper item if you just don't have the funds to buy the right item. But getting by using the cheaper one until you finally get enough money to buy what you really need means you pay the price for what you needed plus what you wasted on the cheaper one. This is general advice but probably applies directly to your situation......................DJ

I guess it depends on what you want to use the pack for. If you want it to carry a sandwich, chocolate bar, and liter of water what you buy won't matter. If you want to buy a pack for 15 years or more of hard use carrying heavy loads like a boned out mule deer, bite the bullet and buy a Kifaru. Once you do I'd be willing to bet that you'll never wish you had gone with a cheaper pack.

Don't forget the Mystery Ranch Bighorn either. More pockets than the Kifaru and capable of 70-80lbs.

MtnHtr

The only thing I don't like about the MR Bighorn is that it doesn't have the internal bladder. Kinda don't like the idea of fumbling around for water bottles.

I agree with spending more money to begin with... last spring I bought the badlands 2200 because I didnt have the money to but a Mystery Ranch. After helping a friend haul out an elk with it I sold it after huntings season and didnt get the money out of it I wanted. Now I have a crewcab and am happy as can be!

I have a Kifaru express and a Badlands 2200 and like the Kifaru more.

Is the express the same as the spike camp?

i doubt you would be disapointed if you packed a mulie in the redhead i have its 3500 cubic inchs and is very durable and a very nice pack for $119