Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Mystery Ranch Crew Cab vs. Eberlestock Dragonfly

I was wondering if anybody has experience with both the Eberlestock and Mystery Ranch packs? I currently own a Dragonfly and like that it can be used as a day pack or expand for longer trips. However, it is on the heavy side. I was also kind of disappointed that they were made in Vietnam. I saw the Mystery Ranch guys at the hunt expo in Salt Lake but didn't spend a lot of time there cuz they were pretty busy. So if anybody could let me know how the two compare I would appreciate it. Thanks.

Really they are apples and oranges. The CC is built much tougher and the NICE frame will carry weight much better then the dragon fly. The ideas are much the same where you can expand the CC to haul but keep it compact like a day pack for spot and stalk.

The CC will also carry a load much better then the eberlestock. I had a J105 and while I liked it it didn't carry a load well at all. It was fine for load less then 30 pounds but after that it felt like I had something pulling at my back. The water proof fabric on the eberle soaks up a lot of water but stays dry on the inside.

There is a big price difference in price between the two. If you could get your hands on a CC to compare I think you would see the difference in price is worth it.


Customer service is top notch on both companies so I would not worry about that.

Does the CC carry quarters well or do you have to bone it out and use their load cells?

I think the Just one packs are very well built and very inovative, but not in the same world as MR of Kifaru packs. The price difference reflects this. If I could not have the two mentioned above I would go with eberlestock. I have had the J104, and 105.

You can easily get moose quarters in the CC. You can bone out meat as well and you dont have to use a load cell. You can just use a game bag. Im not sure I would want to put meat into a load cell as it wont breath very well but you could.

The price is definitely a big consideration. I wish I would have looked at MR closer when they were discounted at the expo.

It opens up more than just this... but this might give you a idea of it....



And just drop in a game bag - or I like the KIfaru meat bags.

c5mrr270~

shoot me an email and I'll send you some photos of the crew cab with elk quarters in it..... or entire antelope..... we've got 'em! Feel free to call me at the shop number as well..... 406.585.1428

markseacatmysteryranch.com

(Yo Rick.... any chance I could get a photo gallery going here on 24hour???)

Mark

Thanks for the pic. It looks like you could slip a bow in there also. I usually carry my bow but i have been in some areas where I needed both my hands.

I echo Kenai's comments exactly.

I had the Eberlestock just one J105. Nice pack, but not for me. I felt disjointed from my load due to the space for the scabbard. I always felt it was pulling me back.

The crew cab on the other hand is great. I hauled an elk and a deer with it this year, and it's a perfect day pack. Great combination.

This year's deer. I've got two quarters in here, besides the head and cape.

DFE- Very nice buck, congrats!!! I'm thinking I may give the stick and string a try this year and that helped with the motivation!

Definitely a nice buck. Thanks for the comments on the packs too. Looks like you do the same kind of hunting I do cuz I also archery hunt Utah.

How do thoes two packs stack up to a Kifaru Longhunter? Not really interested in the E stock but how does the K pack compare to th MR. Thanks DEWY

It depends on how it feels to you. I had the MR and it was heavier and stiffer so I sold it and now have the LH and love it. For heavy loads I would say the MR, but for days of wearing the Kifaru is more comftorble for me and still carry's more weight than I am comftorble with. Both very well made.

I just bought the Blue Widow after considering the Crew Cab as well as Kifaru Late Season. I've seen and tried on my buddies MR, and brought home the Blue Widow to do a trail run with all my gear in it. My experience with the Kifaru was via web only. I've been using a Dana Designs (head cheese at MR) Snow Factor for both skiing and hunting.. I put a blaze pile pack cover over it, and it's served me well, both hauling my gears thousands of miles on foot, and game as well. I've not used any of these packs yet so take this for what it's worth.

My constraints were I wanted a pack that was around 2200 ci with the ability to increase capacity, and keep it 7 lbs or under without overly thick belts or shoulder straps. To my taste, packs today are too over engineered today with tactical doodads to help lure in the males/sales. I hunt via bike and foot on public land in MT, so weight matters. I'd rather have my gear optimized for the use I'll be dishing out 90% of the time, and have it be able to go above and beyond (hauling quarters) when I need to. I have a big ol est frame freighter pack I can fall back on that carries heavy weight like nothing but sometimes you need to get it all out pronto.

The MR CC is a nice pack, no bones. For me, a bit too heavy and bulky for day hunting, and I take along more gear than most. The price almost made me choke as well. My made in Bozeman Dana was under 300 bucks but that was 10+ years ago. The Kifaru really impressed me with it's simple, light design, and classic good looks.. I like solid colors like drab green, etc. But the lack of compartments (and I only need a few), price, and inability to check one out in person killed it for me. The cost and weight would only go up by the time I added an ext load hauler.

The versatility of the Blue Widow, and giving their web site a read won me over. The price was icing on the cake. I also bow hunt with my pack, and in the past I've had a dedicated bow pack that I didn't care for. With the Eberlestock, I can add a bow hauler and have it ride high (horses) or low. The expanding mesh compartment on the Blue Widow is slick as hell, and there's an aftermarket panel you can zip in there to have it be more of a contained/finished pack. With the xtra compartment closed you're left with two long vertical pockets not unlike the crew cab The bottom load sling offers a second way to carry heads/quarters/meat bags.(They also have the new Warhammer which looks to have borrowed heavily from the Crew Cab). The top lid also comes off and can be used as a fanny pack. I don't care about the fanny pack, but like that I can ditch the top pocket and a lb of weight.. whether with or without, the pack compresses down into a very nice size and shape for sneaking through timber and brush. The harness and belt look to be just the right size to carry load but not interfere with shooting.

Up close, it's for sure not made by some Montana honey down in Bozeman! There's extra material here and there, but nothing that will hurt performance. The buckles on the beaver tail/load hauler bottoms out on the top flap buckles if you don't have enough stuff in the pack. Hand made it's not, but the design is good.. real good. As much as I hate to say it, I'd rather have a good design made overseas, that a design that misses something made here. Not that the MR has any design flaws that I know of, but my made in Bozeman Dana has some really obvious flaws (but is ultra durable),even with the god like status heaped on Dana. Some of these off shore manufacturers churn out very high quality product, and when they are given an excellent design, the performance of the product is on par.. it's a sad state of affairs, but that's another deal.

So for me, the flexibility/design, weight, price, warranty, and company sealed the deal. I need a pack that cuts the balance between being a great carry all day for many days, with the ability to occasionally haul heavy loads. If I was a guide or porter, I would get a beefier pack but this thing looks game for more than I am!

For any manufacturers out there.. I'd like a pack like a kletter sack on a state of the art frame/harness/belt. 3 side compression straps, one top flap with 3 pockets with two vertical compression straps going down to either a beaver tail/sling or rigid fold out hauler shelf. A few daisy chains (how many does one guy need?), maybe two mesh bottle pockets on the side.

D_S

Mystery ranch packs have got go be the best packs I have seen

Crew cab loaded with a boned whitetail, head and gear. No need for load cells, boned meat in a game bag conforms nicely to the load compartment. Hauls quarters just fine too.

Nice the crew cab can hold a lot

Perfect.