Thinking of trying one this year. I don't like packs. They are usually too big for the few items I carry in the woods, plus I've never found one that I like for comfort and fit. I got to thinking that a possibles pouch or messenger bag may be the ticket. They worked for the mountain men so why not me. Anyone use one and if so how big, what kind and where did you get it?

When I was shooting a T-C Hawkins, I used an old M17A1 gas mask bag for my possibles bag.

JEff

A little pricey but will last forever

http://www.joessportinggoods.com/filson-fath64.html

A possibles pouch is for Jeremiah Johnson type guys.

A messenger bag is what gay guys call their purse.

Get whatever works best, just be sure to call it a possibles pouch.

I've always carried a haversack. Mine is a surplus Israli medics bag. Lots of handy little pockets on one inside surface to keep small items from getting lost. Mine weight five pounds loaded with what I need.

BCR

I was going to caution the same thing.....be careful and keep the pink trimmings to a minimum or it may get labeled a man-purse!

Good luck, I am a packback guy myself (my 3 yr olds term for backpack).

I'm a day pack guy myself but occasionally I'll use the old WWII Engineers bag (think of the bags used to hold satchel charges- one of those) that served me well for many a day trip into the woods. Perfect size to hold a sandwich, paperback book, a few shells, candy bars, compass, knife, etc.- the stuff that I could probably do without or stuff into various pockets. Just makes it handy/efficient to have it all in one container. (Plus I don't think one would label as gay blades the GI's and Marines who used them stuffed full of explosives to blow Japanese caves and bunkers. )

I have been using a "German Alpine rucksack" for years and really like it. I don't consider it a "pack"....more like a knapsack. I use the full size but here is a mini version of it you might like.

http://www.amazon.com/Canvas-German-Style-Alpine-Rucksack/dp/B000AAZLQS

Another possibility might be a vest with a lot of pockets like turkey hunters use.

gnoahh,
I think you are fine with your bag with no gay issues....if, IF you take off the rainbow lace trim!

I think you'll like it..I did. I was given one of those 2liter Hydro Pacs from the Airforce by a friend of mine that just retired last may. I pulled the bladder out and attached a flap style shell holder over the whole on the outside and another small pouch just below that. I can get all I should need and more inside where the bladder was and the 2 I added and it weighs next to nothin.

I've been using a small possibles bag for 10+ years. 2 bottles of water, spare knife, a few extra cartridges, candy bar and a flashlight/head lamp. Way better for me than any back pack I've tried.

I have used a G.I. gas mask bag for nearly thirty years, keeps all the deer hunting essentials handy in one place. I put my wristwatch on the strap when in the woods that way I can check the time without making any movement.

I'm a fanny pack type of guy. That and lower pants pockets give me enough room to carry what I need on a days hunt. The only time I use a day pack is when I take my spotting scope along.

I've said it before, I'm cutting back on the do-dads and gizmos I take into the field so less for me is better.

The over the shoulder "gay bag" is an interesting concept though. I can see the merit in using one. The only downside I can visualize is having something loose that swings around while traversing rough terrain.

Thanks for the responses. I like the idea a lot but am just kind of worried about how many of my hunting buddies will have to get their butt kicked before they realize my bag is a good idea.

If you can find one, the Claymore pouch is pretty handy, only two big pockets, but at least they ain't gay.

When I first got into muzzle loading, I used a fanny pack. If you put the pack around front, it gets in the way when you sit down. Anywhere else, and it isn't accessible. I switched to a soft nylon camera case with the over the shoulder strap. It's generally accessible, goes on and off easily as you shed or add layers, and you can take it off and hang it on a branch.

Since almost every CW soldier, especially confederate, wore a haversack I have no worries about anyone thinking carrying one is efeminate. The secret to wearing one is to wear it high. More under your arm than on your hip. Won't swing so much and is a lot easier to swing around to your back if you have to crawl or stoop low geting through brush. Wearing it high also lets it rest more on your hip and takes a lot of the weight off your neck.

BCR

These are what I always carry. Not anything fancy and I made em myself but they are handier than pockets on a shirt. There is a main pouch on one side of the shoulder strap and the cover flap is also a smaller pouch. I sort of have a differant bag for specific stuff, I keep one bag that it seems I always grab for any occasion. It has binocs, water, and general odds and ends then I have a turkey sack, a ML sack, tree step sacks, etc....

Along the same lines but for carrying small game, especially squirrels. I have a small newspaper bag, dyed green, that works better than anything else that I have ever used. You can balance your load front and back and it is roomy. I don't know if they even make them anymore but they used to make two sizes for their route carriers. The large would be good for coon hunters. miles

I'm with Fish , a small fanny pack , belt bag , or [bleep] bag , whatever you wanna call it works best for me . An extra knife , spare compass , poncho , fire stuff ,drag rope ,extra snackings , flashlite and batteries ,and first aid kit all fit in there well . After the first or second time someone needs somethin they didn't put in their pockets the [bleep] bag joke goes away. Same for the folks that want to drag around 5+ lbs of gear in a back pack or swinging bag ,to hunt in a 3-5 mile radius of camp.

This is a shooting bag. A haversack or possibles bag is larger and usually made of white canvas with a woven strap.



The shooting bag is used to hold all the items necessary to shoot the gun. A possibles bag holds all the extra gear you might need during a day in the woods.

Either will work fine to hold your gear on a hunt.

Cabelas has a decent one for $40.00.

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Full-Grain-Leather-Possibles-Bag/739989.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dpossibles%2Bbag%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=possibles+bag&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

This outfit has some good bags to check out:

http://www.armynavydeals.com/asp/pr...WW2%20Haversack%20Shoulder%20Bag-%20Used

My older sister used a Duluth Pack shell bag for a book bag in college. I have used it for back country fishing. It now serves as a map/book case more than anything else. It has a divider inside and I have tossed a compass, extra rounds, a knife, etc. in there.

A former employer issued us a similar model made by Jacquart Fabric, the Stormy Kromer people. We carried our water, snacks, map in one section and extra cans of tree marking paint in the other so we didn't have to return to the truck so often.

duluth pack has some good stuff, but they have gone a bit "boutiquey", for lack of a better word...

my old Gokeys haversack bit the dust a couple of years back... i carried it since high school...

here is it's replacement...

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