Do I need a frame pack....

I

iccyman001

New member
Apr 30, 2014
5,489
I have a nice cabelas pack, but it seems like everywhere I read, people who elk hunt carry frame packs............

Is this a must have to go out there or will I be fine?
 
personally i have two, i much prefer my badlands 2200 an wont use either of my frame packs again, other than to exercise with 75 lbs of cat litter in them. but not for hunting
 
You don\'t \"need\" one. I\'ve had the same Dana designs pack forever and I can take half of most elk in one trip. A nice pack is most helpful to those who are out of shape in the first place but it is definitely a nice luxury for anyone.
 
Here is my current pack...

it\'s very comfy and I have maxed that thing out many times with no issue. I forget the pack name, but it\'s a cabelas gun and bow carry pack.











Let me know what you think.

That badlands 2200 looks nice Bnsafe.


otcWill, on average how much are your elks weighing? I never asked how much a common elk weighs and how much people pack out.
 
Weights of elk can vary. All I know is that the further you pack elk meat the heavier it gets
 
yes it does, lol. my bull weighed 176 lbs of boned out meat last year. he wasnt the biggest bull around for sure. an i could have got some more meat off had i spent more time an took every little piece. but i read on another thread that is about avg for most boned out elk. take it for what its worth.
 
Dan

It really doesnt matter what pack you use. Some will perform better, some will tear you apart.
Here is a pic of an old POS frame pack, with 2 front quarters of the bull I shot last fall, maybe 80-100lbs???

Its what I had at the moment, it worked, but it SUCKED. It tore up my back something fierce, for quite a while afterward. And I didnt pack very far

Thats when I decided to get new Kelty Cache Haulers, I think they will be better

 
\"iccyman001\" said:
Let me know what you think.


otcWill, on average how much are your elks weighing? I never asked how much a common elk weighs and how much people pack out.
Click to expand...

Not sure exactly but we take everything and we get one like this out in one shot, head and all. My buddy\'s 2013 bull
 

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And one like this takes 2 trips for 2 guys with cheap old \"crappy\" packs.
 

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I always take three packs on an elk trip.

1. \"afternoon\" pack- just a single belt pack. carries water, a little space for knife, etc, but not much more. Was ~$15 at Academy.
2. day pack- similar to the one shown in your picture. room for all stuff I\'d need in a day, assuming I dont shoot one. Mine is a Bass PRo pack, and it cost me about $50.
3. pack out pack- similar to Brads POS. only used if we catch one, and is only used for hauling out meat. unfortunately, I\'ve only used it once. I thought it was pretty handy, and hope to use it in roughly 128 days.... :) I bought this pack for ~$5 at a garage sale.

one item I\'d heavily recommend is a rain-guard for your pack. none of mine are really waterproof, and it rains in elk country. my buddy showed up in camp last year with a \"pack condom\" type rig that keeps rain out of your pack. I bought one as soon as I got home. some are brown on one side, and hunter orange on the other. I\'d recommend getting one of those, specifically in case you\'re successful. I like the idea of as much orange as possible on a pack-out. :)

shane
 
Dan, I think a lot depends on where you are hunting and how you anticipate getting the elk out. We have taken elk in areas where we were able to drag them out whole all the way to the road (downhill of course). Your current pack would work, especially if you bone out the meat. We do have a frame pack, but we don\'t carry it around with us. So if we get one down and can\'t drag it out, we\'ll carry as much by hand as possible and then, if necessary, grab the frame pack and head back in for the rest. Bottom line is there are a lot of different ways to \'skin the cat\' so to speak. Just a matter of what you prefer.
 
Seems like some great advice in here.
I really like the idea of having my pack for the hunt, then if it\'s not close enough to drag out, do one load out, and then bring the frame pack out.
I will also be sure to get a pack \"condom\" of some sort.
 
dan, I researched an researched packs for my first diy hunt. I bought a pack that would handle a full load back to camp. two years later, that pack is too heavy for all day hunting. I should have listened to my firefighter partner, when he told me that he packs out a small load back to camp and then goes back with his frame pack to haul the rest back. this year I am getting a smaller and lighter hunting pack.
 
this is the sort of rain cover I was talking about:

<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"http://www.grainger.com/product/24M912?gclid=CjgKEAjwzcWcBRCat43fy9e5i3ASJADXOBwupBMBTTTMzAwRFDsTxUnM1ikCgBjMfYSNa3wXlZgjwvD_BwE&cm_mmc=PPC:GooglePLA-_-Safety-_-Portable%20Coolers%20and%20Beverages-_-24M912&ci_src=17588969&ci_sku=24M912&ef_id=UvzA1QAAAZcDfGYw:20140606113604:s\">http://www.grainger.com/product/24M912? ... 06113604:s</a><!-- m -->

or

<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"http://www.rei.com/product/855411/rei-ducks-back-rain-cover-60-liters\">http://www.rei.com/product/855411/rei-d ... -60-liters</a><!-- m -->

or

<!-- m --><a class=\"postlink\" href=\"http://www.campmor.com/day-pack-day-1-2-pack-rain-covers-large.shtml\">http://www.campmor.com/day-pack-day-1-2 ... arge.shtml</a><!-- m -->

good luck with them.

shane
 
I thought about carrying two packs in also. However my badlands 2200 weighs as much as my Blue Widow (Ok, maybe an exaggeration).

Since I\'m hunting from a spike camp, I\'ve opted to just use the \'basic\' Blue Widow for my day pack. It\'s about the same weight as the 2200, but way more comfortable (at least so far). The top pocket can also serve as a fanny pack. Haven\'t tried that one yet, maybe on my scouting trips.

I \'could\' always just bring my basic hydration bag. It\'s big enough for the basic stuff, and is light enough to carry in to the \'base\' camp. It\'s not camo, but I\'ll shield it from the elk during the shot with my body ;)

Of course, no plan survives first contact.

AB
 
I should point out that if I were \"packing in\" to a spike camp, I probably would only take 1 pack.

in my 3-pack model, I\'m hunting out of a camp you can drive up to. (no penalty to have 3....)
 
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