I sm in the early stages of planning a trip to montana next year for primary mule deer and secondary antelope.
I will be staying in a house and going out during the days to hunt. I need a backpack for a days supply: spotting scope food, water, whatever else i need. What is a good day pack
The terrein is rough alot of hiking what are some good comfortable boots for hiking and stalking muledeer.
Thanks
anything from badlands is on my list for packs, lots to choose from and a n unbeatable warranty, you can buy one at a garage sale and put a knife in it and the will fix it or send you a new one. Can't beat em for the money, And I love my Irish setter elk tackers. I have owned four pair and they are the toughest boots I have ever owned backed by another great warranty. They have other good styles But I have a ultra narrow boot and very few boot makers make my width.
I personally prefer Bison backpacks . Angelo is the man ! Great product and great service . My Lemhi and Lost River are my "go to" packs .
I love my Eberlestock X2 pack as my primary daypack that can double as a meat hauler, if successful.
I also love my Danner Pronghorn boots, once a broke them in to my feet and got the right sock combination. Boots are very foot specific, though, and I would try on as many pairs as possible and wear them around the store under a load and up and down ramps.
Where I live backpack hunting is not the norm, but I have had a lot of packs and if I were going out west I would look at a Mystery Ranch crew cab. I have a Mystery Ranch Saddle Peak now, and it's by far the nicest and most comfortable pack I've ever used.
A day pack is pretty easy. I wouldn't spend a whole lotta money on one. I have one from Gander MOuntain that cost $40 that does all I need.
Boots are too personal but stick with the big names and you won't go wrong. Try them out before you buy them. I like Lowa but that really doesn't mean you will.
QuoteOriginally posted by Elkchaser:
I love my Eberlestock X2 pack as my primary daypack that can double as a meat hauler, if successful.
I also love my Danner Pronghorn boots, once a broke them in to my feet and got the right sock combination. Boots are very foot specific, though, and I would try on as many pairs as possible and wear them around the store under a load and up and down ramps.
X2 on this combination.
Try on every pack and boot style you can and go with what feels best. If there is anything that bothers you at all while you are shopping, it will bother you even more when you are hunting especially in rough country. Don't trust opinions, trust your instincts and experience.
Keep an eye on the classifieds, I got a Badlands Diablo like new for less than $90. I works and carries great! Should carry all you need!
X2 on the X2
Whip at Prairie Designs will fix you up on the backpack. Personally Asolo TP535 is my fav boot; boots are a very personal preference thing.
X3 on the X2. Meindels for me.
QuoteOriginally posted by Elkchaser:
I love my Eberlestock X2 pack as my primary daypack that can double as a meat hauler, if successful.
I also love my Danner Pronghorn boots, once a broke them in to my feet and got the right sock combination. Boots are very foot specific, though, and I would try on as many pairs as possible and wear them around the store under a load and up and down ramps.
I will second both of these suggestions. Love my Eberlestock and Pronghorns. Maybe you should take this as a trend. Two western hunters that both use the same gear! I am on my second set of Pronghorns. They are by large the best boots I have used for LOTS of hiking. They are extremely light weight and feel like sneakers on your feet. The X2 pack is by far the best pack I have ever used. You can load it down with TONS of gear or have it tightened down with just a day packs load. I am on yr 3 with my x2 and yr 5 on my current pronghorns.
Dan
The X2 pack is amazing. Loaded with a full days supplies, including a 2L water hydration bladder, and it NEVER once felt heavy, or cumbersome. It also allowed me to take out an 80lb. elk quarter/with loins for 2 miles, and although it wasn't made especially for that, it did the job and saved my group an extra trip. I was the only one with an X2 and all the other guys now want one.
I don't have a ton of experience with the different brands of boots, but FWIW on our Colo. Elk hunt I wore the Vasque Taku's. They're very lightweight with great stability, my feet never got wet (gore-tex), and coupled with the green superfeet inserts, I never got a blister from out of the box to a week of hard mountain hunting. Hope this helps.
QuoteOriginally posted by bm22:
...
I will be staying in a house and going out during the days to hunt. I need a backpack for a days supply: spotting scope food, water, whatever else i need...
The x2 is a great pack but its way overkill for the above if you are somewhat aware of a budget. At about 200 bucks with tax they are not cheap. Mine really shone when heavily loaded. But even though the x2 has other nice features, I did not feel those were necessarily superior to others found on packs that cost less.
The x2's aluminum frame and its ability to haul heavy out of the back country is what makes it worth the cost.
For my own taste, the x2 is a little wide and the frame to strap connection is too noisy. Not so loud as to alarm game but its like a squeek in a car dash- after awhile you are ready to strangle someone! I prefer a narrow pack as in my e3xperience they do not hang up on brush as much by quite a margin as a wider pack does.
Anyway, I would suggest a hypervent by badlands (or similar) That is a narrow pack and is nice to sneak around with.
Joshua
I'm a Kifaru nut, the spike camp from them would work great and it carries meat well with the cargo chair. I have several packs from them and they cant be beat!
I will put another vote for the X2. It is a bit overkill as mentioned, but if your a couple miles in and want to pack your animal out, it can't be beat. I love mine for a day pack! It's the best of all worlds for me.
I use meindle's for boots, but you will want to try different boots if you can, your foot may fit one better than the other.
The hunting you are doing is what I primarily do here in UT for muleys. It is a great set up for me. YMMV
IMHO, for the money you can't go wrong with Rocky Mountain Backpack, I personally like the "COYOTE."
Boots on the other hand is more personal. I like the Bean Boot (unlined) and Kenetrek pack boots for when it's cold...
More than 5 days out, kifaru longhunter guide with cargo chair. Totally adjustable to the individual. I used Danner pronghorns this year and they did well for me.
My friend had a badlands break about 7-8miles back in. He had to tie his waist belt in a knot. I am sure they will fix it or replace it but when you only go once a year and your that far in. Disappointing to carry 60lbs of gear in steep country.
For boots, I and my son both wore Asolo oots elk hunting this fall. We backpacked and hiked many many miles. Not a single hot spot or blister. Very comfortable. I got them through SierraTradingPost. They run online sales and clearances often. These are more a hiking style oot rather than a high top boot, but after wearing them, I'm sold on them.
QuoteOriginally posted by jhg:
QuoteOriginally posted by bm22:
[/b]
For my own taste, the x2 is a little wide and the frame to strap connection is too noisy. Not so loud as to alarm game but its like a squeek in a car dash- after awhile you are ready to strangle someone!
Joshua [/QB]
Joshua, my X2 (as did my cousins) did squeak between the frame and straps/ back panel. We pulled the frame out and took black electrical tape and wrapped it around the frame (like wrapping a tennis racket or bicycle handle bars) and put it back together.
Squeak GONE. You are right, it was annoying. I don't like squeaks or groans in my gear.
As far as being overkill. Not for me. When I leave camp or my pickup in the morning, I don't plan on returning until night, so all my food and water and extra layers are on board. I am also alway prepared to spend the night out should the need arise, so fire starter, space blanket, etc. It just seems I can't pack real small no matter how hard I try.
QuoteOriginally posted by Elkchaser:
... We pulled the frame out and took black electrical tape and wrapped it around the frame (like wrapping a tennis racket or bicycle handle bars) and put it back together.
Squeak GONE. ...
Thanks, I will try that remedy.
Joshua
I have a pair of Asolo Gortex hikers that I have had for 10 years. They are getting worn to the point that I should just use them for 3-D's and such....but they have been great. Not good for cold weather, but my feet have never been wet in them! Longest trek was 14 miles in one day.....great boot!
I have an brand new X2 for sale in the classifieds if anyone s interested. Great pack, but just don't need it
Love my X2! In the west, a day pack could very well mean a bivy pack at a moment's notice. I pack enough for any eventuality.
Eb's are also overbuilt which is how I like all my gear.
Put as much as you want into it and it'll remain friendly.
Kifaru pack and Kennetrek boots can't be beat!
QuoteOriginally posted by jhg:
QuoteOriginally posted by Elkchaser:
... We pulled the frame out and took black electrical tape and wrapped it around the frame (like wrapping a tennis racket or bicycle handle bars) and put it back together.
Squeak GONE. ...
Thanks, I will try that remedy.
Joshua [/b]
Glen Eberle gave me the same recommendation about wrapping the X2 frame with electrical tape (the old friction style, not the plastic tape), and it does work perfectly. The X2 is a great pack that is very versatile. I love mine, but its toughness and features do come with a weight penalty. The Kifaru packs are another top line of packs and are super well built. Patrick Smith (Kifaru's founder) produces both a really heavy duty series as well as a lightweight series of packs, all of which are quite expensive but will hold up as well as any equipment on the market. The Badlands packs are very good too, but not as durable in my opinion as the others I have mentioned. The Badlands Sacrifice is the one I would pick for light weight and ability to haul several days worth of gear. I also have several of the Sitka Gear packs and like their light weight, strength, durability and comfort. Perhaps the very best of the batch, and certainly the most innovative in new designs, is the Kuiu Icon carbon fiber pack frame with either the 3000 or 6000 packs (I have both). It is super light, comfortable and collapsible, so you can actually use the 6000 pack as a day pack of sorts if you wish and then expand it to load more than most of us can even carry. The main problem with the Kuiu (like the Kifaru) packs is the cost. Most people don't need to spend so much to get a pack that does what you want -- but if you truly want the best....
As for the boots, there are some very nice ones on the market, but our feet are VERY individual and fit is the most important factor. Somewhat less expensive boots like the Danner Pronghorn and the Asolo hiking style boots are very nice and will work for most people. For double or so the price, full grain leather boots made by Kenetrek are wonderful boots that will stand up to the toughest abuse in elk and even sheep hunting, and when broken in, they are very comfortable. If you want lighter weight along with the durability, the Kenetrek Hardscrabble Light boots are a great choice. Another boot that is comparable to the heavy duty Kenetreks is the Schnees Granite boot. I like the fit of the Granite better on my feet than the higher, heavier Kenetreks, but the Kenetrek Hardscrabble Light fits me well in a boot that is not as tall. Meindl is a good boot too, but the quality in the US went down somewhat when Cabelas became the exclusive US distributor and demanded a lower price point to compete better in the domestic marketplace. Lowe boots are great too and are along the same quality as the Kenetreks and Schnee boots. There are boots out there that are even more expensive that some people argue are the best, but I personally don't see the need to go there for the conditions and frequency of my hunts. If you don't hunt in tough terrain, any comfortable footwear can suffice, but in mountainous terrain with packs and gear, sturdy, well-made boots are indispensable.
Allan
If money were no object, I'd look at a McHale pack. They somehow seem to make it a part of your body.
Mystery Ranch is right up there, and their frame packs are great haulers. Kifaru has a loyal following, and have come out with a lightweight line that really trims the weight down.
Me? I use a Propper ILBE Recon. Close to an Arcteryx in design, but with the usual military add ons. And damn near bullet proof. The initial designs were not optimal for combat (did not play well with body armor), but it is a damn fine pack for hunting and backpacking. Heavy, yes, but I'll wear out before it does.
Boots are Hanwag Alaskan GTX for colder weather. Warm weather I like the Danner Jackals.
Another X2 & Pronghorn user here, love both!
Has Eberlestock considered fixing the frame noise issue of the X2 before selling them?
American.Made.Danners. Worked and hunted in them for decades. They are making some models overseas now, and I would not touch those.
I've settled in on the Camelbak hunting packs and have been well pleased.