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.