20 Best Hunting Packs For Elk (2023 Updated)

I recently purchased the RMEF Team Elk M5 pack and to date, I am very glad I did. I ultimately went for the M5 and not competitors packs for several deciding factors. Eberlestock’s M5 was the only pack I found which was thoughtfully designed to carry a rifle, a bow, and/or quarters of meat.

The organizational pockets inside provide a secure space for everything I carry. The pack wears well and feel good even after miles hiked while weighted down. A bonus was the 10% donation to RMEF for purchasing the pack.

The only draw backs I’ve experienced have been #1- the pack seems to tip over easily when placed on the ground. This gets a bit frustrating at times. #2- in cold conditions the internal cinch sack material gets crinkly and is a bit loud.

#3- is the outside pouches are difficult to fill if the internal compartments are already maxed out. I found that filling all pockets first before filling the cinch sack with clothes seems to work best.

So far so good and when any friend is in need of a new pack, I won’t hesitate in pointing them towards an Eberlestock!.

My previous hunts included my old Alice Pakc (dates me) from military days. Okay, but not great. Then when planning how to haul meat out, Alice was of no use. This year, I am assistant on an Elk hunt and figured time to up my game.

When the pack arrived, I loved the video on how to wear it and adjustmets. Also, the recommended smaller dry bags were good recommendations. I would not have looked for them or thought about them, but they came in handy.

My first outing with the pack was scout week #1 and very happy. Scout week #2 is coming up, so anticipate a good outing. There are so many pockets, I almost had to make up reasons to use them. Appreciate the flexibility and the outer bags.

I am curious on carrying the meat out with design away from body rather than close as I usually keep heavy close to the body. I do love the pack. Thank you.

I wore this pack on a 24 hour 100 mile rucking competition with 50lbs. It was one of the most comfortable packs I’ve done the competition with. I had very few raw spots on my back, and the pack had minimal wear and tear.

My arms had good movement and my shoulders didn’t hurt at all. Putting water bottles/camel backs in was a little bit of a hassle but not bad. The over all layout of the pack and positioning of the pouches was excellent and easy to get to what I needed.

Weight carried very well and when we got rained on it dried out reasonably well. I’m happy with the pack as is and wouldn’t need or want to make any modifications. I’m looking forward to hunting with it this fall.

Have owned the X2 for 3 seasons. When I got it the M5 was my other option. Due to less weight, I got the X2. It has been my everything pack, only forgoing it for my Kelty pack frame for elk. X2 has packed deer,elk and bear.

This year I requested my wife to buy me the M5 RMEF for Christmas. It is a little heavier and way more storage. I did purchase the large add on bags. Love them as well as the pack. I have not used it yet, but did get to play with it some before being placed under tree.

I am 60, 5’8″ tall. I adjusted it for fit and put 100 lbs on it. It feels like it will be great for long packs out. As well it will carry everything I need for 1-4 days of hunting. I purchased the 3 litre water bladders with the X2.

Since they are made by Source. I now get the Source model with QD connections. Suggest Eberlestock carry those. Good luck in your hunts.

Used this pack on a southern az mule deer hunt. Pros: plenty of room in large compartments for gear, pocket for small pistol on waist strap, blaze orange meat shelf eased my worry of getting shot by another hunter as I packed out the deer, very durable and no slipping of secured straps when fully loaded, and very comfortable.

Cons: wish it was designed in a way in which your rifle is more accessible while you have the pack on, happened on a nice buck while hiking to a different buck I glassed and didn’t have my gun off the pack and ready for a shot.

In the process of getting my pack off and gun unstrapped the buck spooked never to be seen again. Also, the pockets on the waist straps could be bigger like for range finder. Overall, a very nice pack and you can’t beat Badlands warranty.

It carried all my gear and the meat on the hike off the mountain with no problems.

Bought this pack for an Elk hunting trip in Colorado in October. WOW!!! I asked Badlands before I bought it, if it would accommodate a small tent, sleeping bag, cook stove, and enough food for a couple of nights in the backcountry.

I was told it was more than enough. This pack is awesome. I truly had more than enough room to carry everything I needed with room to spare. We were rained on a couple of times and everything inside stayed dry.

I’ve hunted for years and have six (6) different packs. The 2200 is definitely my favorite. It holds a 2 liter hydration bladder that is just the right size, the pockets on the hip belt will hold a mid size Glock with ease, the rifle/bow carrier is excellent, and its very light weight, quiet and durable.

Excellent hunting backpack, wish I had bought one years ago.

My son and I both have this pack in M/L. I’m 6’0” and about 180lbs, he is 5’9, 140. With the adjustment system on the frame the same size pack worked well for both of us. If you’re a giant I’d go with the L/XL.

We carried this pack for multiple scouting trips, some pronghorn hunts, and elk hunts. It is a great pack and held up well to everything we threw at it. The only meat hauling I did was a couple of cow elk someone else shot, but the pack worked great for those.

Since the hauling shelf is on the inside you’ll want to pack your extra clothing in other compartments. When full of meat it limits how much other stuff you can haul, but the internal shelf system keeps the load nice and high for anyone with not-so-young lower back.

The way it’s set up you can adjust how that weight rides, which I like.

This pack has been everything I could have asked for! I’ve packed out a whole muley on one trip in Wyoming and then just yesterday a whole boned out cow elk all in one trip! I’ve used some other cheaper packs but this one right here is definitely worth the money! Have had it two years now and it’s been on 6 back country hunts so far and multiple trips just hiking the mountains around the house and it has yet to fail me.

I believe the way you are able to pull the load so close to your back makes the biggest deference for me, I would encourage anyone looking for a pack to really consider this one as you won’t be disappointed!.

Amazing pack! Went on a multi day elk backpacking trip in colorado after a snow storm, with a full pack and loved it! There are so many pockets and I ended up putting my rifle on one of the sides with the stock in the water bottle pocket and strapped it in and it worked great! Can’t ask for more in a pack.

Super comfortable, And tons of room, shocked how much this pack expands.

I am very pleased with my new X2 pack in Loden. I use it as the base (ruck) of my pack-system that also includes a Multi-Accessory Pouch (for game calls) attached to the webbing on the bottom flap, then I place a Mini-Me (knife, orange vest, emergency rain poncho, phone, keys, wallet, etc.

) equipped with a Bolt-Action Scabbard that slides behind the pouch, also a Large Accessory Pouch placed on top of the lid all strapped down and held in place with straps and buckles that are in just the right places.

This system allows me to remove the Mini-Me with scabbard for a short hunt or hike from the truck/camp leaving other bulky, heavier equipment (rain gear, spotting scope, tripod, extra batteries) or simply remove my rifle and a call if I do not want to carry extra unnecessary gear.

If I am going to a glassing location, in deep overnight or for several days I take it all and the deployable bird bag on the Mini-Me allows me to carry additional gear for camping since it is another extension of my entire pack system that is also in the right place.

I like this personalized pack system of packs and accessories stacked together better than stacking together the Modular system pieces that you offer because I have every piece/pack/item of my hunting gear ready for every situation I encounter while hunting.

When it comes time to haul meat I simply remove the other pieces from the X2 taking only essentials for meat hauling then put it all back together again for my next harvest. Try it, its fantastic!.

I original purchased the X2 for saddle hunting and it has since become my go-to pack for all of my whitetail needs, whether I’m in a pre-hung stand or a run-and-gun saddle setup. Like all Eberlestock products it’s extremely well built and thought out.

I love the deep pocket on the top of the pack – it works great for my headlamp, spare batteries, snacks, SD cards for my trail cameras, and even my sunglasses when needed. The main compartment typically holds additional clothing and all of my camera/filming equipment.

I store extra hats, gloves and misc items in the two large side compartments, and small items that I may need on the hike in like a knife, wind checker and spare bow rope in the waist belt pockets. Then I lash my rattling antlers and other larger items using the vertical straps and bottom panel.

This pack is very easy to adjust and rides great on my hips and back, even with a full load.

Best day pack I’ve yet to ever own. Tried it out this weekend and the comfort of this bag on my back is incomparable. I felt like I was walking straighter and with more ease then with other packs I’ve worn.

They definitely got the ergonomics of this bag down pat. I go for all day romps in the woods, and wouldn’t change a thing about this bag. Held all my gear with a ton of room to spare. Had my nalgene, bino’s, gloves, tool kit, and a few other odds and ends and it felt light as a feather on my back.

Literally forgot I was wearing it for most of my hiking. Super happy with all the compartments, feels like it will last a lifetime. High quality bag. Pumped for sheds to start dropping, this will be my goto bag for the upcoming shed hunt days.

I picked up my Pack at Halifax NS store. store clerks were great help, Looks like a great pack lots of storage room nice material but silver Cabelas name stands out but can fix that up with a black permanent marker.

only gave it 4 star rating as I will not be using it for another 3 weeks when hunting season begins for me. Will up date my review at a later date.

I found this pack to be high quality, lightweight, and very comfortable to carry. I am able to get a medium weight coat or bibs in it along with my regular items like snacks, waters, binoculars, range finder, gloves, etc.

Quite often I have to walk a long way to my stand and I will have to use a larger pack when it gets cold enough for a heavy coat, bibs, and boot blankets but, this is a great pack for cool weather bow hunts.

I would highly recommend this pack to others. It has adequate compartments to sort items out but not so many that you have to hunt all over your pack to get what you want.

I was on the fence a long time about getting one of these. I actually bought a used 2200 and ended up selling it. I just like the extra features that the new ones provided and went with a new one. I chose the small approach bag for my recent elk hunting trip here in northern NM.

Unfortunately, I did not get to try out the frame pack. The elk in our unit were tough to find, as me and my buddy were pretty certain the rut hadn’t started yet. My only complaint about this pack is that I wish the pistol holder section was a little bit more to the front.

It’s pretty awkward for me to get it out with the pack on. I did get the bino connect setup going, but after one day I ended up going back to having my pack and binos separate. I preferred leaving my binos on with the pack off if we were taking a break, driving and glassing, etc.

All in all, I highly recommend this pack.

“We don’t care what happened, or whose fault it was, we will fix it for free forever. We could care less if you bought it at a garage sale or a gear swap, as long as it says Badlands, it’s covered. All we ask is that you use and abuse your pack as much as possible so we can learn how to make our products even better.

” I don’t normally write reviews on products but I feel that I must express myself. I have bought over $800 worth of badlands gear, and I love every item. However, I had an experience that was so poor that it makes me question whether I can trust this company should I need any other assistance with warranty needs.

According to your first paragraph, first sentence of your warranty it states that you don’t care what happened it will be fixed FOREVER! I brought a 2200 pack into one of your brick and mortar stores in Utah where I live for repairs.

I did not buy this bag from a store I actually bought it from a family member. The damage to the pack included broken rippers and some stitching needs. In truth it has been through quite a bit, but it’s been a great bag.

When I brought the bag into the store they took one look at it and very quickly said it had already been repaired once (which I already new) and they wouldn’t repair it again but that I could buy a new bag if I wanted to.

I felt very dismissed as if I was a burden on their time. Why would an organization state one thing as a policy and then do the exact opposite when it counts? Like I mentioned before, I don’t usually write reviews, however I feel like people should know that the warranty policy is not living up to what is posted on the webpage.

I still like my Badlands gear, but I had a really poor experience when all I was doing was trying to use the service that is claimed to be provided. I hope this review is taken seriously and not just dismissed as a disgruntled customer.

I am trying to be honest and straightforward.

I wanted something smaller than my 2200 that I could strap my crossbow to yet hold plenty of gear, mainly layers of heavy clothes for late season hunts in Iowa. Before my hunt on January 10th (last day in Iowa) I made sure all the stuff I needed would fit.

I had room left over. While it was packed I secured my crossbow in the gun boot and with the three straps across the back. This did prove a little difficult in that my crossbow wanted to twist which could have caused the limbs to smack me in the back of my head.

I solved this by double wrapping the straps around the crossbow. This held it firmly in place while I walked around in my yard. The day of the hunt arrived on the heals of an arctic blast. The forecast high was 4 above.

I packed yet another layer in the Superday but elected to use the crossbow sling instead of securing it to the pack. I was afraid my fingers would get very cold securing and unsecring the crossbow. When I got to the stand it had warmed up to 9 above.

A real man would have just climbed up in the stand and toughed it out but I put on every layer I had stuffed in the Superday. I’m sure I looked like a marshmallow man in all the layers but I was warm and didn’t have to tough anything out.

I shot a fatty doe just at sunset. The temp was back down to 3 above. When I climbed down to track her I took off my top layer and put them back in the Superday. I was taken a bit by surprise when I was putting the layer away as the material that separates the back compartment from the next was quite stiff and noisy.

It sounded like a piece of plastic that was way too cold and about to crack. The outside of the Superday was still pliable and quiet. I found the doe and gutted her. Just as I was finishing my friends came in the side by side.

We loaded her up and went back to the stand to get my gear. Since I was going to ride back to camp instead of walk I left all my remaining layers on so I didn’t try to put anything in any of the other compartments.

When we got back I just threw the Superday in my truck and piled all the extra layers in on top. The next day I unpacked all my gear and the material that separates the compartments was back to being pliable and quiet.

I looked it over very closely for cracks or tears but even though it sounded bad it didn’t break. I can’t fault the Superday for that, it was three degrees after all. As you may recall I tested the crossbow secured to the pack only while walking in my yard.

The true test will come this spring during turkey season when I’m actually going through the timber. The limbs may hang up on branches and end up twisting on the pack. Strapping a gun to the pack should be no problem as there are no limbs to twist.

I like the Superday. It will hold all I need for deer or turkey hunting. I will, however, still use the 2200 to pack my blinds and gear in before turkey season and out when season is over.

I bought this pack a few years ago and although I haven’t used it recently or often, those times I did use it, it hauled some heavy weight fairly comfortably. I once backpacked into camp with all my gear (about 70lbs of gear) and stripped the pack off the frame to haul a 5 gal bucket of water into camp.

It was awkward and a bulky haul, but the shelf and strapping held up well. This was my go to bug out pack a few years ago when the floods came to the South and I thought I might have to evacuate on my own.

With the rifle straps on the side and enough easy access pockets, it was an easy choice. My only complaint is that the shoulder straps aren’t built for a guy with broad shoulders like me. If you’re bigger than 6’2 and 230 lbs, you may have to look into a different pack or be prepared to slide into this pack and deal with right straps.

Otherwise, this is a decent pack.

The Team Elk Bandit has everything you need for a light and fast day trip. I like the fact that there are no dividers in the main compartment (just a hydration sleeve) so its easy to pack in a coat and camera.

I added the standard hip belt and attached a small accessory pouch (for GPS, PLB, or game calls) and a couple of mini pouches for ammunition. I thought the body of the pack might not be tall enough for the hip belt to sit comfortably but it seems to work okay so far.

I have a number of Eberlestock packs suited to different jobs and this one is perfect for a minimalist mission. Contributing to the great work of the Elk Foundation is a bonus.

When I saw your ad and your on line video’s I was left with the impression that the pack was a bit larger than it is. While the quality is outstanding, similar to my Eberlestock Elk Pack RMEF, the size was disapointing.

I will be returning it for an exchange to an up-sized day pack. We use it for hunting, and carry ammo, thermos, extra propane (1lb), snacks, and layers for after the walk in. The pack was just a little small.

Super comfortable pack! Just did a ten mile hike scouting for some whitetails and the pack was perfect. Fit my 2l water bladder, game cameras, extra clothes and more the straps don’t dig into your shoulders like some other packs I’ve tried.

I think it’s well worth the money.

I’m a pretty intense researcher, so I worried that the decision on a hunting pack could be a nightmare. My hunting partners both run the M5 RMEF Team Elk and love it, while I’ve hunted several seasons using my Osprey camping rig.

I wanted something lower profile than the M5 (internal frame and not camouflage) but that would still have the capacity to haul major weight and have the fantastic Eberlestock rifle scabbard (my previous pack could carry a lot but there wasn’t a great way to secure my rifle when packing out).

In the end the J34 fit the bill perfectly. I compared the weight, features, capacities and capabilities to every other manufacturer I could find; without exception the competitions’ offerings were all more expensive, less feature-rich and lacked Eberlestock’s proven history and tactical pedigree.

I hunt every season from spring turkey to late season elk in the high Rockies and look forward to using this pack for those chases. It hasn’t been out on a hunt yet but I’ve been rucking with it daily and so far it carries like a dream.

I’ve been loading 45# in it without issue and can tell it’s going to be harder to find the right weights to put in it than to max out this bad boy. The weight carries close in to your body and the adjustability of the pack is great, especially for someone with scoliosis who requires some wonky fitting to get the weight to ride correctly.

The only issue is that the hydration sleeve (as mentioned in several other reviews) doesn’t fit a 3L bladder. Fortunately I read that and bought the 2L, which fits perfectly and is honestly a good amount of water, especially when supplemented with a quart or two of hydration mix in bottles.

Overall it’s a killer pack; build quality and materials are top-notch and the fit and finish made it worth every penny.

I’ve only put about 5 miles on this pack so far so take this review with a grain of salt. The pack is very sturdy; I’d have absolutely no qualms about weighing it down with 100 pounds or more. I really love the fact that I can draw my gun from the pack without removing it.

You need to be a bit limber but it’s totally doable and I feel quite smooth with that motion already. Definitely don’t but a hydration pack that’s bigger than 2L as that’s all that that particular compartment will hold.

I haven’t found a good place to store the hydration hose when not in use so that’s a bit of a downside for now. The pack is quite heavy which is unfortunate knowing that I try to cut ounces on all of my gear including gun, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, camp stove, etc.

It feels a bit like taking a step backwards in that department. The large rain cover fits the pack well. I purchased the duffel along with this pack as per Eberlestock’s suggestion but I’m not quite sure how to combine these items in the most efficient way.

So far, I’m not sure how much I gain by having that piece to go with it. Lastly, know that if you’re buying a pack where there are 2 compartments between your back and the main pocket, anything you carry in that main pocket is going to put a bit more strain on your back than with another backpack where that weight can be pulled in closer to your back.

That said, I feel like it’s a fair trade-off to have your rifle protected and off of your shoulder while still within reach. I’m 6’1″ 175lbs and hardly had to adjust the pack at all.

What first drew me to the J34 was its modularity. I wasn’t disappointed. I can easily transition from using it as a daypack to a travel bag to a small field pack. And not just any field pack, but one where I can stow my scoped Remington 700 BDL or Mini-14 and still have them easily accessible.

That said, the J34’s rifle sleeve is too narrow to fully swallow an AR-15 with optic; I couldn’t get one into the sleeve past the pistol grip, even with just an Eotech mounted. And although I could just about squeeze a Rem 700 SPS with overmolded stock, sling and 44mm scope into the sleeve, I couldn’t get it back out without first taking the pack off.

Most traditionally stocked hunting rifles with a reasonably sized scope should fit perfectly. Still, I recommend Eberlestock do away with the hard to reach, small zippered pockets that sit opposite the sleeve and use the extra real estate to widen the top and middle portions of the sleeve to expand the universe of rifles that can be toted.

All in all, an almost perfect, cleverly modular pack that will see many years of use.

Extremely light weight and comfortable pack. I had been looking for a day pack that would carry a full day’s worth of gear/food while hunting Elk for 8-10 hour days and this does just that. The low profile top never gets snagged on limbs and you can hardly tell you are wearing anything at all.

If I am hiking long distance I can even secure my bow to the exterior straps to secure it confidently. My only complaint is the hip belt pockets are oddly placed making them somewhat difficult to access.

I’m a 34-35 waist and the pockets seem to be more to my sides/back side then out in front where I can easily rummage through them. If I were a more stout person, I feel these pockets would be almost impossible to access without taking the bag off.

I’ve have been struggling to find a quick day pack for long hikes but not an overnight trek. Being QUIET was the most important thing for me. I had the old version Ascent pack I think and it was super noisy, but of course Sitka’s awesome warranty let me send it in and get fixed.

I bought this to hold me over until I got the old one back – I love this one MORE. It has lots of straps on the outside to attach your bow or even pack out some meat or bone! IT IS SILENT! AND COMFORTABLE! While I loved the feel of my old one minus the squeakiness.

This one is my new go to and that one will become my shed hunter/archery tournament/day pack.

I got the destroyer to replace my years old ILBE gen2 rucksack that was a mean durable pack. The destroyer is made well and like everything about it except the size. To me, it’s a big day pack. My sleep system fits in the bottom and my hammock, Hennessy, sleeping pad and a jacket pretty much take up the upper space.

Add the lil bit of cookware and food shoved in the lid and your packed. If it’s winter time and your taking a tent and extra warm clothing- forget about it. Not the destroyer. I know it has a collar that expands and you can strap things on the back of the pack.

Personally I don’t like things hanging of my pack, only my gun strapped to the side. If I had been able to see the two together no doubt I would have taken the larger Battleship. All that being said I do like the destroyer it’s well made and the military green color is subtle and great.

The pack works. Fortunately the lid from my ILBE gen 2 hooks directly to the top of the pack and adds significant space.

The saying “you get what you pay for” is spot on with this rucksack. Nothing about this rucksack is cheaply made. Tons of room and tons of straps. I can fit everything I need for a 72 situation and still have room to spare for extra clothes and even extra tp.

I’ve taken it on a 3 hour test hike with close to 53 pounds of gear, and only had a small issue of tightness around the shoulders. I’ve bought shoulder strap pads to compensate, and it all but eradicated the issue.

Me being 5’5″, the ergonomics of the side straps and lower lumbar support are top notch and well suited for my build. I would highly suggest this ruck with extra shoulder pads for long hikes while humping 50-60+ pounds of gear.

Other than that, it’s a solid ruck that’s well worth investing the money in.

The pack is nice and has great storage. However, it fits nice and comfortable when it is new and gets worse as it breaks in. Pros Great storage options and accessibility Holds bow just fine when hiking Cons -Straps are terrible.

They are thin and the foam compresses after a few uses turning them into a solid strap that cuts into your shoulders. -The left side chest buckle broke off the first time, it is on a slide that clips onto fabric.

I would suggest a different day pack. There are many others in this price range that offer the same options with more comfort.

Great pack for the trees stand hunter because of the shelf feature. This provides a spot to set down range finder or call etc. while pack is hanging in the tree off to your side. The quality is as good are better then the last very expensive pack I bought that had less features and pockets bit was 80.

00 more. By far the best value in design and cost rolled into one. Other pack manufactures are slipping behind. Notice this is larger pack and a bit heavier with the aluminum bar insert. I doubt you could find a better pack for this use regardless of money spent.

I bought this pack this week, just used it in the field, I like it a lot. Very spacious main compartment, holds a water bladder for hands free drinking, spotting scope fits in both side pockets. Downsides: 1) not water proof.

Consider spraying with a water repellent spray before first use. 2) Besides the two spotting scope pockets, the main compartment is it which makes it kind of tough to stay organized. 3) I paired this with the versahunt Alaska frame which was a great choice, however, if this is your first pack then have someone help you set it up.

There are so many straps and buckles you can get lost a little putting it together. All in all it’s a great combo with the Alaska pack and frame. Definitely not sad that I bought it and being almost $100 cheaper than the 60L and 80L packs it’s to be expected that it’s missing some of the fancy features.

I would buy this same pack and frame again all day.

This is a great pack, it has tons of space and opens up even more with hidden zipper areas. I can go on a weekend hunt with gear, and come home with a deer quarter and more in this pack, and still have room.

Down sides= it has lots of straps that get a bit confusing to who goes where. The strap hooks are a bit different, hard to operate with cold fingers. This pack is a bit heavy when empty, but comfortable.

Used this pack on a 6 day backcountry elk hunt paired with the micro frame. I wasn’t looking to break the bank for my first time on a backcountry hunt and it’s decent for the price. Didn’t get to pack out an elk on it unfortunately, but it fit everything I needed for 6 days with some room to spare and kept it pretty well organized.

I’ll definitely be upgrading to a higher end pack this season but it worked for what I needed it for.

Bought this year and used it to pack a cow elk almost 2 miles out of a wilderness area. Carried great without issues, harness was way more comfortable than the last pack, and it was super quick to get the quarters onto the overload shelf and strapped down.

Only gripes (coming from using a day pack, then hiking,to go get the frame pack) were the necessary day pack vs load-carrying compromises. First, the frame comes up to about ear level behind the head (great for when packing heavy weight), making ducking under branches and crawling under deadfall difficult.

Second, when the pack is really light, I found I needed to leave the hipbelt unfastened or really loose. The stiffness of the frame (again, great for when packing weight) would translate all upper torso movement through the frame, and without weight against the hipbelt it would shift and chafe.

Finally, the width of the frame makes it tricky to keep a rifle slung over the shoulder, I’ll probably look into some form of sling keeper. All in all a well put together pack that does a good job of balancing the needs of a large daypack and load carrying pack.

Very happy altogether.

I have used this pack over two hunting seasons now and several summer backpacking trips in CO. I like the pack, it is durable, works well for hauling meat. Although I have the same issue as another reviewer.

The waist belt gradually slips down my hips under heavy load and requires readjustment. But my working assumption is this is due to my body type, slender without prominent hips, as I have this issue with other packs as well.

Something to consider but your mileage may vary. Overall, I find the top pocket useful but a little strange, with the very long straps running from near the bottom of the pack holding it in place. Any loose items can also slide around in it, making noise, and need to be combined into separate smaller pouches anyway.

I would appreciate an optional flap to replace it for keeping off precip when I want to go without the lid, which is frequent, especially on early season bow backpacking hunts or day hunts. Overall the biggest issue I am running into, apart from the hip belt not staying in place, is that the fabric of the pack is EXTREMELY loud going through brush.

I have managed to make this work in CO, but I would not hunt with the pack back in AR where I used to deer hunt, and no telling how many deer and elk in CO have heard me from a long way off and slipped away.

This is also generally problematic for the frame, even if a separate pack were attached, as the shoulder straps and hip belt are made from the same material. For this reason, I am giving this pack 3 stars, because this is supposed to be a pack specifically designed for hunters and hunters need to be quiet in the woods.

Perhaps this could be resolved to some extent by offering a separate pack of quieter material and covers for the straps? Its not a bad pack for western hunting, but I would not hesitate to tell folks to look around for other options.

I received this backpack as a gift from a relative that passed away. I have been wanting a Mystery Ranch Metcalf for a long time, so I was so disappointed when I received this pack. It is so uncomfortable and difficult to use.

I was miserable this entire hunting season and just wanted to light it on fire to be rid of it! This pack was not at all what it was described to be. It does not matter how many videos I watch or how much I adjust this pack, it just is not comfortable and was terrible to work with.

I hate trying to get anything out of this pack and it does not matter how much I try to adjust the weight in the pack it just will not secure so when you are walking anywhere it just wants to move around on you.

You are supposed to be able to compress this pack down for a day hunt or expand it for a week hunt. When doing both this year, the straps would not work properly so your pack was either to big or to small for your equipment.

You also better be sure that you have 20 minutes to get anything out or put anything back into this pack as well. It is just not user friendly at all. Not only was this pack terrible but working with Mystery Ranch customer service was just as bad.

After explaining how terrible this pack is and how I can not get it to fit right. They told me since I bought if from a third party there was nothing I could do and they were not willing to help out at all.

I will never recommend a Mystery Ranch pack after my experience with the Metcalf. So disappointed!.

I purchased this Mystery Ranch Metcalf sz Lg according to the sizing chart measurements and was surprised how much adjustability there is. I was able to fit it pretty easily. I had to adjust it once I added weight.

It is pretty comfortable all around with or without weight. It is very well built and looks like it will last many seasons. Pros: It breaks down to the load shelf easily and doesn’t have pockets everywhere, very simple design.

The velco strap rolls keep the straps from hanging everywhere. It’s actually not that heavy as everyone says it’s 5. 8lbs. Very easy to adjust everything. Cons: I gave 4 stars because I believe it could use some improvements.

The lid is awkward as it doesn’t really cover the top it just rests over the back. The top opening needs a buckle and roll( it has two drawstrings) so it just doesn’t seem like any thought was put into that.

I just roll it and cover with the lid. The back padding is one solid piece and doesn’t allow ventilation so your back sweats a lot more. Finally this is a tiny issue but I bought the “backstrap” load carrier and to remove the pack to install you have to take apart two straps that easily could have been two buckles so when your hands are trashed from cutting an animal you have to mess with these tiny straps(maybe I’ll replace them with buckles).

All in all the pack feels great under load and is heavy duty built, easy to get to everything and can be adjusted to fit anyone. My son ended up buying one as well. It’s a great price as I got it on sale and added a zoid bag, a rain cover, bladder and belt pouch and still stayed under $500.