Eberlestock vs Mystery Ranch

by **REMSP10** » 02 26, 2013 • [Post 1]

I am checking to see what your guys thoughts are between the Eberlestock and Mystery Ranch Packs. I had pretty much decided on an Eberlestock J34 based on price for quality. Now that I have an extra year to buy and pay for things I looked back at the Mystery Ranch Crew Cab and I am really thinking that for a little more money I am going to be getting a better more versatile pack. Thoughts?? Thanks in advance.

by **ST52V** » 02 26, 2013 • [Post 2]

I am looking at the stone glacier packs. The new mystery ranch bag is said to be pretty nice.there are lots of used packs on the market due to all the new ones coming out. Another pack I just found out about is Oregon pack works. I don't know much about them but I think it's wortj looking at. If I biy the stone glacier I'll post up my thoughts. There is a good comparison going on right now over on rokslide between it and kifaru.

by **WindedBowhunter** » 03 04, 2013 • [Post 3]

REMSP10 I cannot speak one way or the other about Eberlestock's quality or customer service, but I can for Mystery Ranch.

First,, I was fortunate enough to tour their facility a few years back. After the "tour", I decided to get a good look at the Crew Cab and other packs. The short story is I left my Gre... pack in the hotel room on purpose and flew home with a Crew Cab.

The team over there spent several hours with me explaining in detail the design, details and fitting the Crew Cab to me.

I have not one complaint about my MR Packs as I now have 3 of them... Crew Cab, DragonSlayer, Sweet Pea

The MR CC, will suite versatility well, as you can swap out different packs, without having to foot the bill for a frame. This is due to the MR NICE Frame functionality.

The packs are bomber, they fit me comfortably, made in the USA all backed by outstanding customer service.

by **dotman** » 03 04, 2013 • [Post 4]

Neither have great functioning load lifters. The SG pack is new, promising but unknown on long-term durability. Kifaru has been building packs for 30 years and have amazing resale value, comfort, durability and pack down to nothing.

Eberlestock will be like buying a car, you will lose $100 in value the day you buy it but it with hold at that value for awhile. MR needs to make some changesto keep up in the classof top of the line, yes they are durable but really heavy, twice the weight of a SG or Kifaru and they do not have the best load lifters. They have a cult following though which keeps their resale up.

Also if your torso is over 19in an Eberlestock will not fit too well so Google how to measure your torso and then find out which pack wil fit. Your pack will be on your back and is very important to fit you properly, kinda have to think the way you do with boots, they may fit 1 person perfectly but if they don't fit you it will hurt.

Make some calls to MR, SG and Kifaru and talk to all of them, they are expensive so it is worth your time to talk to each of them. If this wil be a one time event get a frame pack for around $100 and take a day pack but if this will become a yearly trek then you will not regret getting a pack that fits, is comfortable and durable.

If your dead set on an MR or Eberlestock then I would go with Eberlestock if it fits. Look at Windedbowhunters avatar, you can see that the loadlifters are not at a 45* angle which is needed for them to properly work, many just assume you have to be in some pain when hauling 100lb loads and it just isn't true. Not to rag on MR, they are a great pack but they have their issues.

A few other packs to consider are the hornhunter full curl and the kelty cache hauler has a good following and a few here run it and at around $100 is a good option to start with.

Do yourself a favor though and don't just buy what is popular or on the shelf, you can talk to the high-end pack companies as they all have good customer service.

Also if you ever have to sell you will get most of your money out of a MR and Kifaru so even though they are expensive they are also expensive used

by **WindedBowhunter** » 03 05, 2013 • [Post 5]

dotman - well said and great insight!

by **ctdad** » 03 05, 2013 • [Post 6]

"They have a cult following though which keeps their resale up."

Lots of cult followings out there. I haven't joined one yet, but I do appreciate high resale value regardless of the reason

by **Broken arrow** » 03 05, 2013 • [Post 7]

I have a blue widow and have the harness a notch or 2 from the bottom I've adjusted the stays to fit the curve of my back. With the bag that high the lifters do begin to function. I'm 5'8" which helps. 50lbs or less feels great 70 I can feel it 90-100 well... I am not a big guy and don't think there is a pack out there that can help me!!!! Single father 2 kids I bought the best I could afford. I'm going elk hunting and that's good enough for me

by **REMSP10** » 03 06, 2013 • [Post 8]

dotman wrote:Neither have great functioning load lifters. The SG pack is new, promising but unknown on long-term durability. Kifaru has been building packs for 30 years and have amazing resale value, comfort, durability and pack down to nothing.

If your dead set on an MR or Eberlestock then I would go with Eberlestock if it fits.

I am not familar with SG or what it is short for? I have looked at the Kifaru but all of there packs are bigger than what I was thinking I was looking for. I am not set on those two pack but at the time I had narrowed it down to them. However, after even further reading and looking I am trying to get away from the Eberlestock. Looking at the Kifaru, Kuiu, and MR. Thanks for all the great information.

I just saw in the latest Eastmans a company called Black Creek? Anyone familar with them?

by **dotman** » 03 06, 2013 • [Post 9]

Your better off with Eberlestock over Blacks Creek. Kifaru has packs from 2000ci - 7200ci.

by **Indian Summer** » 03 09, 2013 • [Post 10]

I use a Kelty for a large bivy or freighter pack. A day pack absolutely has to be able to pack a quarter. I've done my research. If I was going to pull the trigger on a pricy pack right now it would be a Kifaru T2 r 3.

by **dotman** » 03 09, 2013 • [Post 11]

Indian Summer wrote:I use a Kelty for a large bivy or freighter pack. A day pack absolutely has to be able to pack a quarter. I've done my research. If I was going to pull the trigger on a pricy pack right now it would be a Kifaru T2 r 3.

Just remember that the T1 compresses down to almost the size of the T3, pretty amazing how well the T1 is as a day pack. Man if only we could get Conlan to post up some pics that he has posted 100's of times showing him packing out half an elk and then showing the T1 in daypack mode with a smaller profile then most daypacks.

by **Chad44** » 03 11, 2013 • [Post 12]

I have the eberlestock blue widow and like it a lot. I put an elk front shoulder and a hind quarter in it and it hauled great. Before this pack I had the cabelas Alaskan guide frame. Liked it but hated having to haul a day pack in. The blue widow is a great day pack and can haul a load because it expands. I haven't ever tried the high end packs. I can't justify paying double or more for a little more in the load lifter area. I researched a lot on the blue widow and couldn't find a bad thing about them.

by **6.5City** » 03 12, 2013 • [Post 13]

Have never tried the Mystery Ranch but I do love my Blue Widow. At the upper level of quality you are debating both will probably be very good.

by **timberghost51** » 03 14, 2013 • [Post 14]

I agree with the blue widow being a great pack although I have not personally tried the MR....I am sure it is a great pack as well...one day I will own more packs but for now my BW works flawlessly for me

by **ElkNut1** » 03 14, 2013 • [Post 15]

The Blue Widow does just fine it will get the job done for sure. Here's a photo of the Pack with a hindquarter on it, it's the guy in the rear!

ElkNut1

by **LNGBOWFLYER** » 04 04, 2013 • [Post 16]

I guess I am one of the cult followers for MR. I debated for a year between the MR and Kifaru line. I picked the MR Longbow. I went with MR because you can buy the NICE frame and swap out different bags. All the way from day pack/meathauler to 10day bivy/meat hauler.

I chose the Longbow to buy first because it fit 90% of my hunting. It's a 2400 cubic inch bag. With this bag I can do up to a 4 day bivy hunt and pack out all my gear and 1/4 of an elk at the same time. I can put all my gear in the bag and place the elk quarter between the frame and the bag. If I am using it as a day pack it cinches down as small as I need it to. I have the option of boning out meat and filling up the bag with boned out meat or I can do a bone in or boned out load between the frame and the pack. I helped pack out 5 elk with it this year and it worked great. 3 of those trips I had 1/2 an elk on my back.

The other thing I love about the Longbow is the 3 zip design. There is a zipper that goes all the way down the front so if I have an item on the bottom of the bag I don't have to dig and pull out everything to get to it. I just unsold the bag, pull the item out and zip the bag back up. The bag has 6 inside pockets which are the perfect size and shape for organizing your smaller item gear.

My next bag will be the Metcalf which..... Has the loadlifters the Kifaru guys say MR doesn't offer. This will be my next bag. But for me the Longbows porters worked fine. I am also only 5'7" tall though. I highly recommend this pack. Here is a link to my story from this years elk hunt. Lots of Longbow pics in action hauling some loads.
http://www.elknutforums.com/Hunting/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1165&hilit=5+for+5+with+the+smokepole

by **WindedBowhunter** » 04 05, 2013 • [Post 17]

Just to mix it up a bit...

While I cannot speak to hiking with the pack with game meat or multi-day trips, we have sold several of the Outdoorsmans Optics Hunter Packs. Interesting enough, the customers have almost been split 50/50 between backcountry adventure hikers and hunters.

I do receive feedback from the customers from time to time, as over multiple uses in different terrains, climates and purpose, you tend to better idea of one likes and doesn't like about a pack.

Now, this is an external frame pack, which you can just use the frame as a hauler if needed.

by **dotman** » 04 05, 2013 • [Post 18]

REMSP10 wrote:
dotman wrote:Neither have great functioning load lifters. The SG pack is new, promising but unknown on long-term durability. Kifaru has been building packs for 30 years and have amazing resale value, comfort, durability and pack down to nothing.

If your dead set on an MR or Eberlestock then I would go with Eberlestock if it fits.

I am not familar with SG or what it is short for? I have looked at the Kifaru but all of there packs are bigger than what I was thinking I was looking for. I am not set on those two pack but at the time I had narrowed it down to them. However, after even further reading and looking I am trying to get away from the Eberlestock. Looking at the Kifaru, Kuiu, and MR. Thanks for all the great information.

I just saw in the latest Eastmans a company called Black Creek? Anyone familar with them?

I just picked up the hill people gear 2500ci pack bag (they sell it for $45) add that to a Kifaru frame and you have a good start at Eberlestock prices.