When Do You Take your Meat Pack?

[Swede]

When do you grab your freighter pack and head into the forest. Do you have a day pack that will haul a little and use it as a combination day & freighter pack?

I have three packs I can choose between. The first one is an old wood frame Trapper Nelson used to carry my tree stand and other items in and out. It probably has about 35 pounds of gear when I leave the truck. I also offer this pack as my loaner for those who show up in camp with no pack of their own. I have used it in years gone by as my freighter.
I have a Badlands Superday pack I go to the woods with on every hunt. In it is some butchering gear and a flashlight, but it never gets any meat inside. It stays clean as far as blood is concerned.
My freighter is a Kuiu frame with a meat wrap. I can haul as much weight as I can handle with it. It stays in the truck until I am ready to butcher something and pack it out.

[7mmfan]

I have one pack, an Exo K2 5500. It's what I wear all the time. It can be a little bulky for short day hunts but I never have to go get it.

[WapitiTalk1]

I have one pack, an Exo K2 5500. It's what I wear all the time. It can be a little bulky for short day hunts but I never have to go get it.

Same here pretty much, EXO K3 4800… I’m a HUGE fan of the all in one packs.

[Tigger]

Mystery Ranch Metcalf does it all for me. But I also have an Alps frame pack if I feel like changing for the 2nd load to keep blood off the Metcalf. I really love that pack. It makes 25 pounds feel like 15. I also have a Cabelas Day pack that is pretty darn good for just a daypack. I keep thinking that it shouldn't be as good as it is, but I do like it a lot. Then there is a Camelback daypack that is pretty old but that one works well too. I have a few as I have kids!

[Wyo67]

Metcalf Pop-up 38 is my day pack. Can expand it out to carry out the first load/quarter. Depending on the length of the haul, I can re-use the Metcalf for the rest of it or switch over to my old Cabela's freighter pack.

[Indian Summer]

My daypack that goes with me every day is a Badlands 2800. It has a meat shelf and rear lashing system to pack a quarter. My load hauler is a Barneys Freighter from Barneys Spirt Chalet in Anchorage Alaska. Up there it’s the go to for lots of moose hunters. Need I say more? It’s a beast and handles anything I could possibly carry. It goes in for the second trip.

[Swede]

Wyo67, I guess the Cabela's freighter you mentioned is their Alaska 2 frame. I had one but gave it away. I found it to be terribly uncomfortable. There was no adjustment that made it feel good and when I loaned it to someone they always decided to readjust it and still complained. I sewed in some string markers so I could get it back to where I had left it, but I never found anywhere it was good. I think it would have been better it I could have changed belts on it. I know a professional guide that uses one and I guess he likes it. At least he does not complain. My son won't use his and has moved on to the Kuiu frame. What is your experience?
I.S. the only way I could haul a load like you do in the picture is if I filled the bottom with popcorn or packing peanuts and just topped it off. There is no point in me having a pack that can handle 120 # of meat. On a normal trip I am good for about half that much 60#, and on a bad one cut it to 40#.

[Wyo67]

Swede - You'd be correct. After a long while to get it adjusted and set to my fit, I have had no issues with it. Heaviest load I've hauled with it was probably two rear quarters from a cow elk. Over the years I've learned not to loan it out as other hunters (especially taller guys) have found it uncomfortable. I ended up moving the shoulder strap attachment points to the horizontal crossbar. Not my pack, but see attached pic. I moved the shoulder straps to the spots indicated by the yellow arrows.

frame.jpg (27.94 KiB) Viewed 646 times

[Lefty]

My daypack is fairly good sized, however, I limit myself to under 50 lbs.
I no longer have the ability to pack "freighter weights" .

My daughter and Andrews both had Cabelas packs,,, I thought that pack was well designed. . My daughter was good with 60 lbs. Andrew carried out 93 lbs which included the head-an horns. But there are two new packs in their storage room,, one was a Badlands ,,, but I have no idea what other is .
Last fall they bought 5 pack goats,,, They were incredible. But they ate $1200 worth of new landscaping plants, in May ,, and my daughter had them gone at noon
We still have " Bud" a big gentle giant 1/2 Draft. So we have our day packs and if it is a tough pack we will bring Bud up if needed.
Where I will be hunting in Montana general season if it is a tough pack I have the phone # of an outfitter with pack animals,,, Some neighbors that would bring their pack goats, Big ole Bud,,,
My Montana hunt Im going to rely on patience. and a blind near the ATV trail.

But Ive got smart enough ( or lazy) I use the advice that a neighbor kid gave me about hunting moose. Shoot them uphill and close to the pickup.

[Lefty]

My pack is on my back every hunt.

Swede - You'd be correct. After a long while to get it adjusted and set to my fit, I have had no issues with it. Heaviest load I've hauled with it was probably two rear quarters from a cow elk. Over the years I've learned not to loan it out as other hunters (especially taller guys) have found it uncomfortable. I ended up moving the shoulder strap attachment points to the horizontal crossbar. Not my pack, but see attached pic. I moved the shoulder straps to the spots indicated by the yellow arrows.

A perfectly fitting pack is important. I use to enter "packing contests" I had an acquaintance that supplied me with a custom-fitting pack . Still took a while to strap me in.

[six]

My Eberlestock Blue Widow is always with me.

[Swede]

I think all the hunters that use tree stands same way I do in the same area as me all have day packs and separate freighters. Our hunting area has a lot of roads even though a few are closed to motor vehicles. How much do you guys think the way and place you hunt influences your pack decision, or do you just like your pack because it fits you well?

[Elkhunttoo]

I have a super light weight frame pack I use for shed hunting that hauls my tree stands around. Then I use a Marine pack I got from a guy at work. Not my favorite pack so some day I will get a different one. But the pack can carry heavy loads and feels comfortable with them. I take it on every hunt, one day or multiple days