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Meat Hauling Packs

4K views 35 replies 19 participants last post by  Nat1 
#1 ·
Can anyone give me some feedback on what you use to pack out your deer meat on long hunts? Four wheeler is not an answer, lol.. I’m looking into packs & I don’t want to spend 500 for a pack / frame setup to haul out an elk. I’m talking a decent backpack with meat carrying capacity that doesn’t cost 350 or over.
 
#9 ·
External frame packs haul heavy loads better, but they're heavy, clunky, and loud to wear when you're hunting. I've come to realize it's better to make a compromise on an internal frame pack that you can hunt in. Then you're ready to haul meat as soon as it's down. Kinda like a 380 in your pocket is better than a shotgun in the truck...

This is a good one, but a little out of your price range. Hivernan uses this on our hunts, and it definitely expands out for meat packing the best that I've seen.

Any good internal frame pack could work. I have some older hunting branded one that's made with quieter fabric. You can tighten up all the straps when you're not packing meat.
 
#11 ·
I'd reconsider. Spend the money on a really good pack.

I use an Exo K3 and absolutely love it.

Take a look at the mystery ranch metcalf also. It's a great pack for less $. Lots of places running sales on them right now. Exo is also running a sale if you were to go that route.
 
#25 ·
I'd reconsider. Spend the money on a really good pack.

I use an Exo K3 and absolutely love it.

Take a look at the mystery ranch metcalf also. It's a great pack for less $. Lots of places running sales on them right now. Exo is also running a sale if you were to go that route.

Agreed, hunting out west and hiking 10+ miles a day, a pack and your boots are the most important pieces of gear. I've packed a few animals out on cheaper packs, and I bought a Stone Glacier pack and can say its a world of difference, and your back will thank you down the road. Brands like Exo, Stone Glacier, Kifaru, you can't go wrong. There are less expensive options like Mystery Ranch, but even the MR doesn't hold a cup of water to the 3 mentioned prior from my experience.
 
#32 ·
Jackie.. I think this is definitely the most reasonable option. Jason Samkowiak has a YouTube clip on the sleds & I think it’s just got too many pluses to pass up. Once the drag is over it’ll also retain my blood; which I can use to train my puppies.. plus it’ll keep it cleaner & keep me a little more incognito in the village.
 
#35 ·
I got the Eberlestock X2 this year and have been very happy with it for packing all my saddle gear. It’s the most efficient pack system that I have used in my 3 years of saddle hunting. I have yet to pack a deer with it though. @Nat1 packed out a pretty nice buck this year with his. Maybe he can chime in.

I also have a LL Bean hunters carry all that is strictly a meat hauler for me. It carries really well with a whole deer. I hope to pack an elk out with it next season.
 
#36 ·
I got the Eberlestock X2 this year and have been very happy with it for packing all my saddle gear. It’s the most efficient pack system that I have used in my 3 years of saddle hunting. I have yet to pack a deer with it though. @Nat1 packed out a pretty nice buck this year with his. Maybe he can chime in.

I also have a LL Bean hunters carry all that is strictly a meat hauler for me. It carries really well with a whole deer. I hope to pack an elk out with it next season.
Used the X2 this year and it did pretty well. I had packed my gear out and returned with it empty. It would have been a stretch get all my gear and the deer. It was a decent size buck and it took every bit of space. Over all I have been extremely happy with it but a whitetail is about the most I’d expect to carry in it.
 
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