Which day pack to get fur hunting?

[AzFAL]

Want to get a good backpack (daypack) for hunting. I need it to be quiet & waterproof.
I've got a Cabelas catalog (40th anniv. master II catalog).

I like the narrow design of the Bianchi Endurance, maybe the Rocky Summit or the Cabelas Whitetail pack. I want to stay away from anything too big or bulky so I can still navigate thru brush w/out snagging on everything.

Anyone have experience w/ these or any others that might fit the bill? Or have any better ideas?

P.S. Got my 1st buck (deer)in Oct. & 1st bull elk in Nov. WOOHOO!! I'll be eatin' good! Will try to post some pics in a few days.

TIA
Dave

[Borf]

I use a rough leather blackpowder "possibles bag" during rifle season too... nothing like having a big rough leather "man purse". Completely snag free, waterproof, and kind of cool looking Might not be as big as what you're looking at, but I can hold spare ammo, 50ft rope, gloves, other hat, latex gloves, grunt call, rattle-bag, and sometimes something to snack on. Nice ~2" wide leather strap across shoulders too... don't even feel it.

[PUMC_TomG]

and no I don't work for them - but I wish I could!

They have some awesome packs available in all sizes and colors.
Everything they make is also waterproof and has a lifetime warranty. I suggest you at least take a browse on their site.

www.jandd.com

[labgrade]

I use a Cabella's (mumble) pack. Camo fleece w/waist strap - ~$15-20

Holds a good-sized down parka. 'Bout the only way to estimate size for you.

Very quiet & as an add extra benny, if you lay it on the ground, it pcks up all kinds of pine needles, small sticks, cones, etc. - insta ghilley suit for your pack. Not as bad as it sounds.

It's not waterproof, but using it only in CO Fall/Winter, I've yet had to deal with the liquid stuff - it's all snow. A decent stuff sack (or even garbage bag) would fix that right up though & one's always in my pack.

Congrats on the critters.

[5X5]

check out the daypack or spikecamp at www.kifaru.net

[labgrade]

One thing to watch for in a shooting pack ...

See if you can try it on while wearing the (usually heavier) coat that you'll be wearing. Perhaps shoulder a rifle/shotgun (even just a stock will do) to make sure you have free motion of your arms & the pack's shoulder straps don't get in the way.

Extra bulk of coat & straps makes a big difference when shouldering a long gun. Matters & FWIW.

[Covert Mission]

I have a climbing-style daypack by Eagle Creek I sometimes use (particularly in really nasty weather, for extra clothes and some emergency gear), but like 'labgrade' suggests, shouldering a rifle sling sometimes doesn't work all that well. I am interested in finding a camo daypack that's really narrow, with more capacity then my fanny pack, and see if it's comfy while toting a rifle.

Mostly I use a big fanny pack by Gregory, which has top cinch straps and bottom straps. I can cinch a down jacket and poncho/shell on the bottom, and cinch another layer on top if it warms up. It has two water bottle holders, in which I put water in one, and my shooting sticks and radio in the other (or snacks/misc). It's big enough for some rope and 'biners, extra gloves, balaclava and ski cap, extra knife, latex gloves, candy bars, emergency gear (space blanket/fire starter/small strobe light), small camera, flashlights, etc.

Good luck.

[yankytrash]

I use an Army-issue load-bearing vest with it's daypack. I like all the small front pockets for munchies/cigarette/ammo storage, and the day pack keeps all the other junk I probably don't need to be carrying. Canteen stays very accessible, and the entire rig fits comfortably over my cold-weather clothing (adjustable for lighter clothes too).

When I find my spot, I can remove the LBV and clip the whole thing around a tree.

The buttpack I just picked up doubles as a place to keep the bag-o-guts-fer-eatin seperate from my stuff.

[ed mason]

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/cgi-bi...ywords=MGB-131

http://www.crosscreektrading.com/crooked_horn.htm


ck out the crooked horn backpacks.The master guide is the one that I have.I got it origonally for a elk hunt two years ago in wyoming but I have found for the type of white tail hunting I do in the south its perfect for that also.


As a side not i killed a hog this year deep in a canyon and had to carry out the pig one quarter at a time because the terrain was
so rough.I did not bring a frame pack with me for this trip because I had not planned on shooting anything down in a canyon
but that was where the pigs where.All I had with me was my pack and some rope.It has all sorts of tiedown loops on the
outside so I was able to put a quarter in the pack and rope it up and pack it out.It was a 8 hour ordeal getting him out but the
meat was well rewarding.


I cant Imagine not having this pack.It has served me very well for two years now and shows just a little amount of wear and
tear.Its made of a nice saddle cloth design and a some sort of vinyl material that is relatively water proof.Yes water can get in
but during heavy rains and snow It repels that water nicely.I put all my clothes in plastic storage bags just in case it gets laid in
water or I get dunked.If you really think your going to get stuck in the elements for very long I would recommend a goretex
pack cover to ride along it.

[MeekAndMild]

Try an army surplus gas mask bag with the side strap cut off and sewn to the top. I've been using one (actually a series of them) for 40 years and find they are perfect for just enough stuff but not too much. Or a surplus "rucksack" of the same size but a little rounder, less flat.

Stuff? Flashlight, compass, fire starter, small gun cleaning kit, a half dozen rounds of ammo, bottle of water, an apple, camera, whistle, string and a good book.

latex gloves

Latex gloves?

[Covert Mission]

My pal has one of the Crooked Horn Outfitter packs (he ordered from Cabela's) and it's really nice. Looks like they've improved on it with the new Master Guide model.

Re: Latex gloves... I've dressed out numerous animals without gloves. Last season, I bought a set of those "game dressing" gloves and tried them. Not bad, but far from perfect. Very thin latex, almost like a condom. Tear easily, and good for one use. and I think they're a buck a pair. This season, while browsing "Big R", a good local chain of ranch supply & clothing/hardware/hunting-fishing stores, I found a great set of latex "work" gloves, by Wells-Lamont. They're unlined latex but thicker, almost like kitchen rubber gloves, but much more supple and dextrous than those because they fit snugly, so I feel like a deer surgeon wearing them. They only go a bit above the wrist, so they could be longer for those of you who like to get in the chest cavity and really root around In cold weather I find them to be a big asset... when the wind is blowing hard at 20°, wet (bloody) hands get cold fast, due to evaporative cooling. A layer of thin latex glove makes a big difference there. That, and I always have cuts and dings on my hands, so it's a guard against infection, and makes cleanup a snap (far better tha cleaning already cold stiff hands in the snow). AND-- they're $.29 cent a pair... hard to beat. FWIW

Re: Load bearing vests... My hunting bud and I decided this might be a great way to go. I know BlackHawk Industries makes good one for LE/MIL. One with a nice big compartment in back for clothing etc, maybe a Camelback compartment, and then smaller compartments in front for all the doo-dads you need to get to (and can get to them without taking the pack off) sounds like the ticket. I'll have to research this... maybe there's a hunting version already out there?

[ed mason]

AS far as gloves go I have had the Pleasure of skinning and quartering my fair share of game in my days and I have found that
nothing works better than a good set of Smooth finished leather work gloves.They keep the mess off of you(for the most
part)and they do dbl duty by keeping your hands from getting cut by the slip of a knife(this is especially important if 2 or more
people are quartering).They can also serve as a set of back up gloves in your pack in case you main set get wet!

I know the "gear" stuff has been beaten to death around here.Do a search function to find out what many good people have
said about gear but there are two things that I whole heartily recommend you have besides a good pack and gun and that is
1.moleskin
2.water purifier.

The moleskin is of course for those nasty blisters that you are likely to get walking up and down the canyons and riding the
horses.

On our wyoming hunt last year our group bagged 2 bulls late one afternoon and we knew we where in for a late night gutting
and quartering.We all had expended our bottled water that we had brought and found ourselves dependent on one guy who
had enough sense to bring one along in his pack.WE would have all been alive at the end of the night but we would have been a
bit dehydrated and miserable for the rest of the week!

[ed mason]

http://shop.blade-tech.com/merchant.ihtml?id=11&step=2

As far as load bearing vest go ck out Blade-tech and there fine line of Northwest Hunter Vest.I have personaly never tried one but they look like they are well made and well thought out.

[AzFAL]

Thanks guys for all the input. I guess there are innumerable packs & methods that can be used.

I decided to give the Bianchi Endurance a go. It's got a lot of features I'm looking for & is still under a $100.

Thanks again ,
Dave

Check out my other post, it should have some pics in it.

I'll add this for future readers.

Lets not forget about the camelback line! The H.A.W.G. holds 100 oz of water and 1000 cubic inches of gear. It is slim and very usefull with lots of pockets and such.

http://www.rei.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce...6&prmenbr=8000


My .02,

Olazul

[HerrJaegermeister]

I try to travel as light as possible, but I like to take in a few more things than most if hunting all day.

I have a Timberline backpack that is black and has two outside pockets and a spot for a water bottle on the side. When deer hunting here in western Iowa or southeast Minnesota, I like to pack:

small roll of toilet paper in plastic bag
long nonlatex surgical gloves
one longer plastic glove for reaching in while gutting
two small, old towels
one folding Bucklite knife
a tiny hatchet for splitting pelvis and making ground blind
binoculars
one pair of gloves and one pair of heavy mittens
rope for dragging deer
doe-in-heat scent
small rattling antlers
a few nutrition bars such as Power Bar
extra slugs "just in case"


When moving, I fold my large orange over jacket and secure under the main flap of the pack. I can then just take off the pack and put on the jacket and sit still for hours. I like to wear large mittens while sitting. When a deer comes by, I can pull it off quickly and quietly and shoot with a bare right hand.

Layering is important.

As for packs, a soft pack with good shoulder straps and a chest buckle keeps everything secure. As said earlier, you need to have enough range of motion to shoot with it on.

A safety note: If you are in an area that requires blaze orange, a camo pack will cover an orange vest from the rear. Be sure to safety pin a large piece of blaze orange material to the rear of the pack so you are legal and safe.