As far as packs ther are a ton of decent options, you definitely get what you pay for, Kifaru and Stone Glacier would be my top picks then exo and mystery ranch, third tier being Kuiu and Seak. You can also get away with backpacking company packs, but you have to put meat in the pack and they kinda suck really loaded down. I would be honest with yourself with whether you are a buy once person or a gear head. I personally have put 4 seasons into my SG and don’t plan on buying a pack for at least 5 more. I also have driven the same car for 14 years. If you are like me the high end pack is cost effective but if you like getting new stuff every couple of years I might think about a decent back packing pack $300ish and then see how the hunt goes and how you like that style of hunting and then consider buying a different pack after that.
