Meat hauling capable daypack

[elkfanatic]

Looking for a daypack for my 14 year old son that's capable of comfortably hauling elk quarters. I've used my tenzing 6000 internal frame the last 8 years but not sure what to get for him. Looking for day pack size. Any suggestions/brands that you guys have experience with and like?

 

[BRoth82]

I really like my mystery ranch pintler, packs down nice and small. But will carry way more weight than I can handle

 

[thomas89]

Pretty excited to give the Pop-Up 40 a test this fall.

The bit I’ve messed with it this summer it seems like a winner.

 

[WapitiBob]

Any stone glacier frame will have a load shelf for Elk quarters. I've had half an Elk on mine twice. You can use a dry sack of a chosen size for the day bag and save some money.

 

[Derek44]

Any EXO option as well. Solid frame with multiple bag sizes. All interchangeable to grow with him.

 

[Hank375]

I had the kuiu 1800 and traded up for the Kifaru Stryker and I like it, the downside is it’s a little heavier than the other pack brands.

 

[davinski]

Another fan of the MR Pintler. I've carried moose and elk quarters on mine.

 

[Stone_Ice_1]

I have the Just One pack from Eberlestock. I upgraded to the Mystery Ranch Marshall as I needed a bigger pack for my extended trips. The Just One I still use for day hunts as it is a bit smaller and easier to cinch down and able to carry the first elk quarter out when I get something. Only thing I don't like about the pack is it has a gun scabbard built into it and I don't use it. If you are hunting the gun shouldn't be in that thing. It just adds dead weight.

 

[MThuntr]

I do overnights with my MR Pintler but have a PopUp 28 (I believe it's discontinued or redesigned) and carried an entire moose hide with it.

 

[Nameless Range]

Hauled a quarter of a bull elk out with a popup 38 last year. Really like that pack so far.

 

[44hunter45]

I have an Eberlestock M5. Perfect for deer and pronghorn quarters. Great as a day pack. Has a removable frame and vertical rifle carry down the back. I like it for deer hunting. I hauled a floppy boneless bag of elk with it once and it was a bit of a challenge to keep it secured. Took my full frame meat hauler in for the rest. A bone in elk quarter would not be bad. My 14 Y.O. granddaughter uses this pack and likes it.

Lots of add-ons available to fit any Eberlestock pack.

My "perfect" elk hunting daypack is an Eberlestock F1 frame with whatever MOLLE toys I want to hang on it. Usually hydration, rifle carrier, and a couple of batwing pouches. I keep two large hip belt pouches on this rig all the time. First aid, snacks, and anything I need right now is in those. Kill kit and game bags, etc in the back. Eberlestock's chest pouches clip to the pack so you don't have extra harness.

 

[jvanhoy]

I have an alps hybrid x. It’s a great pack perfect size for day hunts and hauls elk quarters great. Also won’t break the bank.

 

[Sheltowee]

+1 to the Pintler.

 

[VAspeedgoat]

I love my pop up. I do a fair amount of still hunting in our national forest and love that it collapses down pretty small while hunting in and around thick stuff. Then when the stars align its more than capable to hanfle a whole deer.

On a side note, I threw my back out quartering one up and it doubled as a back stabilizer for the rest of the hunt. Hard to beat a frame for that.

 

[wsco3506]

I started my boys with a Teton sports scout 3400. It is not fancy and you have to stuff the meat inside the pack, but it can handle all they need for the day and a boned out elk front. And it cost less than $100. My oldest has helped pack 5 elk with his.

 

[trackerbacker]

I grew up midwest hunting. And by that, I mean dragging field dressed game. As did my step dad. His dad. So on and so forth.

A bag, and a cheaper bag, is akin to your math, science and history book in you jansport.

Will it work, sure.

Internal frames (good ones) are a huge improvement over the jansports. External more so.

I won't ever make my kids drag a deer as is midwest tradition. Screw that noise. I'll buy them real internal framed packs long before I let them haul anything in some gugamechi bag.

I've found the MR glmt frame to work great for me, sg and so didnt fit, exo and kif i never made it to as MR fit. Had a custom bag(s) made for the frame. Now I rock my glmt + 65l sts bag in my custom meat shelf.

Tldr-get a real frame pack with meatshelf of any variety. The rest you can tweak. Don't beat up your kids as a crappy bag will lead to a crappy time and potentially lead to a crappy hunting partner who may decided to become a fly fisher instead.

 

[elkfanatic]

I can't get him too big or too good of a pack or he'll throw his old man on it and haul me up the mountain. Lol . He's a big man/ boy, bigger than me!! 5'11- 230lbs built like a brick $#!& house. Maybe I should skip the day pack and go full size?

 

[mtmuley]

Maybe I should skip the day pack and go full size?

I would. The bigger packs these days compress enough to carry as a day pack. I carry a Metcalf every day. mtmuley

 

[Pucky Freak]

MR popup 38

 

[kansasdad]

I use a Pop-up 38 or Metcalfe for any hunt. Straps pulled tight, they are not bulky at all, but I‘m ready to carry out turkey or quarters with ease.