Mystery Ranch 6500 LID Conundrum

[Estimator86]

I just purchased this antique of a pack, but I love the versatility so far. I'm young so I don't mind having a heavy pack to start with, it will get lighter the more I get out..

In the picture below you can see that the lid doesn't quite cover the top of the cinch straps. Is this my error or does it do this when the load isn't very high? The buckles are nice being everywhere, but I'm not sure they are attached correctly to the frame/bag/lid.

 

[Estimator86]

I will add that turning the lid around only results in female/female and male/male buckles.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

I think you have it correct. I have the same pack however your female buckles on the frame appear to exend farther off the frame than mine do. Mine simply stop at the top of the frame, whereas yours have a few inches of strap. Either way, mine does the same thing yours is doing just not as severe. It is designed to sit more on top when the bag is fuller. Here is what it will look like after you have had some fun.

By the way mine is the antique version as well. IIRC I have had this pack for close to a decade. It is still my go to pack. I am not young and I have other, lighter packs but the MR6500 with the NICE frame is still the most comfortable pack I have when working with a heavy weight. I bought a Kuiu Ultra several years ago and was happy about the almost 4 lb reduction just in pack weight but after packing out a buck and a bull that season I went back to the MR. Only other pack I would consider getting at this point is SG.

 

[Estimator86]

Man that's an epic picture right there! Maybe it's correct, just doesn't look right. I worry about water getting in the bag with the lid not sitting on top with a lighter load. Maybe after a decade I'll get this pack figured out! I'm glad to hear you like it so much. Have you added anything to yours that you think are worth it? It looks like you have the belt bags. Is your rifle in the bottle holder or do you have something else?

 

[Deleted member 18333]

I hear you about water getting in. I think its genuine concern since your lid sits so much lower than mine. If mine is bare bones the lid will slip down and expose the top of the bag. It possible yours is not hooked up correctly. You have a couple more buckles to work with to the inside of the one you are hooked up to. Is it any better on either of those? I wouldn't hesitate to reach out to MR and see if they have an idea. Could also find someone to cut those straps down and re-sew the buckle on. Shouldn't be too hard to do with the right tools.

I had the belt bags but I cut off the one on the right side. It got in the way if I just had my rifle on a sling. Was particularly bad if I put something in it. Since I never used it, I just cut it off. I do keep the butt of the rifle in the bottle holder and then use a side compression strap to hold the top. Works great but not the quickest way to retrieve the rifle. It has never cost me a shot as I only use it when hiking or packing out. I tried the gun-bearer from kifaru but did not like it. Felt like I was putting too much trust in Velcro. That was a while ago and think there are more choices today.

 

[Estimator86]

There are several buckles at the top of the bag, but these were the same width as the ones on the lid so I figured they were the ones. I'll do some tinkering when I get home and if that doesn't work I will get a hold of MR. Thanks for the help

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

Looks like you might have your load lifters and lid buckles switched.

 

[pre6422hornet]

Yep looks backwards ( What WLLM said).

And yes if your pack isn't filled, the lid will sit more on the back than the top. I have a crew cab and a Marshall and it is common.

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

For the record SG and Kifaru are built the same way... the brain looks goofy when the pack is empty.

 

[Estimator86]

I'll give that a shot when I get home. That looks like it may be my issue. As long as it sits better than it is now, I'll be a happy camper! Thanks

 

[Bombsnbullets]

I just purchased this antique of a pack, but I love the versatility so far. I'm young so I don't mind having a heavy pack to start with, it will get lighter the more I get out..

In the picture below you can see that the lid doesn't quite cover the top of the cinch straps. Is this my error or does it do this when the load isn't very high? The buckles are nice being everywhere, but I'm not sure they are attached correctly to the frame/bag/lid.View attachment 104199

That is the same pack that I use. It doesn’t pack well unless the top is filled. Normally I have my rain gear and puffy coat up top and that fixes the issue. The 6500 was designed as an assault sustainment pack, so it operates much butter when full. You’ll notice that there is an internal strap and buckle which splits the internal area into 2 partitions, approximately 2/3 on top and 1/3 below. This helps if you don’t have enough stuff to fill the whole pack. If you plan on using it as a day pack, remove the entire pack from the frame, and you can attach just the lid. Works nicely. Great rugged pack overall, hope you enjoy it.

 

[Estimator86]

Normally I have my rain gear and puffy coat up top and that fixes the issue.

Thats a good idea to get the bulkiness up.

If you plan on using it as a day pack, remove the entire pack from the frame, and you can attach just the lid.

Nice, I knew the lid had its own straps but I thought that sounded like more of an annoyance. I think i'd much rather attach it to the frame!

 

[cahunter805]

Like others stated. Switch those straps and it should fit a bit better. I wouldn’t worry about the bag getting wet from the top. You can roll it up after cinching the bag closed and kind of tuck it in a bit. The lid will hang a little low when the bag is pretty empty but that’s how it is.

 

[Deleted member 18333]

So I have mine the same as yours. The lid on mine sits a lot more on top due to the most outside buckle not having any strap length compared to yours. Not sure I have mine correct but it sure looks like it should hook up like this and it rides comfortably.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

That's still a great pack, and it hasn't been that long since it was state of the art. When I had the CBMR equivalent, I would often just leave the lid off if not filling up the pack. I still do that a lot, I just stick the lid in the top of the main compartment and pull it out as needed. I like clean exterior lines when possible, just preference.