Packs outside of the normal recommendations.

I have been looking at Mystery Ranch. What are your opinions on the popup-style packs? I like the concept but in my experience, anything designed as a two-in-one or something like that typically falls short on both.
 
I’d specifically look for a used 2200. It can do everything. It is fully adjustable, framed, and all that stuff. A huge advantage is the bat wing design, and back door. I can get to my tripod and spotting scope instantly. The meat shelf design is brilliantly engineered and you can actually get in the pack through the back door with meat on it! I know I’m a Badlands homer, but I’ve only had 2 packs in 25 years… their customer service is second to none also.
 
It's not as slick or easy to convert to a meat hauler, but my first meat hauler was an ALPZ Commander frame and then I added the pack bag later.
 
I have been looking at Mystery Ranch. What are your opinions on the popup-style packs? I like the concept but in my experience, anything designed as a two-in-one or something like that typically falls short on both.
My wife has the Pop Up 28 and I've thought about buying one for myself for deer/antelope but I already have a Metcalf. I think it would be a great option if that was your intended use.
Fwiw, if possible, try packs on first as what feels comfortable to you is most important. There are a couple recommendations for Badlands and that may work for you, but I had one years ago and sold it after using for a week.
I'd scour ebay, camofire, forums as good, used packs show up all the time.
 
I’d specifically look for a used 2200. It can do everything. It is fully adjustable, framed, and all that stuff. A huge advantage is the bat wing design, and back door. I can get to my tripod and spotting scope instantly. The meat shelf design is brilliantly engineered and you can actually get in the pack through the back door with meat on it! I know I’m a Badlands homer, but I’ve only had 2 packs in 25 years… their customer service is second to none also.
How is it fully adjustable? They haven't changed them since they came out as far as I know. The yoke is sewn to a foam paded panel with a couple frame bars in tube also sewn in. I had a 2200. Yep, worked great as a day pack and well thought out for spotting scope use. It's just too small for me. If you have all your stuff in one there isn't a lot of room left to strap meat on to it. The meat shelf is just a sling on the front of the pack moving the weight away from your body. I used mine for one elk and got rid of it soon there after it just didn't work for me.
 
Your welcome.

specifically
 
I have been looking at Mystery Ranch. What are your opinions on the popup-style packs? I like the concept but in my experience, anything designed as a two-in-one or something like that typically falls short on both.
I've had a MR Popup 28 for several years and love it. I'm someone who tends to overpack, so the limited interior storage saves me from myself, and the load shelf works great up to ~80lb of meat, where you'll start to notice the lighter padding vs the GuideLight frame. I've packed entire antelope and WT does, half a muley buck + head, and two elk fronts in a load with it, and no complaints.
 
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How is it fully adjustable? They haven't changed them since they came out as far as I know. The yoke is sewn to a foam paded panel with a couple frame bars in tube also sewn in. I had a 2200. Yep, worked great as a day pack and well thought out for spotting scope use. It's just too small for me. If you have all your stuff in one there isn't a lot of room left to strap meat on to it. The meat shelf is just a sling on the front of the pack moving the weight away from your body. I used mine for one elk and got rid of it soon there after it just didn't work for me.
They’ve changed completely. The new one, that came out last year, is very different. Sounds like you had the one my brother does. I guess you’re right though, the hip belt does not move up and down. It comes in multiple sizes though. Yours must have been pre-batwing system. The wings close around the load. There’s a meat shelf that then comes out the bottom and clips to the top of the pack too. I carried half a deer with head easily, with my layers and such inside it. It is a great day to 3 day pack in my estimation. It definitely is not a 5 to 7 day pack. Check the website, 2200
 
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classifieds...guys are selling packs all the time. I just sold a premium pack for not much more including shipping to a guy in Washington. I had a lot of tire kickers and eventually a guy came straight to me and made an offer versus waiting for me to drop the price (which I wasn't going to since I didn't need the money).
 
They’ve changed completely. The new one, that came out last year, is very different. Sounds like you had the one my brother does. I guess you’re right though, the hip belt does not move up and down. It comes in multiple sizes though. Yours must have been pre-batwing system. The wings close around the load. There’s a meat shelf that then comes out the bottom and clips to the top of the pack too. I carried half a deer with head easily, with my layers and such inside it. It is a great day to 3 day pack in my estimation. It definitely is not a 5 to 7 day pack. Check the website, 2200
My pack had wings, and meat sling, etc. There was no way to adjust the shoulder straps for your height/torso, you just tighten the shoulder straps vs sliding the entire yoke up and down. I have a big chest and this doesn't work well for me. Pinching my shoulders to lift the waist belt to the proper position with a lot of weight makes it really uncomfortable. No way I could get 3 days worth of stuff in mine and have a useful pack for hauling meat. They are great for a day pack and hauling the occasional light load of meat.
 
My pack had wings, and meat sling, etc. There was no way to adjust the shoulder straps for your height/torso, you just tighten the shoulder straps vs sliding the entire yoke up and down. I have a big chest and this doesn't work well for me. Pinching my shoulders to lift the waist belt to the proper position with a lot of weight makes it really uncomfortable. No way I could get 3 days worth of stuff in mine and have a useful pack for hauling meat. They are great for a day pack and hauling the occasional light load of meat.
How big are you? I’m 6’6” 250, work out daily, and it fits great over all my stuff. What year was your pack? To each his own. It’s like shoes. I have long narrow feet that are a nightmare to fit… The quality and customer service is unmatched.
 
Think about a used ILBE Gen 2 pack. Made by Arc'teryx for the USMC. Should be around $175 on Ebay. They are straptastic and a little heavy but you can cut a bunch of weight by removing some unnecessary things (search youtube for the procedure).

I have come out VERY heavy a couple times (half a cow elk, 2 antelope) with no issues at all.
 
My wife has the Pop Up 28 and I've thought about buying one for myself for deer/antelope but I already have a Metcalf. I think it would be a great option if that was your intended use.
Fwiw, if possible, try packs on first as what feels comfortable to you is most important. There are a couple recommendations for Badlands and that may work for you, but I had one years ago and sold it after using for a week.
I'd scour ebay, camofire, forums as good, used packs show up all the time.
Unfortunately, no one carries much more than backpacks in this area. Whitetail hunting is the only game in town and most either drag out whole or load it up on a four wheeler/side by side. I prefer to actually look things over in my hands before I buy, but it really isn't an option.
I am looking for a day trip pack that I can also haul meat with. I would rather have one that is too big than to be stuffing things into a too small bag. That is my main concern with the pop up, that and whether it will pack meat well. I was also looking at the sawtooth 45. Any cons to the Metcalf in your experience?
 
I've had a MR Popup 28 for several years and love it. I'm someone who tends to overpack, so the limited interior storage saves me from myself, and the load shelf works great up to ~80lb of meat, where you'll start to notice the lighter padding vs the GuideLight frame. I've packed entire antelope and WT does, half a muley buck + head, and two elk fronts in a load with it, and no complaints.
The difference between the 28 and the 38 is capacity, right?
 
Unfortunately, no one carries much more than backpacks in this area. Whitetail hunting is the only game in town and most either drag out whole or load it up on a four wheeler/side by side. I prefer to actually look things over in my hands before I buy, but it really isn't an option.
I am looking for a day trip pack that I can also haul meat with. I would rather have one that is too big than to be stuffing things into a too small bag. That is my main concern with the pop up, that and whether it will pack meat well. I was also looking at the sawtooth 45. Any cons to the Metcalf in your experience?
The load shelf on the pop up will allow you to pretty much carry all the weight you are comfortable with.
I really like the Metcalf. It cinches down enough to be unobtrusive but you can easily fit a quartered deer in the bag if you wanted to or deploy the load shelf, whichever you want. I wish it had a couple pockets but I just use a few zippered pouches to organize stuff in.
 
The difference between the 28 and the 38 is capacity, right?
That’s correct. The 28 is big enough for necessities but small enough to make you consider what you’re packing. If you’re someone who likes to have top & bottom rain layers and a puffy in the pack, you might want to go up to the 38.
 
I was also looking at the sawtooth 45. Any cons to the Metcalf in your experience?
I used a Metcalf for several years, and also had a Longbow bag which was the predecessor to the Sawtooth. You can get all your day stuff in the Sawtooth. Honestly though, I quit switching bags because I didn’t feel it was worth the effort and just used the Metcalf all the time.
 
Shy of buying a used pack from someone, a pack from one of the brands that everyone recommends is not in the budget. So, what about the budget packs that are out there? I'm looking for something that will carry enough for a one day trip and also pack meat out. Budget wise, I would like to keep it below 200 on the top end.
What do you mean by "meat?" What animal(s) do you intend to hunt and in which region(s) and terrain and cover types?

There's a big difference in pack considerations and packing requirements to extract a whole Coues deer from Arizona scrubland and multiple moose quarters from muskeg. Getting all of one's camp gear and the boned-out flesh of a mountain sheep back to the trailhead is yet another, different challenge, though I doubt that is what you are contemplating given you specified "...will carry enough for a one day trip and also pack meat out."

In light of the day-trip specification, if what you have in mind is primarily the chore of retrieving deer-sized game from modest terrain, and you are adverse to dragging, then I would suggest to you that any reasonably-stout, older pack frame from a reputable maker like Kelty will suit your needs. Moreover, they can be had quite reasonably on the used market. Craig's List, Face Book Marketplace and eBay are likely sources.

For years, beginning with the introduction of the Tioga in 1973, I used 1970's vintage Kelty Tioga and Serac packs. They served me well with loads up to 75 pounds for backpacking trips. More weight than that is simply grueling work, regardless the pack design, though I have to acknowledge that advancements in materials and ergonomic design of shoulder harness and hip belts, in particular, will ease the misery somewhat.

Empty, my oldest and lightest Tioga weighs just 5.25 pounds including the extra green pouch and the captive accessory straps attached that you see in the photo. That pack is built on Kelty's large "Massif" frame as I stood 6' 1" and had a long torso back when I made the purchase.

Hanging between the Kelty and the USMC ILBE is the shoulder harness from an US Army MOLLE field pack. It has better ergonomic form and includes a sternum strap compared to the Kelty straight shoulder straps originally not offering a sternum strap. I intend to experiment with replacing the original shoulder harness on the Tioga.

Prior to purchasing my first Kelty, I suffered through a series of the notoriously cheap Stansport frame packs--they were all I could afford at the time. I am one of those people who finds it excruciating to throw anything away. When I began bowhunting elk in the thick cover on the Olympic Peninsula I found it desirable to have the top of the pack not so high above my head. So, I modified one of my old Stansport frames to accept the Kelty shoulder harness, back bands, hip belt and bag. While not perfect, the modifications lowered the pack on my back and pulled it closer to my body, reducing the amount it would sway in bushwhacking and off-trail scrambling. I later used that Frankenstein pack successfully in severe conditions during a Bighorn Sheep hunt in Montana's Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness.

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I've always been fond of gear and am finally in a position to afford more experimentation. Thus the ILBE pack in the photo, which is one of several military-surplus packs--I am also fond of bargains--with internal frames that I have been trying out with a thought to resuming backpack hunting, perhaps even sheep hunting again.

Internal frame rucksacks have a justified reputation for sitting more stable upon one's body than the typical external frame pack, though the latter are generally better suited to carrying heavy loads, bulky and oddly-shaped ones. Snugged against the back and typically more rounded in contours, the ruck-type packs do not present as broad side profile, which can turn some external frame packs into an uncontrollable sail when the winds are severe enough. I know that from sad personal experience :cry:. Anticipating the possibility of hunting in severe winds of the Beartooth high country again is my main reason for trying internal frame packs, with easier passage through thick cover when bushwhacking being a secondary consideration. Unfortunately, though very robustly constructed with a decent shoulder harness and nice hip belt, the empty ILBE weighs 8.92 pounds.

My favorites among the surplus internal frame packs that I have tried so far have been the Berghaus Cyclops II Atlas and the Belgian Army rucksacks at 6.08 and 6.93 pounds, respectively. Varusteleka is one online seller; Midway has also had them in the past.
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The side pouches on both can be detached, leaving a slimmer and lighter weight main bag with about 90 liters capacity. The side pouches can also be converted to a separate day-pack, albeit one with very rudimentary shoulder straps.

Cutting to the chase, what I gather from your statements leads me to think that a decent external frame pack that will serve for carrying out half of a deer, or an elk quarter, lashed to the frame will best suit your needs. Though, admittedly, we have not discussed those needs in detail and I am making certain assumptions based upon what you did say. A minimum of ingenuity and modification will enable you to mount a smaller pack sack upon any frame if you find that you don't always want or need to carry the full-sized one.

I empathize with a working-class budget, which had much to do with motivating my long-winded reply. Naturally, my points are moot if you can locate one of the Mystery Ranch, Stone Glacier or similar products that incorporate a floating pack on a lightweight rigid frame within your budget. That acknowledged, I would not spend a year shopping while great alternatives are readily available for about half of the amount you specified.

One caveat: Invest in a bit of study related to properly sizing and fitting any backpack to your physique, torso length in particular; then, before you purchase, make sure that a used pack you contemplate will accommodate your measurements.
 
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