Topic: The Best Bowhunting Backpacks of 2023 (Read 45 times)
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Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
Simply put, if you are a hang-and-hunt bowhunter, this pack will hold everything you want to take to the woods securely and quietly.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
From the first time you hold the Sitka Cargo Box, it’s clear the Sitka engineers went bowhunting with a tree stand and then thought about all the features needed to carry and organize all their gear. The pack initially looks like any other backpack, but it breaks into two sections so you can sandwich a tree stand in between them, rather than simply strapping it to the outside. It also has storage areas on each side that evenly distributes the weight and stows them quietly. The padded shoulder straps and waist belt are sturdy and adjustable, so they can keep a snug fit as you add and remove layers and shift your load to navigate different terrain.
The genius of the Cargo Box’s stand-carrying capabilities is that it’s a snap—unsnap really—to remove the stand and sticks once you reach your favorite tree and it’s time to hang. Simply undo a couple of buckles and pull back some straps to free your equipment. Lash the two halves of the pack back together and now it’s just the pack you’ll hang behind you in the tree. But even with its stand carrying capabilities, the Cargo Box doesn’t eat up the real estate you need to carry the usual gear you need for an all-day sit in the stand.
The deliberate thought about this pack beco*es even more evident once you’ve hung your stand. A front flap folds up to hang the pack from the tree so a row of zippered, mesh-faced pockets is exposed. And you can quickly access the gear with a slide of a zipper. Also, the front of the main co*partment folds partially down with the pull of two zippers so you don’t have to reach up and over a top lip and then dig to grab your coat or binos. While this pack has all the bells and whistles you need for a co*fortable and convenient all-day sit in the stand, the price tag might deter many. But if you want a pack that eliminates all the hassle of carrying bowhunting gear to the stand so you can focus on shooting when it matters, the Cargo Box is hard to beat.
Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
The Hangtime lumbar pack is perfect size and design for those quick hunts when you don’t want to lug a big pack into the woods. Just toss in the essentials, huck it onto your back, and go.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
It’s late October and you have a couple hours after work to spend on stand, hoping to catch that shooter that’s been showing up on your trail cams regularly the last few days. You won’t be out long and don’t need a ton of gear. That’s where the Tenzing Hangtime Lumbar Pack co*es in handy. It’s built for speed and co*fort. The Lumbar pack slings over your shoulders, but the storage co*partment sits just above your hips, rather than your whole back. Think of a big fanny pack with shoulder straps and a waist belt.
This pack has adjustable shoulder straps. waist belt, and chest strap, so you can get it to ride your torso the way you want. I’m a big fan of chest straps on backpacks because when you’re ducking under branches and jumping over streams, simple shoulder straps can slip off or hang up. With the chest strap, you can do somersaults on your way to a stand and your pack will stay on your back.
While it weighs less than 2 pounds, the Hangtime has a generous amount of space–750 cubic inches–for an extra layer of clothes, binos, a rangefinder, Ozonics, all your calls, and more. Once you get into your stand or blind, you can open the lid and hang the pack. Or you can set it on the ground, and the lid stays open for easy access to your gear. The main co*partment stands upright and open, thanks to the rigid, molded shell. That means no fighting with the pack to access your gear. Inside that main co*partment, mesh pockets organize your vital gear in handy locations, and you can see what’s in each pocket. It might not have the same appeal as traditional packs, but the Hangtime works great for those sporadic or quick hunts.
Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
This pack has 1,350 cubic inches of storage space and costs less than $35. Enough said.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
Not everyone wants or needs to spend $200 on the best bowhunting backpack. For some bowhunters, the backpack is solely utilitarian. It’s for hauling gear. The Terrain Cape Daypack will do that at a budget-friendly price. This pack has two, large zippered pockets; a deep, full-pack pocket and a smaller one that has three individual pockets inside for basic organization. Two, elastic-top mesh pockets sit low on each side of the pack. Allen says they’re for water bottles, but you could use them for other gear as well.
Weaved onto the front of the pack is an elastic band that you can expand to strap gear to the outside, like a jacket or umbrella. The shoulder straps are padded, though thinly. And if you have to carry a heavy load for a lengthy period, get ready for sore shoulders. Again, this is a simple backpack. There are no frills. It’s for putting stuff in and getting to the woods. But if that’s what you’re in the market for, look no further.
Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
For its small size, this pack holds a decent amount of gear, and if you use a bino harness anyway, this one will store other essentials, too.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
Yes, I know this isn’t a backpack. I mean, you wear it on your chest. But more and more bowhunters are turning to these chest packs for their binoculars and other essential gear. The Badlands Bino XR pack is about as elaborate and voluminous as I’ve seen.
Secure your hunting binoculars—up to 10×42—in the large main co*partment via tethers connected to the pack, which opens via magnetic closures. Inside the main co*partment, Badlands provides a tethered lens cloth for cleaning your binos and rangefinder glass. At the bottom of the pack, another magnetic pocket holds your rangefinder. Small pockets on either side of the pack can easily store your release, a wind indicator, pocket knife, co*pass, or other small gear. And they’re conveniently placed at your chest. And on the back of the pack, there’s a large pocket best suited for flat objects, such as hunting licenses, maps, a knife, or an energy bar or two. Inside that pocket is a zippered pocket that holds a tethered, nylon cover you can pull out and stretch over the pack to protect it from rain.
The pack is held on your chest by a typical shoulder harness with straps that connect to the top of the pack, go over each shoulder, and then buckle to the bottom of each side of the pack. Although it holds a lot of gear, this pack will not interfere with your bowstring when it co*es time to draw and shoot. It might not be your typical pack, but this supped up bino harness makes a great minimalist option.
Key Features
Why It Made the Cut
Sometimes you need both hands free for the hike in or out of a bowhunt, and this pack offers the most secure, co*fortable way of hauling your bow and arrows on your back.
Pros
Cons
Product Description
Many backpacks provide systems for strapping your co*pound bow to them. Typically, those systems don’t hold securely, and the bow flops around or gets caught on brush. In a nutshell, The Vision Bow Pack is a soft bow case with a full backpack sewn to the outside. I securely stowed my Mathews V3X 33 with a 12-inch front stabilizer and a 10-inch siderod, plus an Axcel Landslyde sight that sticks out six inches from the riser. I didn’t have to remove or alter any of my accessories to get my bow to fit, and it’s a big rig by bowhunting standards.
Attached to the bowcase, a full-sized backpack holds plenty of storage for your other gear. On the main co*partment is another zippered pocket that can be used in a variety of ways. You can use it for storage. Or you can open it halfway, and it beco*es a shelf with mesh-faced pockets exposed. Unzip it co*pletely, and a mesh basket sits upright that you can toss a release, call and/or rangefinder into for quick access.
This is a strategically designed, functional backpack that actually holds your bow securely. Yes, the bow-case portion of the pack creates added bulk, but that part is against your back, so you don’t notice it as much as you might think.
