Topic: The Best Hunting Backpacks of 2022 (Read 36 times)
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Waterfowlers who walk-in carry lots of gear. Shells, snacks, coffee, spinning wing decoys, and more all make a duck hunt better. A backpack for all that gear leaves your hands free to carry decoys and a seat so you can walk into where the birds are, even if it’s a long way from the road. A duck hunting backpack should have a rigid, waterproof bottom that lets you stand it up, and a loop for hanging from a tree or a hook in the blind.
Two main co*partments plus separate storage in the rigid bottom, an outside water bottle pocket, and a hard pocket for sunglasses let you store and organize all sorts of gear. Padded shoulder straps include pull-out game totes for the walk-out, and a waist belt keeps the load steady. A drop-down gun boot lets you carry your shotgun hands-free. A loop on top lets you hang it from a tree.
A backpack functions well for carrying gear, but not so much for accessing gear. Digging through your backpack for something while you’re taking a break from walking or hiking simply means stopping, taking off your pack, and digging through the main or side co*partments to find what you need. But when you’re in a treestand, where there’s little room to put a pack, digging around creates movement and noise, which is not conducive to good hunting. A pack that offers multiple access points to gear is your friend when in a treestand.
The Hangtime Pack offers 1600 cubic inches of well thought-out storage for all your gear. The rear pocket drops down to keep calls and rattle-bags handy, and you can get into the main co*partment from the top or the back. It also includes loops so you can carry a bow on one side or a bow, rifle, or crossbow on the back.
it can still see you through many hunts. Besides looking for a deal, you can look for a versatile pack. A pack in the 3000-3500 cubic inch range is big enough for a long weekend hunt, but not too big to use as a daypack.
Several pockets, including two on the padded straps for small accessories, let you fill this pack with gear and get to it in a hurry. It has a flap for a bladder tube and water bottle holder, quiet material, and it co*es with a pull-over waterproof rain cover in case you get caught out in the weather.
Contoured to fit close to your body, the 1800 cubic inch Apex bow hunting backpack is designed specifically for bowhunters. Dividers in the waist pockets keep small items from rattling. It has an external pocket for an elk bugle, and a unique pull-out cam loop that lets you rest your bow while you wait for a bull to close the distance.
Mountain archery hunts start early and can last all day if you get into elk. A hunt can co*bine sitting and glassing, stalking, and waiting silently for a bull to get into range. You need a bowhunting pack of around 1500-2000 cubic inches that can hold a day’s essentials, including a first aid kit and whatever essentials you’ll need in case you have to spend the night on the mountain. You’ll hunt while wearing the pack, so it should be light, quiet, and streamlined so it doesn’t snag on brush.
When you’re spending days away from civilization, you need a pack big enough to carry all your gear and food for the duration of the trip. As a very general rule of thumb, figure about 1,000 cubic inches of capacity for each day of the trip. That means for a long or extended weekend hunt, a pack somewhere in 3000-5000 cubic inch range works best. If you’re new to backpack hunting, err on the larger side, as it may take you a few trips to figure out what you need and what you can leave behind. Longer hunts demand a bigger pack in the 6,000-8,000 cubic inch range.
The Eberlestock Mainframe Pack is the starting point for you to build a customized pack. You can choose various types and sizes of duffels, dry bags, and scabbards to the frame, and piggy-back another pack.
First, your pack has to carry all the gear you need. Figure 1800 to 2000 cubic inches is enough for a daypack, 3000-5000 for a weekend or three day hunt, and up to 7500 for a longer trip. Be sure the pockets are arranged for the way you use a pack. Serious backcountry hunters obsess over every ounce of weight in their gear, so co*pare weights. Also look at the materials Internal frame packs won’t snag on brush, although external frames are handier for packing out meat. Finally, a pack has to fit. Measure your torso and be sure the pack adjusts or co*es in the right size or you will be miserable carrying any load at all.
No matter how you hunt elk or where, all elk hunts have one co*mon denominator: the possibility of packing out 300 pounds of bone-in meat. Many packs have extension straps that let you carry meat between the pack and the frame. It’s also doubly important that the pack fits well, because you will be loading up with as much as 100 pounds at a time.
Yes, Eberlestock packs are solid, well-designed, durable and made in Boise, Idaho. Glen Eberle, a hunter and Olympic biathlete, designed a gun backpack that could hold a rifle on the back during his co*petition days. At the time there was no other pack like it. Now similar rifle holders are co*monplace on packs. The U.S. military special forces also use Eberlestock packs. They are a good value in a pack, too. While not as technically advanced as packs like EXO Mountain Gear or Kuiu, they cost much less.
Don’t get hung up on a pack’s looks. A backpack that doesn’t fit you, or is too small or too large, can ruin your hunt. A pack is also a tool. It has to carry your hunting gear in a way that keeps it organized and lets you access it when you need it. Size is the next main consideration. Be sure to get a pack that holds all your gear. Weight is important, too, if you’re packing in a long way, and opt for useful features like gun or bow holders. That will make the pack you choose the best hunting pack for you.
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