non hunting packs

schoolhousegrizz · Jan 9, 2015

How many of you have used non hunting packs for multi day hunts? Do they hold up? How do you carry your bow or gun? I have a badlands 2200 and like it, but it is very difficult to do overnight trips with it. Just thinking about spending around 200 bucks on a kelty, jansport, or mountain smith compared to 400 to 500 on a hunting pack. I have saved up some money and planned on getting a pack at the western hunting expo. Have any of you got some sweet deals on packs at the expo?

BeanMan · Jan 9, 2015

I've been using a Lowe Alpine Systems Specialist Cloudwalker for 25 years. I guess you could say it's holding up.

schoolhousegrizz · Jan 9, 2015

How is it for holding a bow or gun? Any pics? Thanks.

Deerlove · Jan 12, 2015

You could find a used Badlands 4500 for a couple of hundred bucks.

jims · Jan 13, 2015

I've been used and abused an Arcteryx Bora 95 for years to pack camp plus meat. It's big for a daypack but fantastic for packing heavy, bulky loads. You can pick one up on Craigslist, Ebay, or an online mtn shop for fairly cheap. I use a smaller pack for hunting and my Arcteryx for hauling.

schoolhousegrizz · Jan 14, 2015

I'll check it out, thanks

BeanMan · Jan 14, 2015

The Specialist Cloudwalker pack hasn't been made in a long time, I'm not sure you could find one. A person would most likely be better off buying a newer pack. It does have ski slots in which my rifle fits if the pack is not full loaded.

schoolhousegrizz · Jan 14, 2015

Thanks.

Zeke · Jan 15, 2015

SHG,
Nothing wrong with using a "non" hunting pack for hunting.

I've been using a Jansport D3 since 1975. A couple years ago I had a couple straps repaired and used it, again, on my 3rd full blown backpack Dall sheep hunt.

I can't begin to tell you how much I've used it or how many critters it's hauled out over the years. Just this last Fall it was used on an elk and a moose. Year before it hauled out 2 elk for me!

I designed and built the rifle carrier for the pack back in 1985 but 2 years ago I re-designed, built and simplified it.

Good luck,
Zeke

schoolhousegrizz · Jan 15, 2015

Thanks zeke. I'm going to see what kind of deals I can find at the expo. It I can't get a pretty good deal I might go the non hunting pack route. Do you have a picture of the rifle carrier you designed?

schoolhousegrizz · Jan 15, 2015

LAST EDITED ON Jan-15-15 AT 10:51PM (MST)[p]My dad got around 50% off a bad lands pack one year.

Zeke · Jan 16, 2015

>Thanks zeke. I'm going to see
>what kind of deals I
>can find at the expo.
>It I can't get a
>pretty good deal I might
>go the non hunting pack
>route. Do you have a
>picture of the rifle carrier
>you designed?

I do have one somewhere... or I'll get one for you.
There's probably a picture on MM already in the sheep, goat, moose forum on "Jessica's Dall sheep hunt"

My new computer doesn't have any of my pics on it so pics are not right at my finder tips but I can fire up the old one if needed.

BTW: I like my Badlands packs and have used them a ton.... but they weigh a ton compared to my Jansport non-hunting model.
Zeke