Day hunt bag

[Madison COunty]

I know this topic has probably been discussed before but what is a good bag/pack for a day hunt.

I don't need it to carry any meet just some snacks, emergency things, wat, etc. I do not want a fannypack. I will mainly be using this for gun hunting so I want something that is quiet in cold whether also and doesn't make noise.

What would you suggest I get?

[Lefty]

I use my meat pack. I can cinch it down in size if I want depending on the days needs

[Indian Summer]

You won't need to spend as much money of you don't intend to pack meat. A pack capable of doing that needs an internal (or external) frame. But an internal frame does transfer weight from your shoulders to your hips which is a good thing regardless of what you are packing. Water isn't light. I'd suggest making a list and figuring out what your weight will be. Then decide on a budget and go from there. I'm a Badlands fan. You can't go wrong because of their unconditional lifetime warranty. Maybe just pick a less expensive model such as the Super Day.

[Madison COunty]

Indian summer,

I do like the badlands packs...I tried on the pursuit today and the super day. I really liked the pursuit but online reviews said it is noisy like crackling plastic. I emailed badlands 25 minutes ago to ask them. A guy in NY said it was noisy in 20 degree whether and I will most likely hunt in the cold and snow.

I will have a bladder with water, fire starter, knife, head lamp, snacks, small tarp 8x8, paracord, emergency blanket, cell phone, small first aid supplies, extra ammunition and maybe a Wyoming saw.

What are your thoughts?

[pointysticks]

i had a badlands 2800. i wouldnt say it was loud.

my biggest complaint about my bag was fit. depending on how i packed it. how much, how i loaded it..it really affected how the pack fit. real drastic changes at the hip belt, etc.

i ended up buying a used Mystery Ranch dragon slayer as my day pack. it is so much nicer. the "frame" system is pretty independent of the pack. so no matter what awkward load i try to stuff into it, the fit stays pretty much the same.

but i bet the badlands carrys meat better. it has an awesome fold out meat shelf. super cool. the meat capability of the new pack is TBD.

i say you cruise the classifieds. lots of guys trying new things. and they sell the old thing cheaply.

on rokslide, there is a mystery long bow (big step up in frame system from my bag. the thing i love about mystery ranch? they are so narrow. wont affect my bow shot much.

[Madison COunty]

Thanks for the great input, the pursuit I was looking at only has shoulder straps and a small strap that connects the two on your chest. I do not need the pack to carry meat I just want a pack to carry a few basic things with me on the hunt. This will mainly be for deer hunting with my slug gun in Iowa.

[Indian Summer]

The 2200 NEW model has a smaller waist belt and is the cat's meow. Madison no doubt that in addition to shoulder straps a waist belt is a MUST. You have to have at least some ability to transfer weight to your waist/hips. To use nothing but your shoulders all day every day is a certain recipe for disaster and discomfort. I don't notice any noise from Badlands materiel... no more than any other.

Classifieds are a great place to look. But do NOT buy the old model of BL 2200. The waist belt is for big guys and will slip over your hips making it useless.

Curious... how are you getting meat out? Do you have a separate frame pack? Because even if you do hiking X miles out to get it and being empty on that first trip out is wasted time and energy. Having the ability to get a quarter out from the kill site on the first trip is the way to go. Especially if you kill an elk on the last or even 2nd to last day of a hunt.

I know you aren't looking for a meat packer but that 2200 is the Cadillac of day packs as well with conveniently located external pockets for calls, headlamp, range finder, extra rounds of ammo, etc etc. I use mine hunting whitetails all the time. One more thing.... when you are hunting in gun season you'll obviously have a heavier coat for cold weather. But when you are hiking in elk country you will be stripping that off a lot of the time such as at the beginning and end of the day when you are covering ground making your way from camp to where you'll be hunting. So your pack has to have a place to put it. Meat packers such as the 2200 are great for lashing that onto the rear where you can get at it multiple times without going into the main compartment over and over. The meat flap on the 2200 keeps it dry too which is really nice. I guess you see where I'm going here.... consider the BL 2200! You'll be really happy with the fit, the layout, and the internal frame to support the weight properly.

[Madison COunty]

Indian summer, great great advice. I checked out the pack online and it looks really nice. My only question is do you think it is to large/overkill for deer hunting? If I shot a deer in the back woods I guess I will have to drag it out if I couldn't pack it out maybe I should consider something that can haul meat out huh?

[Indian Summer]

Yes. Why not? it is not overkill for deer. Especially for gun season deer where you may want to leave the heavy sitting jacket off until you get to your stand. You could even lash a portable stand on the back of there. One other thing I forgot to mention... the 2200 has the ability to lash your gun or bow on the back. You can do that with most meat packers. At the end of the day especially if it's dark, having both hands free as you haul ass back to camp or the truck is a beautiful thing.

If I had to pick three things that are important parts of a good days hunt it would be a good sleeping bag, a good pair of boots, and a quality day pack. For elk add a GPS.

[Deafirishman]

I ordered a Badlands 2200 pack yesterday from PackFitter. Can't wait to get my hands on this and try it out this season The reviews have nothing but good things to say about these packs. Hard to find anything negative about them. A good pack sure makes your hunt a lot more comfortable Best of luck in your search for a good pack that fits your needs.

[Ridgernr]

I have used Badlands ultraday for a few years and it is a great pack It has good back ventilation, batwings for you can strap a jacket on ,or a decoy. I also use an old school Hydropack from Badlands they don't make it anymore but it is my go pack.with a daypack I don't like waist belt so it works great for me.
Eberelstock makes a mini me that I have thought about f I had to replace the Hydropack.