Modular Pack Systems
Years ago I was hunting with my buddy in the
back country of Utah. We spotted Elk early that morning and took off across a
huge canyon to see if we could get into them. As luck would have it we were
able to get into the herd and I was able to arrow a nice bull. This point in
the story when we realized, we were not prepared.
What I mean
by that is, as we left the camp that morning all we had on our backs were our little
day packs. We had not figured we would see the elk in that location and figured
we would find them much closer. After spotting the elk we were excited and took
off without thinking or preparing. As we got to my bull we realized that we had
put ourselves in a bad predicament. There was no way we were going to be able
to get that big animal out that night with the packs we had on.
My buddy and
I decided he would make the long trip back through the big nasty canyon to our
camp to retrieve our meat hauling packs and I would start the process of taking
care of the bull. By the time Travis was able to get to the packs and back to
my location it was getting dark. He said, as he walked up to me, thank goodness
for GPS or I would have never found you in the dark.
We finished
taking care of the bull, deboned the meat and loaded up our packs. By this time
it was very dark and we realized that there was no way we were going to be able
to hike out in the dark through the rough canyon. We decided to move away from
the carcass and make camp for the night. We hung our heavy packs up in a tree
and moved away from them, we found a big tree we could use for shelter and to
sleep under. We built a fire between us and tried to get some sleep while lying
on the ground with no pad or sleeping bag. We took turns all night getting wood
and stoking the fire to keep it burning so we wouldn’t freeze. The next morning
we got up (won’t say we woke up because I am pretty sure neither of us really
ever went to sleep), put our packs on and hiked ourselves out to the truck. It
was a very long night and not one I plan on repeating, at least not that way.
The reason I
tell you this story is because it could have all been prevented if we would
have been prepared. Our biggest problem is that we didn’t have the right
equipment on our backs. Since that time I have done a lot of research on packs
and what the best option would be to help prevent this type of situation from
happening again. I found what I believe to be the best option. Modular Pack Systems.
What I mean
by modular pack systems is, a system that can be added to or taken way from to
get what you need out of your pack. There are many different brands of modular
packs out there and for the most part they are all good quality packs from
companies that have reputable brands. I have used many different packs and they
all have their strengths and weaknesses.
Here are
some, but not all, of the packs we have looked at that would fit these category
of modular packs.
Eberlestock- Eberlestock has a
few options to create the modular pack system. Packs like the “Just One Pack”,
the “Dragonfly” and the “BlueWidow”. All great packs where the outer tube
pockets can be unzipped between them and folded out to expose more cargo space
and allows for additional packs to be zipped into them to grow your pack even
bigger. Price on their website $330 - $400
Horn Hunter- Horn Hunter
has a great pack that fits the modular system. The Full Curl System pack is
very versatile and can adjust to what you need very quickly. This pack consists
of a frame pack that has wings that can fold out and a packing shelf on the
bottom, a big bag that has huge cargo opening to store about anything you can
imagine and a day pack that has plenty of space and pockets to organize all
your gear. This system can be used and connected together in any configuration
you want. Frame and Big Bag, Frame and Day Pack, Frame alone or Day Pack alone
or all three hooked together. Price on their website $381
Blacks Creek- The Solution Pack
is a great backpack that has a modular system to it as well. It like the Horn Hunter has a frame that can
open up and that other parts of the pack are able to hook into to create the
pack you need for the hunt you are on. From shed hunting to elk hunting this
modular pack is a great option. Price on their website $595
Kifaru- ERM II is a Functional,
versatile and durable pack. The pack can expand to 8,000+ ci, but also
transform into a functional daypack when needed. The pack also adds 1,200 ci
wings to each side. The EMR II allows for mass expansion and/or compression and
the versatility that is great for any situation you are in while back packing.
Price on their website $383
Mystery Ranch- Mystery Ranch has
a few packs that would fit this category. The Marshall, Metcalf and Pintler are
all packs that can expand and give you more room to haul out your quarry. The packs them self can be removed and
expanded from the frame allowing space to store or haul anything you need.
Price on their
website $450 - $595
There are a
lot of great packs out there. These packs will all do the job when it comes to
being modular enough to handle any situation. From a 50 mile backpack trip to
packing out your trophy to anything you can imagine throwing at them. All of
the packs reviewed here come from top manufactures and companies in the
backpack industry. There are also many packs out there that we did not review
in this article which we plan on doing in a follow up article.
Biggest
advice is while all these packs are awesome and will do the job for you, the
most important thing to do is to go out and try them on. Each of us is built
different physically and not one pack will be perfect for every person. Try the
packs on. Ask the store if you can put some weight in them and pack them around
the store. If they have stairs in the store, go up and down the stairs and see
how the pack moves with you. Check out the adjustability of the pack. Can it be
adjusted the way you need it to fit your body type. Check out the other
features like pockets and organization capabilities. Look to see if there is a
warranty on the pack and what it covers. Your putting your hard earned money
into this pack you want it to last and have a company that backs their product.
Most of all, do your homework. Talk to as many people as you can and make your
informed decision, then get out there and have some fun with your new pack.
Although our
experience makes for some great memories with a hunting buddy, being able to go
from a day pack to a full on meat hauling machine would have been a huge
blessing for Travis and I that night we spent on the mountain. If we would have
had a modular pack systems we could have gone from spotting the elk with a small
compressed day packs on, to hauling it out that afternoon with our meat hauler
packs. We would not have had to waste the time and energy running the 4+ miles
back and forth to camp to get a different pack. We could have processed the
bull, put it in our packs and hauled it out before dark and skipped the
experience of sleeping on the ground and almost freezing.
Next time
you are looking at packs, remember our experience, and seriously consider
getting a good Modular Pack System. It will save you time and defiantly saves
you from that bad feeling of being unprepared.
