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- - Day-packs? (https://www.huntingnet.com/forum/big-game-hunting/25933-day-packs.html)

What have you experienced hunters found to be the best and most affordable day-pack out there? Padded shoulders, waist belt, durable, comfortable, etc..

Thanks guys.

Hey Rook, I think I' m an exception to the rule, but I like a fanny pack. I don' t condition myself for a backpack the rest of the year, so after I wear one for a couple of days my back is killin me! 3 section fanny with suspenders holds all I need for downing an elk or being lost for a few days. I have a pack frame and back pack at camp if the need should arise. I carry a lot of different stuff in small quantities and restock every day. It weighs a little bit, but no backache. Price is right too.

I' ve been considering that as well Ace...not to mention I have MAJOR back problems to begin with!

Thanks for the response.

With your back not being in the best of shape at this point in time, you might want to consider a combination daypack - fannypack. The pack can be used as a fannypack now, then when your back is better, you can take advantage of the daypack part of it. This pack is very comfortable and has padded shoulder straps as well as an adjustable belt. I' ve used this pack for both deer and elk hunting for 4yrs. It' s made of quiet saddle cloth, is waterproof and big enough (not bulky) for all day and then some. It has outside compartments for flashlight-knife&sharpner- water-leatherman. The fannypack part has two large pockets for food-elk bags- miscelaneous stuff, and still have the daypack part if needed. It folds up in front of fannypack out of the way. It' s made by Crooked Horn Outfitters, and is called the Non Typical, Cabelas sells it for 89.95. Elknut1

I also would recommend the crooked horn pack i have used this pack for about 4 seasons chasing everything from turkey to elk and would highly recommend it. Enuf room to carry a day or two worth of elk stuff yet not too big to overload it like most people do.

Seems like dejavoo all over agin, but I like the Bianchi Endurance. Narrow to stay off limbs when yer tryin' to be quiet. Saddle cloth don' t scratch everthin' in sight. Whatever you git, watch the straps. They should be covered with a quiet material too. You' d be surprised how noisy nylon straps makes a backpack. Remember, stay narrow.

bison packs bar none!

I use a Bumbag/Daybag combination, that can be zipped out into a 33 litre day pack. It' s made of canvas and Polar fleece. I don' t like to have my shoulders restricted, especially when a lot of climbing is involved.
Also I don' t like a pack hooking up in the scrub when I' m bush stalking.
The brand I use is Swazi and the model " Buffalo Bag"
The bumbag compartment has ample room for all my daily necessaries: Camera, Binoculars, Knife, Snack Food, Survival Kit. E-perb Beacon etc.
On smaller animals I can fit most of the choice meat cuts into the fold out pack, and sling the hind quaters over the top. Have found it very useful/functional and comfortable

Rook. You didn' t mention what your specific back problem was. I' ve had lumbar surgery from old parachuting injuries etc. and received disability from Uncle Sam. I engage in a rigorous exercises to maintain what' s left of my back. Having said all that I hunt elk in a very aggressive way at high altitudes.
Some thoughts.
1. Are you involved in some sort of rehab or active effort to strengthen your back?
2. Your pack requirements should correspond directly to what you' re hunting, elk vs. smaller game for example and how you intend to hunt. The more aggressive your style of hunting, how far away from camp you range, do you use horses? etc. will determine the type of pack and quantity of equipment carried.
3. If you don' t have horses and will potentially have to haul out a larger animal by hand, you may want to consider a pack frame like the Cabela' s Alaskan Guide series. You can use it to afix hind quarters, etc and still attach a back pack to it.
4. Several guys I hunt with use fanny packs. They ride on your hips and don' t put any compression forces on your lower spine.
5. Any pack you choose should have comfortable shoulder straps with a chest compression strap (pulls the shoulder straps toward one another and has lifts the straps up a bit off the shoulders).
6. It also should have a good wide waist band that fastens across the bottom of your belly. This will help distribute the load and further take the weight off of the shoulders. The waist band should be on your hips. If it' s up in the small of your back, it' s not properly fitted.
7. It also should have several compartments that allow you to get to specific items without having to unload the entire pack.
I spent my whole adult life humping a ruck in the Infantry. Hope this helps.

I' m a big fan of " fanny pac" style day packs, I have one out of cabela' s, it' s more comfortable than an undershirt! It was pretty pricey as far as it goes though, as far as I' m concerned, as long as it' s comfortable, a day pack' s a day pack, I' ve had good back packs that have costed $20 be better day packs than some $100 Hunting packs I' ve used (and then returned, bust a zipper and you can return anything). I like to carry things low on my back, more on my hips even, so the cabela' s one is ideal it hangs on your shoulder buy the weight is on your hips. Another one that I love is from WALLY WORLD!!! It' s a pretty handy (just enough volume and pockets etc) back pack, plus it comes with a detach fanny-style. It cost me $25 and was worth every penny, it' s not really water-proof, but it' s more water proof than most of the " water-proof" versions that I' ve bought. One nice thing about fanny style packs is that they don' t have to have bulky padded shoulder straps to be very comfortable. THey' re usually padded enough, don' t confuse that, but it' s hard to shoot sometimes when you bring your gun up into an inch thick pad and only half contact it, smaller pads or only nylon straps are much easier to cope with when shooting with your pack on.

MPI. They make a really nice day pack. It has more cubic inch space than any others I could find at the time I bought it. The only complaint would be no padding on the straps but it rides down on your hips more like a fanny pack. It is saddle cloth and has straps on the outside to roll up clothes and carry on it. They have a web site and when I bought mine they gave me a guy in New York to call who sells them and he had a great price.

I' ve been using the Outfitter' s pack from Crooked Horn Outfitters for couple years now. It' s set up great for carrying a spotting scope and plenty of extra room for clothes, emergency gear etc. It' s made of saddle cloth so it' s quiet and it' s fairly narrow so as not to be grabbing every branch you pass. They cost a little over a hundred bucks, but I think they' re worth ever penny. I' ve got one of those over sized fanny packs with the shoulder straps, but the outfitters pack has a lot better waist band set up to put the weight on your hips. This really helps to minimize fatigue on your shoulders. The outfitters pack also expands or collapses so you can carry as much or as lillte crap as you want to

Hey Rook, it may depend on what kind of back pain lik Oldrgr said. I used a fanny for years w/out suspenders and it made my back worse.I switched to a full on back pack and helped a lot. Depends on what your carrying too.But I' m even considering one of those fannies w/ suspenders too. Cabelas carrys a full line of packs that are pretty cheap,but u get what u pay for,the one I' m getting is $70 and comes with a water bladder and tube.