MT Elk, hunt with daypack or frame pack

[huntfishcamp]

hey all, its season #2 for me and will be hunting from a wall tent near road at mountain top this year, and did same last year so I used a small daypack with hydration but when i finally downed an elk i had wished i had my frame pack..only issue is that its an internal frame and it weighs about 8 lbs. It did work well to haul out the meat (3 miles in, 1500 ' below the truck) but i could have hauled more out the first trip back, was only able to take about 40 lbs out initially and hung the rest for day 2.

Question: You prefer internal or external frame packs for elk hunting, any particular brand, and do you hunt all day with it, or keep it in the vehicle for trip #2 if you down something. The lighter daypack was easier to haul around all day, guess its a tradeoff... not sure what the best thing to do is though.....

 

[Mudranger1]

ahhh...the age old question...well it may be....I generally start the season with my big pack but by the second week I'm down to my day pack

 

[belly-deep]

For me it all depends on my expectations for the hunt.

Have a cow tag in good country I know well...you can bet I'm carrying a meat-hauler

Looking for a good bull (or buck) with the expectation of passing on a number of smaller ones? I'll take a light pack and worry about getting it out of the hills once its down.

Also, I ALWAYS have a meat-hauler on my back the last day of a hunt so I can get something out faster if I have to head back home the next day.

 

[Carrion Carrier]

I always carry a daypack and keep the meat hauling gear in the truck. I need to be able to move to score and when an elk is down I worry about hauling meat.

 

[huntfishcamp]

thanks good advice, any advise for a rookie on what items are "must have" or 'nice to have" for a daypack, and when you have your meat hauler?

 

[CabinFever]

With never knowing where something might go down, 1/2 mile or 8 miles from the truck, I always carry my internal frame Eberlestock J34. I hate the idea of gradually hunting further and further away, and possibly killing something a few miles back, and not being able to take a significant load back the first trip. It just has the possibility of being a severe waste of time and energy to me. Running around with a 20-30 pound pack everywhere I go doesn't bother me, and I assume it leaves me slightly more ready to carry more when I need it...

 

[Magicman]

Day pack for me. By the time I'm done quartering, a lighter load is OK for the first trip out.