There are plenty of articles devoted to the backpacks for tourists and hunters. But I haven't met the information yet which I fully trust. This article is not the ultimate truth but I want to share the experience gathered during the years of mountain hunting.
The problem of carrying loads is not the new one. It was more actual in the world when people didn't have iron horses and had to think how to fix loads on their backs. In the dark corners of the world no matter where, on the South or the North we still can find simple but comfortable things (from leather or wood), made to carry things.
Rucksack - from German, means a bag on the back.
The main plus of such system is that the hunter's hands are free and the load is distributed evenly. The outdoor industry produces backpack for any tasks and users: for trekking, mountaineering backpacks, for bike drivers, everyday use, fishing, hunting and others. The materials and technology are also on the high level. Let’s talk about the usage in classical hunting conditions, I mean classical for the region where I live (Almaty region, Kazakhstan. The terrain there is both mountainous and steppe).
But first of all we need to discuss the main quality features of the backpacks:
- volume ( in Liters),
- material, used for the production (it has the close connection to its quality),
- weight of a backpack (It’s a very significant parameter because you have you carry everything with you in the mountains),
- specific features of the model (ergonomics, organization of internal space, forms of fasteners, fasteners),
- mechanical strength,
- moisture resistance,
- noisiness of materials,
- color
These are the main parameters you need to pay attention when choosing the backpack for hunting.
Let’s come back to our hunts.
We almost always use a car to drive to the one-day feather hunting (quail, partridge, duck-geese, pheasant). If you hunt for the chicken game, the backpack is needed only for carrying snacks, water, and a few numbers of cartridges.
You can use any types of backpack to 25 Liters volume and even the military model. The backpack has to be good quality, light and has water resistant bottom, to protect the jacket from blood. I use the backpack made by the Allen company with the volume 20 Liters.
The advantage of this model is the fabric which is close to the back and is waterproof. There are many pockets for small items and a big one on the front side for the game birds.
You don’t hike for a long distance when hunting for a waterfowl. According my experience the hunter has to seat and to wait in the blind or a boat that’s why the model with the chair will be the best variant. It’ll be useful for the fishing trips too.
The hunters can drive directly to the place where corral hunting on the plain or hunting from tower are organized. There is not a problem how to deliver meat if they have taken a trophy. So, they can use the same kind of the backpacks as in the previous case.
For mountain hunters.
The hunting for mountain ungulates lasts several days and the camp's location can be changed few times during the trip. The hunter has to hike a lot and it influences to the backpack’s choice.
Usually the group of hunters drive to the huntsman's cabin, used as a base hunting camp. We often use horses to ride in the mountains but the hunters have to be ready to hike. The trekking can take from 30 minutes as well as a day. It happens because of the excitement, or because the hunters are not experienced enough ones or can be done on purpose if the goal is to take the desired trophy. I mean the variant when you leave the camp not going to spend the night outdoor but the day comes to its end and you realize that haven’t time to come back in time. I guess most of hunters have been in such situations, including me.
Well, it was this way.' Beginning of November. A really strong snowstorm started in the town. But it was a weekend and my fellow and I wasn’t going to lose the opportunity to hunt and drove from the town at night. Towards morning we arrived to the village where our guide waited for us already and all three began to climb the gorge. The snow stopped falling, and stars appeared. At the sunrise we were on place near the circus where detected the group of ibexes. The shooting distance was 500 meters. It was in 2006 and it was the extreme distance for the military carbines we used. We didn't want to risk and decided to approach them 300 meters. Our mistake was that we were too excited and forget that didn’t sleep, eat and had no water. Then we tried to approach them but each time we came close the animals moved further from us. It seemed we are close but the herd headed behind the rock. The guide who stayed below corrected the direction by radio and we went on. There were lots of snow but we were dressed appropriately (as we thought a that moment). I had rubber boots, canvas pants and fleece jacket above the wool sweater, my fellow had a synthetic jacket. We rose 3500 masl and went to different sides to surround the goats. But there was no sign of them.
In several places we fell through snow to the waist. The sun was shining and snow on our pants melted and drained into the boots. None of us noticed it while we were actively moving.
The first thought that something is wrong came to the mind when the sun disappeared behind the ridge. It was getting cold and we were thirsty and hungry. I couldn't connect with my fellow (It happened that he changed the channel), and didn't hear the guide...
I tried to go down but soon realized that we had climbed by another gorge and there was not any safe opportunity to descend by the slope where I was at that moment.
I had no strength to ascend or to go back. It was getting colder and all my wet clothes frozen. Soon I didn’t feel my feet. I’d never forget that feeling when you make a step and feel the thousands of needles are stuck in the foot. Fortunately, I took the small flashlight and the extra woolen socks when leaving the village in the morning. Later when my legs finally lost their sensitivity I took of the boots, squeezed out the insoles and changed the socks.
I was cold and tired as never before in my life. It was a miracle but I managed to go back to the car what took me five hours! I took off all clothes and couldn’t move for an hour or even more. My friend didn’t appear yet. My mind became to come to life and I realized the tragedy of the situation where he was. He climbed upper than me and had no extra socks or a light. The temperature was 20 degrees below zero...
In an hour the guide delivered him on his back. He could barely live. He found him crawling on all fours, hardly alive. It happened that he fell into the hole and stuck with feet between rocks under snow. He didn’t have a fulcrum and spent few hours trying to release from captivity. At last he realized that the only way to do it was to get feet out of your shoes. Only barefoot did he manage to get out. Then he lost time trying to get out boots.
We were lucky that stayed alive. Slight frostbite of the limbs and face and the fear that we could die were the only damage at that adventure. But the result of those misadventures was much bigger. We had the choice to give up everything or to change our attitude to the hunting trips and to buy new equipment. We followed the second way. From that time, I’ll never go to the mountains without the 20-30 Liters backpack where I always have hot tea, some snacks, warm extra clothes, a flashlight and matches and a knife.
The list of items, I take with me, was determined empirically. I never hunt alone for the mountain ungulates and that volume is enough to share meat between 2-3 hunters. The average weight of such size backpack is 1,5 kg or less. I like Bundeswehr backpack for 25 Liters, its own weight is 1 kg. Its simple but comfortable design is used from the mid of the last century. Somebody can think that its small but I know, it's enough for a young ibex, roe deer or a wild boar-young. Don't forget about one more thing, you can fix the same volume on the top of the backpack if it's necessary. I really like it but realize that is has not a rigid back design, is not adjustable for the anatomical features of the body, is water-permeable, and is very noisy. There is the alternative for that model. Eberlestock Gunrunner Pack - is the new black. It's waterproof, has the needed volume, made from the noiseless material in good camouflage color and its weight is just 1 kg. And one more thing that backpack has the cover to carry the rifle on the back, what is very comfortable.
At the beginning I was confused by that “tail” but followed the feedback of hunters who used it and began to carry it too. It is comfortable to go when the carbine is on the back and don't catch anything. I've tested it for carrying meat and equipment and confirm it works well.
There are two kinds of accessories worth of our attention. They are side patch pockets and a net fixed by snap hooks to carry birds, but I successfully used it for meat too. The main load is on the pelvic bones and shoulder straps don't cut your shoulders. This backpack fits me to 70%. I can call it my main working tool.
One more kind of hunting is by horses or by feet for several days. You have to be ready for different situations and to take everything you would need. The hunter has to take all necessary equipment and food and to be ready to carry it by himself. The major task is to carry the load in the maximum comfort way during the route.
My choice is the middle size, high quality backpack with the extra pay load capacity and comfort. Don’t forget about its own weight, it must not be heavy. The companies, making goods for climbers, produce such equipment. Five years ago, I've bought such backpack, made by the Marmot company. its volume is 50 L but weight just 2kg. Now you can find same type models made by Black diamond, Ospr е y, Vaude and others. Just one note, I fix my sleeping bag and my mat on the outer side of the backpack.
The most extreme variant of hunting is an autonomous full week trip including trophy huntings. You need something special to take everything you’ll need for that period. The backpack volume should not be less than 80 L or you can’t pack all things you have to have. I advise you to look for the proper model on the sites of the outdoor industry leaders in the sections for military or hunters. I followed the next rules when chose the backpack.
The backpacks for climbers are good according by its volume/weight/load capacity ratio. They are on the top among the competitors. They also have excellent ergonomics, the latest technological advances and reliability. But the materials, they are made of, don't suit for carrying meat and bones; they don't have the module system. It means that you will always carry the full size backpack; one more thing I paid attention was its colors. The backpacks made for climbers have bright colors what is not good for hunting.
The military backpacks are on the last place by the volume/weight/load capacity ratio. The same with their ergonomics and technology. Cordura 1000 - the main cloth (plus MOLLE firmware) is an exceptionally reliable variant. The model is done in the natural and camouflage colors. But it's heavy. Weight addition for the super-large backpacks means extra several kg. The military model doesn't have the module system too.
Backpacks for hunters are the cross between mountaineering and military models. They are lighter than the military ones but heavier than the alpinist backpacks. The materials, they are made of, are less noisy, more reliable and have camouflage colors.
But I prefer the Eberlestokс k Blue Widow Pack model to all of this variety of backpacks. This transformer backpack can change its volume from 36 to 77 Litres and to 125 L with the additional accessories. It has the regulation and ventilation systems as the professional mountaineering backpacks have and you can carry the rifle on the back. It allows to fasten the water system and has the additional bag for a one-day hiking.
Thus you have the opportunity to pack all things you need in 120 L. and fly to the ends of the earth as to Kamchatka. After arriving to the place, you can take off all the attachments and go for scouting just with the small bag. Later you can take 36 L backpack and go for hunting. You’ll be able to carry any trophy after increasing backpack's volume to 70 L. Or you can pack everything you need in 70 L. and go to the autonomous trip for several days. Or so and so.. It has lots of functions. It also has a couple of accessories. Spike Camp Duffel is the waterproof bag for 40 L which you can you as a bag for meat or to increase the total volume to 120 L or to cover the backpack when it's rain. It’s announced as to be a waterproof bag but zippers locks leak, as I’ve known during testing it. The next accessories is the holster for the carbine. It’s buckled additionally but I haven't bought it yet.
That’s all.
But I have to mention one more really good product. It's a bag-backpack produced by the Maxepedition company, model Doppelduffel Adventure Bag. It has top -loading. It’s a comfortable item to transfer\ carry things when you travel by car or by public transport. The goods of the Maxpedition company are known by their reliability. It will never be extra and I advise you to have something like that bag.
These are not all backpack I've bought during my hunting career but I've described the most used ones.
