Thread: What size pack do I need?

Originally Posted by BobbyP

I currently use a Hennessy Explorer outdoor hammock, so this means i also take a rolled up yoga mat to prevent convection. So these two items can take up a bit of space

You dont have to roll them up, they can simply be folded flat and fitted to the outside of the pack with the lid closing straps. And maybe an extra around the middle. If we stop thinking that everything that goes in to or on a pack has to be rolled, or fitted in a stuff sac, which is round, then you will find you can carry all the essentials comfortably, with the weight spread out for ease of carry.

I carry a fold up backpack in my daypack for when I get some meat, it's a Hunters Element Bluff pack - folds down really small but holds 25L, I don't know how it would handle large weights (only used for boned out fallow so far), but there's always the option of loading my gear in the Bluff and the meat in the daypack.

This is the one
https://www.hunterselement.co.nz/col...packable-pack#

Originally Posted by Husky1600

You dont have to roll them up, they can simply be folded flat and fitted to the outside of the pack with the lid closing straps. And maybe an extra around the middle. If we stop thinking that everything that goes in to or on a pack has to be rolled, or fitted in a stuff sac, which is round, then you will find you can carry all the essentials comfortably, with the weight spread out for ease of carry.

Good point. I assume you're talking about the yoga mat? I normally have it rolled up and attached to the outside of the pack but folding it flat inside the pack could work too

Originally Posted by Cigar

I carry a fold up backpack in my daypack for when I get some meat, it's a Hunters Element Bluff pack - folds down really small but holds 25L, I don't know how it would handle large weights (only used for boned out fallow so far), but there's always the option of loading my gear in the Bluff and the meat in the daypack.

This is the one
https://www.hunterselement.co.nz/col...packable-pack#

Thank you for the link, that looks awesome. So it's a fold up bag that you pull out if you need it? Also what size do you use?

My facetious answer to how big a pack should be, is the necessary size possible to fit the minimum amount of gear in it.. plus 20%. Because things don’t seem to go back in there as tightly once you leave the house!

But in all seriousness, I personally prefer a larger pack that’s a third empty with the straps pulled down tight, than a
minimum sized pack that’s crammed to capacity. What’s easy to pack and repack comfortably at home is different under the confines of a bivvy in the rain or a crowded hut when you remember your spare socks are underneath everything else.

I run a bigger pack, for the above reasons. I tie it down if a bit on the empty side. If everything aligns and I manage to drop a red while hunting I certainly enjoy being able to pack the meat away inside the pack and not having things bouncing around on the outside that can catch on things.

Originally Posted by BobbyP

Thank you for the link, that looks awesome. So it's a fold up bag that you pull out if you need it? Also what size do you use?

Yep, folds up very small (see photo), I have the 25L version.

Originally Posted by Cigar

Yep, folds up very small (see photo), I have the 25L version.
Attachment 203633

Do you think it will break with heavier loads or are you fairly confident it'll hold together?

Originally Posted by MB

Do you think it will break with heavier loads or are you fairly confident it'll hold together?

It’s pretty lightweight material, which makes me wonder how strong it is and if it would cope with a full load of meat, I might be able to tell you in the next few weeks! HE seem confident on their website.
As I mentioned earlier, I can always transfer my other gear to the bluff pack and load the meat into my 25L daypack for the carry out.