Thread: Zpacks 55ltr arc

I've tried a heap of packs and like most people find many are too small to fit much in till I took Tahr advise and got an Exped lightning now there is room for everything and an animal.
I also just use a pillow case and hose the pack out once home.
They are awesome and roll up to bugger all and attach to your big pack to walk in.


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I dont understand the modern obsession with putting warm meat in packs. What is actually wrong with just carrying the whole deer out, especially small bastards ?. I admit that they dig into the shoulders a bit after the first hour and that is why I made up a Graf frame, but they cool off and arrive home in first class condition and the whole lot gets used, shanks, neck, flaps. With bigger bastards whats wrong with carrying a set of hind quarters on the shoulders and going back for the rest ?
Fair enough if the deer has been hung up overnight and cooled, to skin it and quarter for the carry but putting warm meat in a pack makes no sense to me. Maybe it's just my back round in food safety ?

https://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=i&ur...AAAAAdAAAAABAU

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

I dont understand the modern obsession with putting warm meat in packs. What is actually wrong with just carrying the whole deer out, especially small bastards ?. I admit that they dig into the shoulders a bit after the first hour and that is why I made up a Graf frame, but they cool off and arrive home in first class condition and the whole lot gets used, shanks, neck, flaps. With bigger bastards whats wrong with carrying a set of hind quarters on the shoulders and going back for the rest ?
Fair enough if the deer has been hung up overnight and cooled, to skin it and quarter for the carry but putting warm meat in a pack makes no sense to me. Maybe it's just my back round in food safety ?

Hi Moa Hunter,

I've never carried an entire deer out and I can honestly say I never will. I'd rather leave all the weight in bones / skin etc in the hills. Then I don't need to think about dealing with the disposal of such things, nature will take care of that. And more importantly, my bodies wellbeing and its longevity is extremely important to me as a bush worker. I'm a skinny lightweight fella, if I slip a disk trying to haul out half the animals weight in stuff I won't use, it's totally pointless. I won't risk my lifestyle and livelihood for a marginally better steak on the BBQ. If you can get enough venison that you don't need to scrape the bones for everything I wouldn't bother carrying a whole animal even 1km to a vehicle. For myself it's just sensible... But I can't say it will be the same for yourself or anyone else.

Regards,
Joel

I used to always carry out the whole bodies and even now I still prefer to leave the skin on and legs whole if I can that's why I need a bigger pack.
My meat is always hung to cool and I make up a sleeve of net curtain to slip over the whole deer or legs well hanging to cool.
Then into the day pack to collect on the way back to camp.

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Originally Posted by 25 /08 IMP

I used to always carry out the whole bodies and even now I still prefer to leave the skin on and legs whole if I can that's why I need a bigger pack.
My meat is always hung to cool and I make up a sleeve of net curtain to slip over the whole deer or legs well hanging to cool.
Then into the day pack to collect on the way back to camp.

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Have you considered making up a frame for carrying meat that will also carry a smaller day pack ? We modify all sorts gear for hunting but packs seem to be Tabu. I reckon one of these would be a good harness https://www.googleadservices.com/pag...gQIBBBQ&adurl=

My clothes get bloodied and dirty and they wash out just fine. So does my pack. I use a Kuiu meat bag which is just a flash pillowcase.
I'd also never bother to lug a bunch of skin and bones of of the hills. I will trim everything that is not prime and anything blood shot or bruised can stay on the hill. This usually means both back legs, back steaks plus the heart and eye fillets go home with me, other than that the rest is left for the vultures to pick over.
I've better things to do than to fund a chiropractors holidays, plus being urban disposing of bones and skin is a PITA.

These work well. But carrying a whole deer is a mugs game if you can avoid it.



Yes - I know where my hand is. Chamber empty and checked several times.



There's a boned out stag minus one shot up shoulder in this load. Brian had a stag on board too. Carried them straight uo hill for and hour in the hot sun, then an hour before we got to the hut to hang it. Meat was fine boned hot - as it always is. Just keep plastic away from it.

I dont shoot a lot of deer these days. Six since lockdown, Two 90 kilo stags two 70 kilo 2yr old stags and two spikers. All carried out, one stag cut in half. From that, one deer had a damaged shoulder, which was discarded but the rest just a bit of trim, so it was well worth the effort. I have got mates now carrying out the necks and hearts who say that they will never leave another neck on the hill. I give most of it away and with the cost of meat it seems wrong to leave good meat behind that could be used by someone.
It's not hard to do, I am 56 and only about 80kg if I can carry a deer you young blokes in your prime could do it with ease

Thanks Thar, I always bone them out on the hill . I have learnt the hard way that whole body carries can be hard on the body and now i have had my shoulder rebuilt twice i wont even think about .And you can get all the good meat into a pack and leave very little behind.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

I dont shoot a lot of deer these days. Six since lockdown, Two 90 kilo stags two 70 kilo 2yr old stags and two spikers. All carried out, one stag cut in half. From that, one deer had a damaged shoulder, which was discarded but the rest just a bit of trim, so it was well worth the effort. I have got mates now carrying out the necks and hearts who say that they will never leave another neck on the hill. I give most of it away and with the cost of meat it seems wrong to leave good meat behind that could be used by someone.
It's not hard to do, I am 56 and only about 80kg if I can carry a deer you young blokes in your prime could do it with ease

You are a young bloke. Start worrying about carrying shit when you are 72.

Originally Posted by Tahr

You are a young bloke. Start worrying about carrying shit when you are 72.

Ha ha what about Egon, carrying one out at 84 - makes you a young bloke too Tahr!
Personally I think that shooting one at last light and carrying it back to camp / ridge etc and hanging it up overnight is a lot faster, easier and cleaner than mucking around in the dark trying to cut it up where it fell. Some might get a surprise at how much meat there is on the front end and how good it is.

If that's the video I'm thinking of, Egon carrying out a 100kg stag at the age of 84 is just being stupid! And some would probably say irresponsible of his sons to let him or encourage it. You can do something a thousand times perfectly but only takes one mistake to bugger your body into your latter years. That's why I won't hunt with anyone who doesn't use a suppressor now, you get one set of ears, and my ears happen to be my money makers. I know a couple of big strong guys that injured their backs because they decided to carry out a whole deer. It really is pointless I think. What does the person do with the spine, ribs, femurs etc, short of bones for a dog it's a lot of kg's of dead weight that you don't want at the end of the day. I will and occasionally carry the hind quarters bone in back to camp to hang for a night or two. But if I'm doing that I'm only going to be carrying the back wheels and backsteaks. Probably a bit off topic sorry wayno...
Joel

Bloody hell Joel, your only 30 - in your prime. At 30 mates and I could finish a days shearing, building etc run up a hill shoot a deer, carry it out be home by 2am, shag the Mrs twice and be up raring to go to work at 6am
Maybe you need a good big feed of neck chops

That deer Egon has is way short of 100 kg, maybe 100 with the guts in.
My point in all this is meat doesnt need an expensive pack to carry it out. I am concerned that a lot of young guys dont actually know how to cleanly gut an animal or inspect it and seem to think that putting meat in a pack is the only way to carry it.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

Bloody hell Joel, your only 30 - in your prime. At 30 mates and I could finish a days shearing, building etc run up a hill shoot a deer, carry it out be home by 2am, shag the Mrs twice and be up raring to go to work at 6am
Maybe you need a good big feed of neck chops

That deer Egon has is way short of 100 kg, maybe 100 with the guts in.
My point in all this is meat doesnt need an expensive pack to carry it out. I am concerned that a lot of young guys dont actually know how to cleanly gut an animal or inspect it and seem to think that putting meat in a pack is the only way to carry it.

I work on the theory whatever works for you. We all have our valid reasons/excuses/fitness whatever. Be proud of what you do/achieve. Offer up alternatives based on your experiences. Don’t harsh another’s mellow that’s all.


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Thanks Moa Hunter,

Yes I'm young and fit, a lot more than most, but more importantly I'm sensible ha ha. I'll keep choosing my knees and back over being a hero

Regards,
Joel