How to Choose the Right Hunting Backpack

Hunting is a gear-intensive activity, and practically every hunter needs a pack to transport all the tech, callers, layers, first aid supplies, and processing tools in and out of the field. It’ll hopefully help you carry meat out as well. Fortunately for hunters, hunting pack design has progressed immensely over time. Hunting brands offer well-designed, ergonomic packs that fit well for long journeys with high loads. Innovative, sport-specific storage for necessities like bows, rifles, optics, sleeping gear, meat, and more is also a feature of modern hunting packs.

How Do I Choose a Hunting Backpack?

A person is out in the wilderness carrying a quality hunting backpack
source: backwoodspursuit.com

While almost any backpack will work, ideally, you’ll want a pack specific to the kind of game you prefer, how long you want to spend in the field, and your hunting technique. Although an all-purpose backpack can serve its purpose, it’s best to have specific storage for the items you must always carry and be able to get quickly when needed.

Many expert reviewers say you can’t choose the correct pack until you try them all. The thing is, normal people have budgets and specialised options aren’t inexpensive. Also, you need other hunting equipment, so you can’t spend all your money on extra backpacks. Thankfully, many hunting brands and online stores offer helpful size charts and detailed specs to help you pick the correct fit. Here are the most important factors to consider when choosing the right backpack.

Purpose

Many quality hunting backpack varieties are available in the market: some are more suited for hunting small animals, while others are more appropriate for big game hunting. Certain packs are designed primarily with turkey hunters in mind, and others are more geared towards upland bird hunters. There is a backpack that matches any hunting task you need to accomplish in the field.

Out of all those categories, large game hunting backpacks are the subject of the most enquiries about their application. Not to add, hunters have far higher expectations than for others. In addition to holding the necessities for your time in the field, big game backpacks are designed to store the target large game animal, which is ideally the one you’ll be tagging.

The design of these backpacks prioritises organisation and comfort. Most large backpacks for hunting have an internal frame supporting incredibly weighty loads, significantly improving them over a typical backpack. Backpacking with most of these large game packs is possible because they’re backcountry-suitable. Big game hunters are typically the ones who venture into the backcountry, so this is more of a size issue than anything else, but it’s still important to note.

Functionality

Efficiency is equal to functionality. You’ll be more effective in the field if your backpack suits your hunting style and needs. Think about details like:

  • Top entry versus horseshoe-style zippers;
  • Having a cover versus not having one;
  • Hydration capability;
  • Additional pockets (if you’re an organised person, a bag with additional pockets would be more appropriate);
  • Do you plan to carry your firearm in your backpack or not? For this, certain backpacks work better than others. In addition, the waist belt should have a place where your pistol’s holster can be attached if you carry a sidearm.

Suspension Systems

A backpack is a collection of components designed to make carrying big loads more comfortable. The lumbar pad, waist belt, sternum strap and shoulder straps, the frame, and the load lifters make this chain. When used correctly, these items can help distribute weight evenly.

It’s best to carry most of your weight around your waist. The sternum strap does nothing more than hold the width of the shoulder straps in place while the shoulder straps support a small amount of weight. Ultimately, the load lifters will assist in further “lifting the load” off your shoulders. Additionally, they’ll help tighten the load against your back.

Since all these components are interdependent, you must understand how to put on a backpack correctly if you want it to perform at its best. Even if you have the most outstanding backpack, it won’t do any good if you don’t wear it correctly.

Materials

one of the many quality hunting backpack varieties of material on the market
source: meromero.fr

Similar to how hunting apparel has advanced, modern hunters have benefited immensely from new materials and coatings that make packs more resilient, lighter, and waterproof than their ancestors. However, don’t examine the materials used in a pack with the same level of detail as you do a hunting jacket. Although a pack’s water-repellent coating is useful, most prefer a rain cover instead, and many packs have rain covers built in.

Hauling Loads

Lastly, a hunting backpack must support the weighty load of your meat and equipment. The most popular method is to strap it between the two and separate the bag from the frame. That’s what you want, the biggest weight closest to your back. Additionally, it helps you fit all your gear—day packing or backpacking—into the backpack’s main bag section.

Additionally, some packs aren’t attached to the frame; they will function just fine, but bear in mind a few factors. First, you might need more room in your rucksack for meat if you’re backpacking. Second, transporting meat likely results in bloodstains on other equipment inside the bag.

Whichever manner the pack has to transport meat, it must be able to do so and maintain enough containment throughout. Straps must stay tight, buckles must stay locked, and the structure must remain strong.

To Sum Up

A proper backpack will only benefit you, regardless of your goals—day hunting from your truck or venturing into the bush. Ensure you acquire the correct bag for you by doing your research and trying on as many as possible. Undoubtedly, your encounter will be more joyful, especially if you successfully notch that tag.