eaglemountainman

My whole life I've been a very minimalist kind of hunter. Rifle, knife, deer drag, compass, maybe some scent and some candy bars and/or jerky. Now that I'm retired, I intend to do at least one western or Canadian hunt a year. I'm thinking of investing in a good day pack to carry the additional gear that kind of hunt would require. Things like extra clothes to swap in and out with weather conditions, spotting scope and tripod, small first aid kit, water, lunch etc. I've been looking real hard at the Mystery Ranch Pop Up 28, (it gets great reviews), with a lot of interest in the Eberlestock X2, (also great reviews). Both seem like they would be excellent packs for my intended purpose. Both have meat shelves for hauling quarters or boned out game, and the Pop Up even has an innovative expanding frame to help accommodate the extra load. I'm pretty sure I'm going to pull the trigger on the MR Pop Up, but before I do, I thought I'd see what y'all are using and might recommend. Though it was only introduced in 2018, I wonder if anyone has hunted with one yet. I have zero experience hunting with a day pack and value the opinions of others more knowledgeable than me. www.youtube.com/watch?v=XF_8hF8J4eM

Seems I remember, about 20 years or so ago, there was an outfitter that did back country horse camps deep in the Adirondacks with big canvas wall tents and the whole 9 yards.

The X2 looks like a terrific pack, also. It was actually the front runner until a friend suggested I check out the Pop Up 28. At $100 less, it might still get the nod.

I don't use a day pack for still hunting whitetails in the Catskills, but I've booked a pronghorn hunt in Wyoming for this October, and think that I should have a pack. I need something to carry addition clothes so I can change out with the weather conditions, a tripod for my binos, lunch/snacks/water, a kill kit and whatever else might find its way in there. I've been giving a hard look at the Mystery Ranch, Pop Up 28. It seems like a perfect size and has an overload expanding feature. You can even use that feature, along with a minimalist internal frame and meat shelf, to haul meat. At $279, its seems a bit spendy, but I have yet to see a bad review. And since I intend to do a western hunt every year, now that I'm retired, I'm kinda thinking buy once, cry once. Curious as to to what y'all are using, and if anyone here has any experience with the Pop Up 28.

You're probably right. I retired and got the hell out of NY a couple of years ago.

I go on AmmoSeek to find the best deals. Usually Academy, Graf and Son, Grabagun....

At first casual glance, I thought he was shooting from a cannabus grow.

I'm going with Tangle Ridge Outfitters. If I have a good experience, I'll book a Muley hunt for next year before I leave. I've been messaging with a few guys who have been repeat clients there for years. They all have nothing but good things to say, and are booked again this year. That's exactly what I'm looking for, a place that I can return to and feel comfortable year after year.

Me too. I'm a retired IBEW electrician and have a great pension plus 401K and other annuities. But the SS makes a nice boost. Thirteen years is a long time just to break even, but what ever works for each individual is what matters.

I have to draw, and I don't know much about it, but outfitter says there are 2 types of draw and the pricier one is just about a lock.

At 62, I got while the gettin' was good. At 24K a year, it would take some time to break even. i'm using that money this year on a Wyoming pronghorn hunt, and next year on a Wyoming mule deer hunt.

22 Savage Hi Power

Finally started tiling the bathroom I gutted down to the studs two weeks ago. 12x24's go up fast. Wish I was up in NY on a snow machine.

Nutrisystem Margherita pizza.

Hey, they're your guns. You do what you want with them. Me, I treat firearms like puppies. Once I get one home, I just can't bring myself to give it up.

Would drilling and blasting have been an option? Good luck with your project. Your kids and you are gonna build some great memories. I have a 5ac pond on my property in Maine that was built way before I bought the place in '05. There are brookies up to 2+ lbs and I let the local kids play hockey on it.

That was a real knucklehead maneuver. He got a free one.

That looks as good as the Italian pork store near me. I'm salivating !

He also played Daniel Boone in the 60's.

Yep

I feel your pain. Mine was raised on Long Island, like me, but has lived in Florida for the last 40 years. Her comfort zone is 78 - 85. Most of the year it sounds like I have a fire siren constantly blaring in my head.

It's that GD Donald Trump's fault!

Always sad news. So sorry to hear. My condolences to you and the family.

That's basically what we do, only we take the top and bottom off a coffee can and slide it over the pipe. Then put the peanut butter on that.

Yep. Been using one of these for years at our club. No need to be there to reset snap traps - works all winter while nobody is at camp. In the spring, we just empty the bucket, replace the RV antifreeze (which is safer for the environment ) and peanut butter. It's a better mouse trap.