I recently purchased this frame along with the F2 Transformer pack, the scoped rifle scabbard, and the J type dry bag. This is just a preliminary review, I haven't put enough miles or use on it yet to give a thorough review. This is more my initial thoughts after a few hours use.
I'll review the frame first here.
The frame is narrower than many others I've tried. It makes it much nicer to use while carrying a rifle slung over my shoulder. The straps secure a load well, and the load lifters work better than on any other Eberlestock product I’ve used. I think it’s due to the solid frame instead of stays in the pack. I spent some time walking with it today with a 50lb bag of cattle mineral on it and experienced no real discomfort or sore spots. It did an excellent job. I really like that the pack doesn't have a tall frame sticking out past my head. That isn't an issue above timberline, but for most of the tags I end up drawing for elk or muleys I'm hunting in thicker stuff like burns and oakbrush. Not having my pack snagging on stuff is a big deal there. The scoped rifle scabbard attached easily and solidly to the webbing and does its job just fine.
After testing the frame I attached the F2 pack and tried it as a daypack. The F2 Transformer pack will zip to the F1 Mainframe. With the F2 zipped on and the pack loaded, the scabbard was compressed to much to get a rifle into the scabbard. The zippers work great if you don’t plan to add a scabbard the the set-up, but don’t work if you do. I unzipped the pack and used the compression straps made to buckle from the F1 to the F2 and it worked fine this way. I was a little skeptical the pack would attach solidly enough this way to not rattle or have side to side play, but it worked fine. The straps are long enough that I know I could put an elk quarter, and think I could put a moose quarter between the frame and pack and carry the first load out that way. Following loads I’d leave the F2 at camp or the truck and just use the F1.
Eberlestock uses a very quiet material for their hunting packs compared to some I tried. The Kuiu Ultra series in particular is a noisy fabric. I like their products, just not that pack.
The F2 Transformer is designed to function as a separate daypack also. In my opinion this just adds unnecessary straps and buckles that add unnecessary weight. This is so a hunter could leave the F1 frame at camp and just day-hunt with the F2 as a daypack. I don’t think I would ever do this, and doubt many other people would also. The advantage of using this set-up is that you can pack meat out on the frame first trip. Leaving the frame at camp takes this advantage away. I plan to remove the shoulder harness as well as several of the straps and buckles from mine after a few more test hikes. Just removing the shoulder harness dropped 10.6oz from the F2, I am sure I can reduce the weight at least a pound without effecting it’s function with the frame. I saw a review on Youtube by Travis Rockwell where he did exactly what I plan to.
If the packframe isn’t necessary for the hunt I prefer other packs like the J34 or X1A2. The X1A2 is my favorite daypack I have tried, and if I need more room or want to be able to pack a quarter first trip the J34 is my choice. Both are lighter weight and great packs, they just lack the solid frame for really heavy loads. In the past I've used my J34 for the first trip on elk hunts, and went back in with my Cabelas Alaskan frame for later loads. That has worked well for day hunts like that. If I was planning lots of longer high country backpack hunts I might go with a Kifaru Duplex and bag, but for what I'm doing I think a 26" frame would be more awkward to get through the thick cover and get left at home a lot. I don't have enough points built up for the hunts like that I want, maybe someday!
I purchased the set-up reviewed here for a drop camp Alaskan moose hunt I have booked in a couple years. We can only take so much weight on the plane in to our hunt and this set-up lets me take only one pack, not a daypack and a big separate frame. I have a mule deer and elk hunt planned between not and then I can test it on, plus lots of conditioning hikes. I think it will do an excellent job and plan to review it again several times between now and after the Alaska trip.
I'll review the frame first here.
The frame is narrower than many others I've tried. It makes it much nicer to use while carrying a rifle slung over my shoulder. The straps secure a load well, and the load lifters work better than on any other Eberlestock product I’ve used. I think it’s due to the solid frame instead of stays in the pack. I spent some time walking with it today with a 50lb bag of cattle mineral on it and experienced no real discomfort or sore spots. It did an excellent job. I really like that the pack doesn't have a tall frame sticking out past my head. That isn't an issue above timberline, but for most of the tags I end up drawing for elk or muleys I'm hunting in thicker stuff like burns and oakbrush. Not having my pack snagging on stuff is a big deal there. The scoped rifle scabbard attached easily and solidly to the webbing and does its job just fine.
After testing the frame I attached the F2 pack and tried it as a daypack. The F2 Transformer pack will zip to the F1 Mainframe. With the F2 zipped on and the pack loaded, the scabbard was compressed to much to get a rifle into the scabbard. The zippers work great if you don’t plan to add a scabbard the the set-up, but don’t work if you do. I unzipped the pack and used the compression straps made to buckle from the F1 to the F2 and it worked fine this way. I was a little skeptical the pack would attach solidly enough this way to not rattle or have side to side play, but it worked fine. The straps are long enough that I know I could put an elk quarter, and think I could put a moose quarter between the frame and pack and carry the first load out that way. Following loads I’d leave the F2 at camp or the truck and just use the F1.
Eberlestock uses a very quiet material for their hunting packs compared to some I tried. The Kuiu Ultra series in particular is a noisy fabric. I like their products, just not that pack.
The F2 Transformer is designed to function as a separate daypack also. In my opinion this just adds unnecessary straps and buckles that add unnecessary weight. This is so a hunter could leave the F1 frame at camp and just day-hunt with the F2 as a daypack. I don’t think I would ever do this, and doubt many other people would also. The advantage of using this set-up is that you can pack meat out on the frame first trip. Leaving the frame at camp takes this advantage away. I plan to remove the shoulder harness as well as several of the straps and buckles from mine after a few more test hikes. Just removing the shoulder harness dropped 10.6oz from the F2, I am sure I can reduce the weight at least a pound without effecting it’s function with the frame. I saw a review on Youtube by Travis Rockwell where he did exactly what I plan to.
If the packframe isn’t necessary for the hunt I prefer other packs like the J34 or X1A2. The X1A2 is my favorite daypack I have tried, and if I need more room or want to be able to pack a quarter first trip the J34 is my choice. Both are lighter weight and great packs, they just lack the solid frame for really heavy loads. In the past I've used my J34 for the first trip on elk hunts, and went back in with my Cabelas Alaskan frame for later loads. That has worked well for day hunts like that. If I was planning lots of longer high country backpack hunts I might go with a Kifaru Duplex and bag, but for what I'm doing I think a 26" frame would be more awkward to get through the thick cover and get left at home a lot. I don't have enough points built up for the hunts like that I want, maybe someday!
I purchased the set-up reviewed here for a drop camp Alaskan moose hunt I have booked in a couple years. We can only take so much weight on the plane in to our hunt and this set-up lets me take only one pack, not a daypack and a big separate frame. I have a mule deer and elk hunt planned between not and then I can test it on, plus lots of conditioning hikes. I think it will do an excellent job and plan to review it again several times between now and after the Alaska trip.