Eberlestock Blue Widow

[BobcatJerry]

I have a Blue Widow and love it. I am 6'3" and 260 Pounds with a very long torso. So long that the adjustments for a proper pack fit for my Cabelas Alaskan Outfitter was 3" short of where it should have been for me. I have also had my L3 and L4 vertebrae fused due to the stress over the years. I had a Badlands 2200 and wasn't impressed. It was alright. I couldn't even get my hands in the zipper pocket without feeling like I was getting skinned, as I have big hands too. I use it to hall the base camp in, unloaded it and I have my day pack for the week. It was cooler than the 2200 for me. It is really a well thought out pack, for getting in, day packing it, and getting your game out, which I haven't been able to test yet. It is easy to get into and keep organized, due to the many compartments. Lots of accessories too. I purchased mine at promotive.com but you need to be a member of one of the groups. Military and law enforcement groups are available. Got a super deal. Ebelestock people were very helpful too. I'm a loyal user,but as any pack, proper adjustments are essential, they walked me through the process. You carry the weight on your hips and use the elevator straps for comfort.

 

[mconway951]

I got a blue widow last year I am 6'5" 225lbs and it fit me great it went on my antleope and mule deer trip with me this year hauled out both my bucks in one trip and was very comfortable. I have loaded it up with my tent and bag and all supplies to test it out for my backcountry hunt this spring for bears and hiked several miles with it and the super spike duffel with extra clothes and food and once you adjust the aluminum braces and fit it right to your back it is amazingly comfy. I would not trade this pack for any other that i have ever owned or tried on.

 

[miller1]

I have the BW and i am 6" and 190# with a 20" torso, i have the harness adjusted down almost to the bottom and the load lifters are at a 45deg angle, fits me very well.

 

[Firearrow]

I am 6'1" and used my BW last year on my elk hunt. If used as a 5-6 day pack the extra duffle bag weight gets put away from your core, not really to my liking. It doesn't fit me, load lifters are just below the top of my shoulders. But when I loaded that sucker up with a lot of dead elk, it could haul some weight, and was very stable. All the staps tightend down the load, and I didn't hear on sound that made me think that pack was going to fail. The BW is a good meat hauler, or LONG DAY PACK. To bad they dont make the BW for longer torso people. I am looking at getting a Kafaru Timberline 2. Not cheap, but it is like a expensive boots. Worth every penny if it fits you right, and works good.

 

[Haisen]

I don't have the BW, but I have the Just One. I'm 6'1" with about 18 1/2 to 19" torso length and I use the second to top notch on the torso adjustment, so the load lifters don't quite work like they are supposed. However, the Eberlestock packs still have better fit than the Badlands packs, mostly because Badlands doesn't make a small sized waistbelt.

I'm sure the BW packs loads better than the Just One pack, simply because it holds the load that much closer to the back and has a stiffer frame. Personally, I really like the feel of my Badlands 4500. It holds the load in place very well making for a very stable load exactly where you want it; however, the custom small waistbelt began to rip when loaded with 110 lbs. I do not believe that would have occurred if I had a waist size of 32" or more. My 28" waist does not allow for a perfectly conformed fit around my waist, causing a slight buckle next to the polycarbonate stays where the rip started. It seems that the Eberlestock line of packs are designed for smaller framed individuals, while the Badlands line is for larger framed individuals. When possible, it is really beneficial to try on packs before deciding on which one to buy.

I have no experience with Kifaru or Mystery Ranch, but have heard great thing about both. The main difference between MR and Kifaru vs. the other brands like Eberlestock, Badlands, and Blacks Creek is that the MR and Kifaru are made to fit the individual, rather than the one size fits most idea. The one size fits most works well for the majority, but fails to perform for individuals like me who do not fall under the typical size category.

I have been researching, reading, and debating between packs. I have definitely narrowed it down to Kifaru and Mystery Ranch. I love how light the Kifaru UL 3700 and 5200, not to mention it has an insane comfortable load capacity for its weight. However, I plan on buying the Mystery Ranch Nice Frame & Load Sling combo. I started a thread explaining my reasoning and planned set-up for it if you are curious.

I doubt you will be disappointed in choosing the Kifaru and I hope to hear how it performs and fits if you decide to buy it.

 

[outdoors4life]

So how does the BW work for a small framed person. I am 5 foot 5 with a 32 inch waist. Just seeing what everyone thinks.

 

[Grantbvfd]

So how does the BW work for a small framed person. I am 5 foot 5 with a 32 inch waist. Just seeing what everyone thinks.

Should work well for your size. I believe the smallest size the waistbelt goes down to is 32". I was going to get one one and I am 5'10 34" waist and a 18" torso. The BW fit me well but I decided to go with a Mystery Ranch Nice 6500. I absolutely love this pack! Extremely well made and built with the hunter in mind.

 

[Fink]

So how does the BW work for a small framed person. I am 5 foot 5 with a 32 inch waist. Just seeing what everyone thinks.

Outdoors- We are both about the same size. I just bought the Blue Widow, because I felt like it fit my frame the best out of the packs that I was able to try on.. A friend of mine has a BL 4500, and while it is an awesome pack, it is GIANT! Far to big for little guys like us. I haven't had an opportunity to get mine out and use it yet, but I did jam it full of about 75-80 pounds of gear, just to get the feel for it. I think I'm really going to like it. The only concern I think I may have is if I have to buy the additional spike camp duffel, the pack will be extended pretty far out from my body.

 

[Grantbvfd]

Outdoors- We are both about the same size. I just bought the Blue Widow, because I felt like it fit my frame the best out of the packs that I was able to try on.. A friend of mine has a BL 4500, and while it is an awesome pack, it is GIANT! Far to big for little guys like us. I haven't had an opportunity to get mine out and use it yet, but I did jam it full of about 75-80 pounds of gear, just to get the feel for it. I think I'm really going to like it. The only concern I think I may have is if I have to buy the additional spike camp duffel, the pack will be extended pretty far out from my body.

This was a major concern for me as well. You can fill that spike duffel up with really lightweight things but anything heavy you need as close to your back as possible. IMO if you get this pack you really need to watch how you pack this pack.

It can be used for 3+ day hunts but the spike duffel shouldn't be used for your camp. Your camp is typically your heaviest part of your gear until you get an animal down.

 

[Bitterroot Bulls]

I always put the spike duffel in the meat compartment to get the weight near my back, and only put it on the outside when the meat compartment was filled with ... well ... meat. Worked OK for me. I think I like the Kuiu system better, though.

 

[dead river]

bw pack

I got my BW from Steve Speck last year and he is great to deal with. I found it functional, well laid out, quiet and tough. The only problem i had with it was that i did not like the way the rifle rounded off the flexible pack frame and made it protrude into my back against my spine. I had no problem with untill i got under heavy load with the rifle in the scabbard (add on down the middle).

I may go back to a side mount scabbard....

 

[Whisky]

Another happy Blue Widow user here. When I first got the pack it didn't feel all that good, even after adjusting and fitting it. I ended up taking out them aluminum shoulder supports and it seemed to really make a difference for me. I used it extensively last rifle season, weighing in at 38lbs I think (rifle, spotter, etc), and it is a well designed pack. Very versatile for bow or rifle, day pack or spike. Just hike in your spike camp, drop the extra baggage, and you have a wonderful day pack. Unfortunately I never had to haul meat with it yet, so I can't speak to that.