Eberlestock Just one vs DragonFly

[DoKnowHarm]

I am seriously studying DIY hunting the West as well as starting to assemble equipment where my whitetail gear won't be sufficent. One of the first big hurdles I have come across is my pack. I am well versed on backpacks from my hiking and backpacking background.
My question is regarding the Eberlestock Just One and the Dragonfly. I am looking for a pack that will be suititble for 1 man for 3-7 days alone hunting from a spike camp. I see that most people reccomend the 4900C.I dragonfly as the Ultimate DIY pack. But the Just One is over a pound lighter and has 4600C.I. is there a sizable difference between these two packs? Why would so many people reeccomend the far heavier pack to gain such little room? The big difference I see is the removable fanny pack on the Dragonfly. Is that the only difference between These two packs? Which one do you think will suit my needs better?

Thanks for the help,
Bryan

 

[Dos Perros]

I've honestly never understood the hubbub around both Eberlestock and Badlands packs as overnight backpacking packs. They are heavy in comparison to traditional backpacking packs. They do have some additional features with real benefits (and are quite well made), for example the material is usually much quieter than backpacking packs. And you do get camo, and sometimes a scabbard or other dedicated way of carrying a weapon. I've owned both brands, and will continue to do so for my day packs. But when I gotta go far, I go lighter.

Anyway, whichever way you go, I don't know if 4900 is good enough for 7 days in cold weather. But I'm sure 4600 is just fine for 3 days in warm weather.

 

[DoKnowHarm]

I get what you are saying about the backpacking vs the hunting packs. The big difference for me is the material and the load bearing ability. I use an ultralight backpack from osprey. The limit of that pack is less than 40 pounds. The materials and the construction are suited for ultralight hiking only. It would not be a suitable pack for hauling meat. One of the sacrifices made to save weight on that pack is the materials it is made out of. They are light weight but would not last being dragged through the bushes and having rifles shot off of it.
Regarding the space issue. I generally use a 60L pack for 6 days of backpacking. It is a rough guess that I might have 15L worth of hunting gear and warmer clothes. If I ever need more room I am also considering the Eberlestock super spike duffle to add to the just one to bump it up to a 7000C.I pack. The duffle would carry food and clothes and be left at spike camp while hunting.

 

[Dos Perros]

That's a good point about the meat. I have planned to get what I could to the truck, with some gear, on the first trip, and then use a different pack for the bigger loads of meat. I have a Deuter 65+10 pack that I'm using to train with, loaded to about 60 pounds (dog food and sand bags), and it's holding up okay so far. Deuter doesn't specifically put a weight limit on their packs like I guess Osprey does, but I would guess construction to be similar. I think my Deuter is even a shade lighter than the comparable Osprey, which is the main reason I got it.

Back to the original question...if it were up to me, I'd give up the 300ci (that's only 7"x7"x7"), save the pound, and strap stuff to the outside (like your sleeping pad) or between the lid and the main body (jacket/gloves/beanie) if I had to.

Also, FWIW, I figure an extra 11 pounds of hunting specific gear for archery hunting...just the stuff I only take because I am hunting as opposed to backpacking (bow, arrows, release, rangefinder, binos, cleaning kit, and pistol/ammo).

 

[7shot]

I have the Eberlestock J34 or just one pack and love it. I use it for bow, or rifle hunting and also have used the spike duffle and it makes a huge pack. I've packed out bears, elk and heavy camps in and out. It does not even begin to show signs of wear or tear. I really like the gun scavard and how easy it is to strap my bow to the back. I purchased the extra straps for the back for use with the duffle, they basically lengthen the back cinch straps and let you secure the wide load if necessary. I have not used the other pack, so I can't say if it is just as good or better, but I'm sure happy with my J34. The western slope camo is real cool, just make sure you gps where you drop your pack while hunting, or you might lose it.

 

[kiddwinner]

I had the same dilemma and ended up going with the dragonfly and I like it very much