tim
Veteran member
the just one may not be the ultimate backpacking pack. But for just basic hunting it works well.
Not the biggest load ever, but I sure was happy.
Not the biggest load ever, but I sure was happy.
Pack for Alaska moose hunt
- Thread starter mcseal2
- Start date
I haven't gone on the moose hunt yet, it's not until next September but I did have the opportunity to try out a 2017 model Exo pack and now own one with both the 2000 and 3500 bag. It will be going on the moose hunt. I was pleasantly surprised when training for this years mule deer hunt how well it handled loads of 50-90lbs. I was even more impressed with how well it moves with me when using it as a daypack. I used it for the muley scouting trip, hunting trip, and whitetail season. While I did not get to pack meat with it (muley hunt was unsuccessful & whitetail I could drive to) I did get to use it for a lot of days. I like the optics pockets that can also hold my rifle. I like the roll top so I can access my warm layers after walking into a whitetail stand without zipper noise. I like how light it its. I haven't owned a Kifaru, Mystery Ranch, or Stone Glacier, but this pack is one of the most versatile I've found. I miss the scabbard and quieter material of the Eberlestock packs but love the lighter weight and lay-out other than that.
alaska2go
Active Member
Dude ! A 50" bull moose hind leg with the bone in will weigh will over 125lbs. A 60" bull 150lbs +. These aint no deer !! Or elk for that matter. I packed out a 67" bull antlers w/ the skull caped & it weighed 73 lbs. A big bull moose back strap is 5 ft long or longer. Then you have tusiks Its like walking on bowling balls. So make or bring walking sticks. My advise is bring along a light heavy weight MMA fighter that is in awesome shape and make him pack it out 
Honestly, a Alaskan/yukon moose is like killing a horse that is 16 hands or bigger.
If you are flown in keep a quiet camp w/ no fires & call the bulls in close to camp. It is rather boring but effective.
I wish you the best of luck & good hunting
Honestly, a Alaskan/yukon moose is like killing a horse that is 16 hands or bigger.
If you are flown in keep a quiet camp w/ no fires & call the bulls in close to camp. It is rather boring but effective.
I wish you the best of luck & good hunting
I hear you, ever since I booked this hunt in 2015 I can't ride my ranch horses without thinking of what it would be like to pack one out on my back. They are all Quarter horses that are around 15 hands and 1150 to 1300lbs. I think about carrying one out and how many trips it would take. Don't tell them, they might take offense to my thinking!Dude ! A 50" bull moose hind leg with the bone in will weigh will over 125lbs. A 60" bull 150lbs +. These aint no deer !! Or elk for that matter. I packed out a 67" bull antlers w/ the skull caped & it weighed 73 lbs. A big bull moose back strap is 5 ft long or longer. Then you have tusiks Its like walking on bowling balls. So make or bring walking sticks. My advise is bring along a light heavy weight MMA fighter that is in awesome shape and make him pack it out
Honestly, a Alaskan/yukon moose is like killing a horse that is 16 hands or bigger.
If you are flown in keep a quiet camp w/ no fires & call the bulls in close to camp. It is rather boring but effective.
I wish you the best of luck & good hunting
It's not illegal to split the hind quarters even if they have to be bone in I found out. I think rather than having 100+lb packs I might take that option.
I'm damn sure taking my trekking poles. If I didn't have a 100lb weight limit per man from the transporter I'd take the MMA fighter too! Since all my gear has to be under that weight limit even if I took a small MMA fighter I'd have to eat him if I didn't get a moose right away. He might take offense to that and my whole hunt might go to hell. Guess I'd better just man up and pack meat myself and do my best to shoot a moose where it's not to bad to pack out. Better to get whipped by moose quarters than midget MMA fighters I hope? Easier on the self esteem at least.
Hey McSeal:
I did a drop in caribou hunt north of Dillingham Alaska back in 2005. We hunted Wood-Tikchik State Park. They flew us in, dropped off on a lake with two pontoon rafts (we inflated them, put together). Camped and rafted 60+ miles down river, stopping and hunting along the way. 7-day hunt.
Saw two guys in rafts on the river a few times...didn't talk with them, but did notice later in the week they had game bags. Passed each other a few times during that week. They got a nice moose...killed him near the river, so they quartered and loaded in to the rafts.
Both of our groups ended up on the same island in middle of a large lake, waiting to be picked up by float planes. We shared stories, cooked up moose and caribou tenderloin.
I used the Alaskan Guide pack (it's only been used on that trip). Worked well for packing out quarters.
Great adventure. That was the very first time I had ever camped. Got to see northern lights, and some great scenery.
A few pictures...
Our plane. I read on-line the plane crashed a few years later, killing pilot.
A much younger version of me : )
Buddy and his 'bou
My buddy and the other groups Moose.
One thing I wasn't expecting, how difficult it was to walk on the tundra / muskeg. Enjoy the preparation for your trip. Keep us posted.
I did a drop in caribou hunt north of Dillingham Alaska back in 2005. We hunted Wood-Tikchik State Park. They flew us in, dropped off on a lake with two pontoon rafts (we inflated them, put together). Camped and rafted 60+ miles down river, stopping and hunting along the way. 7-day hunt.
Saw two guys in rafts on the river a few times...didn't talk with them, but did notice later in the week they had game bags. Passed each other a few times during that week. They got a nice moose...killed him near the river, so they quartered and loaded in to the rafts.
Both of our groups ended up on the same island in middle of a large lake, waiting to be picked up by float planes. We shared stories, cooked up moose and caribou tenderloin.
I used the Alaskan Guide pack (it's only been used on that trip). Worked well for packing out quarters.
Great adventure. That was the very first time I had ever camped. Got to see northern lights, and some great scenery.
A few pictures...
Our plane. I read on-line the plane crashed a few years later, killing pilot.
A much younger version of me : )
Buddy and his 'bou
My buddy and the other groups Moose.
One thing I wasn't expecting, how difficult it was to walk on the tundra / muskeg. Enjoy the preparation for your trip. Keep us posted.
alaska2go
Active Member
I do tell all my hunting buddies & my kids is " I'd rather be working my a$$ of packing meat than still trying to kill the meat"
So with that said if we do kill a moose in a tough area or a mile away or so we chop him up into manageable pieces to not put a bunch of stress on our backs. If you hunt in an area that requires the rib cage to be hauled out that is the biggest waist of time & effort & adds several more trips. I'd rather carry 70 lbs or so 6-7 times than carry 150 lbs 2-3 times.
Go with what fits you the best. Moose are huge and heavy and being comfortable will be the difference from a miserable pack out to one not so bad.
Congratulations! I enjoy hearing of successful hunts up here! Sorry to hear of the possible airplane crash. That Grumman Goose is an awesome airplane though.
When I make recommendations to people about hunting in Alaska, aviation safety is always one of the first criteria I consider!
When I make recommendations to people about hunting in Alaska, aviation safety is always one of the first criteria I consider!
Craig Holland
New Member
- Apr 25, 2018
- 23
- 0
Mystery ranch or exo both good and worth money. Mystery ranch is at Black ovis for under 500 which is a little less expensive and carry more load than you can handle.
I ended up getting a Kifaru 26" tactical frame and Nomad 2 pack with the Grab It 2 attachment for this hunt after all the experimenting.
My buddy I'm going with bought my Eberlestock Mainframe and is going to use it. I still think it will be a good pack for this.
I still love my Exo and plan to use it with the 3500 bag for the majority of my hunts. It worked great on last years muley trip packing optics and gear although I did not get to pack quarters with it. Training I packed 85lb loads and thought it handled them very well.
After more research on my hunt and seeing a video from a past hunter I decided that the Exo might not be perfect for this hunt. They packed their inflatable boat and motor on their frames. One of the hunters had an Exo and while he loves it for most of his hunting and packing loads up to elk quarters, he considered it not the best for really bulky loads like the boat, motor, or moose. It wasn't the weight but the bulk. The Kifaru I got should be good with the loads like that. I'm still experimenting with it but it has done well. It is stiffer laterally than the Exo and I don't forget I have a frame on like I can with the Exo in daypack mode. That said I think they will both have their place for me. Since I have at least 3 Alaska trips in my future plans I decided I could justify a high end pack for those trips in addition to the Exo I'll likely use more. Between the two I should definitely not have to buy any packs for several years and will have a spare if something fails or I need to loan one out to a buddy for a hunt. Boots, rifles, and packs are important enough items on my hunts I feel like having a spare in the truck I can hike out and get isn't a bad idea. I sold a bunch of gear I didn't use much but had accumulated to fund the new pack I'll hopefully use more.
My buddy I'm going with bought my Eberlestock Mainframe and is going to use it. I still think it will be a good pack for this.
I still love my Exo and plan to use it with the 3500 bag for the majority of my hunts. It worked great on last years muley trip packing optics and gear although I did not get to pack quarters with it. Training I packed 85lb loads and thought it handled them very well.
After more research on my hunt and seeing a video from a past hunter I decided that the Exo might not be perfect for this hunt. They packed their inflatable boat and motor on their frames. One of the hunters had an Exo and while he loves it for most of his hunting and packing loads up to elk quarters, he considered it not the best for really bulky loads like the boat, motor, or moose. It wasn't the weight but the bulk. The Kifaru I got should be good with the loads like that. I'm still experimenting with it but it has done well. It is stiffer laterally than the Exo and I don't forget I have a frame on like I can with the Exo in daypack mode. That said I think they will both have their place for me. Since I have at least 3 Alaska trips in my future plans I decided I could justify a high end pack for those trips in addition to the Exo I'll likely use more. Between the two I should definitely not have to buy any packs for several years and will have a spare if something fails or I need to loan one out to a buddy for a hunt. Boots, rifles, and packs are important enough items on my hunts I feel like having a spare in the truck I can hike out and get isn't a bad idea. I sold a bunch of gear I didn't use much but had accumulated to fund the new pack I'll hopefully use more.
The Kifaru worked excellent. I added another 3 compression straps and between that, the Grab It 2, and the straps built into the wings I could get stuff attached very well and solid. Pretty darn nice pack. I won't forget I have a frame on like I can with my Exo, but for really bulky loads this one is great.
Team Kabob
Very Active Member
- May 9, 2014
- 793
- 148
MCseal2, can you clear your inbox? I have some questions for you about a hunt.
Thanks
TKnv