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Hey Folks,

I perused the forum for ideas but wanted to ask a few questions since ya'll seem to be revamping most of your frames and products.

First, I am interested in purchasing one of your frames and packbags for backpack hunting and long distance backpacking. Sadly, living in Utah, picking up reliable tags for deer is a limited opportunity so the pack will be mostly be used for scouting and regular backpacking. I am interested in a light set-up but my primary concerns will be the ability for it to carry a heavy load when needed and a "one-pack-does-it-all" setup (as my budget is limited). I am moving towards a lighter weight setup but I am not UL by any means and really need a pack to be able to carry out meat in at most 2 runs; considering OTC elk tags are the easiest tag to acquire that could mean upwards of 100 lbs of cargo. My backpacking primarily consists of 6-10 day pushes in places like the Uintahs and Escalante. I am an experienced backpacker not trying to teach myself backcountry hunting (i.e. sharp learning curve).

So, here is where I am leaning:

1) Evolution with Fortress packbag. Thoughts? I am tempted by the design of the Divide which leads into the next question.

2) Does the Divide packbag work with the Evolution frame setup? Or are the packbags listed under the Evolution webpage the only ones that work with that set-up?

I am fairly new to this arrangement. I am starting to understand the basics but don't fully understand all of the nuances and product differences. I did a backpack hunt with a Unaweep 3900 last fall and fell in love with the product. Dave C. is a long term friend of mine (who long ago surpassed my ability and time outdoors) whose generosity made it clear I needed to purchase my own pack this year.

Thanks for sharing any expertise and advice. Feel free to sway me to a completely different product if I am heading in the wrong direction.

Phillip

First off, I love Escalante area backpacking. That place is awesome IMO.

All frames / suspensions / pack bags are capable of hauling 100 lbs, it is just a matter of choosing the right height / and belt size. The primary difference, is what certain packs are optimized for. The Divide is optimized to save weight , the Revolution is optimized for flexibility of using with or without pack bags.

All frames / suspension / harness can be transferred between each pack bag, if you have the correct components. I can take a Divide hipbelt, frame, harness and make it a Revolution with the Revolution frame panel, but I can't cleanly add the Divide bag to the Revolution because the Divide has its own compression /padding etc built in (I can use a 4800 Fortress / Mesh Talon which is functionally pretty close to a Divide).

There is no Divide for the Revolution and no Precipice for the Unaweep.

For me, I would not hesitate hunting with a Divide if I was planning on putting boned meat in the bag, and had enough volume. We did carry out elk this year in a Divide, a Unaweep Fortress, Unaweep Exposure, and on Evolution and Revolution setups in various configurations. They all worked, and had some benefits and drawbacks. The Divide was easiest going up the hill (lightest) , the Exposure was easiest pack bag to load meat in (open the zip, put meat in compress), the Revolution was the easiest way to carry quarters (don't even worry about a bag)

Wish we had more Public Land Deer Tags as well. Elk hunting has the most opportunity, but boy that field work and pack out can be daunting.


Thanks

Thanks for answering my questions, especially about the Divide bag. I just need to decide if I want lightweight or more flexible in loadout. Leaning towards the Revolution set-up but I did enjoy the Unaweep weight last October. Being able to carry dry bags on river trips, hiking out an IK for an escalante float (can't yet afford a packraft), etc is really tempting with the Revolution though. Seems like a brilliant lightweight workhorse. The reality is I will be happy with either.

Really hoping I get a deer tag this year as the thought of packing out an elk alone is definitely daunting and limits my backcountry range.

Phillip

Haven't done the Escalante as of yet. Just day dreaming of the options that this new pack could help open up as the hike out with a standard pack has always been logistically troublesome. Right now we just have a standard Tomcat IK for such trips and several old Avons for our other rafting (leave on the San Juan in 6 days). Long rafting trips are the go to adventure for my wife and I.

Thanks for chatting. Hope to decide on the pack in the next week. Need some sort of distraction now that the big game lottery application is done.

Phillip

Sounds good and thanks . Dolores I've heard a lot of people talk about


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Just received my pack this week. Looking forward to taking it into the field. Ended up going with a Revolution Fortress 4800. I am upgrading alot of my backpacking gear so I "fear" I may have to also consider purchasing a LBO in the near future. I need to learn to stay away from your website for a while :^)

Thanks for making high quality outdoor gear. Will be using the Revo on several trips this year, from an 8-10 day solo in the Weminuche, as well as a weeklong hunt in the Uintahs. Currently looks like I won an LE Buck tag on the North Slope. Can't wait to be in the high country for a week hunting.

Phillip