When selecting an external frame hunting backpack, the right combination of features can make all the difference on extended trips into rough terrain.
As an avid hunter, having a pack that evenly distributes weight, moves quietly, and withstands the elements should be a top priority.
This guide will cover key aspects to evaluate when choosing an external frame hunting pack to meet your needs.
Weight Distribution is Paramount
The overall goal should always be transferring weight off your shoulders and onto your hips via an ergonomic frame suspension system.
Packs that achieve this prevent muscle fatigue and back pain – critical factors during lengthy hunts covering many miles of uneven terrain.
- Seek out models with adjustable torso lengths via movable shoulder harnesses and belt sizes that can be cinched tighter or looser as required. This enables you to customize the carrying fit.
- Padding thickness matters too – thicker shoulder straps prevent the frame edges from digging uncomfortably into your shoulders during treks. Prioritize at least one inch of dense padding.
- Sternum straps join the two shoulder straps across your upper chest to stabilize heavier loads. Their adjustability lets you position the straps higher or lower depending on your comfort needs.
The best external frame packs feel like you aren’t carrying much weight even when fully loaded.
This weightless carrying sensation keeps you moving efficiently during even the longest hunting days covering substantial mileage.
Noise Reduction Allows Stealthier Movement
When hunting prey easily spooked by strange sounds, minimizing pack noise emitted while hiking is critical.
Standard pack materials like nylons inherently help reduce noise but focus on models made of ultra-quiet textiles designed specifically for hunters.
- Cordura Nylon – Made from high tenacity nylon fiber, Cordura nylon fabrics possess exceptional strength and durability while remaining lightweight and relatively quiet while in motion. It tears resistance also ensures longevity.
- Fleece Lining – Few materials available naturally deafen sound better than fleece. Models with fleece-lined pouches help contents make less noise while on big game hunts. The slight increase in weight is offset by the added benefit.
- Soundless Zippers & Buckles – Typical zipper and buckle sounds stand out like a sore thumb in otherwise silent natural environments. Brands like ALPS OutdoorZ use custom quiet closure mechanisms virtually eliminating noise while accessing your gear.
Thicker external frame materials already help mute noises while moving through brush and foliage.
Pairing noise-defeating textiles and silent closure hardware enhances this, enabling stealthy traversal across all kinds of terrain during hunts.
Adaptability & Adjustability Are Key
Since hunting conditions constantly vary in everything from weather to topography, having easily adaptable storage via exterior access proves extremely beneficial.
Seeking out external frame models allowing you to add or remove items without fully unpacking saves time and hassle as trips progress. Important aspects that improve versatility include:
- Quick-Access Main Storage – Unfettered access to the central storage area lets you retrieve and stow gear rapidly without unpacking everything else. U-shaped zippers grant easy entry from the top rather than just the sides or bottom.
- Strategic Exterior Pouches – Outer pouches sized perfectly for items you frequently need access to like snacks, knives, binoculars, or first aid kits streamline reaching them at a moment’s notice.
- Modular Components – Some external frame models allow you to fully remove pieces like the lid to shed excess weight or storage as required by the current objective or terrain.
Adaptability means you can tailor your storage layout constantly without starting entirely from scratch each time needs change.
Uncompromising Durability & Construction
When hunting prey from deer to bears, your backpack faces substantial punishment from thick brush, debris, moisture, and frigid temperatures.
Robust construction and ultra-durable fabrics become necessary to withstand years of rigorous use.
Essential indicators of an external frame built to handle abuse include:
- Industrial Grade Fabrics – Brands like ALPS OutdoorZ explicitly design their models for hunters using ultra-durable 1680D ballistic nylon providing triple layer reinforcement against tearing or abrasions from passing foliage and branches.
- Water Resistant Coatings – Breathable coatings which still repel rain or snow ensures gear stays dry if surprised by a freak storm on longer hunts. Consider a rain cover as backup.
- Reinforced Stress Points – Sophisticated external frame models concentrate tougher reinforced materials on high stress areas prone to wear over time like along the hip belt and on extended load stabilizer bars.
Weatherproof Materials – Metal tubing like contoured aluminum used in exterior frame construction stands up to punishing conditions year after year. Seek models using robust metals impervious to rust or fragility issues in sub-zero temperatures.
