Best hunting packs are essential for transporting your gear in the field. From game bags to holsters, having the right pack can make all the difference. That’s why the experts at Hunt Alaska magazine have handpicked a selection of top-quality options. From durable cases to secure kennels, we’ve got you covered for all your hunting pack needs.
Best Hunting Pack
Stone Glacier Black Label Avail 2200
Publisher Marcus Weiner is a big fan of Stone Glacier products. From apparel to packs, tents and sleeping bags, Marcus has used Stone Glacier products on many successful hunts over the last 5+ years. This year he used the Black Label Avail 2200 as a day pack during many long hiking days. The 3-pound pack is light, comfortable, and offers plenty of storage amid its 5 pockets. It’s compact, so that when you are hiking in dense cover, you’ll have a far easier time navigating without your pack getting hung up in the alder and willow jungles that we often find ourselves navigating. The 2,200 cubic-inch main bag is large enough to carry a deer quarter. Marcus also used this pack as a carry-on during commercial airline flights
Mystery Ranch Treehouse 38
If you are in the market for a large day pack and spend any amount of time in a tree stand, you’ll want to consider this option. This pack features a water-resistant, fuzzy fleece outer fabric that is whisper quiet. Remaining as quiet as possible on hunts, especially for blacktail deer, is highly desirable. It weighs 4.5 pounds and has a volume of 2,370 cubic inches.
The pack we tested is in the Realtree APX pattern. Mystery Ranch also offers Mossy Oak Bottomland and Wood patterns. The pack includes stretch pockets inside, outside, and in the backpack lid, as well as several zippered pockets. One of the features we like most is the G-hook that is used to secure the lid of the bag and allows you to open and close the pack very quietly.
KUIU Pro Divide 4500 Pack
This pack is comfortable to wear and is a good size for long weekend backpack hunts. The capacity is 4,500 cubic inches of which the main bag has a capacity of 4,000, and the removable lid 500 cubic inches. The carbon-fiber frame is narrow, which allows the pack to shift a little, but also allows for more freedom of movement to shoot a rifle or draw a bow. The complete pack weighs 5 pounds, 4 ounces. The frame for these packs comes in 3 sizes; you’ll want to make sure you get the one appropriate for your height. The suspension and belt are easily adjustable to fit the pack to your body. This pack has a ton of features and ways to organize your gear, far too many to list here.
KUIU obviously put a lot of thought into the design of this pack. It also has KUIU’s Load Sling Mode which allows you to create an extra 2,500 cubic inches of space between the bag and frame for hauling meat or gear. There is also an internal sleeve that could be used to haul an additional 45 pounds of boned-out meat. With this frame and suspension, you can use any pack bag in the Pro, Pro Divide, or Pro LT line. This pack comes in 4 colors (Verde camo, Valo camo, Vias camo, and Ash).
Stone Glacier Tokeen 2600
This internal frame pack has a capacity of 2,600 cubic inches and was designed for use as a day pack. It weighs just under 3 pounds. It has 2 external zippered pockets and 1 internal zippered pocket. It has an internal sleeve that can easily hold a water bottle or spotting scope and has internal tri-slides for attaching a Swing Out Pocket, Camp Pocket, or Hydro Sleeve. Our tester usually keeps most of his kill kit in one Camp Pocket, and his survival gear in a Swing Out Pocket, so these can easily be fitted into the pack or just dropped into the main compartment. The shoulder straps adjust, and the pack comes with a removable one-size-fits-most waist belt. The pack-bag material is waterproof, but the seams are not taped so the pack is considered water resistant. This is a nice daypack that works well for hunting, and could be used for fishing too.
Mystery Ranch Metcalf 50 Men’s
– Optifade Subalpine – L
The Metcalf 50 is light enough to carry as a daypack, but plenty strong enough to help you pack out your animal. It has a detachable lid, so you can run the pack with or without the lid. The main compartment had a roll-top closure that securely clips to either side of the pack, while a side zip allows easy access to big items inside the pack. Capacity of the Metcalf 50 is 50 liters, or 3,050 cubic inches. The pack weighs 5 pounds. Multiple compression straps help secure the load, and some of these compression straps are removable if you don’t need them.
Interior blaze-orange loops provide easy-to-find locations to attach small and medium Quick-Attach Void Bags. This pack has an adjustable load shelf that sits between the frame and the pack bag for packing out meat. Total load capacity is 150 pounds. The pack frame comes in 4 sizes to fit different torsos—be sure to see the sizing info on the Mystery Ranch website. The Metcalf 50 comes in 4 colors: Buckskin, Foliage, Optifade Subalpine, and Ponderosa. We consider this pack a large daypack, with enough capacity for an overnight trip and plenty of load capability for packing out meat.
Mystery Ranch Void Bag Set
This set of 3 bags of different sizes (small, medium, large) are to help you organize gear in your pack. We chose the blaze-orange versions to help prevent losing them in low-light situations. These can also be used as packing cubes to help you organize stuff in your suitcase or carry-on. The capacities are Small (1.5 L; 90 cubic inches), Medium (3 L; 185 cubic inches), and Large (7 L; 425 cubic inches). Void bags can be attached to the inside of most Mystery Ranch packs. The bags are made in 6 different colors, and are available individually, too.
Hornady SnapSafe Safe Accessory Pack
This accessory pack includes a rechargeable dehumidifier, LED light, magnetic hook, document basket, fire-resistant document bag (which Editor George Krumm uses to house his suppressor paperwork), and hygrometer. All these accessories help maximize space inside your safe and help keep your firearms and ammo protected from humidity. We especially like the battery-operated motion detector LED light that lights up the inside of the safe when you open the door.
Plano Rustrictor All Weather 2, 52” Long Gun Case
This gun case can hold 2 standard hunting rifles. Rustrictor Technology protects your firearms against rust and corrosion while in storage. They’re impenetrable from the outside, with dual-stage lockable latches and a Dri-Loc seal that create a watertight, dust-proof shield. Plus, this All Weather 2 double-rifle case is travel-friendly, with a pressure-release valve to equalize pressure through temperature or altitude changes and wheels to make transportation easy. Pluck-to-fit foam makes it easy to customize the fit to whatever you’re carrying. The case is made in the USA and is TSA approved for firearms. Dimensions are 55” long x 16.75” wide x 7” high.