need help with a pack

[slightly disturbed]

I currently have a Camelbak Motherlode and a couple of weeks ago I did a little 2 mile hike off road with my BOB and I damn near died! I have a severely bad back and I think that the 25 lbs that my pack weighs is not the issue but the way it sits on my back. I have backpacked many miles and the value of a good hip belt is worth its weight in gold. The Camelbaks goes around my belly and not on my hips. so its obvious my need for a new pack.
I am looking at the USMC ILBE gen II pack. does anyone have this pack and like it and better yet does anyone have this pack and will let me try it on. They are going on Ebay pretty cheap these days 80-100 bucks. please chime in on any input that you can give me good bad or otherwise. thanks Larry

P.S. I wanted to add that I would like to keep it a military style pack

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[Sgt Nambu]

Hey Slightly, I hear what you are saying about preferring military packs! However I firmly believe that you will get the best fit with a commercial backpack. Military packs are tough but they are compromises as to fit. They are carried by young, fit members of the armed forces who are well able to adjust to a less than perfectly fitting pack. I bought new backpacks for my wife and I last spring. We tried both commercial and military and got commercial packs, her a North Face and me a Alps Mounteering. They are both very tough and well made by the way. Good luck to you!

 

[slightly disturbed]

thanks, Im heading over to REI tomorrow. Having a bad back sucks a$$

 

[Sgt Nambu]

thanks, Im heading over to REI tomorrow. Having a bad back sucks a$$

True! Don't overlook REI Online Outlet, huge discounts! Find one you like at the store and see if you can find one at the online outlet.

 

[jawbone]

Check out Eberlestock packs. My teammate loves his, and he has back issues as well (he's 46). He just did a 9-mile hike in CO with a 50# pack, and according to him, it felt pretty good. From what he says, they have the suspension system dialed in. I still have some good friends in the NSW community, and they like the Eberlestock, too (specifically the F3F FAC Track). Also, a bunch of guys at the 24-Hour Sniper Adventure Challenge last year were using them.

I have a bad back, and I think I've decided to pull the trigger on a G2M Gunslinger II. The pack is has a rifle scabbard integrated directly into the design, along with a hydration sleeve, side handles for loading, etc.

They're kind of pricey, but you if it's your BOB, you may be humping that thing for real some day.

I am not affiliated with Ebelestock in any way. Just passing along some info.

 

[safetyman]

I would encourage you to atleast take a look at Mystery Ranch packs. They are not what I would consider cheap, but are extremely comfortable to pack. Their comfort is mainly due to Mystery Ranch's patented Futura harness that basically makes the pack adjustable to fit any torso. Not to mention they are damn near bomb proof and have a great warranty.

One of Camelbak's packs called the Trizip uses the Futura harness and is a very attractive pack...something that I think just might fit your needs.

http://www.mysteryranch.com/site/index.html

 

[orchemo]

From REI, I loike the Gregory line of packs.

For a hunting pack, Badlands are nice.

 

[ATCclears]

+1 for REI. Spend some time in there. Discuss what you want the backpack for or how full/heavy it will be. Get the guy/gal to help see how it fits you, and how you might be able to adjust it.

I did the same at REI. The guy thought I was a bit nuts when I mentioned it was going into my vehicle as a get-home bag, but by the time we were done he asked a few more questions (ie., it got him thinking how he might get home...).

Peter

 

[OFADAN]

The two very best packs for your specific needs (a BOB) knowing you have a bad back are the Eberlerstock as has been previously mentioned which you can be fitted and try before you buy at US Tactical Supply in Albany. They are a major DoD supplier and sell those packs to the those who go in harms way. Or...

Contact Kifaru in Colorado and look at their military line up highly tune able to your back issues and they will help you get your pack configured for your back and needs neither option will be cheap.

On another note you might want to seriously ponder a couple of other bug out mobility considerations as walking with a pack has its limitations. There are a number of things you could do besides the conventional wisdom of throwing on a pack and going.

 

[richdav]

I have to second mystery ranch ( Mystery Ranch Backpacks | Backpacks designed by Dana Gleason | Bozeman, Montana ). They are not cheap but worth the $$$. I have carried older Dana Design packs all over the world and they never failed me. My newer Mystery Ranch pack has carried out lots of game, climbed mountains, hauled tools, fell out of a plane and is only getting better. There are a lot of good packs out there for the money. IMO, when you " NEED" a pack that carries well and will not fail mystery ranch is the choice. Check out what Dana has to say on some of these videos ( Mystery Ranch Videos on Vimeo ).

Richard

 

[oknow]

good luck with the bunny hugger crowd at rei

 

[jawbone]

The two very best packs for your specific needs (a BOB) knowing you have a bad back are the Eberlerstock as has been previously mentioned which you can be fitted and try before you buy at US Tactical Supply in Albany. They are a major DoD supplier and sell those packs to the those who go in harms way. Or...

Contact Kifaru in Colorado and look at their military line up highly tune able to your back issues and they will help you get your pack configured for your back and needs neither option will be cheap.

On another note you might want to seriously ponder a couple of other bug out mobility considerations as walking with a pack has its limitations. There are a number of things you could do besides the conventional wisdom of throwing on a pack and going.

There were quite a few Kifaru packs at the Sniper Challenge last year, too. http://thunderbeastarms.com/forum/threads/preliminary-q-a-for-the-2013-sac.238/

 

[slightly disturbed]

WOW thanks for all the replies! I really like the looks of the eberlestock packs and and wondering for the guys that have them, do the hunting ones hold up well.

 

[maxisback]

Hey slightly, totally with you on the bad back thing. My lower spine STILL isn't speaking to me due to what I did to it when I was a grunt. FWIW, get a pack that holds the load close to your spine and vertical. If you want to know what to avoid, just look at my old nemesis, the ALICE pack; load carried low, plus it was forced outward, rather than up. The current issue MOLLE system is light years ahead by comparison. In the Falklands, British troops were allowed to use civilian Bergen rucks when they wanted; the British Commanders at least recognized the shortcomings of their issue gear. Also, I believe an internal frame is better than an external one. Others may correct me on this. When properly fitted, you shouldn't be able to tell where the pack ends and your body begins; this is the ideal, I think. Once again, others may correct me on this, after all, these are the musings of an over-forty ex-tanker/mech infantryman.... Hope I helped!

 

[Tim K]

I'm the guy in CO running the Eberlestock GS II. I've been training in it for a few weeks now with the weight right at 50#. I did 10 miles in the mountains with it on Wednesday, and it carries the load pretty well. Kifaru and Mystery Ranch are probably both ultimately superior load bearing designs, and both are highly regarded. For hauling a rifle discreetly and conveniently, though, Eberlestock is a great option.

I tried one of the hunting packs for a day. The material was softer to the hand and quieter, but it didn't feel like it was going to be as rugged as the stuff they use on the tactical line. That may not be true, but that was how it felt. Maybe more importantly, the scabbards on the hunting packs are much smaller. I tried to put my precision rifle in the borrowed hunting pack, and it was a no- go. Admittedly, it's a very bulky rifle, but it wasn't even close. The scabbard an my Gunslinger II is plenty big.

Unless you just have to have one of the hunting camo patterns, I'd opt for something from the tactical line.