Eberlastock or Badlands Packs

[zwickeyman]

If any of you have used both or just comments on either would be great. I'm looking at the Eberlestock Blue Widow or the Badlands 2800. Mostly for 4 to 8 day Bivy trips and looking for the best pack to hunt in and pack meat out as well.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

[widow sax]

I used a badlands on a trad do it yourself elk hunt last sept in CO. Carried it to 11k feet they make a great pack I never had a pack feel that good on my back before it was like it was empty. Widow

[joevan125]

I have been trying to decide which one to buy for 8 months now.  

[snag]

I hade the 2800 and sold it. I bought the X2 by Eberlestock. It fit my needs better. I can use it for 2-3 day bivy hunts. I love the way Eberlestock packs are built. Just from this experience I would buy the Blue Widow.

[jhg]

Badlands? I  thought the back padding was not allowing enough cooling.

Joshua

[coyote2]

Originally posted by zwickeyman:
If any of you have used both or just comments on either would be great. I'm looking at the Eberlestock Blue Widow or the Badlands 2800. Mostly for 4 to 8 day Bivy trips and looking for the best pack to hunt in and pack meat out as well.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

They are both great packs but if you are looking to get more then 3 Days out of the pack go with the Blue Widow the 2800 is a great pack but it can't do what the Blue Widow can..With the Blue Widow you can pack every thing in when it is expaned it is over 4500 cubic in with the ad on duffel you can make it more then you want to carry like 7600 cubic in I think..but once you get in the back country you can break the pack down to a 2200 cubic in pack for your day pack..Buy the way Badlands is comming out with a ne pack this year it is a 3500 cubic in pack called the Sacrifice it is only 3.1 Cameron Hanes had a hand in this pack..Also check out the Sitka bivy 45 that is another pack that will compress down to a day pack...

[Steve O]

IMO, the best Badlands packs were PRE-overseas.  If you can find an OLD 2800, it will be much tougher than the new ones.

I had a J104 and a Dragonfly, they were OK until they had a heavy load.

Still looking for the perfect pack.

[Whip]

I sell all of the packs mentioned so far, Badlands, Eberlestock, and Blacks Creek.  Best of the bunch as far as I'm concerned is the Blue Widow.  Versitile enough to be used as a daypack or expand enough for bivy hunts and packing meat.  

If I wanted the very best day pack, the very best pack for packing gear, and the very best pack for packing meat, I would own three different packs.  But the Eberlestock Blue Widow does a darn good job at all three tasks.  That's why they call the J series packs the "Just One" pack system.

[zwickeyman]

Awesome info every one, keep em coming.

[zwickeyman]

Whip,I kind of like the Bone collector 2.5, the way it has better small gear pockets but it's pretty heavy and almost has 2 many straps

[wihill]

For a 4-8 day bivy hunt, I'd definately go with the Blue Widow over the 2800 for the reasons Whip mentioned.  If 4 days was the top end, it'd be an even tossup.

[coyote2]

hey also check out the Mystery Ranch..The NICE FRAME SYSTEM is great with the Crew Cab bag or the Longbow..These are in my opinion one of the best but you do pay for them they are not cheep but the are made in America one of the few hunting packs that are..I hope all this info is helping you the thing is as there is just not a lot of packs out there that will do it all a guy really needs about 3 differnt packs I think the hardest thing to find is a pack that will carry all your hunting gear but then be able to hall out an elk.. the Badlands 4500 is a great meat huller and you can get about 8 day worth of gear in it but it dose not work for a day pack..Myself I am tore right now between Badlands and Mystery Ranch or a Blue Widow..I do have a Badlands 2800 on the way that I am going to use for 1 to 3 day hunts I just dont know if I am going to stay with the 4500 for long hunts but I do love how much wight you can haul with it.. and Badlands customer service is awsome if there is ever anything wrong they take care no questions asked..

[sinistral]

Not to stir the pot too much, but have you looked at Mystery Ranch packs? They make some excellent packs, hunt specific etc. I also own a Eberlestock X1 I think that is it. I hauled out a boned out cow elk last year with it. It taxed the suspension a little, but it hauled it in two trips. The Blue Widow would have hauled it no problem. You owe it to yourself to check out Mystery ranch for a bigger, multi day trip kind of pack, right up there with the Blue Widow. Hope this helps.
One thing to consider, get a pack that will expand to haul meat or gear for longer trips. The 2800 seems small for multi day trips. Nothing is louder than gear strapped to the outside of a pack.

[twitchstick]

For myself I use the eberlestock "Just One". Badlands makes a great pack but the just one was half the price and I bought it local which is important to me. I don't use the gun saber exept water and extra arrows for long hunts but I have just loved this pack. It even has work great to haul in my pop up blinds for turkeys.

[Kevin Dill]

Angelo Christiano introduced me to some of the best packs being made: Bison Gear. I've owned 3 of them and can recommend them for fit, function and quality. I've never seen one damaged in normal use.

I've owned Badlands (3 different) and Eberlestock packs. I currently carry an X2 for most of my day hunts. I don't think one company is superior to the other in terms of quality. I do think Eberlestock is a bit more advanced in their hunting pack designs. The X2 is very unique and versatile, but not enough for serious bivy hunting. I wish they were US built.

I've got a Kifaru Longhunter Hauler for heavy loads. Great company...great gear...huge prices.

My next pack will be a Mystery Ranch Longbow. I've done the research and I'm convinced this is the ultimate pack for my Alaska trips. Way pricey, but so is everything else of serious quality.

Kevin

[NDTerminator]

My wife has an Eberlestock Dragonfly and I have the X-1.  Best packs we've ever owned, hands down....

[East Coast archer]

Two years ago I hunted with two other guys who had the sitka bivy packs.  One elk was taken on the trip and the three of us packed it out in one trip.  I had an eberlestock just one and both liked the way my bag carried the boned out elk over their sitka packs.  For the price I haven't found a comparable pack that carries such a heavy load as easy and manuverable and can still function as a bivy bag and a day pack.  The only downfall is that empty it is heavier physically, but once on and adjusted right seems to carry like a lighter pack.  If that makes sense.

[Whip]

Yes, that does make sense, and is another one of the things I really like about the Eberlestock packs.  They are very adjsutable to fit your body.  When properly adjusted it rides very well and is more comfortable to wear than a lighter pack that doesn't fit correctly.

[Jason Jelinek]

I really like how the Badlands SuperDay feels when I wear it.  Very comfortable.

I saw an Eberlestock X-2 last night and it looks like a great pack.  Very adjustable and you can hang a ton of different things on it.

[zwickeyman]

Good info gentlemen, good food for thought.