Badlands is coming out with a new external frame pack pack called the OX.

Can anyone tell me how it might compare to another good external pack you might care to recommend?

http://www.badlandspacks.com/ox.php

Thanks.

I want to check this pack out my self but am concerned about the empty weight at 9pd 3oz--that bit heavy in my book.

I have been leaning towards the Eberlestock J104 just one pack @ 6.5 pds

Not much capacity for any serious back packing and ya, it is heavy for a small pack.

It looks very interesting to me, I had probably the first Badlands 4500 pack in Canada and was quite pleased with it until it was stolen from my home in 1999. This one shows some influence from the newer generation of hunting-specific packs in that you can carry your dense meat close to your spine with the packbag full of, hopefully, light camping gear opened and thus the actual functional capacity is quite large.

I like Badlands packs, have a Monster Fanny for hunting coastal Blacktails where only minimal "emerg." gear is needed and they offer a decent line of packs for those unable to buy Kifaru or, my prefered Mystery Ranch.

I would gladly hunt B.C. Mulies or Sheep with this new Badlands.

quote:

I would gladly hunt B.C. Mulies or Sheep with this new Badlands.

At 3500 c/i you couldn't carry very much. Really, not much more than a big day pack.

I have been backpacking in B.C. since the spring of 1964 and have done so for my living as well as recreation. I currently own ten highend packs, Mystery Ranch, Kifaru, original Dana Design and so forth and have owned many more, Gregory, Lowe and several Euro. makes.

The BAG here is 3500 c.i. and that will carry my camp plus hunting gear and the meat, boned out, fits against the frame. I doubt that I would choose this over either of my highly modded MR NICE systems, but, many cannot afford those and this will do a 4-5 day hunt with the right gear and still get your meat out.

My camp weighs 11 lbs. and could be lighter, but, I like to have a couple things I enjoy. So, we have 11 lbs. plus 10 of food for 4-5 days plus optics and gun plus clothes...45-50 lbs and I think that my gear would fit in that pack.

You get one of your buds in the industry to lend you one and I will test it out and then we will know for sure, eh?

I've got a 7,000 c/i pack and I need most of it....I could never survive with 3,500. Nothing to do with weight but all volume. I'd say 6,000 c/i is about the minimum required for multi-day backpack hunting where packing meat out is a possibility.

I may be mistaken, but I thought the capacity to haul boned out meat against the frame in the built-in meat bag was above and beyone the 3500ci pack bag designed to haul your gear. This would allow you to keep your gear away from the meat while keeping the meat close to the frame. 3500ci is not too bad a pack size to haul your gear in a manageable sized configuration to hunt while wearing the pack. Almost like the Eblerstock in it's ability to be reconfigured from a closed down day pack to an opened up freighter pack.

I forgot to add:

The frame breaks down in the field to fit compactly in the side pockets of the pack bag. You can also use the frame as a stand alone freighter with its load shelf. In addition, I think it comes with a gun bearer system and is water bladder ready.

The internal frame Badlands have a built in 1000ci air space between their pack bags and the suspension for performance ventilation. It appears they took advantage of this by building the external frame around this space and further pushed the bag back onto the frame. This space allows room for the built in meat bag to haul out a load of boned meat with the attached pack bag in place hauling your gear. I'd think you'd then remove the pack bag and use the frame as a freighter for large bulky loads. Sounds like a flexible design, my opinion anyway

quote:

Originally posted by GaryVA:
I may be mistaken, but I thought the capacity to haul boned out meat against the frame in the built-in meat bag was above and beyone the 3500ci pack bag designed to haul your gear. This would allow you to keep your gear away from the meat while keeping the meat close to the frame. 3500ci is not too bad a pack size to haul your gear in a manageable sized configuration to hunt while wearing the pack. Almost like the Eblerstock in it's ability to be reconfigured from a closed down day pack to an opened up freighter pack.

It would be a great day pack for sheep hunting and such but not for multi-day trips, at least I'd never get everything in 3500 ci.