I have a question regarding shoulder strap fit, mostly, between the two.

I,ve got an Eberle Dragonfly that I bought a few years back, was supposed to my heavy hauler, be all end all hunting pack.. On board internal rifle scabbard was part of the draw..

Turns out I have,nt used the pack as much as I thought I would, rarely bother with the scabbard. Bought one of the X2s a couple years ago, drag that out the door on a pretty regular basis, nine times out of ten, grab that instead of the dragonfly. Which does,nt handle heavier weights quite as gracefully as I thought it would.

I,ve been hearing about the Mystery Ranch Nice frame packs, seem to to hear mostly good things about them. One of the things I don,t like about the dragonfly is the shoulder straps seem to sit wider apart on the shoulders than I,d like. Fooled around with fit, adjusting the yoke up and down trying to find the sweet spot.

One of the things I,ve noticed looking at the Nice frames online is that the top of the shoulder straps look like they sit a little farther inboard on the chest. The ones on the Dragonfy seem to always sit a farther out on the shoulder than I,d like, with the straps falling away and out toward the bottom pack attachment.. Probably a question of fit that could be answered pretty quick by throwing one on, but I,m not headin south anytime soon.

Wondering if anybody here had experience with both packs, what their thoughts or comments might be? Pack I,ve been looking at is the Longbow,seems to have what I think I,m looking for, I,m 6,2", figure I can get the load lifter kit for it if I need to. Any other thoughts or comments on the two are welcome...

Check out the MR Kodiak....I much prefer it over the Nice for backpack hunting.

I do not have experience with those 2 packs, but I do have a "pack story".

Back in around 1982, I neeeded a new pack for a long term backpacking trip. I did some research and thought I wanted a Lowe.

So I went to my local high tech, high quality backpacking store, to get one.

Well the guys that ran the store knew me well, as I had been a customer for quite a while.

I "tried on" a Lowe, as I explained what I needed.

Well they did some measuring, and then put a heavy load in the Lowe pack.

Then they had me try a Gregory pack, with the same heavy load. The Gregory felt a lot better to me. They explained that it fit MY frame better. They stated, both were High Quality products, but the Gregory was a better fit for ME.

So I bought the Gregory. I still use it today...

Bottom line is, like many things, get fitted by a PRO.

It can make a BIG Difference...

I spent 3 hrs getting fitted at the Mystery ranch factory store in Bozeman.

My friend brought a Lowe in the mid 80s also turned out not to be that nice of a pack

I have not used an Eberlestock, but own a MR Crewcab. Love it as a day pack and 3-4 day backcountry pack. It needs one of the other bags to go further. Like the Nice 6500 or Metcalf bag. MR packs are very adjustable for fit.

I have had it 7 years and it has packed several elk and a few deer. No issues with it at all.

Is it THE PACK? Maybe. It will go with me when I eventually hunt northern sheep.

My buddy sold his Nice Crewcab in favor of a Stone Glacier Solo pack. I haven't used it, but it looks like a solid design.

Jeremy

I have been using my Mystery Ranch Nice with a 6500 bag for 2 seasons now and wish I had had it years ago. Best, most comfortable pack I have ever had... A little heavy at about 8 1/2 pounds, but rides great on the hips. These have been self guided stone sheep hunts for up to 12 days so not light weight day trips..

Cheers
Chris

quote:

Originally posted by Muttly:
One of the things I don,t like about the dragonfly is the shoulder straps seem to sit wider apart on the shoulders than I,d like.

Just a thought... Eberlestock sells 3 sizes of shoulder straps. If I were in your shoes I would try the smaller size(or maybe the larger size, as you are 6'2") and see if it cures the problem. I'd rather spend $30 than $600 if I could help it.

I can not offer an opinion on mystery ranch, though I can say Ive owned plenty of backpacks and done plenty of backpacking. I owned three different eberlestocks. None of them could be made to fit right and none of them carried a load better than poorly. I own four kifarus now and they are nothing short of amazing. If you havent seen them, check them out. If nothing else, give consideration to their gunbearer method of carrying a rifle. It's by far superior to any other method I've tried. Should mate up fine with a Mystery Ranch pack. The packs wear like your most comfortable pair of shoes, they really become a part of you.