I was looking at the Just One model of packs from Eberlestock yesterday at Sportsmans Warehouse. I have a Badlands 4500 and there are definitely differences. I like the idea of having an internal scabbard for a rifle on the EB pack. Of course that pushes the pack frame slightly away from the body and changes the center of gravity slightly but it seems worth it to have both hands free for trekking poles.

I've been thinking I need to start using poles as there is a lot of off camber climbing and the occasional water crossing to consider.

Anyone using the Just One pack and have comments good or bad? Any comparisons to the Badlands pack? I'm sure the EB pack will carry more weight than the Badlands.

Are you able to adjust the EB suspension enough to suit you? I'm about 6', 175 lbs and I put 40# into the EB pack and it felt ok but would need some adjustments to the suspension, which I didn't do in the store. I would be carrying more like 60-80# so that wasn't a great comparison. I haven't bought the EB pack yet so I'm just looking for some feedback here.

I know a lot of guys are going to Barney's for a external frame pack but the internals are getting much better and are generally preferable for my kind of hunting. Every pack is a bit of a compromise.

I have one. It's a good day pack but dosen't set my world on fire for anything that would involve carrying more than 40 pounds.

You have the Just One pack or a different model? I thought it would be fine for at least 40#.

I believe there are two Just One's that Glenn currently makes, the J104 and the J107 Dragonfly (which replaced the J105). I have both and used the J107 (which has the adjustable frame) on a sheep hunt this fall. As a day pack it's terrific and my only complaint would be that it could be a couple of pounds lighter, but the internal scabbard is clearly a great feature and overall it worked well. However, when I came off the hill carrying about 110 lbs of my "stuff", sheep meat and horns (my guide had the rest), It was not a real pleasant experience and I was wishing for an external frame pack like the one my guide was using from Barney's. However, since for me carrying more than 40-50 lbs is clearly the exception, rather than the rule, I will certainly continue to use it and I think it works well. If you are planning to carry north of 60 lbs on a regular basis, I would look for something else.

Thanks. That is exactly what I needed to know. Since I already have the Badlands 4500, I should just plan on getting the external from Barneys so I would have 2 packs that handle different duties.

Yukon,

I have used the eberlestock Just one (J104) on several sheep hunts, as well as regular use on elk hunts. I have regularly packed out 100+ pound loads on this pack. Just this year alone I made three trips in tough country with weighed loads of 95, 102 and 108 pounds. Many more trips had weights in the more reasonable 70-90 pound range.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't like carying more than 90 pounds in rough country. This has more to do with my advancing age and declining knees than anything, however. I still coose the eberlestock over my badlands or external frame when it comes to packing serious weight. The biggest down side of any internal frame pack is the difficulty attaching antlers. My worst load this year was packing out about 80 pounds with a large elk rack mounted on top. I couldn't properly secure the large rack, so it kept shifting and unbalancing me. (I still smiled all the way to the trailhead!)
If you review the video black shale - white sheep again, I am using the eberlestock on that hunt with Rick. I love this pack for sheep hunting in particular.

Bill

Thanks for your report. It seems though that few are finding any of the internal frames to be as good as the better externals for heavy weight. They are definitely getting better but most of the guides don't like using them for packing out...I don't know any packers that use one.

I despise carrying heavy weight but sometimes it's just necessary but I don't have to like it!

Check Out www.mysteryranch.com
I used an Eberlestock Pack in the Chugauch in "06" and I found that I needed more room and and more support.. With all my gear,horns,meat it was like having a turtle shell on my back.. Not the flat side but the rounded side fighting me all the way..I agree that it's a good under 40lb bag..
AK

YukonD, You know better being from Alaska, can't beat the Barneys dump truck, for heavy loads and comfort.Great for packing 140 lb. moose hind quarters and then some.

I used an Eberlestock bag in Iraq to carry an M24 concealed. With much weight (i.e. 40 lbs or more) and a rifle in the scabbard the pack tended to shift on my back. I modified it and made it work, but I wouldn't buy another for the civilian world. I guess mine was the Gunslinger. For what it's worth, I also tried packing a Barrett 50 cal broken down inside, yeah screw that!

Does anyone find the gun carrier a real pain on the Eberlestock when you go to sit down. Try as I might, I can't see the gun barrel being that far below the bottom of the pack as a good thing especially if you try to sit with a big load on.

Barney's now has a smaller version of their big external frame that is definitely worth a look. While not big enough for my needs, it certainly was big enough for a 10-day sheep hunt and could easily handle 80 pounds or more. The pack I saw was a proto-type but the harness was awesome and the smaller frame was ideal for most serious mountain hunts.

If you are climbing in fairly open country just put the gun in the pack stock first. That way it will not go down below the bottom of the pack, but will still be secure and makes it easy to sit down with the pack on. Just make sure you are not climbing steep portions with overhangs

I’m new to the idea of backpack hunting and intend to start out on my first BP hunt this year. I’ll spend the summer scouting, and then take a week for Elk up near the Washington/Canadian border.

I am spending the spring outfitting myself with gear as my usual “elk camp†setup fills my entire full sized pickup truck. Fitting a weeks worth of camping into a pack is a new twist.

I looked at the Eberlestock packs over the weekend. They really look nice. I have an Alaskan I external frame pack from Cabelas.

Alaskan I

I selected it cause I’m an unfit guy who sits in front of a computer all day at work (typing is not nearly as effective of an exercise routine as many think it is) and I’m trying to keep my total pack weight to as light as possible. The pack weight of 5lbs, 4 oz was attractive to me, however I really like the features of the Eberlestock packs. The weights run 6.5 to 8.5 pounds on the “Just one†models though. A difference of 3.25 pounds is nearly what my tent weighs, and if my total pack weight is around 60 pounds then 3.25 pounds would represent an increase of over a 5%. But having not done any significant hiking since I was in cub scouts, I am not sure that a couple pounds here and there make that big of a difference.

Are there benefits that cancel out the negative of carrying that extra weight?

I have a J105 for dragging an AI around. Not bad, but as people have noted, it is kind of limited in carrying capacity.
I wouldn't want to try and carry more than around 40 lbs with it,
Think of it a daysack with a scabbard built into it...
JMHO.

The J105 IMO is an excellent "client pack", to the extent that the scabbard bottom folds up into the pack and the belt is removable so that it can be used as a carry-on when flying.

I agree with the assessment of the weight limitations, and found 55lbs to be the point where I noticed issues. But certainly feels great w/40-45lbs total. Okay meat hauler for what a client is likely to carry out. Rain resistant, but will get soaked and heavier w/o a cover. The inside stays dry however.

The comment about the bottom of the gun is accurate; it is hard to sit with the pack strapped. I also slipped and "sat down" a few times when descending rocky beds, and the muzzle of my soft Kimber showed some nicks.

This past Oct I came down off an 11,000+' mtn here in Utah. In my J107 I had my daily gear, 7.5 rifle, nearly full 2 liter H20 bladder (tube froze)and 2 full rib cages and back straps from my spike elk and had zero problems. When I needed to take a rest, I'd keep hiking along until I found a dead fall to sit on yet keep the muzzle (in the scabbard) from digging in the dirt.

In an area void of such dead falls, your screwed and have to take the pack off to rest.

I'll still keep it as I like it alot.

As I indicated above, when you are carrying heavier loads and want to be able to rest without the barrel getting in the way, simply slide the gun in the scabbard butt first with barrel pointing up. The gun will stick up higher so watch for limbs, but if you're in fairly open country it works like a charm.

If your still interested in the J107 I noticed they have a close-out on them for $250 on the kenetrek website