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Today, I am reviewing the Mystery Ranch Metcalf Pack. This pack is very well-loved. I have had this pack for a number of years, so I'm happy to share some specs, details about the pack, and a little bit about my experience with it.
This bag comes in three different sizes: a 50-liter, 75-liter, or 100-liter. It also is available with a men's frame and a women's frame. The 50-liter weighs in at only five pounds. The 75-liter weighs in at 5.3 pounds, and the 100-liter weighs in at 6.1 pounds. When you're looking for a backcountry hunting pack like this weight is always super important to consider. You want to keep things as light as possible, yet you want a pack that is durable and is going to last. I really like how this pack marries those two qualities. It is still on the lightweight side of things, yet burly enough and durable enough that it will last you a very, very long time.
Starting up at the top, this pack has a detachable lid. I like to keep items in the lid that I need quick access to, such as my headlamp, snacks, and water filtration system. There are two pockets in the lid, so you can organize things however works best for you, but the lid is also detachable. If you don't need that extra space, you can take it off, which will make your system overall a little bit lighter.
There are lots of compression straps on this bag, so after you have it filled up, you can cinch everything down really tight, which is important. You want everything to be compressed so that it's more stable as you're hiking.
There's a large zipper on one side of the main pouch, which allows you quick access to that main cavity, which is such a nice feature. If you need something that is at the bottom of your pack, it is so frustrating to have to unload everything in order to get what you need at the bottom, so I like that the side zipper allows you to reach really anything inside the pack with ease.
It has a roll-top closure that expands quite a bit, so you can really fill this thing up if you need to, but it also compresses down really nicely. I love that it gives you extra room if you need it, but also tucks away when you don't need it.
You want all of that weight to be in your hips and not on your shoulders, so I love the waist belt. It also has a MOLLE system on the outside where you can attach a sidearm, bear spray, or whatever you want. The MOLLE system is there for you to customize.
This pack has two stretch-woven pockets on both sides. I like to put a Nalgene or any type of water bottle in those side pockets. I love that they're stretchy because it allows you to stuff a little extra stuff in there as you need. If I'm on a hunt where I'll be doing a lot of glassing, I like to bring a glassing tripod. If I'm in a mountainous area, I also like to bring trekking poles. So, the way that I pack my bag with those items, like my trekking pole and my glassing tripod, I'll put them in those side pockets and then use the compression straps to hold them in real tight, which is lovely because a lot of times my tripod or my trekking poles are going to be longer or taller than the bag itself. So that gives them a nice spot to sit while still being cinched in tight to the pack.
I also like to put my sleeping bag on the bottom of the bag. This is for backcountry overnights and the straps at the bottom work well so I can slip my sleeping bag right under there. It frees up some of the space inside the bag and I really love that setup.
And finally, there is a shelf for packing meat, which is the goal of every hunt. The meat shelf comes in handy. Not only will it help keep the rest of your gear clean, but it also puts the meat closer to your body and in a position where that weight is distributed onto your hips, keeping it nice and tight so you are safer hiking out. You don't want a lot of weight to be wiggling around willy-nilly. You want everything super compact. The meat shelf does a good job of keeping all of that weight where it needs to be.
--Outdoors Allie
