Call me oldfashioned but I still use an external frame. I think they freight the meat better. We tend to pack in to a spike camp and hunt from there, so carrying the full load quietly during the actual hunting is not as big an issue. Depending on how we lay out the days hunt, one of us usually carrys a pack with modest supplies for the day, a couple or three deer bags, the butchering tools and a couple more of the other guys empty packs lashed to it. Those that didn't draw the short straw carry light belt or fanny packs. Should one of us get lucky, we rendevous at the kill, bone the deer out, hand out packframes and deerbags, and split up the load. Properly boned out even the biggest buck split three ways is no more than a 50 pound load, usually more like 30, unless someone wants the cape and head. The external frame lets us carry the meat bag outside of the packs bag. We tie the deer bag to the top cross bar in a big overhand knot, let it hang down outside on the back of the pack, lashing across to the external frame side bars to minimize flopping about. I think the meat cools better out where it can breath, but in any event don't leave that Bag O' Warm Meat balled together for very long. Best to spread it out inside the deer bag on a big cool shady rock for an hour or so before packing everything up for that two hour trek back to camp. Don't forget a little blaze orange survey tape for the antlers.
- Thread starter MattS
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