Mystery Ranch Packs

[mattcush]

What's the word on mystery ranch packs? I have heard quite a good word on them from friends. Although they aren't long distance hikers so therefore their word doesn't count for much on the AT.

My question is directed at Thru hikers or rather long distance hikers in general, who have experience and input on mystery ranch bags.

any and all help is appreciated in advance

[swjohnsey]

Never heard of 'em but was curious so I took a look at their site. Really heavy. Take a look at ULA or Gossamer Gear.

[moof53]

I have a Mystery Ranch pack in the 2900 cu in range and it is a great three to five day pack. Swjohnsey is correct that it is heavier than the ultra light ULA or Gossamer Gear but MR is built for rugged and long term use. A lot of military folk and hunters love them for their load carrying and comfort. Another company you might want to look at is Kifaru, also a US manufacturer. Most of their packs, like Mystery Ranch, are geared towards the military and hunters. They are built to last, are rugged and carry a load very well with comfort. Kifaru however makes an ultra light pack which is made from a very light material. I have a Kifaru, KU3700, which I recently used on a 10 day trip in the high sierra around Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite. It worked very well and was extremely comfortable. More so than my Gregory Palisade or Z55. I don't think there is the perfect pack. Every pack has trade offs and you have to decide what is important and what you will give up. Good luck!

[mattcush]

I know they are on the heavier side but I am willing to hump the extra weight as a trade off for the longevity of the pack's life.
I will have to check out Kifaru.
I have had other lighter packs that simply fell apart after a few trips out to some of the lesser used and therefore poorly maintained trails that I enjoy. I am trying to avoid having to spend the time/effort/frustration/money with making on the trail repairs and inevitably replacement costs while I am in the midst of a long distance hike.
Thank you guys for your input

[swjohnsey]

You won't have trouble with ULA packs falling apart. They are designed by thru-hikers for thru-hikers.

[mattcush]

I well keep looking at packs. I still have a while before I will be buying a pack, gives me time to look I suppose. I appreciate the help

[BCPete]

Mystery Ranch makes terrific packs, but they are heavy. Mostly you'd want to try them out if you're tired of not getting a really good fit from other 'off the shelf' packs - that's why I have a Mystery Ranch pack for my backpacking trips here in BC (I'm a tough fit).

For the AT (2015), I'm most likely going to be buying a MR Trance XXX pack. This is a pack that they have designed with thru-hikes in mind. http://www.mysteryranch.com/adventur...rance-xxx-pack

If you can, visit their store in Bozeman to get fitted. The customer service there is really, really good. Probably the best customer service I've ever experienced anywhere - no lie.

[swjohnsey]

Over 4 lbs, $350, no hip belt, yep sounds like the ideal thru-hiker pack to me.

[renais]

There is a wonderful hip belt on the Trance. I used a Trance on the AT last year, and was very satisfied with the experience. As others have noted, MR packs are extraordinarily comfortable, built rock solid, and designed with many little details that make using them easy and hassle free. I have a ULA catalyst which was the other contender for my use on the trail. I found that the Trance, although listed as about the same nominal size as the catalyst, was much easier to pack. For my winter load, I can easily put everything inside the Trance, while the ULA required that I strap some stuff outside. While the ULA pack is quite comfortable, the few extra ounces (about 15.7 compared to my Catalyst) of the Trance, for me, were made up for by the much greater comfort. I could wear the Trance all day, even after a heavy resupply in town, and not mind the weight. The pockets on the Trance extend from out the main compartment so that they are still usable if the main compartment is filled. The shoulder and hip belts are easy to adjust, and so darn comfortable that I would forget sometimes when I stopped for a break or an extended conversation that I could take the pack off. When I went through Mountain Crossings, their comment on the pack was that they never see problems with MR packs: they are built much stronger, and with more attention to those things that might go wrong, that they just do not break down. The MR people are a joy to work with, and willing to spend as much time and effort as needed to make sure that you are happy with your pack. I met a couple southbounders on the trail who had just gotten out of the service. They had nothing by rave reviews of the MR packs they used overseas: they pointed out that their lives depended on good equipment, and that MR delivered. Note that the MR packs are American made with pride.

[leaftye]

Naw, Mattcush isn't going to want a Trance. The materials the Trance is made with is on par with the materials that ULA uses. I do think those materials are more than sufficient, but apparently Mattcush wants more.

I recommend a 100% dyneema pack by McHale. I'm not talking about the dyneema gridstop that some people mistaken call "full dyneema". I'm talking about where every fiber is super strong dyneema.
http://www.mchalepacks.com/

[BCPete]

Over 4 lbs, $350, no hip belt, yep sounds like the ideal thru-hiker pack to me.

Are you referring to the MR Trance? If so, I think you might have your facts wrong - it does have a hip belt.

Like I said, MR packs are great if you're a tough fit.

If you can buy off-the-rack and be perfectly comfortable ... then yeah, probably wise to look at a bunch of other brands to see if anything else is lighter & cheaper. But I can almost guarantee they won't be more durable.

[Odd Man Out]

Over 4 lbs, $350, no hip belt, yep sounds like the ideal thru-hiker pack to me.

Looks like a hip belt to me. Still more than I want to carry thought.

http://www.mysteryranch.com/trance-xxx-view3-lrg.jpg

[swjohnsey]

Looks like a hip belt to me. Still more than I want to carry thought.

http://www.mysteryranch.com/trance-xxx-view3-lrg.jpg

This is the link he posted:http://www.mysteryranch.com/adventur...rance-xxx-pack

[fireneck]

You won't have trouble with ULA packs falling apart. They are designed by thru-hikers for thru-hikers.

So true! Chris is an awesome guy.