Eberlestock F1 mainframe. A meat packing beast!!

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by chuck

If you are actually packing heavy loads I’d probably look elsewhere.

x2 on this, I have an F1. You can hunt with it on, and it will pack some meat, but a "meat packing beast" it most assuredly is not. More like a heavy duty day pack.

[mattthegorby]

OK... so this thread got me to sit down and try and throw together some extended load lifters for my Mainframe. It has been fine for me carrying gear for a couple nights of hunting, but I wanted to see if I could adapt it for some heavy load carrying. Haven't tested it out yet with weight, but thought I would post some pics before this thread got too old.

The modification is easily removable, didn't cost anything as I had all the buckles and scraps of webbing laying around. The ridged bit is an old carbon fibre tent pole I had laying around that I cut in half - seems pretty stiff.

This idea was stolen from a guy on Rokslide that did the same thing.

Hope the images work, if not I will try and figure it out:

[bowhunter9841]

Old thread, but I wanted to update. I have now packed out three deer with this pack. Although it is a heavy pack, it does a good job packing meat. I have lost weight over the last few years, and it has made a difference in how comfortable this pack is when under a load. That paired with learning how to set it up properly, and it is like night and day in comparison to the first deer I packed out, to this last one. I would still recommend this frame to people, but I think I would go with the longer version, if I were to buy it again. If I had the money to spend again, I think I would actually go with a mystery ranch, or an EXO though. They seem more versatile from the initial purchase. For what I have spent on this pack and accessories, I could have purchased one of those other two packs, and probably been happier.

[Bushleague]

I've owned a f1 for many years, and a "Meat Hauling Machine" it is not. Its a pack frame that can haul some meat, without being too bulky to wear while hunting. But it is significantly worse at packing moose or elk quarters than my cheap "Camp Trails" pack frame or any number of old Kelty's etc that I've owned.

5 years ago I used it to haul a 3-4 year old bull moose about a kilometer, it was neither the largest bull moose I've had to pack, or the furthest distance I've ever needed to pack an animal of that size. It also was pretty gentle terain compared to other recovery's I've had to make. It was however, the first and only time I tried to do the entire job with my F1. To this day my lower back still has problems, sustained from that trip.

Wear it while hunting, take bring a fair bit of meat on your first trip... and then ditch it for a real frame when you make it to the road/ camp.

[bezzola]

You guys ever try the badlands frame

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by bezzola

You guys ever try the badlands frame

Hard pass.

[bezzola]

My son and a few friends run F1 and the packs to go with it
After a couple drinks and some research im going to go with the stone glacier
1 think i really like about eberlestock is the gun scabbard set up that my son uses