Hardcorehunter
UL Shelter/Stove Geek
Being a gear gadget guy, I decided to try a Magnus Rack Pack this year. A friend of mine and fellow Iowan, spacman, whom happens to film bow hunts and uses these, told me I should give one a try. Here is what a Rack Pack is; it is a pack frame, that has compression straps w/buckles that are attached to a 10.5" X 16" cordura cloth that compress and cinch your blind and gear to a pack frame. This product is mainly for ground blind hunting, but is also popular with predator hunters. This pack also turns into a very comfortable chair, once you are in the the field and setup. The most comfortable chair that I have ever hunted out of in a ground blind, I might add. It would be ideal for the antelope hunter that may spend hours in a ground blind. You can actually sleep in it. The pack can carry a heavy load and I have hiked back in some rough hilly areas with this with a Double Bull Blind, 3 Dave Smith Decoys, a Pretty Boy with real feathers, a pretty girl with real feathers, food, and water. Approx weight of all of my turkey gear appro is 45-50 lbs at times. It handles these loads quite comfortably. The only issues I had with it, is I lost a plastic leg bottom that fell off in soft soil, it had shiny chrome metal parts, and I did not like the way that the top load lifter straps would get under my shoulder strap either when mounting the pack, or during carrying it. The shoulder straps would spin on me and end up upside down. Annoying. I did a quick 10 minute sew job with 80 lb spider wire on the load lifter strap,and I love it now. I painted all of the shiny chrome parts, and I installed crutch tips on the legs. I also camoed it up a little instead of it being all black. Now it is perfect FOR me. Here are some pics.
Crutch tips. These have a steel bottom, fit VERY snug, and are a wider base so they won't sink in soft soil.
When you buy the pack, you need to adjust it. Move these buckles all of the way up till they stop. Adjust all of the supports,everyth needs adjusting, as they leave the factory no where near where they should be.
Set your straps carefully where you want them, and then sew like I did. The load lifters work very well and sewing this does not negate the adjustability. It also prevents the straps from coming undone at the frame like I had happen to me, and no more having the strap go under the shoulder strap
The compression cordura cloth has hidden pocket which stores 4 extra buckles they give you, and a blaze orange turkey tote bag.
Here is the chair and head rest deployed. Set up is easy
Here is a blind on the pack. No need for the freighter frame, as the compression cloth holds it in place nicely. Notice the hubs are up.
Here is a blind and 3 Dave Smith Decoys mounted to the pack. I would suggest getting a cargo net like this. I couldn't imagine being a bow hunter without these.
Hook in BEHIND the strap is how I do it
Freighter shelf deployed
When using the freighter shelf to carry a bird and your blind, put the blind with the hubs down, as this will fit between the straps easier.
Blind, decoys, and turkey on the pack. Freighter shelf deployed
Crutch tips. These have a steel bottom, fit VERY snug, and are a wider base so they won't sink in soft soil.
When you buy the pack, you need to adjust it. Move these buckles all of the way up till they stop. Adjust all of the supports,everyth needs adjusting, as they leave the factory no where near where they should be.
Set your straps carefully where you want them, and then sew like I did. The load lifters work very well and sewing this does not negate the adjustability. It also prevents the straps from coming undone at the frame like I had happen to me, and no more having the strap go under the shoulder strap
The compression cordura cloth has hidden pocket which stores 4 extra buckles they give you, and a blaze orange turkey tote bag.
Here is the chair and head rest deployed. Set up is easy
Here is a blind on the pack. No need for the freighter frame, as the compression cloth holds it in place nicely. Notice the hubs are up.
Here is a blind and 3 Dave Smith Decoys mounted to the pack. I would suggest getting a cargo net like this. I couldn't imagine being a bow hunter without these.
Hook in BEHIND the strap is how I do it
Freighter shelf deployed
When using the freighter shelf to carry a bird and your blind, put the blind with the hubs down, as this will fit between the straps easier.
Blind, decoys, and turkey on the pack. Freighter shelf deployed
