One of the biggest challenges since starting to saddle hunt in 2021 was finding the best pack to keep all my gear organized. There are tons of great options on the market at a wide variety of price points, so finding the one that best fits you needs can be challenging. The goal of this article is to narrow those options down to a handful of the best saddle hunting backpacks so you can spend less time researching and more time filling deer tags.
Below is our top pick for the best overall saddle hunting pack, followed by a table with our top seven options depending on your needs and budget. We then dive into the remaining packs’ details and what features to consider when choosing a backpack that fits your needs.
Our Top Pick
TideWe Hunting Pack
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- Capacity: 2,200 cubic inches
- Weight: 3.7 lbs
- Dimensions: 21”x12”x10”
- Multi-pocket design
- Designed to carry your bow or gun
- Built in rain cover
- Amazon Rating: 4.8 out of 5
While I’m not going to say the TideWe Hunting Pack is the best saddle hunting pack on the market. I do believe it’s the best you’re going to find for under $100. In fact, it retails for just $69.99 and fits all my saddle hunting gear and camera arm perfectly with room to spare.
The the TideWe pack’s 2,200 cubic inch capacity is probably overkill for half-day deer hunts, but I like having the extra room for extra layers when needed. The roomy storage is divided up by a variety of pockets to keep all your gear separate and easily accessible.
The two main compartments will hold all your big stuff like extra clothing, your saddle ropes and more, while the internal pockets, side pockets and belt pockets are great for smaller stuff like your wallet and keys, bow release, Thermacell, grunt call, drink and snacks.
Be sure to check the pricing at TideWe before buying from Amazon. TideWe is always having sales. At of the time of this writing, you can use promo code HC15 for an extra 15% off.
Check current price at:
If you’d like to see my review of the TideWe Hunting Pack, as well as how it handles all my saddle hunting gear, check out the YouTube video below.
Best Overall
Eberlestock X2 Pack
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- Capacity: 1,800 cubic inches
- Weight: 5.0 lbs
- Dimensions: 22″ x 14.5″ x 16.5″
- Built-in aluminum Intex frame
- Oversized compression straps
- Rating: 4.8 out of 5
If you have more money to spend, and you want the best, then the Eberlestock X2 pack may be for you.
When you search saddle hunting packs in many of the various saddle hunting forums and Facebook groups, you’ll see the Eberlestock mentioned as much or more than any other pack.
It’s a great size at 1,800 cubic inches, and it has plenty of pockets, straps, and Molle webbing to keep all your saddle hunting gear organized.
One thing that separates the Eberlestock from the cheaper TideWe is the integrated Intex II aluminum frame that makes it possible to pack out heavy loads when needed. The oversized compression straps are great for securing your platform and/or climbing sticks.
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Best Mid-Priced Pack
KUIU Venture 2300
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- Capacity: 2,300 cubic inches
- Weight: 3 lbs 9.4 oz
- Dimensions: 22″ x 12.5″ x 8.5″
- 330D Codura Ripstop fabric
- Internal aluminum and polycarbonate frame
- Two removable compression straps
- Rating: 5.0
If you’re looking for a great pack in that $150-200 range, then the KUIU Venture 2300 is a great option for a saddle hunter.
The KUIU name is known for quality, and the Venture is no exception. The Venture 1800 and its big brother, the Venture 2300, are KUIU’s first standalone day packs. They feature sturdy 330D Cordura ripstop fabric, an internal aluminum and polycarbonate frame to support heavy loads, and two removable compression straps to keep your platform or sticks in place. Like the other packs discussed, the Venture has plenty of pocket options to keep all your hunting gear organized and easily accessible.
The Venture 2300 is the first pack on the list to be offered in two sizes — medium and large — depending on your waist size and height. The KUIU pack also has a removable waist belt when you only need to use the shoulder straps.
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Best Compact Pack
XOP Stryker Evolution
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- Capacity: 1,200 cubic inches
- Weight: 2.5 lbs
- Dimensions: 20″ x 16″ x 8″
- Molle attachment system
- Multiple compressions straps
- Amazon Rating: 4.8 out of 5
If you’re looking for a lightweight, compact saddle hunting pack under $100, then the XOP Striker Evolution pack may be right for you.
While XOP is known more for their affordable stands, climbing sticks and even a saddle hunting system, they also make a great hunting pack for the mobile hunter. The Striker Evolution pack is a fairly basic pack, but with features that make packing your saddle hunting gear a breeze. Its compact size makes it perfect for the saddle hunter looking to carry minimal gear and keep the overall weight as light as possible. It’s the lightest pack on my list at just 2.5 pounds.
Knowing the needs of the mobile hunter, XOP included plenty of Molle strapping and four compression straps to easily carry your climbing sticks and saddle hunting platform. The pack features a front pocket, two side pockets and a couple of internal mesh pockets for organizing all your hunting gear. There is one main compartment to the pack for keeping bulky items like extra clothing layers.
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Trophyline CAYS 2.0
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- Capacity: 1,950 cubic inches
- Weight: 3.6 lbs
- Dimensions: 20″ x 12.5″ x 7.5″
- Molle attachment system
- Designed specifically for saddle hunting
- Front Platform pocket with snap closure when not in use
- Amazon Rating: 4.7
If you’re looking for a quality pack designed specifically with the saddle hunter in mind in the $150 range, then the Trophyline CAYS 2.0 pack may be the perfect fit for you.
Surprisingly, the Trophyline CAYS 2.0 is the only pack on our list designed specifically for saddle hunters, and you can easily see that in the way it’s laid out. If I wasn’t already completely happy with my TideWe Hunting Pack, this would be my next choice. Again, I’m not saying this pack is necessarily better than many others on this list, but I think it’s the best in that $150 price range.
The Trophyline has a front kangaroo pocket made specifically for holding your saddle hunting platform, and compression straps on both sides to hold your climbing sticks. The main compartment of the pack is accessible from the top, which is nice because it allows you access to your gear even while your platform and sticks are strapped in.
The pack features 20 useable fleece-lined pockets, which is nice for keeping your gear organized and accessing it as silently as possible. Two of those pockets are the long, narrow side pockets that are great for a spotting scope or a camera arm if you film your hunts.
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Mystery Ranch Popup 28
QUICK LOOK
- Capacity: 1,710 cubic inches
- Weight: 4.9 lbs
- Dimensions: 21″ x 11″ x 10.5″
- Pop-up frame converts this daypack into a load-hauling system
- Will haul loads up to 80 lbs.
- Bottom, front and side compression straps
- Amazon Rating: 5 out of 5
If you have little more money to spend, and want a great pack with a pop-up frame that can pack out loads up to 80 lbs., then the Mystery Ranch Pop Up 28 may be the perfect pack for you.
I mentioned earlier about the popularity of the Eberlestock X2 pack among saddle hunters, and the Mystery Ranch Pop Up 28 is right up there with it. It’s a high-end option, with the highest retail price of any on my list, but has a lot of great features not found in the other packs.
The main thing that stands out about the Pop Up 28 is its unique pop up frame that allows the daypack to be converted into a load-hauling system that will handle up to 80 lbs. That’s perfect for those saddle hunters hunting way off the beaten path who need to quarter and pack out their deer.
When not hauling out meat, the space between the frame and the pack is the perfect place to pack your platform, and the compression straps on each side will hold your climbing sticks firmly in place.
The lid to the main storage compartment zips open to allow easy access into the pack, and a variety of pockets will keep your gear neatly organized in the pack. Like the KUIU pack, the Mystery Ranch is offered in multiple sizes (small to XL) tailored to your waist and height for a perfect fit that will keep you comfortable on those long packs in and out.
At the time I write this (October 10, 2022), Black Ovis has this pack marked down over $100, but has limited sizes available.
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Horn Hunter G3
QUICK LOOK
- Capacity: 2,200 cubic inches
- Weight: 3.97 lbs
- Dimensions: 23″ x 15″ x 7″
- 20 pockets and compartments
- Gear grippers to carry a bow or rifle
- Unique flip top opening, designed specifically for use in a tree
- Amazon Rating: 4.4 out of 5
If you’re looking for a roomy pack at an affordable price, with a unique design that allows easy access while it’s hanging in a tree, then the Horn Hunter G3 pack may be right for you.
The Horn Hunter G3 is designed unlike any other pack on the list. It’s made with a unique flip-top opening that allows easy access while the pack is hanging in a tree. The G3 has a lot of unique features that cater to the treestand or saddle deer hunter, including an elastic cord and bottom straps for extra clothing, gear grippers with pull out rifle/bow pouch, straps for rattling antlers and a built-in 25 ft. pull rope.
While the G3 doesn’t have the Molle webbing or dedicated platform pocket of some of the other packs, it has enough straps to easily secure your platform and sticks.
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Features to Consider
Capacity
One of the first features to consider when searching for the best saddle hunting pack is the overall capacity of the pack. You’ll need to take into consideration how many days you’ll be hunting at a time, and how much gear you’ll be packing for those days. Most of you are probably whitetail hunters like myself who’ll only be hunting half days or the occasional full day hunt during the rut. If that’s the case, and you’re not packing too many additional layers of clothes or a bunch of camera gear, then most any of the packs on this list should be sufficient.
Some of the larger packs on this list may be overkill for those of you hunting mostly half-day hunts in climates that don’t require a lot of extra layers. Personally, though, I like a larger pack even though I rarely use all the space. It’s there if I need it, and it doesn’t have a major impact on the overall weight of my setup.
Pack Frame
My top saddle hunting backpack picks range from having no frame at all, to having an internal frames, and even one with an external frame (the Mystery Ranch Pop Up 28). Whether you need a frame pack or not really depends on what you plan on hauling with it. In most cases, deer hunters just packing in their saddle hunting gear can get by without a frame. However, a frame can add an extra level of comfort and support.
If you plan on hauling your kill out as opposed to dragging it out, then you’ll definitely want a pack with a frame to help support the extra weight.
Weight
All of the packs on my list are in the 2.5 to 5.0 pound range, so overall weight isn’t too much of an issue, but some saddle hunters take weight savings very seriously. For those folks, looking at the weight of a pack can be important to their overall setup. While the 2.5 pound difference between my lightest option and the heaviest option may not sound like much, it can add up. And the longer you have to walk with that pack on your back, the more you’re going to notice that 2.5 pounds!
Molle Webbing and Compression Straps
To me, what really separates a great saddle hunting pack from regular hunting packs is the availability of Molle webbing and compression straps to keep your gear strapped down and in-place. Saddle hunting requires unique equipment, and that equipment takes special features on a backpack to haul it all in a way that is comfortable and easy to access. That’s where the Molle webbing and compression straps come in handy.
Final Thoughts
With the rise in popularity of saddle hunting, it’s only a matter of time before more packs dedicated to that hunting style begin to hit the market. Until then, though, we’ll have to make the best of what we have available. Fortunately, there are several great options available that make it easy to keep your saddle hunting gear secure and organized at a variety of price points.
My overall choice for the best saddle hunting pack is the TideWe Hunting Pack based on my personal experience with the pack, the way all my saddle hunting gear and camera arm fit neatly in the pack, and the very affordable price point. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Eberlestock, Trophyline and Mystery Ranch are higher quality, but I’m not sure they have enough added value for my needs to justify the price difference.
Hopefully this article will help you decide which saddle hunting pack for your specific needs. If you end up buying one, whether it was one on our list or not, we’d love to hear about which one you chose and why in the comments section below.
