6 Best Deer Hunting Backpacks of 2024

One common question that serious deer hunters keep debating for years is “what is the best deer hunting backpack?”. As one of the essential hunting gears, it has a huge impact on your hunt.

This complete guide is particularly helpful for people who haven’t found out the desired hunting pack yet. Here, you’ve got the best tips and tricks from our experts, along with some of their suggestions, to find out an appropriate deer hunting pack with ease.

Here are the best deer hunting backpacks (Apr 2024 Update):

• Best Overall: Badlands Superday Hunting Backpack
• Largest Capacity: ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag
• Most Durable: ALPS OutdoorZ 9463100
• Best For Low-light Conditions: Allen Pagosa 1800 Hunting Daypack
• Best For Long Day Hunts: SITKA Gear Hunting Camo Tool Box
• Best For Bow Hunting: Tenzing Choice Hunting Daypack

Best Overall: Badlands Superday Hunting Backpack

Badlands Superday Hunting Backpack

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The Badlands Superday has risen to the top as we’ve tested it for nearly 8 months.

It has just enough pockets to max out your essentials with a good arrangement to let you focus on the hunt without distraction and just enough comfort with ergonomically advanced molded foam to keep your back from feeling pain.

It’s also easily adaptable to the current lighting and surrounding.

Based on its darker color palette and the usage of groundbreaking concealment technology, we highly recommend this hunting pack for Eastern or Midwest hunters.

Largest Capacity: ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag

ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag

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For multiple days’ hunting, you’ll need a backpack that is as spacious as possible. This OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag from ALPS is a shining contender for you because it comes with the largest capacity - 5250³ of total storage space.

In addition, it is particularly made of nylon rip-stop fabric to enhance the pack’s durability, meaning that with the increased loading weight, it’s still endurable enough to last long.

We really love the frame and uniquely secure lashing system to haul your meat from the hunting field to the truck/SUV. There also comes with 3 extension straps in case you’ve got larger loads to carry.

To make sure you can carry such heavyweight behind the back with maximum support and comfort, ALPS added it with an adjustable freighter shelf, which is another big bonus.sp

Most Durable: ALPS OutdoorZ 9463100

ALPS OutdoorZ 9463100

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We’re completely satisfied with this ALPS OutdoorZ 9463100 after pushing it to the limits on both volume and weight in the worst weather conditions.

It holds up exceptionally well with no issues after many days of hike although all zippers enclosures and seams are stressed to the max from overloading.

From our personal testing, it is really low-profile, lightweight, yet durable, and can handle a bow with ease. There are also some extra MOLLE webbing to handle extra gears as well as straps on the outside for warm-weather layering.

With a capacity of 41 liters, the backpack is perfect for an over-nighter or little day trips in the early season up until late-season.

Best For Low-light Conditions: Allen Pagosa 1800 Hunting Daypack

Allen Pagosa 1800 Hunting Daypack

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The Allen Pagosa 1800 Hunting Daypack continues to be the winner of our Editor Choice’s award for low-light conditions. The high-vis zipper pulls and lining allows you to easily find your gear in darkness, whether dusk, dawn or when the sun already disappears.

Regardless, we do appreciate the comfort level of this backpack.

It features lots of side compression straps to keep loads close to your body, along with the supportive waist belt, stable sternum strap, and padding foam in the back and shoulder straps.

While sweated hands or blood might make you fumble when trying to opening a zippered pocket, this avoids such a frustrating moment by featuring brighter, larger zipper pulls. Besides, the fabric is made to be quiet in the rain or during movements.

Best For Long Day Hunts: SITKA Gear Hunting Camo Tool Box

SITKA Gear Hunting Camo Tool Box

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SITKA maintains the top spot on our podium for deer hunting pack used in long day trips for the 2nd year in a row with their Gear Hunting Camo Tool Box.

The secret lies in its brushed woven polyester fabric and padded back. They ensure the maximum breathability to allow you to carry in comfort while blocking efficiently any perspiration that causes odor. In addition, it is neat and well-organized to keep everything you need aside without distracting you from the hunt.

While offering numerous compartments and pockets, we love that it comes with a tree-step hanging ring so that you can hang the open backpack to access any pocket with ease.

Best For Bow Hunting: Tenzing Choice Hunting Daypack

Tenzing Choice Hunting Daypack

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We recently discovered a new Best Buy Award-winning bow hunting backpack in this Tenzing.

It costs a huge amount more than other options here but the price already includes padded hip panels with a cool mesh back padding, some vertical and horizontal compression straps, and 6 pockets.

Importantly, it highlights fold-out bow carrying boot and side-mount quiver attachment to conveniently hook your bow and arrows on the walks in/out in the dark.

An improvement on the soft, quiet tricot fabric-covered robic rip-stop panels, TENZING has come up with an innovative solution to deaden the noise from movement or accessing gear. It’s a great companion in the field to not scare your deer out and cause them to run away. Not to say that this fabric is extremely durable.

How To Choose The Best Deer Hunting Backpacks?

Capacity And Purpose Of Use

• Yes, to determine the right capacity of an deer hunting pack for you, ask yourself “What is the backpack’s purpose?” or “How much stuff you want to carry?”. Not to mention the meat once you’ve shot a target.
• The general size ranges of hunting packs are within 2000 cubic inches to 6000 cubic inches, equivalent to 25 to 95 liters.
• An appropriate hunting backpack for deer must fit snugly all of your essentials but not weighs too heavily or looks bulkily. To do that, list out everything you intend to carry on the next adventures (remember, only bring the most important gears).
• Our suggestion is 1000 cubic inches/day out hunting.
• That means if you plan for a 3-day trip, choose a backpack featuring 3000-cu.ft. of capacity as a minimum. For beginners, here are some simpler ideas for you:
  • Under 2000 cubic feet of hunting pack if you’re about to do day trips
  • At least 2000 cubic feet for an overnight deer hunt, depending on how many days of your adventure

Meat Storage

• One of the most vital aspects of hunting backpacks, meat storage puts a significant impact on the pack’s ability to haul an deer from the hunting field to your SUV or truck.
• And from our experience, the distance is commonly miles away, meaning that your hunting backpack must be strong, durable, and sturdy to carry such a huge amount of meat.
• When considering this feature, look for those packs that have reasonable space for meat as well as have adequate straps to secure them in place.

Weapon Holders

• It’s dangerous and struggling to hold a riffle (or a bow) while hiking through rugged terrain. That is why we highly recommend choosing a backpack that can keep your hunting weapon securely and neatly in place so that you can carry them with hands-free capability.
• There are many ways to hold your weapon: rifle holders, scabbards, or holsters, depending on your preference, the weapon’s weight, and dimensions, and the budget.

Which Brands Make The Best Deer Hunting Backpacks?

Badlands

• Founded in 1992, Badlands is one of the most reputable companies in hunting gears. Their products are appreciated by lots of worldwide experts for unparalleled quality and performance. That’s no exception to the deer hunting backpack lines.

ALPS

• Quite a young brand, ALPS was established in 2007 as an outdoor gear brand at an affordable price range. Not just hunting backpack, they provide a wide range of product lines and have received plenty of positive feedbacks from customers.

Allen

• The OG in this industry, Allen has started their journey in designing and producing outdoor hunting gear since 1970. After 50 years’ expertise, they have gained numerous achievements and records in terms of headquarters, number of product lines, and sales.

FAQs

Conclusion

This is the end of this article.

Hopefully, with the 6 provided selections above, you will get a better clue on how to choose the best deer hunting backpack.

Thanks for reading!