One of my constant frustrations when packing for a hunt is trying to remain organized. Even just heading out to a treestand for a day hunt, there are so many small pieces of gear that have to be packed. When heading out on a backpack hunt, you can be talking about 60-70 different pieces of gear. Without a system to stay organized, packing and living out of your backpack can be a major chore. The best solution I’ve found so far are the Ultralight Pullout bags from Kifaru.
The Bags
The bags range in size from small (40 cu in.) to mega (266 cu in.) with five different size options. They are priced very reasonably from $11 for the smallest bag to $16 for the mega. You can also pick up a set of all five for $61. They are called ultralight for a reason, and the heaviest mega bag weighs in at only 1.6 ounces. The bags are made from silnylon which is a very lightweight but surprisingly tear-resistant ultralight material. Silnylon is being used on many of the high-tech ultralight tents and teepees on the market right now. Each bag features a very heavy-duty zipper, a small Kifaru logo, and two nylon pull loops. The loops are great for helping to zip them shut, hanging them on a wall at home, or running paracord through them to hang from a tree.
How I Use Them
When packing for a long backpack trip, I typically end up with my guest bed or a table full of a variety of different gear. I am then constantly going back through the pile to double-check it against my gear list. With the Ultralight Pullout bags, I use them to contain groups of gear. For example, the mega-size bag is large enough to fit my tent, sleeping bag, tent stakes, and sleeping pad. Once the gear is in that bag, I zip it up. This makes it easy to make sure I have everything for that category of gear. A large bag holds my cookware, stove, fuel, and water filtration equipment. When returning from a trip, I clean, dry, and assess all my gear. Once it has been checked, I put it back into its pullout bag for storage. This allows me to have everything right where I need it for next time. When I’m in the field, having the gear organized in pullout bags in my pack allows me to quickly get out what I need without having to dump a bunch of loose gear on the ground each time.
Conclusion
It seems goofy to get excited about a $60 set of ultralight bags, I’ll admit it. However, after searching for something like this for a while, I could not be happier with the Kifaru Ultralight Pullout bags. Weighing practically nothing, they allow me to spend less time messing with gear, and more time setting up camp—or planning out my next trip at home. If you are lacking organization in your hunting pack, I highly recommend the Kifaru Pullout bags.
