This is a guest post from a female hunter I met a few hunting seasons back – I hope you fellow hunters get some value from it!
I grew up in what you would call “the country” where the only things to do were park in the lot of the Piggly Wiggly to hang out, drive down to the dam and make out, or go hunting. And since I didn’t have any sisters or female cousins, I was ALWAYS surrounded by the boys. So, when I would spend summers with my granddaddy, we did the things he did with my boy cousins -fishing, hunting, looking Indian arrowheads and the like.
So, whether I liked it or not, I learned far more than the average girl about things like hunting. And when my cousin Jason decided he needed a new camo backpack for hunting season, I was the one who went with him to the city to visit Cabela’s to shop for a new pack.
We looked through tons of different camo hunting backpacks before narrowing it down and finally making a decision. So, I wanna share the finalists with you in case you, too, need help finding a new pack for hunting season. My reviews are below, but first a look at the top rated Badlands packs for the money.
| Photo | Model | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
 | Badlands Superday Pack | 1950 cubic inch |
 | Badlands 2200 Backpack | 2310 cubic inch |
 | Badlands Diablo Day Pack | 1900 cubic inch |
 | Badlands 2800 Backpack | 2800 cubic inch |
 | Badlands Kali Day Pack for Women | 2500 cubic inch |
Why Buy A New Camo Hunting Backpack?
First, you might be wondering just why my cousin needed a new backpack for hunting. Well, honestly, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his old pack. It was camo, it held a decent amount of hunting gear and it was a comfortable fit (or so he says).
He got the pack a few years ago because it was cheap and he didn’t wanna spend a fortune on one of these things. But, after a while he said that he realized that while it was a pretty good pack for hunting, it just did not meet his needs. And that is why he needed a new pack.
Since he basically has a starter pack, it was pretty easy to find some great options for upgrading.
Desired Features In A New Hunting Backpack
Instead of wasting time by checking out packs that didn’t meet his needs, I asked my cousin to tell me what he was looking for so that we could make a list of those features. Doing this enabled us to go into the store with a checklist of the things that he wanted. With that list, we were able to quickly and easily narrow our choices down to just three great Badlands hunting packs.
Top 3 Choices For A New Hunting Backpacks – Narrowed Down To Our Favorite 3 Badlands Packs
And going over our list of must-have features, which you can see below, we looked through all of the options and managed to narrow it down to just three. And, it just so happens that those three are all the same brand – Badlands Packs. You can see the three here, but keep reading to learn more about these three, which one we bought and why.
If you keep reading, I will give you a review on each of these packs to help you decide for yourself.
Badlands Superday Pack Review
The first camo hunting pack that we looked at was the Badlands Superday Pack. As you can see, it fits the camo design requirement and it looks large enough to hold a decent amount of gear.
After handling the backpack, it is also fairly quiet and has a place for storing a rifle or bow while you are walking through the woods. And, despite being a soft pack, it did seem comfortable to wear. Personally, I use a Kelty backpack with an internal frame for hiking so I advised my cousin against this one just for that reason. In my experience, packs with an internal frame are more comfortable for long hiking treks.
Interested in this pack? Click Here for Price on Amazon
I also want to note that this pack is NOT water resistant. And, all Badlands packs have a lifetime warranty.
Badlands 2800 Backpack Review
The Badlands 2800 Backpack is a great option for the serious hunter. And the features list just goes on and on.
It has the internal frame, which makes it a comfy pack to carry through the forest. And the space – it has TONS of it!
Other boxes it ticked for my cousin: it’s quiet, it has a lifetime warranty, it has a space for carrying his bow or rifle and it has a rain cover.
Interested in this pack? Click Here for Price on Amazon
He also liked the added bonus of the padded waist belt and the designated pockets for game quarters. I say “ick” to that, but he loved that feature. The only real disadvantage for him was the price as it is the most expensive of the three.
Badlands 2200 Backpack Review
Kind of an in between option is the Badlands 2200 Backpack, which was the final hunting pack we compared.
The features it has that met our requirements are: quiet material, durable with lifetime warranty, space for carrying rifle/bow, lots of space, comfy to wear in the forest, camo design.
Interested in this pack? Click Here for Price on Amazon
It does have an internal frame, which is a plus, but it is NOT water resistant and does not come with a rain cover like the 2800.
However, it does have a meat shelf, a pocket for your spotting scope and it is considerably cheaper than the 2800. And this this true even after you pay an extra $20 for the rain cover.
Conclusion: Best Badlands Pack For The Money
It was a tough decision, but in the end it was really just between the 2200 and the 2800. While the 2800 had more features (the rain cover) it was also MUCH more expensive. So…..my cousin got the 2200 and bought the rain cover to go with it. In the end, this was a total of $40 cheaper than buying the 2800. And yes, he’s loving it!
Learn More About the 2200 Pack
If you’re also interested in the Badlands 2200 pack, then I suggest you take a quick peek at this video. It is an official video from the Badlands company. As you will see, it touches on how to do some cool stuff with the pack, like stow your rifle for easy carrying as you hike through the forest.
If you have decided that the Badlands packs are not for you, don’t worry. We came across a lot of really great hunting backpacks on our search. You can find one to fit pretty much any budget too. For some more options, I suggest starting your search online on Amazon. I even found Jason’s 2200 pack on there for cheaper than what he paid for it at Cabelas!
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