Today is the day I reveal, to the world, my thoughts about what many would consider to be the "flagship" pack produced by the folks at Badlands, the "2200".
I've had a chance to beat it up over the past five weeks of intense scouting and am pleased to report that I have been impressed.
Intro,Pack Description, and Field Pictures:
The first thing you will notice when you put the pack on is the way it fits your back and grips your shoulders. Yes, grips your shoulder. Where many packs, especially with the carrying capacity of this one, 2200 cubic inches (hence the name), hang on your shoulders like a sack of potatoes, this pack is built to feel like it belongs there when you put it on. Traditionally I've been more of a day pack kind of guy so I was a little worried about this pack feeling bulky but that hesitation was quickly remedied before I even got my second arm through the strap. A pack with a HUGE capacity that fits and carries better than any day pack I own.
Obviously the fit is extremely important but now that it feels great on your back. . . . . what does it have to offer? Brooklyn Decker would be great to carry around too but she's probably not going to help much on your fourth day of a six day back country hunt.
Pockets galore, people. Just to give you some idea, my last load included: three trail cameras, a range finder, jacket, knives, tree pruning equipment, eight bunjee cords, a full 2 litre water bladder, video camera, binoculars, 16 batteries, gps, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich that remained unsmashed after eight hours of hiking and riding to set those cameras. The 2200 boasts more organization than the guy at your office that has six different colors of pens in his shirt pocket.
Pockets are great, but as the guy in your office will tell you, they need to offer some protection as well. He is afraid of errant ink. You have dust, rain, mud, etc. to worry about. Taped seams, heavy duty zippers, and "grippy" rubber zipper pulls will not only keep your gear our of the elements but make it easy to get to when you need it. There is even an access zipper on the front side (where the pack meets your back) that zips open for easy access to the main compartment if you happen to have something strapped to the back of the pack. I used this feature quite a bit when I had the pack strapped to the front of my 4 wheeler. Very handy.
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| Strapped to the wheeler, the easy cargo access was very handy. |
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| Staying strong and looking good. |
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| This is Trevor's (another Badlands believer) 2200, loaded to the max. |
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| Trevor's pack again, notice the zipper pulls. |
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| Pulling cams out. |
The pack has a really cool "meat shelf" that allows you to pack meat and gear at the same time. Unfortunately I have not had a chance to use this feature as of yet. . but I'm hoping to change that very soon. When that happens you can bet that I'll be posting pictures, accompanied by a toothy grin, as soon as possible.
I've used this pack for scouting to this point. Would I use it to actually hunt with? It depends. Define "hunting" and I'll give you an answer. I'm a big spot and stalk guy so if I'm wearing a pack at all when I'm actually making my approach I want it to be small enough to not snag on trees as I'm crawling under them. That being said, as much as I love this pack, I won't be wearing it as I make my approach. Will it be on the wheeler waiting for me to come grab it and start the "work" part after the animal is down? You bet your ass.
If I were a rifle hunter I would absolutely be carrying this pack when I pulled the trigger. Even if I were a stand hunter this pack would be hanging from a limb. If you hunt from a horse, this pack would also be perfect. If you need something to carry your gear while you're scouting, setting cams, hiking into camp for a couple days in the Unitas. . . . look no further.
How I Really Feel:
To this point my experience with this pack has been very good. I can haul a ton of gear without feeling like I'm hauling a ton of gear. Its very easy to keep everything organized, functional, and dependable. Last weekend I got caught in an absolute downpour while out checking my cameras. This wouldn't be such a big deal but I had forgotten my card reader 500 miles away so I was carrying my $1500 laptop to read sd cards. Yeah, stupid huh? I wouldn't recommend this by any means. . . . . but the pack kept my computer bone dry after three hours in the pouring rain. I wish I had a picture of it. . . . .it was to wet for a camera. If that were the ONLY experience I had with this pack it would be enough for me to give my full recommendation but to this point there have been many more and I would not hesitate at all to tell any of you to pull the trigger on this one.
Pair this with that famous Badlands warranty, quoted directly from the link on their site below:
"Our warranty was designed to keep your pack in the field for as many years as possible and also to demonstrate our willingness to stand behind our products for the long haul. It was not designed to be a "free upgrade program". Therefore, this is our one caveat (as stated in the warranty). "We will repair your pack for free, forever, no matter whose fault it is, no questions asked", sounds like a square deal to us. A few things you need to know here; in most cases it probably cost less to replace a pack than it does to disassemble and repair it. The other thing is; it is now and always has been our intention to do right by our customers, period. This a company founded on treating people as we would like to be treated ourselves. Therefore, if it is a case where the product should be replaced, it will be done promptly and without whining. If it makes more senses under the circumstances to repair it, that will be done. Either way, we do it on our dime."
You can't go wrong with this pack or the people that stand behind it.
Click the logo below and give the Badlands site a look, you'll like it.
I feel the same way about mine too. I usually carry around $6000 dollars in optics and I never even worry about them being protected.
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