Eberlestock Blue Widow

I read some very good reviews on this pack but I have not seen it for sale yet in the stores here.
I looked for it at Sportsmans Warehouse, Bass Pro and Gander Mountain, nothing. I have been thinking about just buying it online.

If i'm not mistaken I saw it at sportsmans warehouse here in Midvale, UT. I will be buying it online though... I should be able to get a better deal.

I have an Eberlestock X1A1 pack and absolutely love it. It has more than enough room for all that you need. I packed out a muley out in montana last hunting season and it did a wonderful job. I highly recommend them...wish they would sponsor me after the nice things I say about them...LOL

I going to get the blue widow not that I need another pack LOL

Well that's just great! You guys had to go and post about a new awsome pack. You are costing me money--I hate you. lol

Um... you could give me the money instead!

I just picked one up this summer. I used it last weekend on a 2 day scouting trip/ practice run w/ 50 lbs loaded up. It is a great pack and you will not be disappointed.

I bought mine here http://www.sandsarchery.com/Eberlestock_packs_s/27.htm
Free shipping plus a free accessory. Cant beat it.

If you are in the market for a new pack, I would spend the money. Being able to expand that baby all the way out to 4000+ cu in. for the pack in, then cinch it down to 2000 cu in while hunting is a great feature. Plus the removable fanny pack is a great idea as well.

I don't have one but have been looking into it. I like how there are two vertical straps on the back side instead of one like on the other eberlestock packs. This should help when packing loads and you need a more secure system. Also, I like how you can take the gun scabbard in or out. If your not packing a gun then you can get rid of the extra weight. And as stated above, you can take off the fanny pack and go on a stalk with minimal weight. fatrooster.

I bought one this year and used it for the first time this last week. With the gun scabbard, spotting scope and a full load it worked great. It really carried the weight well. I didn't get over 40lbs in it and brought it mostly to test it out and just in case we killed and needed to haul out a short distance. I'm headed to CO in a few weeks for a backpack hunt. We'll see how it holds up to a real trip but I expect it to do just fine.

I bought one and returned it. It's a great pack. Love the design...very innovative and flexible to meet the needs of different situations. But it's not as good as some of the normal backpacking packs I've had.

Why I returned it, two reasons. 1) waist/hip belt is just okay. Not bad, but not great. For that kind of money it should be great. 2) size. Any normal backpack worth anything will come in three sizes to account for waist and tourso differences. Their "one size fits all" is fine for day hikes or light overnighters, but load it up and you'll be wishing you had a pack that fits better. With heavy weight I couldn't get the weight off my shoulders, even when adjusted as far as it could go. A good fitting pack puts all the weight on your hips and only uses the shoulders for stabilizing the load. Dont get me wrong, it works and I'm sure plenty of guys like it. But once you see what a high quality, good fitting pack can feel like, you won't settle for less. It's worth being critical when spending that kind of money and potentially putting miles on the trail with it.

My Badlands 2200 has a better fit and better hip belt. Yet too small of capacity for big trips. I'm going to check out the Badlands 4500 next. Or just stick with my Northface because it carries heavy loads for miles with ease.

I finally got a chance to use this pack fully loaded. Took it to CO for a multi-night bowhunt for a few days and it did great. Pack was loaded with 46lbs and I went in approximately 3.25 miles starting at 9000 and finished at 10500. At first I had an issue with the pack not being properly stabilized but after making an adjustment to the waist belt and moving the shoulder straps down one notch it fit much better. I went at it hard this week and my legs gave out before my back ever got sore. If you adjust the stays and the shoulder harness properly this thing will haul weight properly. It may not fit every torso/body type but when adjusted it worked great for me. With all the different configurations with this pack it's definitely worth my money. Just my personal opinion.

I must disagree with you on your review of the Blue Widow. Yes the pack is a one size fits all, (2200ci-7200ci) but there are many adjustments that you can make to make it fit. I would suggest that anyone who wants to get this pack, go to their website and view the how to use this pack video. One adjustment is to get the correct size hip belt that fits you. Second is to adjust the torso length to fit your torso. If you are extremely tall or short then I can see your problem. You can also adjust the metal stays that are in the back so they contour the pack to your torso. I have spent many days on trail with this stuffed with as little as 18 lbs, and well over 60 lbs in it. I was released back to full duty in March of this year due to a shoulder injury in Afghanistan, And have had no problems getting this pack off of my shoulders. I have used Very good packs and very bad packs. I spent months researching packs, and the only other one I would have gotten is the Black Creeks Barbarian. Granted Badlands does make a good pack, but for me my money is on Eberlestock. 10sign: :thumb

Archer11,
Now that your brother has one, what do you think? I have had one for around 6 years and absolutely love it.
I've had the opportunity to try out Badlands, Fieldline, Mystery Ranch and others. I truly love the simple design
and comfort (even when overloaded) of this pack. I did have one problem with it. The material could be a little thicker
than it is. I caught the side of it on scrub oak and started a small tear. I also have the spike duffel to go with it, but that material
is WAY too thin. I put a hole in it my first time using it.