Best Turkey Hunting Backpack Reviews for 2021
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Turkey hunting can involve carrying a lot of equipment into the woods with you. For example, you may have to carry your gun, crossbow, ammo, decoys, calls and even binoculars with you, therefore it’s imperative that you have something to sort all your turkey hunting gear in that’s also easy to carry around. Turkey hunts can last a long time, therefore, the last thing you want to be worrying about is the transporting of your equipment.
A specially designed backpack is the perfect, portable solution for organizing and transporting your gear into the woods. The problem comes in deciding what backpack is right for holding all the equipment you use and is comfortable enough on your back for long periods.
We’ve selected for you the best 5 turkey hunting backpacks that you can spend your money on, ensuring that you can fully concentrate on getting that kill in the woods.
Top 5 Rated Models Comparison Table
Image | Backpack | Capacity | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 44 liters | 4 lbs, 1 oz | ||
 | 32 liters | 3 lbs, 15 oz | ||
 | 41 liters | 4 lbs, 7 oz | ||
 | 29 liters | 3 lbs | ||
 | 38 liters | 3 lbs, 11 oz |
Reviews of the Best Turkey Hunting Backpacks
The Alps OutdoorZ Pursuit is a durable back with plenty of storage space and organization. It’s made from a sturdy nylon fabric and boasts 2700 cubic inches (44 liters) of storage – enough for virtually any job. On the front, there’s a large shelf pocket designed for easy organizing, as well as a quiver holder on either side of the pack. There’s also a drop-down pocket for holding your gun or bow in place while hiking out to the hunting spot.
A built-in rain cover can be quickly whipped out when the weather turns ugly, and its blaze orange for when you need visibility for added safety. There’s also plenty of support in the frame, with a center aluminum stay to keep the bag firmly supported up against your back.
Common complaints for the Alps Outdoorz Pursuit center on two things: weight and workmanship. At 4 pounds empty, it’s heavy for a lightweight day pack, and once loaded up, can really weigh you down. It would be better at half the weight. Second, the quality of some of the seams and zippers is lacking and can give out with heavy use. (The nylon fabric itself is good, however).
Overall, this is a nice bag for the price – and packs in a ton of storage space and options. Just don’t expect it to last many seasons of rugged use.
Pros
- Thick, durable fabric
- 44 liters of storage
- Tons of organizing options
- Integrated quivers, drop-down pocket for gun or bow
- Built-in rain cover
- Aluminum frame stay
Cons
- Poor quality seams and zippers
- Heavy (4+ pounds)
Badlands is known for their durable, functional hunting packs, and the Superday is no different. Designed for an entire day of hunting, it packs 32 liters of space and can carry a hunting rifle, bow and pistol, all at once, with a built-in holster. There’s a spot for a 2-liter hydration carrier, so you can carry water on long, all-day hunts, and works especially well with their own HydraPak Badlands pouches. There’re also easy-access waist belt pockets for extra storage, and five compression straps to keep things tight and strapped down while hiking.
A very nice, premium feature found on the Superday is the Badlands Molded Foam suspension, which is designed to conform and match all the various contours of the wearer’s back and body, for a perfect custom fit. For this reason, it’s one of the most comfortable bags on our list. It weighs 3 pounds, 15 ounces.
Complaints with the Superday usually revolve around a few issues; one, there is no breathability or airflow on the back, so it tends to get hot and sweaty over long hikes and hunts. It’s not water-resistant, even just to light rain. And, the zippers are not very durable and tend to break. It’s also doesn’t have a lot of storage for something this large and expensive, at only 32 liters.
If you’d like the durability and reliability of a Badlands pack, as well as a comfortable suspension, the Superday is a good choice – but the high price tag, lesser storage and heavy weight means there are better options out there.
Pros
- Comfortable, molded foam suspension
- Lots of pockets
- Built-in holster
- Holds bow, rifle and pistol at once
- Durable
Cons
- Heavy
- Not breathable, no airflow
- Not Water Resistant
- Zippers are not very durable
The Falcon is much like the ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit; a comfortable pack with ample storage (41 liters), and plenty of storage options. There’s a padded waist belt with pockets, a large organizational pocket, a bow or gun pocket, and even webbing to accommodate a clip-style holster. A front lashing system lets you tie your rifle or bow to the front of the bag.
What sets the Falcon apart, however, is the emphasis on load-bearing and carrying lots of gear over long hunts. The vented back is designed for breathability and airflow over long, hot hikes, and it has what they call a dual-directional frame; this helps distribute the load evenly to keep things comfortable on long hikes. The waist belt helps distribute weight evenly, too, and is detachable.
The problems with the Falcon are like those of the Pursuit; mainly, it’s very heavy, at 4 pounds and 7 ounces. That’s even more than the Pursuit and for slightly less storage. And again, it’s just not very durable; the seams are weak and the zippers fragile, potentially compromising the bag’s integrity and durability over heavy use and loads.
Still, we like the ALPS OutdoorZ Falcon, and think it does a pretty good job of distributing weight to keep things comfortable, as well as providing plenty of space for stashing all your gear and your bow or rifle. It’s our second favorite bag on the list, after the Pursuit – which is lighter, packs more, and will be more versatile for most users.
Pros
- 41 liters of space
- Accommodates clip-style holsters
- Front lashing system for rifle or bow
- Dual-directional frame
- Good for bearing heavy loads
- Affordable
Cons
- Heavy
- Zippers, seams not durable
The Allen Pagosa is a lightweight, compact daypack for hunting with just the essentials. It has 1800 cubic inches (29 liters) of space, which is the least on our list, but enough for most day-hunting gear when you like to travel light. It’s made from a soft and quiet brushed tricot fabric, and weighs about 3 pounds. There are padded shoulder straps, padded back support panels, a sternum strap for stability, an adjustable waist belt, and side compression straps to keep the load evenly distributed and controlled. Also, it’s got a spot for hydration-pouches, as well as two additional water bottle pockets.
One thing we really like about the Pagosa is the touches for extra visibility; there’s a hi-viz lining inside so you can more easily find your gear inside the dark bag, even when it’s dark out, and there are large bright zipper pulls so you can easily locate and grab them.
Unfortunately, this bag just does not have the durability and build quality that a reliable hunting pack would have. The seams, fabric and zippers all feel cheap, and many users say they tear easily with repeated use. There’s also an overwhelmingly strong, artificial plastic odor that annoys many people and doesn’t wash out easily.
All in all, it’s not a terrible bag considering how inexpensive it is, but there are definitely higher quality, more durable options out there, with more storage and features, too.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Soft, quiet fabric
- Lots of organizational pockets, etc
- Padded shoulder straps, side straps, sternum straps; very stable
- High-visibility lining, bright zipper pulls for easy use and visibility in all lighting
Cons
- Poor quality, not durable
- Strong plastic odor that doesn’t wash out
The Crossfire is another great hunting pack from ALPS OutdoorZ, and one of our favorites. Reasonably priced, it packs a good combination of storage space, weight and features, with 38l of space and weighing in at 3 pounds, 11 ounces. There’s a vented back and tubular frame for light weight and comfortable load bearing. There’s also a padded waist belt with pockets, room for a clip-holster, and a drop-down pocket for carrying your bow or gun.
What sets the Crossfire apart from other models, however, is the removable accessory pocket, which can be used in 3 different places on the pack – the buckled to the rear of the pack, clipped onto the front shoulder strap for front access, or just worn on its own strap, without the pack. Whichever way you prefer, this pack can do it.
While most hunters really like the Crossfire, a few people have raised complaints familiar to ALPS backpacks; durability and construction being the main ones. The fabric is thin (even still, the bag weighs almost 4 pounds) and rips with prolonged use. And the seams have been known to wear out; some people even report the front shoulder strap ripping off. A few users also find the frame a bit uncomfortable and difficult to fit.
Otherwise, we really like the amount of customization and capacity this pack offers. It’s another solid offering from ALPS Outdoorz.
Pros
- 38 liter capacity
- Lightweight
- Customizable features
- Removable accessory pouch
Cons
- Not durable
- Frame can be uncomfortable for smaller wearers
What to Look for in A Good Backpack for Turkey Hunting
Capacity
This might be the single most important consideration when choosing a hunting backpack. How much can it carry, and will it fit all your gear? Most bags between 30 and 40 liters will be large enough for most day hunts, but don’t get one too large, as it will become unwieldy and heavy.
Weight
Whenever possible, pick the lightest pack you can; it may not seem like much, but a 4-pound pack can really wear you down over a long day, especially when full of all your gear and with a bow or rifle strapped on the back. Most of the bags on our list weigh between 3 and 4.5 pounds, which is really the heaviest you should be looking at.
Frame and Load-Bearing
A good, supportive frame is essential for keeping the weight supported properly on your back and keeping you from wearing down too quickly, as well as preventing injury and discomfort when carrying large loads. Look for a hunting pack with a frame, padded shoulder straps and waistbelt to evenly distribute weight between your back, hips and legs.
The Final Word
Overall, we recommend the ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit as the best backpack for turkey hunting. It offers the best meeting point of price, storage space, weight and features, with a 44-liter capacity, 4-pound weight, an assortment of organizing compartments, rain cover and strong, supportive frame. It’s not the most durable bag in existence, but with an asking price like that one, there’s not much to complain about.
Our next picks are the ALPS Outdoorz Falcon and Badlands Superday. Neither is as affordable or as spacious as the Pursuit, but offer good load-bearing, storage and quality for what you pay for them.
Those guidelines should help you select a good daypack for yourself, so make a choice and get hunting.
