ALPS OutdoorZ
ALPS OutdoorZ Elite Frame + Pack Bag
The Elite system pairs ALPS OutdoorZ's 2023 NRA Golden Bullseye-winning composite frame ($249.99) with the 3,800 ci (63 L) Elite pack bag ($199.99) for $449.99 as a set. The frame carries a permanently attached load panel, removable MOLLE hip pockets and a 6-position adjustable yoke, and the bag hooks on with g-hooks rather than threaded webbing so it strips off in seconds for a meat haul. Minimum system weight is 5 lbs 13 oz in 500D PU-coated CORDURA.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓Rokslide's Torin Miller called the g-hook bag-to-frame attachment his favorite feature of the whole system - no threading webbing through ladder locks, and he detached it on a Sonoran mountainside for a bighorn load without hesitating.
- ✓Organization is far ahead of the dump-bag designs Stone Glacier and Kifaru sell at this size: five interior mesh pockets, three front-panel mesh pockets, a huge top lid pocket, and a dedicated spotting scope sleeve that swallowed an 85 mm Vortex Razor.
- ✓The horseshoe two-way main zipper opens the bag flat so you reach the bottom without unpacking - a feature most sub-$500 hunting packs skip entirely.
- ✓At 5 lbs 13 oz minimum the Elite is roughly 1.5 lbs lighter than ALPS's own Commander system and about 3.5 lbs lighter than the Commander X, a real generational jump for the brand.
- ✓The 6-position removable-strap yoke spans a 6-inch torso range (14-20 in) against the Commander X frame's 4 inches, and it finally gives short-torso and youth hunters an ALPS freighter that actually fits.
- ✓Extras that are $40-$80 aftermarket add-ons on premium frames - two hip pockets, rain cover, drop-down weapon holder, two extension lashing straps - all come in the box.
- ✓500D PU-coated CORDURA held up to being used as checked-and-carried luggage for a 6-day Mexico sheep hunt with the zippers 'screaming,' per Rokslide, with no failures.
- ✓The frame works as a standalone hauler with the load panel already sewn on, so you never carry a separate meat shelf accessory the way you do on some internal-frame systems.
Cons
- ✗Rokslide's only real complaint was frame weight - at just over 4 lbs on his scale with the hip pouches, the frame is a half pound to a pound heavier than what 'elite' pack makers ship.
- ✗He also judged the adjustable yoke 'slightly less stable' than yokes from premium makers, though not uncomfortable under load.
- ✗There is no separate floating lid - the top zippered pocket has to do that job, so you lose the overflow capacity a true extendable lid gives you on a Mystery Ranch Metcalf.
- ✗3,800 ci is a long-weekend bag, not a week bag; Rokslide was explicit that 'you'll not get a week's worth of backcountry hunting necessities' inside without the 5800.
- ✗Rokslide also noted it may not be the pick for extreme weight hauls, where dedicated freighters like the Kifaru or Exo frames still have the edge.
- ✗The system is only sold in Stone Gray - there is no camo option, which matters to bowhunters who want pattern matching.
- ✗The standard waist belt starts at 31 in, so slim hunters have to buy the separate small belt (down to 27 in) as an extra purchase.
- ✗It is very thinly reviewed at retail - Sportsman's Warehouse has 4 reviews and ALPS's own site 3, so long-term durability data is thin compared to the 620-review Commander.
Compare the ALPS OutdoorZ Elite Frame + Pack Bag
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