ALPS OutdoorZ
ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit
The ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit is one of the best-selling budget hunting day packs in America: 2,700 ci (44 L) of quiet brushed-tricot storage on a light aluminum frame, with a drop-down bow/rifle boot and an included blaze-orange raincover for $139.99. It's a fixture in Midwest treestand and spot-and-stalk deer hunting, though the suspension isn't built for packing quarters.
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Specifications
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Pros
- ✓The drop-down bow and gun boot is the standout feature — owners call it a system that 'works great and keeps everything tight' for hands-free climbs to the stand.
- ✓A blaze-orange raincover comes in the box at $140 — a feature the $400 Badlands 2200 doesn't include at nearly three times the price.
- ✓The brushed tricot fabric is genuinely quiet in brush, which is why whitetail bowhunters repeatedly pick it over stiffer, crinklier packs in its price class.
- ✓Reviewers single out the lumbar and lower-back padding as far better than a $140 pack has any right to have.
- ✓The waist-belt pocket swallows a rangefinder or release, keeping essentials reachable without dropping the pack.
- ✓At 2,700 ci (44 L) it carries more than most similarly priced day packs, with a big front pocket, mesh bottle pockets, and a hydration sleeve keeping it organized.
- ✓At 4 lb 7 oz it undercuts the Badlands 2200 by just over a pound while offering nearly identical volume.
- ✓Owners describe it as 'more pack than the price suggests'.
Cons
- ✗Owners are clear that it will not comfortably pack out elk quarters — the thin harness collapses under real meat weight despite the aluminum frame.
- ✗Cheap plastic buckles are the recurring failure — multiple owners report broken buckles and shrug it off as 'you get what you pay for'.
- ✗The one-size harness runs short: reviewers over about 5'11" consistently say the torso and shoulder straps don't fit them properly.
- ✗The zippers are noticeably loud — an ironic flaw on an otherwise quiet pack that bowhunters call out at close range.
- ✗ALPS's limited warranty only covers manufacturing defects, while Badlands, in the next price tier, also promises to try to repair field rips and tears.
- ✗The solid foam back panel has no ventilation channels, so early-season hunters report a sweat-soaked shirt on warm hikes in.
- ✗There's no meat shelf or load sling — hauling anything beyond backstraps means improvising with the lashing straps.
- ✗Many owners treat it as a starter pack — those who get serious about western hunting replace it within a couple of seasons, so don't expect it to grow with you.
Common Questions
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ALPS OutdoorZ Commander Lite + Pack
Lighter than ALPS OutdoorZ's Commander freighter, the Commander Lite + Pack is its smaller sibling: a 47 L (2,850 ci) bag on a lightweight aluminum frame, 6 lb 11 oz complete, for $229.99. Three extension straps form a lashing system for meat, and a drop-down gun boot carries a rifle.
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ALPS OutdoorZ Traverse EPS
Meat hunters get an expanding bag in the Traverse EPS from ALPS OutdoorZ: 54 L (3,300 ci) day to day, and 74 L (4,500 ci) once its expandable section opens to take meat. It rides on a tubular aluminum H frame, weighs 7 lb 12 oz and costs $229.99. A raincover, hydration sleeve, hipbelt pockets and a weapon carry are standard.
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ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag
The Commander + Pack Bag pairs ALPS OutdoorZ's aluminum freighter frame with a detachable 5,250 ci (86 L) ripstop bag, giving budget hunters a true meat-hauling system for a $269.99 list price. Strip the bag off and the frame's lashing system and fold-out shelf carry quarters solo. The torso adjusts from 17 to 23 inches, making it a popular loaner and first elk pack.
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ALPS OutdoorZ Hybrid X
Sitting between the Pursuit and the Commander X, the Hybrid X is the 45 L (2,750 ci) middle pack of ALPS OutdoorZ's X line. It uses the same dual-aluminum-stay ABS frame as the Commander X, weighs 6 lb 12 oz (2 lb bag, 4 lb 12 oz frame) and sells complete for $399.99. A meat shelf, raincover and two hydration ports are standard.
Weight
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Capacity
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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.
Weight
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ALPS OutdoorZ Commander X + Pack
ALPS OutdoorZ's new flagship freighter in the Extreme line is the Commander X. Compression wings and a lower shelf hold meat, and a rifle or bow rides in a drop-down pocket.
Weight
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