Mystery Ranch
Mystery Ranch Beartooth 85
Mystery Ranch's flagship expedition hunting pack, reborn for 2025 on the new MYSTERIUM frame that replaced both the Beartooth 80 and its Guide Light MT chassis. The signature 270-degree duffel-style zipper opens the 85-liter bag like a suitcase, and the patented Overload shelf sandwiches meat between frame and bag for 5-10 day backcountry hunts. It took Hunt Alaska's Editor's Choice award for 2026.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓The 270-degree duffel-style zipper is the pack's calling card — owners and reviewers alike say loading and finding gear beats digging through the roll-top-only Metcalf, Stone Glacier, or Kifaru bags from the top, side, or bottom.
- ✓The patented Overload shelf captures quarters between frame and bag with quick-attach autolock straps, keeping meat tight to your back without bloodying the pack interior.
- ✓The new MYSTERIUM frame carries forward the Guide Light lineage Mystery Ranch built its load-hauling reputation on; an early GOHUNT reviewer reported 70 lb loads riding comfortably.
- ✓The split dual-compartment removable lid draws specific praise — the center split stops the lid from compressing your quick-access items and makes headlamps and water filters easy to grab.
- ✓Hunt Talk users consistently favor the Beartooth over the Metcalf for versatility — it compresses down to a legitimate day pack, and one GOHUNT owner said it 'compresses to a sleeker profile than smaller Mystery Ranch packs'.
- ✓Organization is a step above bag-and-frame rivals: internal mesh pockets, front organizational pockets, and MOLLE webbing for customization out of the box.
- ✓Four frame sizes plus an adjustable yoke and a dedicated women's version cover a wider fit range than most one-frame competitors, backed by Mystery Ranch's lifetime guarantee.
- ✓Early Mysterium-line reception has been strong — the Beartooth 85 took Hunt Alaska's Editor's Choice 2026 for hunting packs, and prototype testers in 2024 reported positive results.
Cons
- ✗The most repeated gripe carried over from the Beartooth 80: you have to unclip several compression buckles before the 270-degree zipper will actually open, which gets old for quick gear grabs.
- ✗At 6.2 lbs it is one of the heaviest packs in its class — roughly 1.5 lbs more than a Stone Glacier Sky 5900 system and nearly a pound over Mystery Ranch's own Metcalf 75.
- ✗At $650 ($700 in OPTIFADE Subalpine) it costs $75-125 more than the Metcalf, and Rokslide value threads have long questioned the Beartooth premium over the simpler pack.
- ✗Reviewers of the outgoing Beartooth 80 found the load shelf sits too low on the frame, letting lighter meat loads ride below the ideal carry position — an area to watch on the new frame.
- ✗The same long-term testing found comfort degrading around 80+ lbs with loads sliding down the back — hunters routinely packing 100 lb loads still gravitate to Kifaru or Stone Glacier frames.
- ✗No hipbelt pockets come stock; Mystery Ranch sells them as add-on accessories while Exo and Stone Glacier include belt storage.
- ✗Mystery Ranch publishes no official load rating, so buyers comparing against Stone Glacier's 150 lb spec are left with forum anecdotes.
- ✗The 2025 MYSTERIUM platform is brand new with a thin long-term track record — forum discussion is still mostly first looks and classifieds, and post-YETI-acquisition QC chatter on Rokslide hasn't died down.
Compare the Mystery Ranch Beartooth 85
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