Mystery Ranch
Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40
The Pop Up 40 replaced the discontinued Pop Up 38 as Mystery Ranch's whitetail-focused hauler: a 40-liter daypack whose telescoping aluminum frame pops up in seconds to deploy the OVERLOAD load sling between bag and frame. That turns a treestand day pack into a legitimate 80-pound meat hauler without carrying a dedicated frame pack to the stand.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓The signature pop-up OVERLOAD shelf deploys in seconds, letting whitetail hunters haul a boned-out deer between bag and frame without ever owning a separate frame pack.
- ✓Treestand users on Rokslide say it carries hang-on stands and climbing sticks better than anything in its class, and its low profile lets you actually look up to climb a tree while wearing it.
- ✓An 80-lb load rating in a 40 L daypack footprint is unmatched by mainstream daypacks — Rokslide posters routinely cross-shop it against the far pricier Kifaru Stryker.
- ✓The Hunting Light Yoke micro-adjusts torso length across S-XL sizes, giving a dialed fit that generic one-size whitetail packs like the Badlands 2200 can't match.
- ✓An integrated 1/4"-20 optics thumbscrew on the frame lets you mount a spotting scope, camera arm or rifle rest directly to the pack — a favorite detail among saddle and video-heavy hunters.
- ✓The updated 40 adds a removable, adjustable lid over the old 38 and tweaks the frame's upper attachment to reduce the load slop owners complained about.
- ✓Face compression straps carry a bow or rifle cleanly for hands-free stand hangs, and interior loops accept Mystery Ranch Quick Attach void bags for organization.
- ✓Mystery Ranch's build reputation and lifetime guarantee carry real weight on forums — the Pop Up 38 it replaces stayed a cult favorite for years after discontinuation.
Cons
- ✗At 5.3 lbs it's a heavy 40-liter pack — nearly the weight of Kuiu's complete 57 L ICON 6 3500 frame kit — and owners feel it on all-day hikes to the stand.
- ✗At least one longtime Pop Up owner on Rokslide calls the newest 40 'bulky, heavy, with poor buckles and straps' and says it doesn't carry weight as well as the outgoing 38.
- ✗The 4.2-star owner rating on Mystery Ranch's own site trails competitors, with strap and buckle complaints the recurring theme.
- ✗Price jumped to $475 from the Pop Up 38's roughly $325 street price, eroding the value story that made the 38 a forum darling.
- ✗No hipbelt pockets — rangefinder and calls go in shoulder or lid pockets, a step behind Exo and Kuiu belts.
- ✗Hauling near the 80-lb ceiling on a daypack yoke and belt is punishing compared to a true external frame like a Kifaru or Seek Outside, per Rokslide comparisons.
- ✗The pop-up frame hardware rides along on every sit even though most whitetail hunts never use it — dead weight the minimalist crowd resents.
- ✗The plain foam back panel has no ventilation channels, so early-season and mobile hunters report a soaked back by the time they reach the stand.
Compare the Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40
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