Muley Freak Backpacks
Muley Freak has 1 backpack on PackRanker, priced from $630 to $630. Compare the full lineup below.
Muley Freak is as much a mule deer hunting media brand as a gear company. It publishes a hunting journal of how-to guides, a YouTube channel and a podcast, The Grind, alongside a store that sells binocular harnesses, glassing pads, trekking poles, merino and performance clothing, game bags and knives. The Cheat Code is its only backpack, and the company sells it direct from its own website.
Erik, the hunter behind the brand, says he designed the pack after hunting the Lower 48, Alaska and Kyrgyzstan and finding the same trade-off everywhere: comfortable packs got complicated, light ones gave up durability, and heavy haulers were bulky. His answer was a single patented carbon-fiber frame on which the shoulder harness slides up and down and locks, so one frame size covers most torso lengths. The bag, frame, meat shelf, removable lid and a rain fly that lives in a bottom pocket all come in the box.
The sliding harness sets torso length, but the hip belt is one-size-fits-most with no alternative sizes, which matters more because there is no store to try one in. Some things are not included: rifle carry needs the separately sold Pack-Konnect Rifle Cover, and the hip belt pouch and water bottle holder are add-ons too. Hunters who want those should price them in from the start, and with only a 1-year limited warranty against manufacturer defects, a new pack is worth inspecting closely when it arrives.
Sources: muleyfreak.com, muleyfreak.com, muleyfreak.com, muleyfreak.com
Muley Freak
Muley Freak Cheat Code Hunting Pack
Muley Freak's first and only true backpack: a 4,250 ci backcountry hauler on a patented adjustable carbon fiber frame with a 150 lb load rating and built-in meat shelf. The shoulder harness slides up and down the frame on two locking mechanisms to dial in torso fit without buying multiple frame heights, and a removable lid plus included rain fly let it scale from day hunts to 5-7 day trips. Sold direct through muleyfreak.com in Coyote Brown, Ranger Green, and Black/Tan.
Weight
5.6 lb (6.2 lb with lid)
Capacity
70 L (4,250 ci)
Frame
External Frame
Muley Freak backpacks: common questions
Does the Cheat Code come in different frame sizes?▾
No. Muley Freak makes one frame size, and torso length is set by sliding the shoulder harness up or down the carbon-fiber frame and locking it in place. The hip belt is one-size-fits-most.
Can I carry a rifle or bow on the Cheat Code?▾
Not with the pack alone. Muley Freak says built-in bow or rifle carry is not part of the design, and rifle carry is handled by the separately sold Pack-Konnect Rifle Cover.
Does the Cheat Code come with a meat shelf?▾
Yes. The bag, frame, meat shelf, removable lid and a rain fly that stows in a bottom pocket all come in the box, so the add-ons to budget for are rifle carry, the hip belt pouch and a bottle holder.