Sitka Gear Backpacks

Most hunters know SITKA for clothing rather than packs. The company grew out of a frustrating trip into Idaho's backcountry, is headquartered in Bozeman, Montana, and is owned by W. L. Gore & Associates, the materials company behind GORE-TEX. That ownership shows in the product line, which is built around layered hunting apparel, waders and boots, with GORE-TEX fabrics and Gore's test labs behind much of it. Packs come second.

SITKA sells through its own site and the SITKA Depot store in Bozeman. Its guarantee covers manufacturing defects for a product's practical lifespan, and wear-and-tear damage such as tears and punctures is repaired at a reasonable cost. Gear can go in by mail, or be taken to the Revive and Repair Center at the SITKA Depot in Bozeman.

The Mountain Hauler family is SITKA's frame-pack line, named by volume, and the Mountain Hauler 6200 is the large size, meant for multi-day hunts that end with meat on the back. It rides on a 6061-T6 aluminum frame with the load-bearing parts connected directly to it, and its primary bag expands so an elk quarter can sit on the internal load shelf, with a separate dry bag to fill the space below.

Owners describe the load carriage as the strong point, reporting little sway with elk quarters, and one owner logged more than five years of heavy hauling with the pack still working like new. The recurring complaint is a squeaking frame, common enough that bowhunters should test a loaded pack before the season. Some also report shoulder straps loosening on the move and the internal straps struggling with very large quarters.