ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag vs ALPS OutdoorZ Elite Frame + Pack Bag
vs
Quick take: The ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag costs $300 less; the ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag carries more (86 vs 63 liters); the ALPS OutdoorZ Elite Frame + Pack Bag is lighter (5.8 vs 7.3 lbs).
| Spec | ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag | ALPS OutdoorZ Elite Frame + Pack Bag |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $150 | $450 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (1,400) | 4.8★ (4) |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | External Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 86 L | 63 L |
| Weight | 7.3 lbs | 5.8 lbs |
| Max Load | No official rating (owners routinely lash 100+ lb loads to the frame) | No published load rating; ALPS states the composite frame is 30% stronger than the Commander frame and owners report full-deer and bighorn pack-outs |
| Torso Fit | 17-23 in adjustable | 14-20 in, 6-position removable-strap yoke marked XS-XXL |
| Material | Ripstop polyester | 500D nylon CORDURA, PU-coated and water-resistant, over a thermoplastic composite frame |
| Back Panel | Padded straps and waist belt on an aluminum external freighter frame with fold-out freight shelf | Ultra-quiet 3D air mesh suspension with contoured lumbar pad and anti-slip surface |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | Yes |
| Raincover included | No | Yes |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | Yes |
| Removable lid | No | No |
| Hydration sleeve | Yes | Yes |
| Fits BV500 bear can | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | ALPS limited lifetime warranty (materials and workmanship defects) | ALPS Brands limited lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship (normal wear, UV damage and commercial use excluded) |
Pros & cons
ALPS OutdoorZ Commander + Pack Bag
- ✓The undisputed budget pack-out king on Hunt Talk and Rokslide — owners report hauling multiple elk and deer over five-plus seasons from a system that often sells under $150.
- ✓The bag detaches in minutes, leaving a dedicated freighter frame with a fold-out shelf and full lashing system that carries a lashed elk quarter more securely than most internal-frame meat shelves.
- ✓True adjustable suspension with a 17-23 inch torso range and 33-60 inch belt — it fits nearly anyone in camp, which is why it's the most-loaned elk pack on the forums.
- ✓At 5,250 ci (86 L) the bag swallows a full multi-day camp plus a spotting scope in its dedicated pocket, capacity that costs three times as much from Mystery Ranch or Stone Glacier.
- ✓For pure weight hauling it outperforms same-price internal-frame day packs like the Badlands 2200 class — the rigid external frame transfers triple-digit loads to the hips instead of collapsing.
- ✓The drop-down rifle holder and front organization pockets earn consistent praise from Amazon reviewers as genuinely usable rather than gimmicky.
- ✓Simple clevis-pin frame construction means field repairs need nothing more than hardware-store pins — a durability advantage forum users cite over welded or carbon frames.
- ✓Reviewers consistently describe the ripstop fabric and zippers as holding up beyond what the price suggests, with several multi-year owners reporting zero blowouts.
- ✗At 7 lb 5 oz empty it is one of the heaviest systems in its class — nearly three pounds more than modern bag-and-frame hybrids like an Exo K4 3200.
- ✗The clevis pins and metal rings jingle as you walk — a known out-of-the-box annoyance that owners silence with cotter pins and electrical tape.
- ✗The tall, rigid external frame snags brush and treestand ladders constantly; Rokslide users are blunt that this is a hauling rig, not a stalking or timber pack.
- ✗Padding is thin by modern standards — hunters who carry 80+ lbs more than a mile say the shoulder straps and belt get punishing compared to premium suspensions.
- ✗ALPS's limited warranty draws complaints — one long-term owner had every strap failure after four years dismissed as normal wear, a sharp contrast to Badlands' unconditional policy.
- ✗No hip-belt pockets or modern ergonomics — rangefinder and calls end up in bag pockets you can't reach with the pack on.
- ✗The 33-inch-tall bag rides high above your head when stuffed, making the loaded pack top-heavy and a sail in open-country wind.
- ✗Stiff ripstop and a creaky frame make it audibly noisier than brushed-fabric packs — bowhunters on Archery Talk generally pass on it for close-range work.
ALPS OutdoorZ Elite Frame + Pack Bag
- ✓Rokslide's Torin Miller called the g-hook bag-to-frame attachment his favorite feature of the whole system - no threading webbing through ladder locks, and he detached it on a Sonoran mountainside for a bighorn load without hesitating.
- ✓Organization is far ahead of the dump-bag designs Stone Glacier and Kifaru sell at this size: five interior mesh pockets, three front-panel mesh pockets, a huge top lid pocket, and a dedicated spotting scope sleeve that swallowed an 85 mm Vortex Razor.
- ✓The horseshoe two-way main zipper opens the bag flat so you reach the bottom without unpacking - a feature most sub-$500 hunting packs skip entirely.
- ✓At 5 lbs 13 oz minimum the Elite is roughly 1.5 lbs lighter than ALPS's own Commander system and about 3.5 lbs lighter than the Commander X, a real generational jump for the brand.
- ✓The 6-position removable-strap yoke spans a 6-inch torso range (14-20 in) against the Commander X frame's 4 inches, and it finally gives short-torso and youth hunters an ALPS freighter that actually fits.
- ✓Extras that are $40-$80 aftermarket add-ons on premium frames - two hip pockets, rain cover, drop-down weapon holder, two extension lashing straps - all come in the box.
- ✓500D PU-coated CORDURA held up to being used as checked-and-carried luggage for a 6-day Mexico sheep hunt with the zippers 'screaming,' per Rokslide, with no failures.
- ✓The frame works as a standalone hauler with the load panel already sewn on, so you never carry a separate meat shelf accessory the way you do on some internal-frame systems.
- ✗Rokslide's only real complaint was frame weight - at just over 4 lbs on his scale with the hip pouches, the frame is a half pound to a pound heavier than what 'elite' pack makers ship.
- ✗He also judged the adjustable yoke 'slightly less stable' than yokes from premium makers, though not uncomfortable under load.
- ✗There is no separate floating lid - the top zippered pocket has to do that job, so you lose the overflow capacity a true extendable lid gives you on a Mystery Ranch Metcalf.
- ✗3,800 ci is a long-weekend bag, not a week bag; Rokslide was explicit that 'you'll not get a week's worth of backcountry hunting necessities' inside without the 5800.
- ✗Rokslide also noted it may not be the pick for extreme weight hauls, where dedicated freighters like the Kifaru or Exo frames still have the edge.
- ✗The system is only sold in Stone Gray - there is no camo option, which matters to bowhunters who want pattern matching.
- ✗The standard waist belt starts at 31 in, so slim hunters have to buy the separate small belt (down to 27 in) as an extra purchase.
- ✗It is very thinly reviewed at retail - Sportsman's Warehouse has 4 reviews and ALPS's own site 3, so long-term durability data is thin compared to the 620-review Commander.