ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit vs Horn Hunter Straight 6 Day Pack
Quick take: The Horn Hunter Straight 6 Day Pack costs $0.01 less; the ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit carries more (44 vs 29 liters); the Horn Hunter Straight 6 Day Pack is lighter (3.6 vs 4.44 lbs).
Which one to buy
Same $140 price, both framed hunting day packs with hipbelt pockets, and neither is meant to haul meat. The split is how you hunt. The Pursuit is a whitetail stand pack: 44 L of quiet brushed tricot, a drop-down boot for a bow or rifle that owners say keeps everything tight on the climb, a blaze-orange raincover in the box and a hydration sleeve. The Straight 6 is a 29 L western glassing pack with side pouches for a spotter or tripod and an open air-mesh back, but no stated weapon carry, raincover or hydration sleeve.
That mesh back answers the Pursuit's most physical complaint. Its solid foam panel has no ventilation, and owners report a soaked shirt on warm hikes in. The Straight 6 is also 0.8 lb lighter. And its warranty is the stronger one: Horn Hunter says it will do what it can to repair its products regardless of age or cause, while ALPS covers defects only, and Pursuit owners report cheap plastic buckles as the recurring failure.
Fit is the open question on both. Pursuit reviewers over about 5'11" say the one-size harness runs short. Horn Hunter publishes no fit range for the Straight 6 and it has no torso adjustment, so taller hunters can't count on either without trying it on. What the Straight 6 gives up for its cooler carry is 15 L of room and any built-in way to hold a weapon, which for a stand hunter is most of what a day pack is for.
ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit
For treestand and whitetail bowhunters under six feet who want a weapon boot, a raincover and room for layers in a quiet fabric.
Horn Hunter Straight 6 Day Pack
Better suited to warm-weather spot-and-stalk hunting where glass rides outside the bag and a broad repair policy matters more than volume.
| Spec | ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit | Horn Hunter Straight 6 Day Pack |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $140 | $139.99 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | Internal Frame | Internal Frame |
| Capacity | 44 L | 29 L |
| Weight | 4.44 lbs | 3.6 lbs |
| Max Load | Not published by the manufacturer | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Torso Fit | One size, no torso adjustment (fits best under ~6 ft per reviewers) | See manufacturer sizing |
| Material | Quiet brushed tricot fabric | Ripstop fabric (denier not stated) |
| Back Panel | Padded back panel and lumbar pad over an internal aluminum frame with extension lashing straps | Open air-mesh back over a tubular aluminum frame |
| Adjustable torso | No | No |
| Ventilated back | No | Yes |
| Raincover included | Yes | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | Yes | Yes |
| Removable lid | No | No |
| Hydration sleeve | Yes | No |
| Fits BV500 bear can | No | No |
| Warranty | ALPS limited lifetime warranty (materials and workmanship defects) | Horn Hunter repair policy: will do what it can to repair its packs regardless of age, place of purchase or cause of damage; seams, zippers and straps it made are made right (fabric is not Horn Hunter-made) |
Pros & cons
ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit
- ✓The drop-down bow and gun boot is the standout feature — owners call it a system that 'works great and keeps everything tight' for hands-free climbs to the stand.
- ✓A blaze-orange raincover comes in the box at $140 — a feature the $400 Badlands 2200 doesn't include at nearly three times the price.
- ✓The brushed tricot fabric is genuinely quiet in brush, which is why whitetail bowhunters repeatedly pick it over stiffer, crinklier packs in its price class.
- ✓Reviewers single out the lumbar and lower-back padding as far better than a $140 pack has any right to have.
- ✓The waist-belt pocket swallows a rangefinder or release, keeping essentials reachable without dropping the pack.
- ✓At 2,700 ci (44 L) it carries more than most similarly priced day packs, with a big front pocket, mesh bottle pockets, and a hydration sleeve keeping it organized.
- ✓At 4 lb 7 oz it undercuts the Badlands 2200 by just over a pound while offering nearly identical volume.
- ✓Owners describe it as 'more pack than the price suggests'.
- ✗Owners are clear that it will not comfortably pack out elk quarters — the thin harness collapses under real meat weight despite the aluminum frame.
- ✗Cheap plastic buckles are the recurring failure — multiple owners report broken buckles and shrug it off as 'you get what you pay for'.
- ✗The one-size harness runs short: reviewers over about 5'11" consistently say the torso and shoulder straps don't fit them properly.
- ✗The zippers are noticeably loud — an ironic flaw on an otherwise quiet pack that bowhunters call out at close range.
- ✗ALPS's limited warranty only covers manufacturing defects, while Badlands, in the next price tier, also promises to try to repair field rips and tears.
- ✗The solid foam back panel has no ventilation channels, so early-season hunters report a sweat-soaked shirt on warm hikes in.
- ✗There's no meat shelf or load sling — hauling anything beyond backstraps means improvising with the lashing straps.
- ✗Many owners treat it as a starter pack — those who get serious about western hunting replace it within a couple of seasons, so don't expect it to grow with you.
Horn Hunter Straight 6 Day Pack
- ✓A framed hunting day pack for $139.99, well under the carbon-framed brands.
- ✓Side pouches hold a spotting scope or tripod outside the main bag.
- ✓Hip-belt pockets fit a rangefinder, radio or GPS.
- ✓The open mesh back keeps air moving on climbs.
- ✓Horn Hunter says it will do what it can to repair its products regardless of age or how they were damaged.
- ✗3.6 lb is heavy for 29 L.
- ✗One size, with no torso adjustment or published fit range.
- ✗No stated rifle or bow carry.
- ✗No load rating, and no mention of a hydration sleeve.
- ✗The fabric is described only as ripstop, with no denier given.
ALPS OutdoorZ Pursuit vs Horn Hunter Straight 6 Day Pack: common questions
Can either one carry a bow or rifle?▾
The Pursuit has a drop-down boot that owners say works well for hands-free climbs to the stand. The Straight 6 has no built-in weapon carry, so a bow or rifle stays in your hands or gets lashed on improvised.
Which one is quieter for bowhunting?▾
The Pursuit's brushed tricot is quiet in brush, though bowhunters call out its loud zippers at close range. The Straight 6 is plain ripstop, a fabric that is usually louder against branches than brushed tricot, so for close bow work the Pursuit is the safer choice.
If a strap or buckle breaks in year five, which company fixes it?▾
More likely the Straight 6. Horn Hunter says it will do what it can to repair its products regardless of age or how they were damaged. ALPS covers materials and workmanship defects only, and Pursuit owners report plastic buckles as the usual failure.