Mystery Ranch Beartooth 85 vs Mystery Ranch Women's Sawtooth 65
Quick take: The Mystery Ranch Women's Sawtooth 65 costs $50 less; the Mystery Ranch Beartooth 85 carries more (85 vs 63 liters); the Mystery Ranch Women's Sawtooth 65 is lighter (5.4 vs 6.2 lbs).
Which one to buy
Mystery Ranch puts both packs on its MYSTERIUM frame with the Overload shelf for carrying meat between bag and frame. The differences are size and access. The Mystery Ranch Women's Sawtooth 65 has a women's yoke, a segmented hipbelt and carbon stays, holds 63 L (less than its name suggests) and costs $600. The Mystery Ranch Beartooth 85 costs $50 more, weighs 0.8 lb more and adds 22 L, a 270-degree zipper that opens the bag like a suitcase, and a removable split lid. The Beartooth also comes in a women's version, so a woman isn't limited to the Sawtooth.
Beartooth owners like the zipper for finding gear, though you have to unclip several compression buckles first. An early reviewer reported 70 lb loads riding comfortably on the new frame. The pack also compresses well enough that some use it as their only pack for a season. Mystery Ranch offers no load rating for either pack. The Sawtooth's women's torso range isn't published either, so check fit with the maker's sizing.
Volume is the real decision. If 63 L holds your camp, the Sawtooth saves money and weight without giving up the frame or the shelf. The Beartooth's extra cost and weight only pay off on trips long enough to fill 85 L.
Mystery Ranch Beartooth 85
Better for long Western or Alaska trips where you need 85 L and suitcase-style access, and it comes in a women's version too.
Mystery Ranch Women's Sawtooth 65
For women on hunts of several days who want carbon stays, a women's yoke and belt and a meat shelf in a lighter, cheaper 63 L pack.
| Spec | Mystery Ranch Beartooth 85 | Mystery Ranch Women's Sawtooth 65 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $650 | $600 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | Internal Frame | Internal Frame |
| Capacity | 85 L | 63 L |
| Weight | 6.2 lbs | 5.4 lbs |
| Max Load | Not published by the manufacturer | Not specified by the manufacturer |
| Torso Fit | S–XL frame sizes with adjustable yoke (S/M ~15–20 in, L/XL ~17–24 in torsos); women's version available | Women's-specific yoke and belt on the MYSTERIUM frame; see manufacturer sizing |
| Material | 330 HT CORDURA 5PM and 330D Robic Kodra ripstop with YKK zippers and SJ Autolock buckles | 330 HT CORDURA 5PM and 330D Robic Kodra ripstop with YKK zippers |
| Back Panel | MYSTERIUM frame (2025 successor to the Guide Light MT) with breathable harnessing and adjustable yoke | MYSTERIUM carbon-stay frame with a women's yoke and segmented hipbelt |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | Yes | No |
| Hydration sleeve | Yes | Yes |
| Fits BV500 bear can | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | Mystery Ranch Guarantee: defects in materials and craftsmanship for the practical lifetime of the product; wear-and-tear and misuse repairs at a reasonable charge | Mystery Ranch Guarantee: defects in materials and craftsmanship for the practical lifetime of the product; wear-and-tear and misuse repairs at a reasonable charge |
Pros & cons
Mystery Ranch Beartooth 85
- ✓The 270-degree duffel-style zipper is the pack's calling card — owners and reviewers alike say loading and finding gear beats digging through the roll-top-only Metcalf, Stone Glacier, or Kifaru bags from the top, side, or bottom.
- ✓The patented Overload shelf captures quarters between frame and bag with quick-attach autolock straps, keeping meat tight to your back without bloodying the pack interior.
- ✓The new MYSTERIUM frame carries forward the Guide Light lineage Mystery Ranch built its load-hauling reputation on; an early GOHUNT reviewer reported 70 lb loads riding comfortably.
- ✓The split dual-compartment removable lid draws specific praise — the center split stops the lid from compressing your quick-access items and makes headlamps and water filters easy to grab.
- ✓Several owners favor the Beartooth over the Metcalf for versatility — it compresses down to a legitimate day pack, and one GOHUNT owner said it 'compresses to a sleeker profile than smaller Mystery Ranch packs'.
- ✓Organization is a step above bag-and-frame rivals: internal mesh pockets, front organizational pockets, and MOLLE webbing for customization out of the box.
- ✓Four frame sizes plus an adjustable yoke and a dedicated women's version cover a wider fit range than most one-frame competitors, backed by Mystery Ranch's lifetime guarantee.
- ✓Early Mysterium-line reception has been strong — the Beartooth 85 took Hunt Alaska's Editor's Choice 2026 for hunting packs, and prototype testers in 2024 reported positive results.
- ✗The most repeated gripe carried over from the Beartooth 80: you have to unclip several compression buckles before the 270-degree zipper will actually open, which gets old for quick gear grabs.
- ✗At 6.2 lbs it is one of the heaviest packs in its class — roughly a pound more than a Stone Glacier Sky 5900 system and nearly a pound over Mystery Ranch's own Metcalf 75.
- ✗At $650 ($700 in OPTIFADE Subalpine) it costs $75-125 more than the Metcalf, and forum value threads have long questioned the Beartooth premium over the simpler pack.
- ✗Reviewers of the outgoing Beartooth 80 found the load shelf sits too low on the frame, letting lighter meat loads ride below the ideal carry position — an area to watch on the new frame.
- ✗The same long-term testing found comfort degrading around 80+ lbs with loads sliding down the back — hunters routinely packing 100 lb loads still gravitate to Kifaru or Stone Glacier frames.
- ✗No hipbelt pockets come stock; Mystery Ranch sells them as add-on accessories, as Exo and Stone Glacier also do.
- ✗Mystery Ranch publishes no official load rating, so buyers comparing against Stone Glacier's 150 lb spec are left with forum anecdotes.
- ✗The 2025 MYSTERIUM platform is brand new with a thin long-term track record — forum discussion is still mostly first looks and classifieds, and post-YETI-acquisition QC chatter on owner forums hasn't died down.
Mystery Ranch Women's Sawtooth 65
- ✓Carbon-fiber vertical stays in a women's-fit frame, which is rare among hunting packs.
- ✓Priced the same as the men's version.
- ✓The Overload shelf carries meat between bag and frame.
- ✓A segmented hipbelt follows the hips under load.
- ✓The 45 L sibling on the same frame costs $50 less.
- ✗No published load rating or women's torso range.
- ✗63 L despite the 65 name.
- ✗$600 sits at the top of the women's hunting-pack market.
- ✗No raincover or removable lid listed.
- ✗The 45 L version's page shows no specifications at all.
Mystery Ranch Beartooth 85 vs Mystery Ranch Women's Sawtooth 65: common questions
Is there a women's Beartooth 85, or is the Women's Sawtooth 65 the only women's option?▾
Mystery Ranch makes a women's version of the Beartooth, so women can choose either size. The Women's Sawtooth 65 pairs a women's yoke and segmented hipbelt with carbon stays on the MYSTERIUM frame. Choose by trip length and how much volume you need.
Is the Women's Sawtooth really 65 liters?▾
No, it holds 63 L despite the name. The Beartooth 85 holds 85 L, a 22 L difference that matters on longer hunts where camp, food and a meat shelf load all compete for space.
How much weight can these Mystery Ranch packs carry?▾
Mystery Ranch publishes no load rating for either pack. An early reviewer reported 70 lb riding comfortably on the Beartooth's new frame, and testing of the previous version found comfort fading past 80 lb.