Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 vs Mystery Ranch Women's Pop Up 30
Quick take: The Mystery Ranch Women's Pop Up 30 costs $50 less; the Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 carries more (40 vs 30 liters); the Mystery Ranch Women's Pop Up 30 is lighter (4.9 vs 5.3 lbs).
Which one to buy
Both use the same telescoping Pop-Up frame, which extends to carry a load between bag and frame. The Mystery Ranch Women's Pop Up 30 has a women's yoke, a 30 L bag and a horseshoe zip, and costs $50 less and weighs 0.4 lb less than the Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40. If a woman wants the larger bag, Mystery Ranch also sells a Women's Pop Up 40 at $475, so this is more a choice of volume than of fit.
Owners of the Pop Up 40 describe it as the best pack in its class for carrying a hang-on stand and climbing sticks, with a low profile that lets you look up while climbing. It's rated to 80 lbs, though owners say hauling near that on a daypack belt is punishing. One longtime owner rates its buckles and straps below the old Pop Up 38's, owners say its foam back gets sweaty, and the frame is extra weight on sits where you don't use it. The Women's Pop Up 30 has no published load rating or torso range, so check fit with Mystery Ranch's sizing. Pick the 30 L size if your day's kit fits, and move up to 40 L for cold-weather layers or extra gear.
Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40
For hunters who need 40 L for layers and stand gear, with S-XL yoke sizes and an 80 lb rating for the haul out.
Mystery Ranch Women's Pop Up 30
Suits women whose day kit fits in 30 L and who want a women's yoke on the same frame, $50 cheaper and a bit lighter.
| Spec | Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 | Mystery Ranch Women's Pop Up 30 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $475 | $425 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | Internal Frame | Internal Frame |
| Capacity | 40 L | 30 L |
| Weight | 5.3 lbs | 4.9 lbs |
| Max Load | 80 lbs | Not specified by the manufacturer |
| Torso Fit | S, M, L, XL yoke sizes with micro-adjustable Hunting Light Yoke torso length | Women's-specific yoke on the Pop-Up frame; see manufacturer sizing |
| Material | 330D Lite Plus CORDURA nylon | 330D Lite Plus CORDURA nylon |
| Back Panel | Telescoping aluminum Pop-Up Frame that expands from daypack mode into a load hauler, with Mystery Ranch's micro-adjustable yoke and foam back panel | Telescoping Pop-Up frame with a women's yoke and foam back panel |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | Yes | Yes |
| 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 Pop Up 40
- ✓The signature pop-up OVERLOAD shelf deploys in seconds, letting whitetail hunters haul a boned-out deer between bag and frame without ever owning a separate frame pack.
- ✓Treestand users say it carries hang-on stands and climbing sticks better than anything in its class, and its low profile lets you actually look up to climb a tree while wearing it.
- ✓An 80-lb load rating in a 40 L daypack footprint is unmatched by mainstream daypacks — some buyers cross-shop it against the far pricier Kifaru Stryker.
- ✓The Hunting Light Yoke micro-adjusts torso length across S-XL sizes, giving a dialed fit that whitetail packs like the Badlands 2200, which comes in two fixed frame sizes, can't match.
- ✓An integrated 1/4"-20 optics thumbscrew on the frame lets you mount a spotting scope, camera arm or rifle rest directly to the pack — a favorite detail among saddle and video-heavy hunters.
- ✓The updated 40 adds a removable, adjustable lid over the old 38 and tweaks the frame's upper attachment to reduce the load slop owners complained about.
- ✓Face compression straps carry a bow or rifle cleanly for hands-free stand hangs, and interior loops accept Mystery Ranch Quick Attach void bags for organization.
- ✓Mystery Ranch's build reputation and lifetime guarantee carry real weight with owners, and the Pop Up 38 it replaces stayed in demand after discontinuation.
- ✗At 5.3 lbs it's a heavy 40-liter pack — nearly the weight of Kuiu's complete 57 L ICON 6 3500 frame kit — and owners feel it on all-day hikes to the stand.
- ✗At least one longtime Pop Up owner calls the newest 40 'bulky, heavy, with poor buckles and straps' and says it doesn't carry weight as well as the outgoing 38.
- ✗The 4.2-star owner rating on Mystery Ranch's own site trails competitors, with strap and buckle complaints the recurring theme.
- ✗Price jumped to $475 from the Pop Up 38's roughly $325 street price, eroding the value story that made the 38 popular.
- ✗No hipbelt pockets, so rangefinder and calls go in shoulder or lid pockets unless you buy add-on pouches.
- ✗Hauling near the 80-lb ceiling on a daypack yoke and belt is punishing compared to a true external frame like a Kifaru or Seek Outside, per owner comparisons.
- ✗The pop-up frame hardware rides along on every sit even though most whitetail hunts never use it — dead weight the minimalist crowd resents.
- ✗The plain foam back panel has no ventilation channels, so early-season and mobile hunters report a soaked back by the time they reach the stand.
Mystery Ranch Women's Pop Up 30
- ✓The frame telescopes upward, so a day pack becomes a meat hauler.
- ✓A horseshoe zip opens the whole main bag.
- ✓The lid carries its own pocket.
- ✓Same price as the men's Pop Up 30.
- ✓Room for a day's kit plus glass in 30 L.
- ✓Face compression stows a rifle or bow for hands-free hiking, as on the men's Pop Up 30.
- ✗4.9 lb is heavy for a 30 L day pack.
- ✗No published load rating on the women's page, though Mystery Ranch rates the same Pop-Up frame to 80 lbs on the men's Pop Up 30.
- ✗Women's torso range not given.
- ✗$425 is high for a pack this size.
- ✗The 40 L version's page renders no specs.
Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 vs Mystery Ranch Women's Pop Up 30: common questions
Is there a women's version of the Pop Up 40?▾
Yes. Mystery Ranch sells a Women's Pop Up 40 for $475, so a woman who needs 40 L doesn't have to settle for the standard yoke. The Women's Pop Up 30 is the smaller, $425 option on the same telescoping frame.
How much can the Pop Up frame haul?▾
Mystery Ranch rates the Pop Up 40 at 80 lbs, and owners say that capacity gets a deer out but isn't comfortable for long on a daypack-class belt. No load rating is published for the Women's Pop Up 30.
Is 30 L enough for a day in a treestand?▾
For a day's kit plus optics, usually yes. Late-season layers fill a 30 L bag quickly, which is where the extra 10 L of the Pop Up 40 or the Women's Pop Up 40 helps.