Stone Glacier Avail 2200 vs Mystery Ranch Treehouse 38
Quick take: The Stone Glacier Avail 2200 costs $5 less; the Mystery Ranch Treehouse 38 carries more (38.8 vs 36 liters); the Stone Glacier Avail 2200 is lighter (3.05 vs 4.5 lbs).
Which one to buy
Where you hunt sorts this out before price does, and price barely differs at $5. The Mystery Ranch Treehouse 38 is a treestand pack: a brushed polyester face built to stay quiet against bark and branches, removable tree straps and a haul loop so it hangs beside the stand, and side compression that holds a bow or a climbing stand. The Stone Glacier Avail 2200 is a hiking day pack with its own internal frame, in 500D Cordura and X-Pac.
For whitetail sits, the Treehouse fits the job. It's frameless and weighs 4.5 lbs, which is heavy for a day's kit, but you're carrying it to a stand, not over a ridge, and the quiet face matters more there. Expect the fuzzy fabric to collect burrs and seeds.
For western day hunts on foot, the Avail is lighter by 1.45 lbs and carries better thanks to its frame. The bag detaches and mates to Stone Glacier's Krux or Xcurve frames, so a day hunt can end in a meat haul; on its own it has no load shelf. Owners also use it well outside hunting season, thanks to its TSA carry-on size, ski carry and room for an avalanche probe and shovel. Their complaints are consistent: there are no external water-bottle pockets, the hydration sleeve costs extra, and 36 L feels barely big enough once late-season layers and a spotter go in. Its one-size suspension has no torso adjustment, and the Treehouse's fixed harness doesn't adjust either, so hunters at either end of the height range should try both loaded.
Stone Glacier Avail 2200
For western day hunts, scouting and ski or travel use, especially if you may later put the bag on a Stone Glacier hauling frame.
Mystery Ranch Treehouse 38
Best for whitetail hunters who sit in a stand and want a quiet-faced pack that hangs from the tree and carries a bow or climbing stand.
| Spec | Stone Glacier Avail 2200 | Mystery Ranch Treehouse 38 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $320 | $325 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | Internal Frame | Frameless |
| Capacity | 36 L | 38.8 L |
| Weight | 3 lb 0.8 oz | 4.5 lbs |
| Max Load | Not published by the manufacturer | Not specified by the manufacturer |
| Torso Fit | One size; fixed Avail suspension with adjustable shoulder straps and waist belt | One size, fixed harness |
| Material | 500D Cordura + X-Pac | Custom fuzzy polyester face backed with 210D nylon laminate, YKK zippers |
| Back Panel | Foam-padded back with internal frame and dedicated Avail suspension | Fixed harness with padded contact back panel |
| Adjustable torso | No | No |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | No | No |
| Hydration sleeve | No | No |
| Fits BV500 bear can | No | No |
| Warranty | Lifetime against defects in materials and workmanship (excludes normal wear and tear, accidents, misuse and negligence) | 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
Stone Glacier Avail 2200
- ✓The most-reviewed pack Stone Glacier sells — 4.9 stars across 221 on-site reviews — and even owners who ultimately sold theirs concede it is 'VERY well built' with no durability complaints.
- ✓Genuinely multi-sport: internal organization sized for a spotting scope or avalanche probe and shovel, ice-tool attachments, and A-frame or cross ski carry make it one pack for hunting, skiing, and climbing — GearJunkie's tester used it for everything from shed hunting to glacier hikes.
- ✓TSA carry-on dimensions (20.5 x 12 x 8 in) plus a slim laptop-friendly front pocket — many owners run it as their daily commuter and travel bag between seasons.
- ✓The external compression panel swallows a shed layer, rain shell, or tripod in seconds without opening the main bag.
- ✓The bag detaches from its suspension and mates to SG's Krux/Xcurve frames — one elk hunter runs his on a Krux so a day hunt can end with a meat haul instead of a second trip.
- ✓500D Cordura and X-Pac with YKK #10 zippers is a far burlier fabric package than mainstream day packs like Osprey Talons at a similar weight.
- ✓At $320 it undercuts comparable Kifaru and Mystery Ranch day packs while being made in the USA.
- ✓Five-pocket organization is enough for most day hunters — an Iowa saddle hunter reported plenty of room and good organization for all-day whitetail sits.
- ✗No external water-bottle pockets — a common owner complaint; there is no way to securely stash a Nalgene outside the bag.
- ✗Hydration is 'compatible' only — the Hydro Sleeve is sold separately, and several owners actively dislike SG's Hydro Holster bottle solution.
- ✗One-size suspension with no torso-length adjustment, unlike SG's frame packs — fit is take-it-or-leave-it for very short or tall hunters.
- ✗No load shelf or meat-hauling ability standalone — packing out even a deer means buying a $399 Krux frame or making a second trip.
- ✗Eastern treestand hunters found it awkward next to an Exo K3 1800, whose drop-bag frame carries a stand and sticks — more than one whitetail-hunting owner switched away for that reason.
- ✗Cordura and zipper noise is noticeable in quiet late-season settings — a saddle hunter noted getting gear out is 'a little noisy' without care.
- ✗36 L is 'barely big enough' as a do-everything pack per owners, several of whom wished they had bought the 52 L Kiowa 3200 instead.
- ✗Kuiu's Venture 2300 regularly undercuts it on sale (~$160) with better bow and stick carry features, making the Avail a harder value case for archery hunters.
Mystery Ranch Treehouse 38
- ✓The brushed face fabric is built to stay silent when it rubs a tree or a jacket.
- ✓Removable tree straps and a haul loop hang it beside the stand instead of on the platform.
- ✓Side compression and pass-through loops hold a bow or a climbing treestand.
- ✓Three sizes from 16 L to 38.8 L share the design, starting at $200.
- ✓A fixed lid with an organiser keeps calls and small kit sorted.
- ✗4.5 lb with no frame is heavy for a pack that only carries a day's kit.
- ✗Fuzzy polyester will pick up burrs and seeds.
- ✗One size on a fixed harness, with no torso adjustment.
- ✗No hydration sleeve is stated on the 38's page.
- ✗No load rating and no meat-hauling provision.
- ✗$325 is Mystery Ranch money for a whitetail day pack.
Stone Glacier Avail 2200 vs Mystery Ranch Treehouse 38: common questions
Is the Avail 2200 quiet enough for treestand hunting?▾
It wasn't designed for it. The Avail uses 500D Cordura and X-Pac, while the Treehouse 38 has a brushed polyester face made to stay silent when it rubs bark or a jacket, plus tree straps to hang it from the stand.
Can either pack haul meat?▾
Not on their own. Neither has a load shelf, and Mystery Ranch makes no meat-hauling provision on the Treehouse. The Avail bag detaches and mates to a Stone Glacier Krux or Xcurve frame, which one elk hunter does so a day hunt can end with a pack-out.
Is the Treehouse 38 too heavy for a day pack?▾
For hiking, yes: at 4.5 lbs with no frame it's 1.45 lbs heavier than the Avail. For a short walk to a stand it matters less, and the quiet face and tree straps are what you're paying for.