Badlands 2200 Hunting Backpack with Built-in Meat Hauler

I was wearing this when I got hit by a truck doing 45mph on my motorcycle. I had to have my leg amputated but this thing saved my back. I had zero road rash because I rode it out on my back. The bag hardly even shows signs of wear. There are two spots less than 1" x 1" where the fabric wore through. This thing is built to last and ready for anything

I purchased my badlands 2200 backpack one year ago after a veterans elk hunt that I got to be apart of. I can't say enough good things about the Badlands company, and what they do for their veterans. During the hunt I asked the guides what type of hunting bag I should get and their answer was universal. "Badlands 2200." During that hunt in 2015 we ended up packing out two cows with the pack. When I got back from the hunt the first thing I did was order one for myself. I am a disabled Vet with a bad back. I don't have much experience with hunting backpacks only the US Army MOLLE, but I have had many miles with that rucksack on my back. Anyway I used it for a spring turkey hunt. Just loaded it with 30 lbs of gear, and hiked it around for 7 days to see how my back held up. It was amazing! Sat on my hips nicely. Cinched down very sung. I hardly noticed it was back there. I was very confident this fall and took it up on an elk backpacking trip with my buddies. We got a cow and had to hike it out about a mile (bad terrain though). My friend made a bet that he could pack a half a cow out on his back with my bag. (I am not capable of putting that much weight on my back). I would guess weight wise we were around 130 lbs. He managed to pack out the elk half with the 2200 and now owns one himself.I am now a loyal Badlands customer.

I did a bunch of research on this pack prior to purchasing it. I was looking for something with more capacity than a standard "day pack" with the ability to haul out a quarter or boned-out buck, but yet not too big or cumbersome with a standard day load. With my research and watching videos of people wearing and reviewing it, it looked like it was what I was looking for. When I received the pack my initial thought was "Wow this is way bigger and "taller" than it looked on video!" And it was. I'm 5' 9" and about 190. When I tried it on and made all the proper adjustments to where it sat on my hips properly, etc., I had the straps/adjustments maxed out to nearly the smallest they would go and it still felt loose and not quite right on my frame. That being said, I also did not load it up with a "going-in weight" which I'm sure would have made a difference in the fit and feel. But still this pack seems like it would be more suited for a person in the 6' 2", 225+ lb. range. The other thing that personally would bug me, maybe not others, is that the top of the pack stands up above my shoulders a few inches and when turning my head left and right I can see it in my peripheral vision which is distracting when I've got my head on a swivel looking for animals.With all that said, which is my own personal experience/opinion, this pack is really, really well made. And who doesn't like a company that stands behind their product 100% with a lifetime guarantee. If I was going on short 2 or 3 day overnight pack-ins, this would be a perfect pack choice for a larger guy or gal that fits this pack properly. I'm returning it, but will take a serious look at the Badlands Diablo Dos as a step down in size and capacity.

It was time to replace a pack that my Dad had given me before he passed and I had hunted with for years so you could imagine this pack had some big shoes to fill. I honestly think this is the only pack that I could imagine could fill the hole. It is perfect from an Awesome company with the best warranty.Pros: internal frame, HUGE zipper pulls, super sturdy fasteners, completely expandable, meat shelf, comfortable and adjustable straps, pistol holster both sides, hidden rifle holder, optics holder, great balance, easy to strap down stuff to the outside. Internal bladder pouch absorbs condensation so your gear does not get moist. Fairly waterproof by itself.Cons: No external radio pocket one thing about my old pack I liked better was a shoulder strap radio pouch. A bladder hose holder on the strap would be nice I robbed my old one. You have to buy a bladder and rain cover separate. Not really a big deal because I like water/Gatorade bottles instead when I hunt. Just so much easier to deal with Instead of cleaning out the bladder and drying it so it does not taste like an aquarium . I did buy the bladder though just because I am a gear nerd. make sure you get the square 2l one because that is the internal pouch it has. (The rain cover might come down the line just in case but I don’t want to be in the weather it would be needed since this thing will take a downpour by itself)Overall an Awesome pack and I give Badlands credit as this is well thought out and I used to think these packs were expensive now I see they are almost underpriced and It is a great value to add enjoyment and capability to the hunt.

I bought this backpack after going through two hiking backpacks (gregory and a mountaintop. The mountaintop was cheaper and lasted longer as a side note). I bought this backpack for its durability and quality. Since I am a field scientist gear goes through some very rough conditions. I am giving it 3 stars because it does not fit on women very well (at least not on me or my college) and it does not have organization compartments. other than what is on the belt and the wings which makes it hard to organize field gear and personal gear (or keep them separate). On the other hand, we being a field scientist we put equipment that says outdoors truly to the test with what we have to do. I can tell you this backpack is resilient and durable. Well worth it. I've seen a badlands pack get dragged for miles and not a scratch on it.