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Thread: Mystery Ranch fans? Opinions please

  1. #1
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Eastern NC, 500 feet and below

    Mystery Ranch fans? Opinions please

    I’m shopping the Scree 32 L against the Coulee 40 L. Uses would be an all around utility pack. I have three kids now so no more back packing/ thru hiking trips. More looking for a day-hiking pack, maybe an overnight pack. I like the fact the Scree has the daisy chain points on the pack since there’s no place for sleeping pads, ropes, etc to be strapped down. But I’m wondering if the extra volume of the Coulee 40 would be missed if I didn’t get the larger bag. I’m wondering how useful the back stuff pouches are on the 40 that replace the daisy chains on the 32.

    Opinions, first from anyone with experience with either of these packs.

    Secondly, advice on what sizes are good for my uses. I honestly don’t have a metric on what sizes are good for what purposes; for the last 20+ years I have just been issued a large ruck and smaller assault pack and grabbed what I needed. We go car camping, day-hiking, fishing, just generally looking for something I can use for the above uses and a two or three day pack. I almost feel like I would use it less if it’s too big rather than too small, but the reviews say great things about the stuff pouches on the 40. I’m pretty set on the Scree 32 but wanted to get opinions of others as I don’t know if 32L will be small or good. I’m getting a significant mil discount but still don’t have money to waste on getting a product I won’t use. Thanks.

    Scree 32L
    https://www.mysteryranch.com/scree-p...y=1&color=Wood

    Coulee 40L
    https://www.mysteryranch.com/coulee-...y=1&color=Wood

  2. #2
    Deadeye Dick Clusterfrack's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2013
    Location
    Wokelandia

    Mystery Ranch fans? Opinions please

    My wife has the Coulee 25, and it’s an excellent day pack. The pouches are useful, so I’d recommend that over the ladder unless you climb. The 25 is plenty big enough for day hikes but probably too small for overnights.

    "You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
    Shabbat shalom, motherf***ers! --Mordechai Jefferson Carver

  3. #3
    Site Supporter Rex G's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    SE Texas
    I suspect that there is some amount of counterfeiting going on, with things being sold as Mystery Ranch. Buy with due care.
    Retar’d LE. Kinesthetic dufus.

    Don’t tread on volcanos!

  4. #4
    Site Supporter ST911's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Midwest, USA
    I have Scree 32, have not used the Coulee 40 that I recall. It's holding up well for hikes, travel, SAR, hunting. Good size for flexibility and carrying useful things. Recommended, and wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

    Lots of rabbit holes, nuances, and tail chasing with packs at or about this size. Some packs are better at certain times of the year when you need to store or access gear. Some task-dependent. Access matters. Anymore, 30-35L is my minimum size. I can make a large pack smaller, but can't make a small pack bigger. Right now, my Osprey Kestrel 38 is my most used pack for it's overall flexibility.

    So many good options out there.
    الدهون القاع الفتيات لك جعل العالم هزاز جولة الذهاب

  5. #5
    Site Supporter
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Location
    North Carolina
    I too agonized for a while between the 32 and 40, and wound up with the 40. I am glad that I did. Especially because these trizip packs don’t really have much in the way of internal compartmentalization, I like that with the extra capacity, it easily fits pretty much everything I would want to carry in a general purpose travel backpack. That way whenever I pull something out, it is no trouble to later put it back in without having to carefully repack everything.

    There is even enough room for me to add a 4.5 inch barreled Sig MPX, if desired.

    Yet I don’t feel that the 40 is so large as to be cumbersome. Maybe it is the adjustable yoke/suspension system, but to me it carries lighter than one would think, given the capacity.

    My only gripe is that I wish the elastic outer pockets had some way of closing up at the top. I may sew some hook and loop (or pay someone else to do it) for better security.


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  6. #6
    My thinking on pack size: for small packs, tend towards smaller, as that is its point. For large packs, tend towards smaller, otherwise they become monstrous. For midsized packs (what you are looking at), go bigger. If the frame/suspension fits, you can always squeeze it tighter, but it's maddening if you buy a pack for common use and it ends up carrying barely more than your small/minimalist pack.

  7. #7
    Site Supporter Norville's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    WI
    I have a Sweet Pea and an ASAP. Both are great, comfortable packs. The straps/ yoke are amazing. I have bought some lesser packs recently, and they are nowhere near as easy to carry as the MRs.

  8. #8
    Site Supporter 41magfan's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Location
    NC
    Most well designed packs (like MR) have thoughtful compression features so you can make the larger pack smaller .... but you can't make a smaller pack bigger. Having said that, the only real penalty (if you can even call it that) in going with a larger pack is a few more ounces of weight and a few more dollars in costs.

    I've seen people make do with smaller packs by hanging/attaching stuff to the outside (often resembling Jed Clampett's pick-up truck) but I personally prefer to store most of my gear inside the pack.

    YMMV
    The path of least resistance will seldom get you where you need to be.

  9. #9
    MR makes great bags, but what's got you set on MR for your next pack?

    Either way, I'd lean toward the 40L since that's more than enough for a day hike, and just about right for a winter day hike or overnight trip. It's also a useful size for a carry-on bag that can fit a change of clothes in it.

    I think the bigger issue might be the weight of the pack itself. If you're looking for a hiking/backpacking pack that can also be an EDC bag and a piece of luggage, then you'd want a fairly durable bag like the the two MR you listed. On the other hand, if it's just for trail use, there are much lighter packs out there.

  10. #10
    I should've checked the sub-forum. Was really excited about this new salad dressing I'd never heard of.

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