First Look: Browning's New Lumbar Hunting Pack

by
posted on February 27, 2015
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
lumbarpack.jpg

At the 2015 SHOT Show, Signature Products Group (SPG)—an official licensee of products for Browning—introduced a number of hunting packs. The one that caught my eye: the Browning Billy 1700RT Lumbar Hunting Pack, which boasts 1,700 cubic inches of storage space, handles heavy loads with ease and weighs a mere 2.5 pounds. Here are four things you need to know.

1. This hunting pack has “runnin’ and gunnin’” written all over it.
The Billy 1700RT features an industry-first, a Hypo-Sonic closure in place of a traditional, noisy zipper. The closure really is quiet, too. The pack’s woven Baumshell fabric is rated as nearly twice the strength and half the weight of traditional knitted pack fabrics, and is water resistant. Reinforced stitching at all stress points, too.

2. It's decidedly comfortable.
The weight you carry sits low on your back—the “lumbar” in the product’s name—which has two advantages I can think of. One, the "Center of Gravity" lumbar design lets you carry heavier loads with less fatigue. The shoulder straps are padded with high-density foam and the webbing connecting the shoulder straps to the pack is attached to the rear of the pack. This results in a more “upright” load in the pack, held tighter to your body, which should make this more comfortable than other lumbar packs I’ve tried.

Second, as I write this my lower back is still sore from a week’s worth of deer and hog hunting in Mississippi, much of it done from the ground. Even with a pad beneath me, and sitting against a tree trunk, my lower back got all twisted and tweaked. What I needed was…the Lumbar Hunting Pack!

3. It's easy on the lower back.
The pack is built with a semi-flexible, padded insert that curves up against your lower back.  With the waist belt firmly strapped in place, plus the weight and bulk of whatever I am carrying in the pack, my lower back will get much needed support on the ground or even in the narrow, frequently painful seats many ladder stands subject me to.

4. The packs are due in the stores by mid-summer.
My lower back has told me: You will have one in time for our fall hunts.

Latest

Lead Photo 02
Lead Photo 02

Head to Head: 7x57mm Mauser vs. .30-06 Springfield

I’ve had more than a few requests for this Head to Head, so I figured it was high time to pit two of the early 20th century’s most popular military cartridges against one another. Let's dive into the 7x57mm Mauser vs. the .30-06 Springfield.

NRA Hunter Education FREE Online Course Now Available in Louisiana

The National Rifle Association of America’s award-winning free Hunter Education online course is now available in the State of Louisiana, the latest addition as NRA works to make the course available to hunters in all 50 states.

Moultrie Updates Line of Game Feeders

Moultrie has expanded the capacity of its line of feeders, and bettered the cameras' integration with the company's connected technology to streamline the feeding process.

Building the Ultimate Elk Bow

Elk are remarkable creatures that dwell in some of the most hellish landscapes on earth. An elk bow needs to be tough, light, and ultra-accurate. Here's how to build the right one for you.

First Look: Spandau S2 20-Gauge

Spandau Arms, a brand of SDS Arms, has announced that the  Spandau S2 Shotgun is now available in a 20-gauge model in both a Mossy Oak Bottomland and a traditional wood finish.

Count Some Quail, Tally Some Turkeys

The Arkansas turkey season ended in May, but there’s still good reason for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to keep the birds in mind when they head out to their favorite hiking trail or drive the backroads of The Natural State. Outdoorsmen who scare up coveys of quail are welcome in the survey as well.

Interests



Get the best of American Hunter delivered to your inbox.