Rucksack or Rucksack with chair

Primer

Well-Known Member
Looking for a rucksack to hold my gear for a stalk but also thinking about the rucksacks that have the built in seats, like the Ron Thompson hunter or Harkila have several offerings or just a rucksack and separate seat as I've managed to secure a bit of land (only 18 possibly 25 acres) but its on like a terraced hill with defined clearings with thick thicket either side and a small woodland on one side and on being shown round the other day there was plenty of evidence of deer (muntjac & Roe), rabbits etc but they seemed to use very defined routes around the grounds often using the thicket for cover and I was shown a few spots that you can sit and wait to observe them from till they break cover into the clearings and safe shooting locations, so I can imagine I could be sitting around for long periods waiting to see them, so wondering about a seat as some of the spots were on rock ledges overlooking lower terraces and others were quite wet marshy area's on and around some of the clearings.
As per usual as we are walking round the guy said he has walked here and there many a time and often found deer just feeding or sitting around or jumping out on him as he is wandering but we didn't see a single one but plenty of fresh hoof marks and damage to tree saplings.

So any recommendations?
 
Depends on how much gear you have as this will, clearly, govern how big a rucksack you need.

Personally I wouldn't go for something with a built in seat. If you need a seat then take one with you but having it built into the rucksack is going to be a real pain if you don't need a seat, say if you get a day on other ground or pick up more ground.

There are lots of good mil surplus rucksacks out there and if you need a fairly big one then the Dutch Army "Sting" is a wonderful job. It has about a 55l main compartment but has two PLCE pouches attached which are 10l each but which can be stuck together to make a small 20l daysack. The full pack with side pouches would be enough for overnights with tent, sleeping bag etc. and the bag without pouches is big enough for a big day out plus carrying some gear, say a seat or decoys or whatever. If you are getting one be sure to get the pouches (sometimes called "rocket pouches") and also the webbing with the pouches to make them into the day sack, though it can be bought for very little money if you just can't source one with the webbing.

These are really well constructed rucksacks with an adjustable back (many mil surplus rucksacks are designed to be worn above the belt kit and so have the hip belt far too high for normal use) that should be indestructible in normal use even if they have already seen considerable use by their first owner, though for some reason the material is very prone to fading while the straps etc. don't fade so they can often look more "used" than they are. Here is one source of them:

Load Carry - Ruck Sacks . Dutch. KL-D.P.M.

The Dutch also have a smaller pack which has the same side pockets if you don't need the Sting size, I've not used one of these but it looks as well built as the sting and, if so, should be a great job:

Load Carry - Ruck Sacks . KL-D.P.M

The Northern Ireland patrol pack is also very well thought of and is a little smaller again:

Load Carry - Ruck Sacks Packs : PACK: Patrol Pack. N.I. British. D.P.M.
 
Depends on how much gear you have as this will, clearly, govern how big a rucksack you need.

Personally I wouldn't go for something with a built in seat. If you need a seat then take one with you but having it built into the rucksack is going to be a real pain if you don't need a seat, say if you get a day on other ground or pick up more ground.

Thanks for the reply

All I currently need to take with me is refreshments, gralloching equipment, cleanup stuff and the usual paperwork, binoculars. So not too much as parking is available on site, so the rucksacks I've been looking at are in the region of 25l and the seats are detachable but I wonder how comfortable they can be. I will have to try and find a retailer who has one on display.
 
Some great options posted by Caorach there. The large dutch pack looks good at a good price too. I have a surplus Viking 3 day assault pack which if my memory serves right has 60L capacity and is quite large. Sometimes I feel its a little big but it has cinch straps to reduce capacity for smaller loads. On the seat you could always get a lightweight camping chair that way when you dont need it you still have a pack you can use. Thats how I would go.
 
Personally I wouldn't go for something with a built in seat. If you need a seat then take one with you but having it built into the rucksack is going to be a real pain if you don't need a seat, say if you get a day on other ground or pick up more ground.

Nearly every Swedish hunter has a rucksack with built in seat. Never seen any one carry a separate seat. 300000 Swedish hunters must have got it wrong ;).
 
Personally I wouldn't go for something with a built in seat. If you need a seat then take one with you but having it built into the rucksack is going to be a real pain if you don't need a seat, say if you get a day on other ground or pick up more ground.

Nearly every Swedish hunter has a rucksack with built in seat. Never seen any one carry a separate seat. 300000 Swedish hunters must have got it wrong ;).

nice stolsekk. Mine is a Hagløfs Castor. They do two versions the higher model aimed more at shotgunners and the lower model for rifle shooters. It is in metal and fabric unlike Jagares work of art.
this type of stolsekk is standard eqpmnt in scandinavia for dog hunting for elk, roe, fox and hare etc.
nice to be able to sit and listen to the dog working(barking) or to sit on whilst grilling your sausages over an open fire.
 
300000 Swedish hunters must have got it wrong ;).

That wouldn't surprise me.

The OP is on 20 acres, he'll never be more than 300 yards from his car, he might start out carrying a rucksack but it won't be long before he just leaves everything in the car and comes back for anything he needs. He can leave his seat in the car as well, buy a surplus rucksack for a few quid and save himself a fortune by not paying for some Swedish bloke to make him a rucksack with a seat.

I hear that the Swedes will now sell me a shotgun with a built in hairdrier, apparently it's all the rage.
 
Only 20 acres? He can sit in his car and shoot deer on such a small area :).
I dought they would sell you the shotgun with the built in hairdrier as I'm sure they have rules against selling to scruffy hunters dressed in army surplus ;) . I've got to say that i would not buy the hand made ruchsack with built in seat for £600 but a Swedteam one can be bought for £60-£80. I only use my leather, cost about £90, one when hunting roe or hares with the dog. Got to have your axe, coffee, sausages and fire lighting gear when out hunting.
 
I've a couple of rucksack/seat combos and whilst reasonably comfortable to sit on I find them a pain to carry for any distance due to the seat frame being against your back.

How about a tripod stool - 70cm (ish) high is a good size - and a rucksack or bumbag? I find them more comfortable than the square/rectagular type.

Askari are doing one for a very reasonable price: http://www.askari-hunting.co.uk/__W...boot-butler-and-three-legged-stool/detail.jsf

They also have a number of other stools and rucksack/stool combos that won't break the bank: http://www.askari-hunting.co.uk/__WebShop__/searchResultPage.jsf
 
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Chair Hide | BushWear

I got one one of these from the inlaws & originally was very dubious .... But of a gimmick ..., but
Sitting in ambush against a hedge line popping off bunnies out of mine with .22 been very productive ...
Maybe an alternative to sitting in wait ..., wee bit of cover there too from but o rain etc

I like my one

Paul
 
I dought they would sell you the shotgun with the built in hairdrier as I'm sure they have rules against selling to scruffy hunters dressed in army surplus ;) .

I thought I was ruled out because I've no hair, well, I used to have hair but for some reason it went away. Now I find I'm too scruffy as well. Disappointing to say the least.
 
Looking for a rucksack to hold my gear for a stalk but also thinking about the rucksacks that have the built in seats, like the Ron Thompson hunter or Harkila have several offerings or just a rucksack and separate seat as I've managed to secure a bit of land (only 18 possibly 25 acres) but its on like a terraced hill with defined clearings with thick thicket either side and a small woodland on one side and on being shown round the other day there was plenty of evidence of deer (muntjac & Roe), rabbits etc but they seemed to use very defined routes around the grounds often using the thicket for cover and I was shown a few spots that you can sit and wait to observe them from till they break cover into the clearings and safe shooting locations, so I can imagine I could be sitting around for long periods waiting to see them, so wondering about a seat as some of the spots were on rock ledges overlooking lower terraces and others were quite wet marshy area's on and around some of the clearings.
As per usual as we are walking round the guy said he has walked here and there many a time and often found deer just feeding or sitting around or jumping out on him as he is wandering but we didn't see a single one but plenty of fresh hoof marks and damage to tree saplings.

So any recommendations?

I use a chaired backpack I bought in an angling shop in Trondheim, Norway (all the salmon anglers use them) and have a couple of metres of ghost camo net and small collapsible set of sticks in the side pocket so I can make a quick hide, proved to be ideal on many occasions, great when you decide to sit and have a rest or just sit and watch for a while.
 
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