Posted: 6/29/2009 8:40:50 PM EDT
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Does anyone have any experience with these Eberlestock G4 Operator? I was looking into them because I like the idea that i can hide my rifle if I need to B.O. on foot. Might help me blead in a little. Thanks.
Mike |
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I've got one. It's pure sexy as far as packs go.
I havn't "used" it to any real great extent, but the quality and modularity is awsome. As far as "blending in", the molle loops are almost as big a giveaway as camo, but I honestly think that if it's to the point that I'm carrying shit on my back, that I'm not too worried about blending in w/the sheeple, so much as having a damn good pack that carries everything I need comfortably and that I feel will last a long time, and this pack was the only one that I found that fit the bill. |
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You won't be doing any blending in with this pack. It screams military.
I love mine and have used it for hiking/BO practice. You'll be tempted to pack eveyrthing you own and overload it because of all the space available in it. I had mine to 75# and wasn't out of room, so I had to streamline the load. All the small compartments and pockets are amazing at keeping everything organized and in it's place. No need to pull out half your gear to get something out of the pack thanks to it's top loading and front loading options. I can't imagine what I would have to do to damage this thing, it's stitched like a tank and the material is top notch. Amazing pack in my opinion, just make sure you adjust the shoulder straps right, bend your aluminum inserts to fit your back, and tighten your hip belt properly and you can carry as much as you want w/o fear of failure...  You wont be disappointed
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Quoted:
Thanks for the insight. I think I am going to get one in either Dry Earth or Coyote Brown. I'm going to have to find some pictures of those two colors first. Mike I have an OD operator and a coyote gun slinger. THe coyote is a darker more deeper coyote than any other manufacturer out there. The OD looks like it has a bit of brown mixed in. Unless I was in the desert, I would buy the OD HTH and thanks for your service. I absolutly love the packs and the operator is by far the best pack I have ever owned/used |
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mine's coyote and I agree 100% on the "darker" statement above. It's not chocolate colored, but it's not near as light as "normal", which IMHO isn't a bad thing. I'm happy with it 100%.
FWIW tossing a sleeping bag under the pack and a blanket/shelter/unfolded poncho etc on the very top almost completely hides the rifle scabbard and makes me look more stealthy camper ninja like 
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So a question for you folks that own one:
How comfortable does a pack like that ride? It just seems like having a pack over a gun scabbard would make for an uncomfortable carry, especially over distance (not that I really know a superior solution... let's face it, it's an awkward load no matter how you slice it). At least the weapon is centered, but it seems like a pack over that would shift your center of gravity too far away from your core, unless you really kept your load minimal, spread out, and cinched down tight. |
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the straps/padding/adjustments are the most comfortable that I've ever tried on.
Sure it pushes the pack out approx 2-3" away from your back, but honestly I can't tell any difference in handling characteristics and once again the alternative is to sling your weapon and that's got it's own comfort/handling issues by itself |
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The Padding on the Gunslinger is superb...I can't seriously tell the difference
when the gun is in or out as far a comfort. The weight obviously is the only difference. With the huge padded belt, adjustable aluminum "stays", and 6+ cinching straps to secure your load. My one and only issue was the belt was almost too long. They make a small and a large belt, and I think I got a large. My waist is around 30-31" and I almost can't get the belt tight enough to make the pack ride on my hips.....buy with confidence!! Elberstock knows their packs.
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I have the crane I think, I never can remember the name when these threads come up.
My pack wraps around the scabbard for the rifle so it is not like the rifle is pressing on my back or something. The shoulder straps and waist belt are well padded and the comfort is awesome but I never had a really nice pack until I bought this pack. You do need to pay attention to how you pack it but since the rifle weighs so much you want it close to your back to keep the weight close to your back. I then continue to keep everything heavy close to me and that mostly means using the side pockets. If I take the middle bag of the crane setup it gets clothes and other stuff that does not weigh that much since it is the furthest from my back. They have more color options these days, mine is coyote and it is what it is. If I was worried about trying to blend in I would throw a garbage bag or some other cover over the whole thing to look like that was how I was trying to keep things waterproof and protected. I am impressed with how well this one is assembled and have considered getting something smaller since it is easy to overpack what I have. |
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I have the crane I think, I never can remember the name when these threads come up. My pack wraps around the scabbard for the rifle so it is not like the rifle is pressing on my back or something. The shoulder straps and waist belt are well padded and the comfort is awesome but I never had a really nice pack until I bought this pack. You do need to pay attention to how you pack it but since the rifle weighs so much you want it close to your back to keep the weight close to your back. I then continue to keep everything heavy close to me and that mostly means using the side pockets. If I take the middle bag of the crane setup it gets clothes and other stuff that does not weigh that much since it is the furthest from my back. They have more color options these days, mine is coyote and it is what it is. If I was worried about trying to blend in I would throw a garbage bag or some other cover over the whole thing to look like that was how I was trying to keep things waterproof and protected. I am impressed with how well this one is assembled and have considered getting something smaller since it is easy to overpack what I have. Quoted for brilliance. |
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I am not the person who thought of it originally.
Many people recomend keeping some 55 gallon drum liners in their packs, the thicker the better in many cases. You can make a poncho for yourself and one for your bag and no matter how tactical it is under that garbage bag it just looks like a backpack under a garbage bag. In the past we have discussed making covers for backpacks as well, and I reckon there is an official name for those covers but I just got done with work and don't feel like engaging my brain cells from that far back. |
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Quoted:
So a question for you folks that own one: How comfortable does a pack like that ride? It just seems like having a pack over a gun scabbard would make for an uncomfortable carry, especially over distance (not that I really know a superior solution... let's face it, it's an awkward load no matter how you slice it). At least the weapon is centered, but it seems like a pack over that would shift your center of gravity too far away from your core, unless you really kept your load minimal, spread out, and cinched down tight. These packs are the greatest. Not really a pack over a scabbard. More of a scabbard IN the pack. Not awkward and carries VERY well. I have the GS05M which doesn't even have the frame, and I can easily carry 40# (including rifle) while hunting. Worth every penny. |
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Well I want to thank all of you for the help. I went ahead and ordered the Operator in Coyote. With LAPG.coms 15% off for the 4th of July I got it shipped for less than $350. Now all I have to do is get home to load it up and start walking with. Again thanks.
Mike |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
So a question for you folks that own one: How comfortable does a pack like that ride? It just seems like having a pack over a gun scabbard would make for an uncomfortable carry, especially over distance (not that I really know a superior solution... let's face it, it's an awkward load no matter how you slice it). At least the weapon is centered, but it seems like a pack over that would shift your center of gravity too far away from your core, unless you really kept your load minimal, spread out, and cinched down tight. These packs are the greatest. Not really a pack over a scabbard. More of a scabbard IN the pack. Not awkward and carries VERY well. I have the GS05M which doesn't even have the frame, and I can easily carry 40# (including rifle) while hunting. Worth every penny. wtf is up with everyone wanting to carry a motor home worth of crap on their backs? my main back packing setup is around 13 pounds MAX and that's with food for three days. If your carrying more than two changes of cloths your doing it wrong. wash your dirties out at night. them them dry over night. and don't carry BDUs or cammo. if your bugging out, your going to be walking for a while. your going to get hot and sweaty. better to wear a nylon blend that will breath better, dry out quicker and generally be lighter. you can find ultralight gear as well. My tent weighs less than two pounds. my sleeping bag comes in at just under a pound, and my sleeping pad is the same way. The bag and pad compress down to just over the size of a quart of paint. for those of you who have never carried a pack, much less a 20#+ pack, your going to be in for one hell of a surprise when you drop from exhaustion after half a day. |
| Yeah, I carry more than I need. I have since cut it back by about 7#. FWIW, the rifle weighs 10# give or take. Also, the two situations are a bit different. I'm guessing that your backpacking is a bit different than my elk hunting. I would rather carry a bit more and stop to rest once in a while than to be 5 miles in with an elk down @ -20 and not have what I need. YMMV. |
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30-40# is not that hard to hump with a good fitting pack. I could streamline more maybe
but why? Hell the pack itself is 9# if I remember right so it's not too hard to get a load around 30# with high end gear and a rifle. If I'm bugging out and never coming back I'll suffer with a little more weight, take more breaks if needed and be comfortable and sane. Hiking and getting the fk outta' dodge armed are 2 different creatures... I agree that if your just stuffing crap in a bag and never take it out and carry it for a good march...your in for trouble. 30-40# will break your ass in half if your pack fits bad and your not in shape to do it. Having the gear and effectively using it are crucial...practice, practice.. And take the time to get your pack fitted right!! My pack broke my back when I first got it, a little adjusting and bending the "stays" and it's a whole new pack.. |
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I just bought the new Gunslinger II.
I do 4-5 days at a time and don't need more than the 2900 ci. Always a temptation to use extra space up when you have it. If anyone is considering one of these and does not want the size of the bigger packs take a look at the gunslinger and gunslinger II. As far as blending in? Who knows. You need something ubber durable and that will conceal things. Military packs are really becoming quite comon. I don't think OD or the other basic earth colors really are that strange to see someone packing. Camo yes, that does stand out. I picked up the OD and just throw over a unicam rainfly if off the beaten track for concealment. Do what your comfortable with. Those of you who want a closer look at the new terminator pack check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9k1mt4MMHo |
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Quoted:
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Quoted:
So a question for you folks that own one: How comfortable does a pack like that ride? It just seems like having a pack over a gun scabbard would make for an uncomfortable carry, especially over distance (not that I really know a superior solution... let's face it, it's an awkward load no matter how you slice it). At least the weapon is centered, but it seems like a pack over that would shift your center of gravity too far away from your core, unless you really kept your load minimal, spread out, and cinched down tight. These packs are the greatest. Not really a pack over a scabbard. More of a scabbard IN the pack. Not awkward and carries VERY well. I have the GS05M which doesn't even have the frame, and I can easily carry 40# (including rifle) while hunting. Worth every penny. What sleeping bag and tent do you use? wtf is up with everyone wanting to carry a motor home worth of crap on their backs? my main back packing setup is around 13 pounds MAX and that's with food for three days. If your carrying more than two changes of cloths your doing it wrong. wash your dirties out at night. them them dry over night. and don't carry BDUs or cammo. if your bugging out, your going to be walking for a while. your going to get hot and sweaty. better to wear a nylon blend that will breath better, dry out quicker and generally be lighter. you can find ultralight gear as well. My tent weighs less than two pounds. my sleeping bag comes in at just under a pound, and my sleeping pad is the same way. The bag and pad compress down to just over the size of a quart of paint. for those of you who have never carried a pack, much less a 20#+ pack, your going to be in for one hell of a surprise when you drop from exhaustion after half a day. |
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Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: So a question for you folks that own one: How comfortable does a pack like that ride? It just seems like having a pack over a gun scabbard would make for an uncomfortable carry, especially over distance (not that I really know a superior solution... let's face it, it's an awkward load no matter how you slice it). At least the weapon is centered, but it seems like a pack over that would shift your center of gravity too far away from your core, unless you really kept your load minimal, spread out, and cinched down tight. These packs are the greatest. Not really a pack over a scabbard. More of a scabbard IN the pack. Not awkward and carries VERY well. I have the GS05M which doesn't even have the frame, and I can easily carry 40# (including rifle) while hunting. Worth every penny. wtf is up with everyone wanting to carry a motor home worth of crap on their backs? my main back packing setup is around 13 pounds MAX and that's with food for three days. If your carrying more than two changes of cloths your doing it wrong. wash your dirties out at night. them them dry over night. and don't carry BDUs or cammo. if your bugging out, your going to be walking for a while. your going to get hot and sweaty. better to wear a nylon blend that will breath better, dry out quicker and generally be lighter. you can find ultralight gear as well. My tent weighs less than two pounds. my sleeping bag comes in at just under a pound, and my sleeping pad is the same way. The bag and pad compress down to just over the size of a quart of paint. for those of you who have never carried a pack, much less a 20#+ pack, your going to be in for one hell of a surprise when you drop from exhaustion after half a day. I'd really like to see you do a thread on your ultralight setup. That told actual weights / temp rating for sleeping bag etc..... I'm always looking for ways to cut weight out of my pack. I already use a lot of light weight gear and i cant get close to the weight your describing for a true winter 4 day pack and i don't carry any extra clothes.. just socks. To the OP i always liked the looks of these packs but along with kifaru they are heavy as hell (i know bombproof) but thats kept me from purchasing one..... I hope it works for you. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
So a question for you folks that own one: How comfortable does a pack like that ride? It just seems like having a pack over a gun scabbard would make for an uncomfortable carry, especially over distance (not that I really know a superior solution... let's face it, it's an awkward load no matter how you slice it). At least the weapon is centered, but it seems like a pack over that would shift your center of gravity too far away from your core, unless you really kept your load minimal, spread out, and cinched down tight. These packs are the greatest. Not really a pack over a scabbard. More of a scabbard IN the pack. Not awkward and carries VERY well. I have the GS05M which doesn't even have the frame, and I can easily carry 40# (including rifle) while hunting. Worth every penny. wtf is up with everyone wanting to carry a motor home worth of crap on their backs? my main back packing setup is around 13 pounds MAX and that's with food for three days. If your carrying more than two changes of cloths your doing it wrong. wash your dirties out at night. them them dry over night. and don't carry BDUs or cammo. if your bugging out, your going to be walking for a while. your going to get hot and sweaty. better to wear a nylon blend that will breath better, dry out quicker and generally be lighter. you can find ultralight gear as well. My tent weighs less than two pounds. my sleeping bag comes in at just under a pound, and my sleeping pad is the same way. The bag and pad compress down to just over the size of a quart of paint. for those of you who have never carried a pack, much less a 20#+ pack, your going to be in for one hell of a surprise when you drop from exhaustion after half a day. Not all of us just need to pack for three days in Alabama weather. Did you know that outside of Alabama, often to the north it hits -30 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter? I know you guys from Alabama don't leave your county very often, but it is true. People from north of the mason Dixon line often travel hundreds of miles to see other parts of the country. We also don't live three generations to one trailer, our families often split up and move to different parts of the country because we prefer different climates or scenery. That means that we might have to plan for more than three days and 4 miles of movement in 50-100 degree weather. We might have to plan for -30 to 100 degree temperatures and treks that span hundreds of miles, multiple rivers, and even mountain ranges. I know this is hard to comprehend, but can you just imagine those scenarios? FYI: I have packed heavy packs for trips extending beyond a week with no outside support. I do know what I'm doing and have invested a lot of time, money, and energy in preparing for a long journey. Don't jump to conclusions about the preps for my journey and I won't jump to conclusions about the inbreeding in Alabama. |
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Quoted: I just bought the new Gunslinger II. I do 4-5 days at a time and don't need more than the 2900 ci. Always a temptation to use extra space up when you have it. If anyone is considering one of these and does not want the size of the bigger packs take a look at the gunslinger and gunslinger II. As far as blending in? Who knows. You need something ubber durable and that will conceal things. Military packs are really becoming quite comon. I don't think OD or the other basic earth colors really are that strange to see someone packing. Camo yes, that does stand out. I picked up the OD and just throw over a unicam rainfly if off the beaten track for concealment. Do what your comfortable with. Those of you who want a closer look at the new terminator pack check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9k1mt4MMHo I just bought the terminator at emgear.net. It's a great pack with a great suspension system. I'm playing around with it right now, but I'm going to give it a field test once it cools down a little bit down here in the southland. By the way, I'll give a thumbs up for emgear. The guy that runs it actually keeps his stuff in stock and he had it to me within two days. I believe he was also a member here in the past. (He said he doesn't post here anymore because it was eating up all of his free time, lol) |
| I am looking to buy the gunslinger 2 as my hiking/hunting/BOB. Does anyone know if it has an internal frame? There is no mention of it on their website. I am torn between this bag and a kelty falcon. The bag will be used primarily as a hiking bag for 2-3 day trips, but obviously double as my BOB. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
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Quoted:
So a question for you folks that own one: How comfortable does a pack like that ride? It just seems like having a pack over a gun scabbard would make for an uncomfortable carry, especially over distance (not that I really know a superior solution... let's face it, it's an awkward load no matter how you slice it). At least the weapon is centered, but it seems like a pack over that would shift your center of gravity too far away from your core, unless you really kept your load minimal, spread out, and cinched down tight. These packs are the greatest. Not really a pack over a scabbard. More of a scabbard IN the pack. Not awkward and carries VERY well. I have the GS05M which doesn't even have the frame, and I can easily carry 40# (including rifle) while hunting. Worth every penny. wtf is up with everyone wanting to carry a motor home worth of crap on their backs? my main back packing setup is around 13 pounds MAX and that's with food for three days. If your carrying more than two changes of cloths your doing it wrong. wash your dirties out at night. them them dry over night. and don't carry BDUs or cammo. if your bugging out, your going to be walking for a while. your going to get hot and sweaty. better to wear a nylon blend that will breath better, dry out quicker and generally be lighter. you can find ultralight gear as well. My tent weighs less than two pounds. my sleeping bag comes in at just under a pound, and my sleeping pad is the same way. The bag and pad compress down to just over the size of a quart of paint. for those of you who have never carried a pack, much less a 20#+ pack, your going to be in for one hell of a surprise when you drop from exhaustion after half a day. Not all of us just need to pack for three days in Alabama weather. Did you know that outside of Alabama, often to the north it hits -30 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter? I know you guys from Alabama don't leave your county very often, but it is true. People from north of the mason Dixon line often travel hundreds of miles to see other parts of the country. We also don't live three generations to one trailer, our families often split up and move to different parts of the country because we prefer different climates or scenery. That means that we might have to plan for more than three days and 4 miles of movement in 50-100 degree weather. We might have to plan for -30 to 100 degree temperatures and treks that span hundreds of miles, multiple rivers, and even mountain ranges. I know this is hard to comprehend, but can you just imagine those scenarios? FYI: I have packed heavy packs for trips extending beyond a week with no outside support. I do know what I'm doing and have invested a lot of time, money, and energy in preparing for a long journey. Don't jump to conclusions about the preps for my journey and I won't jump to conclusions about the inbreeding in Alabama. Your e-peen is enormous. |