Hunting packs are one of the most vital pieces of gear to any western hunter, and the Mystery Ranch Marshall is designed to fill that need for the person who wants a pack not only capable of carrying the gear required for backpack hunting trips but is also designed to come out heavy if you are successful. A poorly made pack or one that does not fit well can make for a miserable hunt, or worse, send you home early.
The Mystery Ranch Marshall Pack is a massive, multi-day backcountry hunting pack that has been a staple on my list of critical gear for many years. With so many hunting pack companies out there today it can be difficult to find a pack that fits you, a bag design that suits your needs, and one that is going to last through the rigors of hauling heavy loads out of the backcountry.
The list of top quality hunting backpack manufacturers in the hunting pack world continues to grow such that we now have a lot more options than just a few short years ago. Some of the names you will likely recognize in your search (many of which we have personally tested here at Backwoods Pursuit) include Mystery Ranch, Exo Mountain Gear, Stone Glacier, Kifaru, Initial Ascent, Kuiu, Seek Outside, Sitka, Blacks Creek Guide Gear, and others.
Make sure to check out our other pack reviews and the Backwoods Pursuit YouTube Channel to help you decide what gear will help you stay out in the field longer!
Over the last year-plus I have had the opportunity to put the Mystery Ranch Marshall pack through extensive testing, including everything from fall deer and elk hunting seasons to spring shed hunting and chasing bears. I have been incredibly impressed with the comfort regardless of whether it is empty or loaded but I will dive into that more a little later.
First Impressions – Mystery Ranch Marshall Pack Review
The first day I got this pack and took it out of the box my first thought was, wow, this Mystery Ranch Marshall pack is HUGE! After all, it is a 6,400 cubic inch (ci) pack that is designed for more that just the weekend warrior. That honestly had me a little worried that I was not going to get along with the Mystery Ranch Marshall. But after taking some time to familiarize myself and a few trips in the field playing with everything on it, I learned how to easily make it look and function like a 2,000 ci bag, which helped ease some of my initial anxiety about having such a big bag while just day hunting.
How I Tested It: Mystery Ranch Marshall Review
My first hike out with the Mystery Ranch pack was while I was shed hunting. All I had was water, some food, and a few other necessities that I like to take for day hiking, so I was only carrying about 20 pounds. Out of the gate I was a little uncomfortable because I had yet to get the shoulder yoke adjusted properly. It took the first half the day to find a comfortable and proper fit on the Mystery Ranch Marshall.
As with any quality hunting backpack, it takes a bit of time to dial in the fit, but once I made the proper adjustments for my body size, I hardly even noticed the pack the rest of the day. Later on in September I went on a backcountry mule deer hunt and was packing about 60 pounds of gear. I was more than happy with how the pack felt after having the adjustable yoke properly set and using the Mystery Ranch 5-point adjustable waist belt.
Specs: Mystery Ranch Marshall
The Mystery Ranch Marshall hunting pack boasts some impressive specs that, when considering the enormous size of this pack, just might fit your needs for those longer backcountry trips.
| Mystery Ranch Marshall Pack Specs | |
|---|---|
| Weight | 7.5 lbs |
| Volume | 6,405 ci |
| Frame | Guide Lite MT Frame |
| Fabric | 500D Lite Plus CORDURA® |
| Main Bag Access | Side and Top Access |
| Lid | Yes – removable, 2 pockets |
| Hydration Compatable | Yes |
| Breakaway Frame | Yes |
| Dimensions | 31.5″x14.75″x14.5″ |
| Adjustable Harness | Yes |
| Built in meat shelf | Yes |
While the base weight of 7.5 lb while empty might seem a little daunting, with an interior volume of over 6,400 ci, this pack will be enough to cover a lot of folks for a week in the backcountry. Add to it that the the Guide Lite MT Frame gives you the ability to interchange the Marshall Bag with a smaller Mystery Ranch Pack Bag intended for day hunts and you can potentially shave some additional weight.
Guide Lite Frame: Mystery Ranch Marshall Review
The Mystery Ranch Marshall is equipped with a bomb-proof, carbon fiber Guide Lite MT frame wrapped in 500D Cordura Lite Plus fabric. The Guide Lite MT frame offers a unique blend of flexibility and rigidity. There is a lot of lateral flexibility in the Guide Lite MT frame while still giving you robust vertical rigidity. This allows the pack to flex with you as you move and bend but it does not flex vertically when the pack is loaded down with a lot of weight. It performed extremely well for me with both light and heavy loads until I got over 80 pounds.
The frame flexes a fair amount when cinching down a hind quarter or half of an elk, but once the load is secured, there is not any noticeable vertical flex which gives you a very comfortable ride with a heavy load.
One of the things that I disliked about the Guide Lite frame was that there was not a great way to secure a sand bag for training hikes. The integrated load shelf sits too low on the frame to keep a small sand bag from dropping below the hip belt, so I had to use the straps on the bag to cinch down the sand bag for my training hikes.
I could have picked up a backstrap attachment for these heavy pack training hikes but it has the same issue. The load shelf attaches near the bottom of the frame rather than a quarter or third of the way up from the bottom. A higher position would help keep those heavy loads from wanting to drop below the hip belt which causes the pack to become uncomfortable.
The other issue I had with this setup is that you cannot use the backstrap without taking the bag off. This is a bummer if you are someone who likes to have your meat-hauling compression strap always attached to your pack. It would be an improvement to be able to have both attached to the frame simultaneously.
Hip Belt: Mystery Ranch Marshall Review
The Mystery Ranch hip belt features a 5 piece design that is pre-formed and exceptionally comfortable. I found this hip belt to ride extremely well, even days on end. The harness system is also pre-formed and provides excellent comfort and a ton of adjustability. Overall, I was extremely pleased with it. I had a short pack out on an elk, so I packed two quarters and the antlers and did not experience any slippage while hauling that load out.
The hip belt is made of high density foam and is robust enough that you do not feel the belt webbing when the time comes to cinch it down with a heavy load. It was very comfortable for me and my body type. The Mystery Ranch hip belt is what I would consider to be a medium thickness.
Shoulder Straps/Harness: Mystery Ranch Marshall Review
The Mystery Ranch Marshall also features a removable lid that can be used when needed or taken off if the trip you are taking does not call for a lid or you simply prefer to go without. Additionally, the lid can be used as a pack of its own with the integrated straps. The lid has two bigger pockets and the shoulder straps tuck behind in their pouch.
While this is an interesting idea for versatility, I never really found it to be comfortable and therefore did not use the feature as much as I anticipated. The only time I liked the removable lid having shoulder straps was so I could hook it to my saddle horn to carry some essentials while guiding elk hunters.
Bag Configuration: Mystery Ranch Marshall Review
The Mystery Ranch Marshall opens at the top to enable you to load the bag from that direction and has two full length side zippers for loading the main compartment. I liked this feature as long as I was organized about how I loaded it.
Another unique feature of the Mystery Ranch Marshall pack is the compartment on the lower portion of the bag that is designed for a sleeping bag. This gives you the ability to keep your sleeping bag and pad separate from other gear and puts them in the lower section of the bag, allowing you to strategically place heavier items in the upper portion of the compartment where they will be more comfortable to carry.
This hunting pack had large side pockets, which fit either my Nalgene water bottle or the butt of my rifle with ease. It also comes with a Mystery Ranch Zoid Bag that will clip into the interior of either side of the main compartment to help keep essentials separate from everything else.
Warranty: Mystery Ranch Marshall Review
If I am being honest, I did not treat the Mystery Ranch Marshall pack with much respect for a full year. From dusty ATV rides to packing two elk quarters multiple times, as well as being in snow, mud and rain, and never getting cleaned, I wanted to see how much abuse the Mystery Ranch Marshall could take.
Throughout that testing, the only failure I had was a buckle. I was cinching down some elk sheds, and I knew the buckle was in a bad spot. I went ahead, cinched it overly tight, and it broke. I emailed the Mystery Ranch warranty department and they sent me a new buckle no questions asked. That really stands out to me because I have not always experienced that kind of response in the past with other companies.
The Mystery Ranch Warranty covers the practical lifetime of the product, so you can rest assured that if something does happen to break, you are not left high and dry. That is the kind of warranty I want covering a critical piece of gear, and that is exactly what I experienced when I needed a new buckle.
What I Liked: Mystery Ranch Marshall Review
While I was mostly a fan of the Mystery Ranch Marshall pack, there were also a few things that I did not care for as the testing progressed. These are issues that only come with extended use in the field, so having sufficient time to test this pack brought out both the good and the bad. At the end of the testing, I was a huge fan of:
- Ease of use/access to the meat shelf
- Separate sleeping bag compartment
- Shoulder harness suspension
Getting into meat hauling mode is extremely easy with the Mystery Ranch Marshall pack. Some packs I have tested take a lot of time and/or effort to make this transition but not the Marshall pack. I also love that the main bag has a separate sleeping bag compartment to keep your bag dry. The shoulder harness is one of the most comfortable out there once you get it dialed in to fit just right.
What I didn’t Like: Mystery Ranch Marshall Review
The extended period of time I had to test this pack also brought out some of the flaws and things I did not care for. Extended time in the field with a heavy pack will push you past the honeymoon phase with any piece of gear. After spending over a year in the field with this Mystery Ranch Marshall pack, I didn’t care for:
- Squeaky shoulder straps
- Noisy material (when brushing against shrubs/branches)
- Lack of pockets
- Lacks a good way to secure a sandbag in the proper position for training hikes
As time went on, I found that the shoulder straps began to squeak. There can be a number of reasons for this, but dirt is often the culprit here, so I probably need to give this pack a good washing and try to reduce as much debris as possible. I also found the Cordura material to be a bit noisy against brush, but this would hold true to any pack made with Cordura. Another pocket or two on the exterior would be welcomed to make gear organization a bit easier. And, finally, as described earlier, I wish the frame with load shelf or backstrap attachment would allow you to support training weight higher on the back.
Conclusion: Mystery Ranch Marshall Review
At the end of the day, the Mystery Ranch Marshall pack may or may not be exactly the size and design you are looking for in a backcountry hunting pack, but I am a fan of their products. These packs are as tough as they come with some very strategic design features. Sure, it took a little bit to get the fit just right at first, but when I got it fit correctly to my body, I loved it. I will definitely be using this pack as my number one backcountry elk or deer pack in the future.
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