Badlands 4500, A Backpack Review

Wow! Were do I begin? I chose the biggest of the Badlands hunting packs partly because I have had such great success with the Badlands 2200 day pack that I currently use when I hunt. However, for my upcoming backcountry hunting trip, I needed a pack that would be able to carry all of my gear and a boned out animal if I should be so lucky. After researching the various packs and reading as many reviews out there as I could, I chose the Badlands 4500.

When the pack arrived I was very anxious to get a chance to use it, but my trip was still a week away. So one night while I was hanging out with my 7 year old, I coaxed him into hopping into it so that I could carry him around. I was thrilled at the way the pack handled his weight.
Finally, this past weekend I had a chance to put it through its paces. To say that I was impressed would be an understatement! Although I have gone pretty light weight with everything that I carry, this past weekend I also was carrying all of my girlfriend’s gear – sleeping bag, clothes, food, and other assorted items as well as all of the clothes and assorted gear that comes with taking an 11 month old to the field with you. As you can see from the pictures, the pack was filled to the brim. First I would like to say how well the pack handled the extra weight and how comfortable it was to carry. The hip and shoulder straps are molded to fit the contour of your body. The pack also comes with a series of  tightening straps that allows you to really snug down the load as close to your body as possible to allow you to try and center the weight right over your hips. Never once did I feel like my load was pulling me back. It always seemed to be positioned right over my feet.

Badlands seems to have really thought of everything with this pack! You have one main cargo compartment that you can divide into two separate compartments to keep the heavier things in your pack higher up on your back  Also, the pack has several external pockets that are big enough to store just about anything in them. I was able to carry a fairly large set of binoculars and a water filter in just one of them, to give you an example. The top part of the pack, the part that has been designed to hold your water bladder, can also be removed and used as a fanny pack. I did not use it personally on this trip, but my girlfriend did and she said that it was very comfortable to wear. This pack also comes with a hidden zippered mesh bag that adds an extra 200+ cubic inches that you can attach to the outside of your pack to put your gear in, to keep it from getting bloody when you do get lucky.
Overall I would have to give this pack and its designers two thumbs up. With the no quarrel lifetime guarantee, I should get many years of use out of it.

One Response to “Badlands 4500, A Backpack Review”

  1. Doug Ward says:

    Hey fella. It’s been a bit over 2 years.
    You still liking the 4500 ?
    How does it perform in the rain ?
    I’m in Costa Rica and looking for a big pack to collect plants with.

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