Rut Buster Pack by Timber Hawk
Review of Rut Buster Back Pack by Timber Hawk
Today’s Hunting Packs come in a variety of sizes and features. Depending on your style of hunting and what you’ll be using the pack for, the choices are endless. Dan and I had the pleasure of Field Testing packs by Timber Hawk during our 2008 Deer Season and we are very impressed with the overall quality of the product. When it comes to packs, we’re mostly concerned with how the product will hold up to the day-in / day-out abuse we’ll put it through. Let’s see how the Timber Hawk Rut Buster holds up…..
Specs of the Rut Buster Pack:
-1750 Cubic Inches
-Hawk-Eye Bino System
-2 liter anti-microbial hydration bladder
-Bow holder
-Drop down panel for additional storage
-Hideaway hip belt pockets
-High-viz ergo zipper pulls
-Top lofted necessity pocket
-Fully padded chamber air back panel
-Dual side mesh waist belt pockets
-Multiple lashing points for attaching additional gear
-Multiple Internal zippered pockets and organizing panels for small gear
-Shoulder mounted GPS pocket and 2-way radio pocket
-Multiple compression straps and adjustment points for
-maximum comfort
-Key Clip
Features: The Rut Buster is plenty big enough for any day hunting trip providing enough room for a water bladder if need be. There are even mesh side pockets located on the hip belt making it easy to find things that you stash in there. With the Rut Buster you can choose to keep your optics in your pack or attach them to the new ”Hawk-Eye” system on the front of the pack straps.
Probably the thing we liked most about the Rut Buster is the variety of compression straps all over the outside of the pack. These straps allowed us to attach our outwear (jackets / sweaters) onto the outside of the pack so we didn’t get overheated walking to our stand. You can even strap your bow to the pack in the same manner if so desired.
All zippers come with a “high viz” rubber coated pull string which allows you to easily find the zipper and open each section of the pack. This is a nice feature especially when you’re reaching for your binocs or grunt tube in the tree and don’t relish fumbling with zipper tags.
Pockets: The Rut Buster has both larger pockets and smaller pockets for gear organization. In fact, the thing has so many, we often forgot where we put what!
Comfort: The Rut Buster is one of the better packs we’ve tried in the comfort department. The straps are padded, as is the back of the pack (air chamber padding) making this pack much less noticeable on all day hikes. The shoulder straps even have a pocket for your GPS or 2-way radio.
Other Features: As with many packs on the market today, the sides of the Rut Buster feature mesh pockets with bungee cords to sinch the contents. The pockets were deep enough for us to carry our scent elimination spray and with the bungee cord, we didn’t have to worry about it falling out.
Durability: We used this pack each and every time we went hunting from October to December (That’s plenty of trips into the timber, just ask our wives!) and we had zero problems with this pack. Now the true test of durability for a pack comes with years of use and abuse but we don’t forsee the Rut Buster caving in under the pressure!
Here’s a closer look at the Rut Buster from Timber Hawk:
Our Marks on this Product:
Function: 5 out of 5
This pack is the perfect day pack. Plenty of room and compression straps. If you’re looking for a larger pack, check out the KillShot Pack by Timber Hawk
Comfort: 5 out of 5
The combination of air chamber padding and proper weight distribution will have you toting the Rut Buster all day without issue.
Overall Value: 4.5 out of 5
The Rut Buster pack comes in at $105 which isn’t cheap, but isn’t too bad considering what good packs cost today. This is a high end pack for an average price. This pack is ultra durable and you won’t have to worry about replacing it any time soon! If you adhere to the adage “You get what you pay for“, check one out today at TimberHawkGear.com
