One of the reason Bowcast was started was to give honest and comprehensive products reviews.  If you pickup any magazine or watch any tv show you will see so called reviews.  The only problem is that many of the people reviewing the products are sponsored by the company.  When I see this I always question the review. 

I have been down the sponsorship or pro-staff road a few times and luckily I have been able to to stay independent.  This affords me the freedom to call it like I see it.  I don't have to help sell a product.

As many of you know I have been reviewing a BLACKHAWK! Blacktimber pack for a few months.  My goal was to really give it a workout.  I didn't want to do one of those reviews that you see in the magazine that just list the specs.  I wanted to be able to say that I really tested a pack and want to feel comfortable with the review that the pack EARNED.

I guess I should probably give you guys some of my background as far as packs go.  For the most part I have been using two different Badlands Packs, the 2200 and the 4500 Badlands. Before the review the 2200 was my everyday pack.   

How did I come to review the Blacktimber?  Well, I saw an advertisement that they had in a magazine and I was intrigued by there design.  So I kept my eyes out for a good deal.  After a few months I found a good deal on a Blacktimber pack, the only problem is that it was digital. No big deal.   For the record, the pack comes in Max-1, Mossy Oak and Digital.

What was my first impression of the pack?   Wow, it was light and the hydration bladder had some neat features.  The bladder hangs from the top of the pack so it doesn't bunch up on the bottom of the pack and the bite value had an optional water filter.  

As far as fit.  It fit really well.  They use this material that they call SpaceNet on the back panel, the shoulder straps and the waist belt, the material is hard to describe; it is kind of like a sponge that keeps air circulating around all the points of contact.  It is also supposed to wick away sweat.  I don't know all the details on the SpaceNet material but I like it.  

Here is a picture of the material.

The hip belt and shoulder straps are adequate.  It should be pointed out that the chest strap connects on the right  shoulder, so if you are a right handed archer they will never be a chance of the chest strap buckles getting caught in your bowstring.   The load lifters are fine but this pack isn't designed to carry a lot of weight, I will get more into that a little later.   

The pack has 4 main storage compartments, for me that is more than enough.  I was able to carry all of my gear on my recent elk and antelope hunts.  The pack has a Shov-it pocket which I think was designed for clothes but I was able to use it to carry my elk decoy.  It worked out really nicely because I could pull the decoy out without removing the pack and messing with zipper.  

The pack also has what they call the S.T.R.I.K.E system sewn into the pack which allows you to attach accessory pouches just about anywhere you want.  I got two; one I used for my rangefinder and the other I used for my GPS and SPOT.  Because I have short arms and a long waist :) I liked the flexibility of adding the pouches where I can get to them.

If you are reading this BLACKHAWK!, I really wish that you would create some sort of accessory that would allow me to attach a one piece quiver to the pack using the S.T.R.I.K.E. system.  I ended up modifying my pack a little by tying in a Cat Quiver on the back of the pack.  It worked out really nicely.

Below is what my pack looks while it is loaded.

Okay, so that is all the techie stuff, how did it perform in the field?  Well, I have been using for scouting and hunting and it has been great.  This pack got me thinking that I have been "over-packed", by that I mean I been carry empty cubic inches on my back.  If you don't need a 4500 cubic inch beast why carry all the extra weight?  This pack is 2557 cubic inches and I am able to easily get all of my stuff in the pack and you guys know, I always carry a ton of stuff on my back.  I will say that this pack ISN'T a Meat Hauler, it was designed  to carry essential gear in a nice, compact light fashion.

So the big question, would I recommend this pack?  Before I say yes or no, I need to stress that packs are like shoes, you need to try the pack on with weight in it to see if it fits your body type.   

And the answer to the question is, YES.  If you are looking for a smaller pack that you could use while scouting or even hunting the Blacktimber is a great pack.  

You can go to their website by clicking  HERE.

J- 

Below is the stats from the website

BlackTimber 100oz Hydration/Hunting Pack

Big capacity meets big hydration. the BlackTimber™ was designed for extreme performance with the serious hunter in mind. Featuring over-sized, easy-to use compartments with 2,557 cubic inches of cargo space and 100 oz. of easily accessible liquid, it’s ready for days of action in the back country. Comes complete with BlackHawk’s S.T.R.I.K.E.® system sewn-in for modular attachments, a SpaceNet molded back panel that wicks away sweat and a reinforced waist belt with additional attachment points.Extremely deep Shov-It™ pocket is designed to carry bulky items, including dressed meat and antlers, while the pull-out, 244-square-inch blaze orange panel offers additional safety in the field. NOTE: The blaze orange panel is NOT available on the ARPAT color (73PA04AU)   • Padded shoulder straps are made with non-slip HawkTex to    help keep your rifle sling in place • Bungee retention system allows for the storing of extra    layers of clothes • Poly-frame sheet with aluminum reinforcement • Robust waist belt evenly distributes weight and is removable • Emergency whistle attached to front harness strap • External shooting sticks/tripod storage on both sides of pack • Deep expandable center section with pull-out orange panel    for safety • Drink system protected by Microban® antimicrobial    technology • 360-degree bite valve and patent pending quick disconnect    system • BlackHawk bite valve holster keeps bite valve clean and out    of the way • Compatible with BlackHawk in-line water filtration system Hydration Capacity: 100 oz./ 3 liters Pack Dimensions:  21.5H x 10”W x 8”D Pack Total Cubes:  2,557” w/stuff pocket

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Blackgorge?
written by Elkregulator, October 13, 2008

Nice review, If you get a chance I would like to see a review on the Blackhawk Blackgorge. Interesting expanable pack for hauling.
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written by jamaro, October 14, 2008

Let me see if I can find a BlackGorge.... I agree it seems like a nice pack... I would be very interested to see if they improved the loadlifters on the BlackGorge...

J

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