Mystery Ranch out of Bozeman, Montana, has always had new product to show off at Outdoor Retailer, and summer 2017 is no exception. New load-carrying designs in backpacking, day pack, travel and even crash pads are elevating this small company into the highest level of quality and innovation for Spring, 2018.
TERRAFRAME PACK
Since the company’s inception 16 years ago, Mystery Ranch has built packs for hunters, wildland fire fighters and the military, designed to carry extremely heavy loads. Well that technology is crossing over to the outdoor recreation market with the Terraframe. This backpacking pack is built with the Overload feature, which allows the user to expand the pack’s carrying capacity by separating the pack bag from the frame, then compressing the added load with straps. Hunters have been using Overload to carry venison back for miles from the hunt, and now backpackers can use it to carry bulky items like pack rafts, duffels, or even a few cases of beer.
The Terraframe also features 330D Lite Plus Cordura fabric for durability, and a rigid, carbon fiber frame suspension that can carry loads up to 150 pounds. It will be available this spring in 80L and 50L versions.
HOVER PACK
Inspired by military jungle packs, the Hover has a totally different design for ventilation around the back. Instead of a standard mesh back panel, the Hover has an anatomically curved frame stay that creates a ventilated zone that your back doesn’t even touch. Instead, the load “levitates” over your back and the weight is distributed to the articulated yoke, harness and hip belt. They call it the “Load Carriage,” and seeing it in person, I’m very interested in trying one out on a major backpacking trip in warm weather. The Hover will be available in 40L and 50L versions.
IN & OUT
The In & Out is a small day pack designed for peak bagging. But where most peak bagging packs are flimsy bags that you can squeeze into a stuff sack, this version is much more fully featured. It has contoured shoulder straps and a sternum strap, compression straps, and is built with durable 100D Cordura fabric. All of it stuffs into its own front, mesh pocket down to the size of a water bottle so you can throw it inside your backpacking pack for those summit days.
RIDGE RUCK
The new Ridge Ruck is a mountain day pack that will come in three sizes. What makes these different is the totally game-changing “single point adjust” routing system that adjusts both the shoulder straps and hip belt in one motion. This way, you’re not constantly adjusting both the waist straps and shoulder straps to find the perfect fit. It’s a bit hard to imagine with words, but seeing it in action made my jaw drop. This system is available in the 25L and 30L sizes, but there is a simpler 17L size with a standard adjustment system.
MISSION WHEELIES
Mystery Ranch has entered the travel game. The Mission Wheelies are massively durable with 1000D Cordura fabric, hybrid-compression molded shells that combines a flexible EVA foam exterior with a molded polycarbonate plastic interior, and large, off-road wheels. If any bag will survive the most brutal baggage handler, these bags will. The insides are also pretty sweet, with an exterior-access laundry compartment, and four storage compartments for organizing essentials, or keeping your nasty boots away from your delicates.
The Mission Wheelies will come in 40L, 80L, and 130L versions.
BACKCOUNTRY CLIMBING PAD
Sick of cheap shoulder straps on heavy climbing pads making your approach painful? Well Mystery Ranch, along with Organic, has created an adjustable yoke harnessing system for a crash pad. The Organic Backcountry Pad gives climbers the ability to adjust their yoke to the length of their specific torso, making the hike to the bouldering area much more comfortable.
The Backcountry Pad will make its public debut at the 3rd annual Joe’s Valley Fest in Orangeville, Utah on October 20-22, 2017.
Look for all of these new packs to be released in Spring if 2018. Until then, visit them at MysteryRanch.com