Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe – First Look

Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe - First Look
Eberlestock Vapor 5000 and Eberlestock F1 Mainframe

I’m going to Alaska on a self-funded Moose hunt in just a few weeks. Alaska has extremely strict rules on not boning out meat. Moose in the Yukon can get up to 1800 lbs, which makes bone-in quarters extremely heavy. I’ve been looking for a heavy-duty meat pack that can double as a day pack if necessary.

Eberlestock has a reputation in the military as being indestructible and heavy. For hunting, I obviously want my pack to weigh as little as possible empty while still strong enough and with enough structure to get the job done without hurting me.

Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe - First Look
The Eberlestock Vapor 5000

Eberlestock has heard the voices crying for lighter packs and they’re making changes in that direction. One of the changes is the relatively new Vapor 5000. It’s a very minimalist lightweight shell or bag that can be loaded from the top or front.

Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe - First Look
Front or top load is a nice feature since it’s a large bag and your stuff could easily get buried.

The Vapor 5000 weighs only two pounds empty (2lbs) and holds 5000 c.i. worth of gear.

Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe - First Look

It zips or straps onto an Eberlestock F1 Mainframe carrier.

Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe - First Look

Should you need to carry a load of meat out you can unzip and the Vapor straps on and holds the meat against the frame.

Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe - First Look
The meat goes in between the Vapor and the frame and then uses the nylon straps to secure both the Vapor and the meat.

The Eberlestock F1 Mainframe is a heavy-duty aluminum frame pack that is tested to hold over 700 lbs. Hopefully, that’s overkill and I won’t be needing that much capacity.

Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe - First Look
Eberlestock F1 Mainframe

The F1 Mainframe is adjustable to fit nearly any size adult. The best feature is that it has a meat shelf which should make loading quarters or meat bags on the pack way easier than packs that don’t have this feature.

Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe - First Look
The should straps can be adjusted up or down the frame for a perfect fit.

The Vapor 5000 MSRP is $199

The F1 Mainframe weighs 4.5 lbs empty. MSRP is $249

Eberlestock Vapor 5000 & F1 Mainframe - First Look

Watch for a full review of the Eberlestock Pack system in a month or two after I’ve had a chance to see how much it will haul.

Check out the Vapor 5000 HERE

Check out the F1 Mainframe HERE

About the author: True Pearce is the Managing Editor at GunsAmerica. He’s a competitive shooter, hunter, instructor & attorney. You can see and follow his adventures on Instagram. @true1911 https://www.instagram.com/true1911/

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  • Christy Obrien October 16, 2022, 9:02 am

    I have one and I need to know how to take the frame part off for washing and put back on. Please I’m not finding anything about it.

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