Gun scabbard ?
 

Looking at buying a pack asap. I like the idea of a integrated gun scabbard like some of the eberlestock packs have, but the look like they might get in the way a little while hiking. Would it be a better idea to add a scabbard and carry it on the side of the pack? If anyone could shed some lite on their experiences that would be great.

I have the Eberlestock day pack with the scabbard. There are a couple of strategically placed pads that lifts the whole pack off of your back. One benefit is it doesn't get all sweaty, clammy and clingy. I have wrecked shoulders and not a great back and I can carry my rifle no problem it doesn't seem to get in the way at all and if you are reasonably dextrous you can reach over your shoulder and slide it up and out quite easily.

I have a Guslinger II and love it. If there is 1 knock on the Eberlestock is that they are heavier than some other packs so if ounces matter it's not the right pack. On the other hand the integrated scabbard is second to none IMO and can also be used for gear as well. Any pack scabbard will have it's issues. If you want to have the butt of the gun level with the bottom of the pack the barrell gets caught in overhead trees and if it hangs down it will bump on logs as you cross over.
I just had a right shoulder replacement and carrying a rifle has been an issue for years. The scabbard is the ticket for packing a rifle in a nonhunting situatuation. Having said that, it is fairly easy to access as well but not as quick (for an not so young guy) as a shoulder sling.

I wouldn't consider a pack that didn't have a built in scabbard like the Eberlestock

MountainTi and I always have a different point of view on that, and thats cool. I'm not a big fan of the scabbards, only because they mean that I have to use a pack that I dont consider to be up to my needs.

I personally prefer the feel and design of the Kifaru and Mystery Ranch lineup, so I fore go the scabbard and just make things work with either a rifle strapped to the pack in various ways, or the Gunbearer system. Both work fine for my needs.

If you want a scabbard, Eberlestock has it down and its their 'niche' for sure.

Well I have a couple of real decent backacks, so didn't feel like shelling out the extra $ for a complete Eberlestock pack, so I just bought their scabbard and cover and strap it to the side of my existing pack. I offset the weight on the one side by adding my Thermarest, bivi bag, etc to the other side to balance it out.Works great.

Thanks for your opinions. Sounds like there is quite a few different ways to go about this. I think I will go with either the blue widow or dragonfly by eberlestock.

If you find a different pack that you like you can always buy an aftermarket scabbard and fit it on to your pack. I use a MR Crew Cab with a Eberlestock scabbard slid in corner to corner and find that this works good for me. Eberlestock has a few different designs on their website.

I'm actually hoping that Rack pesters Mystery Ranch enough that they will break down and build a pack with a built in scabbard, then I can try one

Maybe I'm getting old and need to rest more than I used to but I would not buy an Eberlestock pack just for that reason. With the barrel extending so far below the the bottom of the pack, it makes sitting nearly impossible. For a day pack maybe but not for a multi-day pack. I just simply strap mine on my pack.

The water bottle pockets fits the butt of a rifle perfectly :) That's how most MR owners pack their rifles on extended trips anyhow.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net...6_662509_n.jpg

While I don't think that is a bad way to carry a rifle (I won't get into the fact that the rifle is tough to extract in a hurry if necessary), it seems that I always seem to get myself into a bush crashing scenario with a loaded pack, and the barrel sticking up above my head would cause me a lot of grief.

I enjoy frequent rest stops also, usually due to the fact that at the start of the season I'm not in the best of shape (my pre-hunt exercise is pretty much non existant except for repetitive lifting of beer cans).If I need to stop, I will find something to sit on, take the pack off, or just pull the rifle out, which takes a couple of seconds. I actually do a lot of spotting with a full pack, I just lay on my side on a hill (with rifle still in scabbard) and can then lean up against the pack for comfort and stability in glassing. Really quite easy if you try it a couple of times.

It really doesn't sit as high as portrayed in the picture when the belt is around your waist but it does catch on the odd overhead branch for sure.

With the Eberlestock you can tuck the tail of the scabbard up into the pack and then put your rifle in butt down, I do it when coming down a mountain, I found thats when I don't want the barrel down low as it catches on the ground on really steep stuff or bending down to hop off a ledge (not good). Otherwise on level ground or climbing a mountain I use it extended with the muzzle down and like it that way, if I'm going to take a rest and want to sit I drop the pack.