As far as game bags go, there was nothing of the sort in my pack if I turn the clock back a few rounds. Not official ones at least. There were a couple of pillow cases that took up residence in my pack, but never needed a bath in the least bit. From there, I graduated to the cheap cheesecloth game bags. After a few seasons of running those though, I quickly became interested in higher quality game bags. The more hunting I did, the more game bags I was having to buy. In the long run, it just made sense to invest a little more for quality game bags. Since then, I have been a huge proponent of carrying them and haven’t really looked back at all. There are a few marks that they need to hit in my opinion though. They need to be lightweight, breathable, functional, and durable. The Argali High Country Game Bags fit the bill, and that’s what we’re going to chat about today.
Argali is a conservation minded company that thrives on making your life in the backcountry easier. On top of their game bags and Carbon Knife, which you can see a review I did of HERE, they also sell a multitude of other gear items through their website from boots and backpacks to shelters and stoves, they cover the gamut in backcountry gear. With those offerings as well, they also have helpful articles on their site where you might learn a thing or two. I recently did an article for them on Bowhunting Coues Deer. Check it out if that peaks your interest!
OK, before we get into the nitty gritty of the Argali’s High Country Game Bags, let’s talk for a second about why a hunter might want to really consider using such a thing. I mentioned in the past that I used to carry a pillow case in my pack. Pillow cases absolutely will get your meat from the field to the cooler, but they really lack in breathability. That cotton soaks up moisture and it stays there, instead of evaporating. This is where a good game bag is going to excel. Of course there is also the option of not using anything right? Sure, you could definitely just load meat up without any bags at all. This poses a potential problem though and that comes in the form of a fly. If flies are continuously allowed to land directly on the meat for a long period of time, they are going to lay eggs. From the eggs we get those scrumptious little critters we all love and adore, the maggot. All joking aside, I don’t think any of us want maggots on our meat. Best to just avoid that entirely with the use of a game bag.
Now, let’s dive into the High Country Game Bags that Argali offers. These are an ultralight set of bags, made with the backcountry hunter in mind. Coming in at 9 ounces, they won’t be slowing you down on the trail at all. This is also a pretty small package and can easily be stuffed anywhere in your backpack. The bags are made from a nylon blend material that is both breathable and durable. They are also reusable, meaning that when you’re done bringing home the bacon, just throw them in the washing machine and you’re ready for another hunt. Within the included stuff sack, you’ll get 5 game bags in total. These are made to fit either an entire boned out bull elk, or a bone in deer, antelope, or other similar sized game. I really dig that about these. They aren’t strictly a boned out meat bag. Versatility is always nice. You’ll notice that with the orange 220 paracord as a drawstring, that there also little orange tabs on the corners of the bag. These are there to help when it comes time to hang up the meat. You can easily use a strap or even more paracord to run through these tabs and hang your meat much easier. And once you do hang them up, you’ll be able to find them easily in the dark due to the reflective Argali logo on the bag. That all sounds good and dandy, but how would they hold up in the field?
When I first received these in the mail, I was pretty excited. I loved that they came with a small stuff sack that fit more than just the bags. I keep my Carbon Knife in there along with gloves, a small sharpener, and flagging tape. Keep in mind though that I don’t usually bring all of the bags with me. Out of 5, I’ll usually have 2 with me for deer and bear. Elk though? I’ll have all 5. Right off of the bat, I could tell that these were very well made and I appreciated the little things that they added in. Such as the reflective name, nylon webbing tabs, and strong paracord as the drawstring. These will also ride well on a backpack without falling out the sides, which is what would happen if they were too wide. With a early fall hunts planned, I couldn’t wait to get these dirty!
Over the past few months, I’ve been fortunate to test these bags out on a number of critters. 2 black bears, a mule deer, and a coues deer have taken a ride in the Argali High Country Game Bags. For the bears, we did bone in quarters, which worked out perfectly. These were also packed out of some of the most brushy and snaggy country you could get yourself into. The bags held up great considering the environment. The mule deer was taken on a backpack hunt in Colorado and kept the meat in great shape for the pack out and the 8 hour drive home. My brother and I each took half of the deer in one game bag each. We also did bone in quarters for the mule deer and they fit great. And the coues was taken right here in Arizona. Of course, that was also a bone in pack out. We did hang some of these bags in trees, but in all honesty, we didn’t use the little orange tabs. The paracord drawstring worked just fine for us. After these hunts were all said and done, in no way did I feel the need to toss these bags out the window. From backpack hunts to posh truck camps, they’ve been with me and will continue to be.
Pros
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The employees at the archery pro shop I frequent are always joking around with me, cause I’m hard on my gear. I’m always going in and getting my bow retuned and checked for anything funky going on after a hunt. What I’m getting at here is, as an avid backcountry hunter, great gear is very important to me. I depend on this stuff to do what it’s suppose to do without fail and don’t take flaws or failures lightly. If it’s in my pack, you can bet it works. These game bags are no different and I look forward to each time I get the opportunity to turn them red. To learn more about the Argali High Country Game Bags and other Argali products, visit www.argalioutdoors.com.
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