Product Review – Badlands’ Kali Pack

When I first started hunting, any extras I wanted to take with me were carried in fanny packs or backpacks designed for men. Because of the smaller size of the fanny pack, I sometimes felt like a gypsy circus, with spare clothing, water, and extra gear strapped or clipped to the outside of the pack. Using a larger backpack allowed me to carry everything inside, but these were made to fit a man’s body and the fit felt awkward and uncomfortable on my woman’s physique.

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A couple of years ago, to my delight, Badlands Packs introduced the Kali, a pack made with the special needs of the huntress in mind. I received the pack for Christmas that year (my husband knows me so well!). I have been using it on nearly every hunting outing since then and I must say I have been extremely pleased with it.

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Kali, named for the Hindu Goddess of the Hunt, is lightweight at just under 3 pounds, but is very durable and well made. The Badlands logo, usually seen in red, is pink on the Kali, giving it a touch of femininity. It is designed for the shorter torso of a woman to make for a more comfortable fit. The shoulder straps and waist belt are also contoured to fit the curves of the female figure.

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I love the number of pockets and the amount of carrying capacity this pack has both internally and externally. All of this room makes it easy to access and organize my gear. The pack also has lots of straps to secure extras like coats or equipment. I have even been able to carry soft turkey decoys on the outside of my Kali in a way that keeps them from sliding or flopping around. At 2,500 cubic inches, the interior of the pack is roomy enough for just about anything you need for a day hunt. There is even a pouch for a water bladder. On the bottom of the pack there is a special pocket that pulls out, allowing you to strap on a bow or rifle.

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I have had a couple of minor issues with the pack. On one occasion while bear hunting, I had the pack loaded pretty heavy and had some problems with the metal frame digging into my lower back. I believe it was due to the load being poorly distributed in the pack. Once I figured out the cause, I changed the way I load the pack, which has alleviated that problem. The other issue is a loop at the top of the pack, which is used for lifting. One end of the loop popped out of its setting in the pack, rendering it useless for lifting. Badlands has an unconditional guarantee; if anything goes wrong with the pack, for any reason, they’ll repair or replace it free of charge. I could send the pack to them to get it fixed, but I use it so much that I haven’t had a chance to get it taken care of. My husband recently sent one of his Badland packs back to them for repair (the stitching on a shoulder strap tore out after five years of heavy use) and the turnaround time was about 2 weeks.

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Overall, I have been very pleased with the Badlands Kali and would definitely recommend it to any woman who hunts.