Awesome Concept From Ribz
Awhile back, I was contacting purveyors of spices and rubs, in order to start building relationships to support my new smoking blog, the Dry Rubbed Rat. One of the responses I received back was from Ray Richardson from Raptor Rubs. So anyway, Ray indicated in his response that he was doing some restructuring in his rubs business, but he was excited to talk to me about a pack that he makes. He said he’d send me one to try, and in the meantime, directed me to his website: RibzWear.com. I thought the concept looked cool, and soon a package arrived from Ray.
If any of you are familiar with today’s military you will know that our troops in the field have grown well beyond the “webbing” of old; nowadays they utilize any number of carrying systems, load bearing vests, etc. Many of these systems carry items on the front and sides of your body. That’s what the pack from Ribz does.
Here’s how they describe their pack system:
RIBZ front pack is designed for the avid sportsman who needs his/her critical gear in a quick & ready location. Easily accessible from the front and designed to work with any traditional backpack or independently, RIBZ allows you to keep your essential gear in a fast and easy to reach location.
The Ribz front pack is an excellent option for those putting together an ultralight backpacking strategy. Their weight is under a pound, at 11 oz. Utilizing the 800 cubic inches of storage in the front pack can reduce the size of your backpack dramatically. Front packs move a portion of the weight forward, improving the balance of the load, and improving your posture and mobility. Four external zippered pockets, and four additional internal pockets provide plenty of storage options.
The shoulder straps of the RIBZ pack are extra-wide, heavy-duty nylon, designed to evenly distribute the weight, yet remain comfortable when wearing with an additional backpack. The back of the RIBZ pack consists of two adjustable velcro straps which will not bunch up or sag when wearing the RIBZ with backpack.
Whether backpacking or snowboarding, fishing or hunting, biking or kayaking, or just out day hiking, we’re confident once you’ve used your RIBZ, you’ll never leave home without ‘em
I have to tell you, I can’t wait to get this on out in the field. The first thing you notice about the pack is how stout the construction is. The material is tough, the zippers and buckles are heavy-duty, the stitching is well-done. I can’t believe this is going to tear or fall apart. It is comfortable when it is on, and doesn’t interfere with my other pack. It’s the bomb. To my detriment sometimes in the field, I utilize every square inch of my Badlands 2800 pack. Simply put, I simply carry too much, especially on “light” hunts. All of those pounds (along with my own “extra” pounds) add up. I have thought about going to a butt pack type system, but they look too small. I think a butt pack, combined with the Ribz will be absolutely, just right. When I do go with the bigger pack, the Ribz system will allow me to get at all the things I normally set my pack down for, whether I want to or not. My Ribz pack will hold some water, a snack, GPS, range finder, predator call, and maybe my wind-checker squeeze bottle. Seriously, I am psyched.
The Ribz retails for about 70 bucks, and you can buy them online at Ray’s site. Ribz Store. The packs come with a two-year warranty and are available in a variety of colors including Camo. Ray and I talked on the phone and I can tell you he is dedicated to putting out a perfect product. He was very insistent that I let him know dislikes or areas of improvement. My first comment was that I’m a pretty big guy, and had pretty much used up all of the adjustment on the pack - Ray has already fixed that. I said that the material used wasn’t ultra-noisy, but that guys who hunt in brush might want something more quiet. Ray is already looking at alternate materials.
Look for an interview with Ray in the future. He’s a dynamic guy excited about his product, and he should be. I think this will take off. Look for some future reviews from me - from the field instead of my living room. I can’t wait! Last, Ray has some awesome things looming on the horizon for Ribz. More on that, when the time is right.
In summary, this concept was born in the backpack movement and is just breaking into the hunting end of things. Frankly, I see an endless number of uses. Dog trainers, boaters, fishermen, canoe people, hikers - the sky is the limit. Well done!
