I collect rocks. Lots of rocks. Like probably way more rocks than I need. But when I'm in the middle of a dig site and I find a nice specimen of agate, or obsidian, or petrified wood, and then another, and another, and another, it can get really hard to stop. I admit that I am powerless over my rock collecting!The challenge with rockhounding often isn't so much finding the material as it is getting it home. Collection sites are often hundreds of yards from where you parked your car, sometimes much farther, and lugging a bucket full of rocks, with the handle biting into your hands, is unergonomic at best, if not outright painful and exhausting. Fabric backpacks are often too small for the quantities of rocks I gather on a given outing, and they run the risk of being torn open by the sharp rocks placed in them.I recently went to an agate dig site with my gem club. The location was around a half-mile or so from the parking area, and other club members had recently found single agates weighing between 10 and 20 pounds, so I knew regular buckets and backpacks weren't going to work for me. I needed a combination of both, so I bought a Peregrine Venture Bucket Pack.OMG! It was just what the doctor ordered!When I left my car, I had two bottles of water in the pack's insulated pouches, most of my dig tools stashed in the 5-gallon bucket inserted in the pack, and a small crowbar strapped to the outside. Altogether, it weighed about ten pounds, and my gear alone was enough to fill a small knapsack.Hoisted on my shoulders, the Peregrine pack was barely noticeable, and I still had a LOT of capacity available for my agatey finds. Better still, because I didn't have to carry a bucket by hand, both of my hands were free, making it much easier to negotiate several extremely muddy portions of the trail in, as well as crossing a couple of small streams.When I arrived at the dig site, an extremely steep and rocky slope, I set the bucket pack down in a central location while I searched for a place to dig. While I was looking, another member of my club accidentally bumped my pack, sending it tumbling about 100' down the slope. When I recovered it, it was dirty, but otherwise completely undamaged.After several hours of digging, I collected around 45 pounds of agate and common opal, include one 7.5 pound black and red agate. Now for the real test.The total weight of the pack was now around 55 pounds. I'm not as buff as I once was, so I couldn't properly lift it over my head to get my arms through the straps. Instead, I set the pack on a largish boulder that let me put on the straps while already halfway standing. Straps on shoulders, I snapped the connecting clip between the shoulder straps together, and stood up.My first thought was, "Wow, this is surprisingly comfortable." With 55 pounds of rocks and equipment on my back, I had been concerned that the pack would dig into my spine. I needn't have worried. The pack was well padded and caused no discomfort. With a slight adjustment to the shoulder straps, the bucket settled comfortably on my mid-back, feeling very secure and well-balanced.The hike back out was slow going because another member ahead of me had young children, and when I finally reached my car, the pack still felt comfortable on both my back and shoulders.Honestly, I was a bit surprised that this worked out as well as it did. It was designed to carry game, not rocks, after all, but it turned out to be the perfect tool for hauling out large amounts of additions to my collection. The Peregrine Venture Bucket Pack has totally enabled my rockhounding addiction!One last thing: Although I didn't need to do it on this trip, I REALLY like that you can swap out the bucket in the pack for another one. That means I can take one load of rocks to my car, take out the full bucket and replace it with an empty one, then go back for another load, all without having to worry about straining my hands or shoulders through carrying buckets by their handles.This pack really makes hauling large amounts of rocks and minerals easy. It is a must-have for any serious rockhound!First review of this product is it is great. Will work perfect for dove hunting. Carries all my gear with the comfort of being able to put it on my back like a backpack for the walks in and out of the field. Appears to be very well made. I'm looking forward to using it next week for opening day.Awesome pack! Lots of room and handy pockets. The seat swivel is quiet and very sturdy. The pack Carrie's great. I bought it for duck hunting to replace my blind bag. Why carry in a bag and a seat when this can double for both of them! So far I am happy with it but I've only had it out once. I will update with any issues in the future if anything comes up.Update: after a few seasons of use its still going strong. I attach my bird carrier to it as well as my rigged decoys. It holds all my shells, my drinks and food for me and the dog's for the day as well as any other hats gloves or other items I may need. The only thing I can say that would make this thing better is some sort of flip up back rest. Other than that it is great! Works great for waterfowl hunting and dove season. I have even used it a time or two for bank fishing. It has held up well. The insulation is not going to keep things cold but I live in ND so when I waterfowl hunt its usually right above freezing or right below so that's not an issue for me. I would buy again if I ever had a need. Truly a handy little blind pack / seat!I hike in alot to duck hunt and this bucket is the ticket. It is very well made and holds alot of gear. I wrap my carolina rigged decoys around it and clip them on. It has a plastic hook on each side that the decoy lines fit into that keeps them in place. It can hold alot of ammo, but i use the pockets for bottles, thermos, wing thing decoys. I do not use the cardboard box that ammo comes in because the material is not waterproof and the boxes get wet and fall apart. Which takes me to the only thing i don't like. The ammo box pockets need some type of snap or velcro tab to stay closed, it is designed to stay closed if it has a box in it. If you have loose ammo in the ammo pocket it has a tendency to fall out when you sling the bucket over your shoulder or take it off. Other than that, this thing is right on.This bucket is great. It works wonderful in the field. The straps make carrying it comforatable, the compartments fit the shell boxes, and the interior is spacious. I think it is the best hunting bucket on the market, period.Now for the "room for improvement" section:1) Would be nice if the bucket came with a Styrofoam liner on the inside also. Especially if a two compartment one. This way, you could store drinks in the bottom one, and food in the top one without mixing the two.2) The two front pockets for shell boxes are a bit too close to where your feet would naturally land so constantly bumping them. Slightly different spacing would be ideal.3) They should throw in the shotgun holder as a part of the package instead of making it an optional item.Tight lid so it should not fly off when riding the ATV and it is a sturdy seat.Plenty of storage and seems to be well made.Insulation is not very good at all .... will probably hold iced beverages half a day.Condensation did not leak ... back stayed dry.Overall I would recommend this depending on your needsI would recommend they have a foam insert to separate the cold and dry needs in the bucket.I do not plan to use this for hunting game, though it is nice to know it is happy to serve that purpose. I love the waterproof everything. It is comfortable and will hold what I want inside, which I will section so things are organized. I do plan on attaching a hip belt to it (which I will design and pad to fit me) with extra straps for attaching other small bags and such to. I don't need to, but I believe everyone should personalize their gear as they wish. This pack is the only one I knew I was going to purchase for sure, because of the versatility and excellent design. Thank you!Perfect for duck hunting. Carries what is needed. Was worth waiting for re-stock.Perfect all the way