TL;DR: Our 5-piece 40D ripstop set is $70, covers a full bone-in elk, and ships now. Caribou Gear's elk set is $106 and Argali's runs $75 to $96 when it's in stock, which in September it often isn't. Below is what each set is made of, what it costs, and who it fits.
Prices checked October 2026 on each brand's own site.
The best game bags for elk, in short
The best game bags for elk are a reusable breathable synthetic set sized for bone-in quarters. Our 5-piece set at $70 is the set we'd put in most hunters' packs. Caribou Gear sells a patented breathable fabric for more money. Argali sells lighter bags for more money and runs out before late season. The rest of this page lays out the details.
What Matters in an Elk Game Bag
A full elk gives you four main quarters (two front shoulders, two hindquarters), two backstraps, and a pile of neck and trim meat. You need bags big enough to hold bone-in quarters if that's how you pack, breathable enough to cool meat without trapping moisture, and tough enough to haul weight over rocks and deadfall without tearing.
Reusability is the other split. Cotton cheesecloth bags from the grocery store game aisle are single-use. Every set on this page is reusable synthetic: wash them and use them again next year, so even the priciest set pays for itself over a few seasons.
The three questions we get most: How many bags does an elk take? Will they hold bone-in quarters? Are they breathable enough for warm archery-season weather? We answer each as we go through the brands.
The Main Players: A Quick Look
| Brand / Set | Price | Material | Pieces | Style | Stock |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lone Trail 5-Piece | $70 | 40D diamond ripstop nylon | 4 quarter bags + bonus bag + carry case | Bone-in quarters | In stock |
| Argali High Country 5-Bag | $74.99 | Thin nylon (9 oz total set) | 5 | Backcountry light | Frequently sells out |
| Argali M.O.B. Bone-In | $86.99 | Thin nylon | Bone-in set | Bone-in | Variable |
| Argali Guide | $95.99 | Thin nylon | Guide configuration | Mixed | Variable |
| Caribou Gear Wapiti | $105.99 | Patented breathable nylon | Elk quarter set | Bone-in quarters | Generally in stock |
| Caribou Gear Carnivore | $89.99 | Patented breathable nylon | Boned-out set | Boned-out | Generally in stock |
| TAG BOMB 6-Bag | $110 | Lightweight (10 oz total) | 6 | Boned-out only | Variable |
| BRO Zippered | $150 | Airwave ripstop | Zippered | Fly-proof | Variable |
Lone Trail: Our 5-Piece Set
Our 5-piece game bag set is 40D diamond ripstop nylon: a woven grid construction that stops a snag from turning into a tear and washes clean for next season. For $70 you get four 40" x 24" quarter bags sized for bone-in elk quarters, a 17" x 29" bag for backstraps and trim, and a carry case that packs the whole set into one bundle. A reflective strip on each bag makes them easy to find with a headlamp on an after-dark pack-out.
The fifth bag is the one first-time elk hunters end up glad they had. Backstraps, neck meat, and trim fill a bag on their own, and a four-bag set leaves you improvising with a trash bag or a spare shirt. Ours puts that meat in a breathable bag like the rest.
On price, we're $5 under Argali's lightest 5-bag set and $36 under Caribou's Wapiti. Every set is in stock and ships when you order, and the whole thing carries a lifetime warranty: if a bag fails, we repair or replace it.
Caribou Gear
Caribou Gear's selling point is a patented breathable nylon that moves more air through the fabric than a standard weave, which helps quarters cool faster on a warm September pack-out. If you're bowhunting in early-season heat and cooling speed is your first concern, that fabric is what you're paying for.
The Wapiti set, sized for bone-in elk quarters, is $105.99. The Carnivore set for boned-out meat is $89.99. Their Magnum sets for moose run $139.99 and $172.99, and singles go for $22 to $24 apiece if you want to replace one bag or build your own mix.
The price is the catch. The Wapiti costs about $36 more than our set for the same job, and the faster-cooling fabric matters a lot less once October temperatures arrive. For a rifle hunter, it's a premium for a feature the weather handles anyway.
Argali
Argali's angle is weight. Their High Country 5-bag set comes in at 9 ounces for the full set, which is what a counted-ounce backcountry hunter is buying. It runs $74.99; the M.O.B. bone-in set is $86.99 and the Guide set $95.99.
The weight comes from thinner fabric than Caribou's or ours. That's a fair trade if your pack-outs are mostly trail and open country. It's something to think about if you drag quarters through blowdown and sharp rock.
Availability is the bigger practical problem. Argali sells out before late season most years, and hunters who don't order by August often can't get the set they want by October. If you're reading this in September and want Argali specifically, check stock before you plan around them.
The Rest of the Field
TAG BOMB ($110, 6 bags, 10 oz) was designed by Aron Snyder for hunters who bone every ounce of meat out before bagging it. If that's your workflow it's a fit. The fabric is white, so it shows blood from the first use and never fully comes clean.
BRO ($150) makes the only zippered game bag in this group. A zipper seals flies out completely, which matters in warm, buggy country. You pay the highest price in the category and carry the zipper's weight for it.
Black Ovis Ovis Sacks ($59.95 to $74.99) are a retailer's house brand. They're on the list for anyone shopping on price alone.
Which Set Should You Buy?
Lone Trail: a complete bone-in elk set at $70 with a fifth bag for the loose meat, in stock, shipping now, lifetime warranty. This is the set for most elk hunters.
Caribou Gear: you bowhunt early season in real heat and want to pay $36 more for a faster-cooling fabric, or you need Magnum sizes for moose.
Argali: you're packing quarters many miles on your back, 9 ounces total matters to you, and you ordered early enough that they're actually in stock.
TAG BOMB: you bone everything out and want six light bags built for that, white fabric and all.
BRO: flies are the problem you're solving and a zipper is the only fix you'll accept.
Before You Head Out
The question we hear most from hunters planning a first elk hunt is how many bags they need. The answer changes with bone-in versus boned-out, and we cover the full breakdown in our guide to how many game bags you need for an elk.
Ready to order? Our 5-piece set is in stock and ships now. Elk season doesn't wait.
Sources
- Caribou Gear Wapiti Game Bags for Elk
- Caribou Gear Carnivore
- Caribou Gear Magnum Pack Medium (Elk)
- Caribou Gear Magnum Pack Large
- Argali High Country Pack (Ultralight)
- Argali Large Game M.O.B. Pack
- Argali Guide Series Large Game M.O.B. Set
- TAG Bag Sets (including BOMB)
- Born and Raised Outdoors Meat Bags