Game Bags Unveiled: Expert Tips on Choosing and Maintenance

How to select game bags and properly care for them.

March 13, 2026 By Jordan Voigt

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Game bags play a critical role in getting hard-won meat to the trailhead clean, cool and ready to process for the freezer. Most hunters are familiar with the benefits of game bags such as greatly reducing debris and dirt off quarters as well as the relative ease of moving meat that’s compressed into a consolidated space. Manufacturers have created a plethora of options to choose from including size, weight and material to meet hunters’ demands. Read on for tips to pick a set that’s just right for your next backcountry adventure.

Game Bag Considerations

packing out meat — (Photo courtesy of Tess Rousey)

Size:

Unsurprisingly, the first consideration is the size of the quarry to be pursued. Correctly sized bags will ensure ease of loading and help to avoid the
“ten pounds of potatoes in a five-pound sack” frustration. Larger bags can also incorporate heavier cordage for hanging. Hoisting large quarters heavenward,
only to have them come crashing down, can try anyone’s patience.

Material:

Gone are the days of saving secondhand sheets to wrap quarters in. Today’s bags are made of high-tech fabrics that clean easier, are more durable and weigh less than the options of old. The terrain of a hunt can help determine durability as I’ve experienced more than one bag split in the sheep mountains and moose alder bottoms. Will the fabric hold up to sharp rocks, sticks or bone? Or scatter meat across the timber, shale and tundra?

stashing meat — (Photo submitted by the author)

Number of Bags:

Depending on the species targeted, make sure there are enough bags in the kit to bring a cape or hide out as well. Keeping the meat side clean on a cape will greatly aid in the forthcoming fleshing job as well as save knife blades and time.

Ease of Cleaning:

Game bags, like other hunting gear, are an important investment that can be used time and time again with proper care. Most manufacturers have instructions to clean their individual products, and it pays to be familiar ahead of time as it doesn’t take long for bags to turn sour after use.

bloody game bag — (Photo submitted by the author)

Weight:

There’s not a large spectrum in weight savings for comparably sized bags as makers have revolutionized strength-to-weight fabrics across the industry, although some makers offer the ounce-counting hunter a couple of options to choose from such as Argali’s Guide Series.

Price:

As the oft-used saying goes, buy what you can afford. The price spectrum of these critical pieces of gear is far from prohibitive and will ensure your hard-earned meat makes it to the cooler for future culinary enjoyment.

Care After Use

loading meat in bag — Game bags come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes sporting a broad spectrum of features. (Photo submitted by the author)

To protect your investment and ensure years of use, proper cleaning techniques and solutions should be closely followed. As stated above, most game bag sites have care and cleaning instructions for their specific item, but the general guidelines are:

Soak the bags in a bucket with cold water for a minute or two until the bag is saturated and remove as much stuck hair and viscera as possible.
Change water and clean up stains and last bits.
Change water and add liquid dish soap, let sit for ten minutes, stir and rinse until clean.
Ring soap out of bags, change water and add a small amount of hydrogen peroxide to the cold water to disinfect. Monitor closely and don’t let soak more than ten minutes as the peroxide can have a caustic effect on thread and fabric.
Once satisfied, rinse clean for a final time and let air dry.

Always check manufacturers recommendation before running bags through a washing machine or drier as laundering can significantly shorten their life span and may void manufacturers warranties.

Game bags have evolved to meet hunters needs over the years; different fabric, sizes and price points give purchasers a variety of options to safeguard their precious meat, capes and trophies of all sizes in any backcountry location. If you’re new to the benefits of carrying this unique tool system or happen to be in the market for a new set, check out the manufacturers in our game bag roundup for backcountry-worthy bag systems.

Other Features:

Verify that cordage weight is up to the job of your heaviest load. Many bags incorporate reflective fabric or tags somewhere on them to aid in finding them in low light conditions, a great addition in bear country as the bags can be checked from afar if left overnight. Integrated labeling systems can help identify which bag has the license and/or evidence of sex where required, a small but helpful addition to avoid having to unload numerous bags if checked by law enforcement.