I'm with Ontario. There is no comfortable way to carry any kind of weight without a stable pack designed to distribute the weight properly.

Fanny packs pull unnaturally on the hips creating fatigue.

A musette type bag -- its advantage is also its disadvantage. Being able to drop it off at a moment's notice only means that it will be shifting, sliding, flapping with every climb and creek crossing. It is enough for me to keep my rifle under control during those situations, I'd prefer not to be fighting a shifting pack at the same time.

A Remington back pack from Walmart or a mini Eberlestocke depending on the gear you wanna tote around.

I would heartily recommend taking your gun along if you try out a daypack (if regulations allow it). Make sure the two are compatible. If you get a pack that's too wide, it will push your gun off your shoulder. Also, you will see what I mean about the water bottles. And water bottles attached to the shoulder straps? Forget about that! They're in the way of everything.

I had to use those ass packs with straps fighting wildfires and I HATED the floppy things. However, in those situations they were a necessary evil. We'd simply get too overheaqted using a conventional daypack. And the ass pack contained my fire shelter. Definitely don't go on the fire line without them!

I have a ruck sack , made of tin cloth I bought from LL Bean eons ago. It has about a 2500CI capacity, is water proofed by my application of bees wax, has leather and buckle straps that do not make noise when I open her up. also some brass zippered pockets. The shoulder straps are lined with sheep skin, back is a mesh , synthetic material that helps prevent heat build up. Has waist belt for stability, and I put chest strap on it for additional stability when hiking rough terrain. The left shoulder strap has a button strap that I put on it to help hold the rifle sling, but comes apart quietly when needed. Several pockets on outside and in lid for calls,license, extra gloves, back up ammo, compass, map etc. I carry a 108 oz platypus bladder that has a long enough hose to come out of one side and be tied off on the right shoulder strap. I think it cost $35.00 in the 70's but is priceless to me now. Carry it when I am scouting, teaching Hunter Ed on field day to show students how valuable a rucksack can be to carry items you need in the field. a classic. Kelty makes similar still, but in cordura and without the leather straps. It was the rest I used to take the Red Stag

Very good point Carney. Keeping the gun shouldered is enough of a pain without having to deal with floppy packs. Unfortunately, a shoulder pack can make it even more of a pain. Slings don't often mesh well with padded nylon shoulder straps - the sling slips over them too easily and won't stay seated on shoulder. However, a few minor adjustments will take care of that issue. A skinny sling, like the old military style, works MUCH better than those oversized deluxe leather ones that seem to be so popular these days. I have a padded sling for my shotgun with a no-slip strip on the underside. I'm thinking that might work well too (but I already have my dad's military sling on my bush gun and it's working fine). Detachable sling swivels make it an easy matter to switch your sling type to accommodate backpack days or non-backpack days (e.g. varmit shooting). I have also thought about having someone sew a velcro strip onto the outside of my shoulder pack straps and to the inside of my sling strap. It sounds like a heck of an idea but I have yet to see anything like that on the market. Dang, I should have patented it rather than blab it over a forum!

I am a firm believer in the day pack. I have an Eberlestock J-34 pack and absolutely love it. Built in rifle scabbard, zip out cargo area, big and strong enough to pack out elk quarters, internal frame. It is the perfect pack me, but you should also look into the Badlands packs that ckRich mentioned, I have heard very good things about them as well. Find the pack that fits you and your hunting style.