Why my pack sucks: Kifaru, Stone Glacier, Exo, Seek, Mystery Ranch, Kuiu, etc.

[wyoboypt]

One thing I've learned from this thread is that the hunting backpack business is doing pretty well! You're just not a cutting edge dude anymore if you're lugging around an MR NICE frame. Lots has changed in the last 10 years.

Hard to beat a good ole frame. Bags are overrated!

 

[TheTone]

One thing I've learned from this thread is that the hunting backpack business is doing pretty well! You're just not a cutting edge dude anymore if you're lugging around an MR NICE frame. Lots has changed in the last 10 years.

Crap I’ve fallen behind in the backpack world with my nice. I would love to know how many miles it’s been carried and the lbs of meat it’s hauled. That said I’ve been eyeing a stone glacier for a while and hope to add one before too long

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Crap I’ve fallen behind in the backpack world with my nice. I would love to know how many miles it’s been carried and the lbs of meat it’s hauled. That said I’ve been eyeing a stone glacier for a while and hope to add one before too long

The NICE frames are still comfortable, I could hunt with one for the rest of my life and be a pretty happy camper. Half the weight sure is nice though.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

The NICE frames are still comfortable, I could hunt with one for the rest of my life and be a pretty happy camper. Half the weight sure is nice though.

Agreed. I liked my NICE frame, but I like my Guidelight better.

 

[KB_]

Probably wont be popular on here but here is what i'm using currently.

Killik 2800 mountain pack.

Pros:
- Cheap
- Modular - You can take the bag off and run just the frame. I've been able to attach a smaller bag for day hunts. Personally using the Kifaru Sherman pocket that I rigged up to attach to either just the frame itself or the bag. This increases the load capability and actually works pretty darn well. You can haul meat in the bag or just mount it on the frame without the bag. I'm finding it hauls meat better without the bag attached as there is a panel that you can use to strap the meat down. Works great! Bag also comes off really easily. I'm probably gonna add another pocket in the future as I've found a couple of minor needs. I really like the modular nature as it kills many birds with one rig. No needs to buy multiple packs. Also has a rain Fly, Haven't had to use it but if you have some externally mounted gear that rain fly can be really handy.
- Pretty light weight but not so light that it cant handle a beating.
- Adjustability is pretty good compared to other more expensive packs I've used in the past. Hip straps seem to work well and can be adjusted while wearing the pack pretty easily. Load lifters can be adjusted pretty easily while wearing the pack as well. Lots of straps that You can externally mount gear if needed.
- Material is pretty quiet and so far quite tough. I was a little worried about it getting tore up cause the outer material is soft to the touch. Makes for a great pillow. My gear gets used heavily and not babied, so I was surprised with the durability.
- Cinches down really well. There is no shortage of extra straps on this pack and it even comes with some extra straps and buckles in-case you break one.
- Bag itself has some internal and external pockets that are pretty handy. Some of the outer pockets are useless to me so I don't use them. Nothing to complain about, I just don't use them.

Cons:
- Broke a load lifter so I had to rig up a D Ring. Actually works way better this way so If I break the other one Ill just add a D ring to that as well.
- Straps are not as robust as I would like. But I will say I have not broken one yet and they are holding up. So apparently its not that big of a deal. There is also a ton of them.
- Hip and center pad around the waist are not as thick as I would like but they work. Can get uncomfortable with heavy weight after awhile and can feel loose. But they are easy to tighten down so its a minor issue to me.
- Shoulder pads appear thin around the top of the shoulders but if your wearing it correctly that shouldn't be to much of an issue. I would still prefer more pad there.
- It comes with a gun/bow carrier. Seemed kinda cruddy and an after thought to me so I just pitched it and i'm running the Sherman pocket as my gun carrier, works great.
- The little pocket it comes with gets in the way for me so I don't use it. Not really a con as it works fine as a hip pocket.

Conclusion:
Works well for me. I may upgrade somewhere down the line, but for at least the next year or so I'll be running this pack. I really like the modular design and hope this becomes more of a thing with the more well known brands.

Badlands Superday Pack:

Pros:
- Lightweight
- Nice camo pattern
- feels nice when no weight in the bag. Feels like a high quality back pack.
- Works great for whitetail hunting.

Cons:
- Sucks for hauling meat. Its pure pain the whole way. No frame at all and the pad sits on your spine.
- Bottom of the pack ripped to shreds on me when I sat down in the rocks and leaned against it glassing for hours. Didn't do anything that I would have thought would cause that to happen. Had to fix it with duct tape so I didn't loose my stuff coming out of the field.
- Shaped like a traditional backpack so hauling heavy weight is not its strong suit.

Conclusion:
Works great if your a treestand or blind hunter and don't need to pack anything heavy like an elk quarter. Frankly its an overpriced backpack built a littler tougher then a school backpack. I haven't tried their other packs but I have seen them and they seem to be better built. Perhaps Ill try one out someday as the price is more reasonable then some.

Marine Corps FILBE pack:

Pros:
- Tough as it gets.
- Lots of storage and molli to use to customize the pockets.
- Straps are high quality and tough as nails. Same for the buckles.
- Works pretty good for hauling heavy weight. Is not terribly comfortable but the frame is pretty strong.
- Padding is much better then previous generations but it is flush with the back muscle and spinal cord and i'm not a fan of that. Would prefer that nothing touches the spinal cord for me personally.
- Really big bag and works great for carrying a lot of stuff.

Cons:
- doesn't cinch down very well but the bag is huge so i'm not surprised.
- Causes flashbacks.....haha
- could be more comfortable but the marines don't care about that.
- Buckles and frame are susceptible to cracking under high stress in extreme cold situations. Gotta keep an eye on that.

Conclusion:
Its well built but extreme cold weather can cause problems. FAR better then previous generations. If I was backpack hunting for a week I would get into one of these or something similar.


I've used a bunch of others but these ones stick out in my mind as good examples.

 

[Carl 9.3x62]

I've got a MR Metcalf with the guidelight frame. I got a heck of deal on it (my cousin use to work at Mystery Ranch) so I really have no room to complain. I have never tried a comparable backpack, only have used cheap day packs. I love the metcalf. Makes packing critters out enjoyable. But similar to what other people on here have said, my two "cons" are the lack of storage compartments/pockets, and lots of straps. Honestly neither of these really bother me, but they can be an annoyance at times. One other complaint i have is the top lid piece is really loose when the bag isn't filled up, and it flops around a lot. I just take it off and don't use it if I am using the pack as a day pack, which has been my sole use with it so far.

 

[Maxxis31]

I feel like you should try a tactical frame with a guide lid, then use a big duffel for when you’re packing camp in ect. It’s way lighter, and more simple, and you can always access your necessities in the guide lid. Mine holds my water bladder and complete down gear and rain gear. I just attached a pouch for food on the back of that. Bags are just too heavy to be lugging around. Here’s my whole whitetail and camp on a tactical with the guide lid on top as always,View attachment 121590
Bottom line is- if you want to save weight, you can’t be a pocket guy, unless it’s a 1 pocket guy

Thanks for the suggestion, I actually ran a similar setup with an OR drybag and Kifaru Large Spotter Pouch, Bladder Pouch and a couple small pouches. There just wasn't enough space for my day pack gear, we typically cover 6-10 miles a day and have all of our extra gear, kill kit with 5 bags, 2 knifes, hunting license and tags, Water Bladder, Filter Kit, First Aid Stuff, Toilet Paper, range finder, snack stuff, GPS, trekking poles, spare release, headlamp and small pouch with extra batteries, chapstick, ext. and my cell phone. This is just the everyday stuff I pack with me, a lot of times depending on where I'm hunting I have my trail cam bag with batteries, SD's, reader and small wrench, I also have light gloves and use my bag for my jacket when I get hot, late season I toss in my puffy and rain jacket.

I need about a 3000 size bag as a minimum and prefer something bigger or expandable for when I want to toss in my bag, pad and shelter, I really think the new Exo 4800 is going to fit that bill pretty well from what i have seen. I will still use the frame and grab it for hauling meat but the bag for everything else.

 

[7 mag]

Wouldn't know, which one is best as, we hunt private and use horses and mules,

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Wouldn't know, which one is best as, we hunt private and use horses and mules,

Great info!

 

[EYJONAS!]

who is this 7,mag?

 

[Irrelevant]

who is this 7,mag?

a comma lover.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Also loves to bring up year+ old threads. Not this one obviously, but in general.

 

[EYJONAS!]

I, see. Well back to the pack thread. I gotta sneak peak at some new gear and designs from SG and needless they're muy bueno. I will be making an investment in 2020.....

 

[Irrelevant]

I'll confirm my idea in my first post now that I actually have a new MR metcalf and packed out three elk with it this season. It's great for 50-80 lbs. greater than 80 still sucks so much I can't tell the difference. I kinda feel like it was a waste of money. I also think I should have gotten a small instead of a medium.

 

[wyoboypt]

Thanks for the suggestion, I actually ran a similar setup with an OR drybag and Kifaru Large Spotter Pouch, Bladder Pouch and a couple small pouches. There just wasn't enough space for my day pack gear, we typically cover 6-10 miles a day and have all of our extra gear, kill kit with 5 bags, 2 knifes, hunting license and tags, Water Bladder, Filter Kit, First Aid Stuff, Toilet Paper, range finder, snack stuff, GPS, trekking poles, spare release, headlamp and small pouch with extra batteries, chapstick, ext. and my cell phone. This is just the everyday stuff I pack with me, a lot of times depending on where I'm hunting I have my trail cam bag with batteries, SD's, reader and small wrench, I also have light gloves and use my bag for my jacket when I get hot, late season I toss in my puffy and rain jacket.

I need about a 3000 size bag as a minimum and prefer something bigger or expandable for when I want to toss in my bag, pad and shelter, I really think the new Exo 4800 is going to fit that bill pretty well from what i have seen. I will still use the frame and grab it for hauling meat but the bag for everything else.

I almost went with exo before i bought my kifaru. The problem was exo didn’t make sufficient waist pouches for what I wanted. I actually use an eberlestock waist pouch on one side that holds my rino, knives, Leatherman, water tabs, tape, chapstick, 5hr energy’s, paracord, tags and pen, lighters, wet wipes, headlamp, and extra batteries. Exo at the time didn’t make one big enough for those, plus I like the eberlestock pouch, it’s very organizable Holds my rino perfectly. On the other side I have a kifaru medium waist pouch which can fit a good amount, just one pocket though which is fine for that side. Also, I wanted more strap capability for sheds. So kifaru fit that bill. 4 compression straps with the ability to add 2 more (overkill). And the guide lid has its own 4 straps. Although I do end up using one compression strap over the top of the lid to help it stay put better.
But yes, if I need to add to the daypack such as game bags, bugle tube,tripod, spotter ect, they go to the frame, no bag. Which I admit it’s nice to have a bag for that stuff. I just rather save the weight cus I’m a scrawny sucker

 

[hossblur]

Badlands Diablo dos

Pros- got on camofire 40% off
Makes me choose what's really needed

Cons- I'm 6'5 the load lifters don't fit

Alps commander frame

Pro- 40% off on camofire

Cons- keeps getting other folks elk loaded on it


Truth is 30yrs of drywall, my backpacking days are gone, unless new shoulders and backs are created.

 

[Maxxis31]

I almost went with exo before i bought my kifaru. The problem was exo didn’t make sufficient waist pouches for what I wanted. I actually use an eberlestock waist pouch on one side that holds my rino, knives, Leatherman, water tabs, tape, chapstick, 5hr energy’s, paracord, tags and pen, lighters, wet wipes, headlamp, and extra batteries. Exo at the time didn’t make one big enough for those, plus I like the eberlestock pouch, it’s very organizable Holds my rino perfectly. On the other side I have a kifaru medium waist pouch which can fit a good amount, just one pocket though which is fine for that side. Also, I wanted more strap capability for sheds. So kifaru fit that bill. 4 compression straps with the ability to add 2 more (overkill). And the guide lid has its own 4 straps. Although I do end up using one compression strap over the top of the lid to help it stay put better.
But yes, if I need to add to the daypack such as game bags, bugle tube,tripod, spotter ect, they go to the frame, no bag. Which I admit it’s nice to have a bag for that stuff. I just rather save the weight cus I’m a scrawny sucker

I agree with the pouch, I am keeping my Kifaru frame and putting the Exo bag on my frame, I absolutely love the frame for packing out heavy loads lots of miles. I use a small and medium hip pouch, I can put my pistol in the medium and zip it which is nice when shed hunting and trail cam hanging. Most of the time I keep my range finder in one hip pocket, my phone, chapstick and elk calls go in the other.

The Kuiu bag on the Kifaru frame works really well for shed hunting, I run a couple extra Kifaru straps over it as well. It was a little big for my son still but he was happy to pack it that day.

 

[EmperorMA]

2019 MR Selway 60 - a single 4-day backpacking trip carrying around 40lbs

Pros:
Relatively lightweight at 5lbs
Decent size bag (62L) and a full-length zipper
two small side pockets and lid pocket for smaller items
GuideLight Frame makes it easier to change out bag for other compatible MR packs. It is also really easy to access and extend the overload shelf
The hip belt is much improved and slips very little and has molle webbing for attachments
Big water bladder holder inside and nice water tube organization on the shoulder straps
Independent buckles on the sides and front for attaching additional gear
The bag is made of quality material and seems like it will hold up for a long time

Cons:
There is no organization at all. Dry bags or stuff sacks help with this, but still, you basically have to unpack and repack every day. (I'm still adjusting the order of gear placement to avoid this)
It took a long time to get sizing and fit dialed in, but if you are persistent, it is well worth it.
You have to unbuckle everything to be able to get inside the bag. (Don't forget to buckle your load lifters after you're done)
Sweaty back

I'd like to give it more use and re-evaluate again, but so far, I think the pros outweigh the cons with this bag.

The 2019 MR Selway has the Guide Light MT Frame. If yours does not, it’s a 2018 or previous model.

 

[EmperorMA]

I see lots of folks dogging on packs here for “cons” that are in reality “bad purchase decisions.” For example, if you buy a small daypack of 18L then say as a con, “It’s too small,” that really isn’t a con. You should have bought a 30L pack, instead. Same goes for those saying, “It needs more pockets for organization!” after purchasing a pack that is essentially a bag only. That not a con, just a mistake on your part.

I’ve had Kuiu and the seams started splitting the first time out training. The shoulder strap broke with 60 lbs of sand inside. I threw it away. It looked good, though.

Had an EXO 3500 that was a nice pack but the pockets are too small and it didn’t carry anything above 30 lbs well for me. It would make an excellent daypack for deer hunting but nothing heavier.

Had an older Kifaru that was bombproof but after you added all the pockets necessary to make it as organized as other packs came from the factory, it was painfully heavy. Carried weight well, though.

Only carried a borrowed Stone Glacier once and it was nice. Again, after all the add ons necessary to make it outfitted like other packs, it didn’t offer any weight savings. It was comfortable with 60 lbs, though, and easy to adjust.

Tried a Mystery Ranch Metcalf and liked it. Nice size for my usage profile, and carries weight well. Cinches down well as a daypack, too. I ended up not liking the configuration (not a con!) so I sent it down the road.

Tried the new 2019 Mystery Ranch Selway with the Guide Light MT Frame and loved the carry and size. Great waist belt but would like to be able to lift the load a bit higher. I also very much prefer the design and layout of the Sawtooth/Beartooth packs but one is too small, the other too large.

I would to try both the Seek Outside Peregrine and Lanner. No way to do so around here, I’m afraid, so I doubt I ever will.

I’m currently looking very hard at the Kifaru 44 Mag. This bag on the Duplex Lite or Ultralite frame might be just what I’m after.

 

[geetar]

I, see. Well back to the pack thread. I gotta sneak peak at some new gear and designs from SG and needless they're muy bueno. I will be making an investment in 2020.....

I heard the new stuff drops in January. Looking forward to that. Usually get some cash from family for Christmas. I’m not planning to spend it till I see what SG has in 2020