Which Backpack

[treillw]

So I'm ready to take the plunge and buy a fancy new backpack. I will use the pack for hunting in MT mostly. Most of the time day hunts with some week long trips in the mix as well. Mostly elk hunting, walking 15 miles a day on public land. I also would like the pack to be for summer camping trips - carrying pretty much everything but the kitchen sink. The last weekend trip I did into a lake fishing my pack weighed 70+ pounds with camping gear, float tube, etc. I looked like Clark Griswold with the the crap I had tied to the outside of the pack.

I think I'm best off just getting two bags. Thinking around a 3000 and a 7000. I definitely want a frame with meat shelf and excellent meat hauling capabilities.

I'm building a house right now, so I don't have as much time and energy to put into this as I typically would (aka obsess over it). There are a lot of great manufactures out there. Which would you recommend and which bags? What is the two sentence description for the kind of packs some of the major companies make?

This is what I've gathered from the looking I've done thus far.
Stone Glacier - makes very lightweight packs that can haul a lot of weight. Higher priced. Not a ton of pockets and organization.
Mystery Ranch - seems to be heavier than SG.
Exo - They don't make a bag above 5500 ci to my knowledge, so they are off the list due to not being big enough.
Kifaru - Lots of people like them. Their website is confusing to me. What is the main difference from say a stone glacier pack?

Thanks!

 

[307]

Just sold an Exo and bought MR.

The MR is a more refined overall product IMO. I'm sure it's a bit heavier, but empty pack weight is very unimportant to me compared to fit, finish, and load hauling stability.

 

[darcytribe]

You might also consider Seek Outside packs. I'm going to be trying one of their new models this year. They get great reviews. Definitely not one of the makers that gets a bunch of press though.

 

[darcytribe]

All of these companies make quality products. My experience is that a pack is a very personalized item. What works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another, related to fit and comfort that is. Which to me is the primary concern when working with heavier loads. Just my 2 cents.

 

[treillw]

Just sold an Exo and bought MR.

The MR is a more refined overall product IMO. I'm sure it's a bit heavier, but empty pack weight is very unimportant to me compared to fit, finish, and load hauling stability.

Would you say that a MR is more stable under heavy loads than a SG?

 

[307]

I don't know anything about Stone Glacier, just Exo and MR. Between those two, yes, the MR feels much more stable, at the expense of flexibility. I haven't hauled critters yet so I don't have nearly as much experience under the MR but based on initial impressions, it will be a better load hauler than the Exo (not as good as a daypack though).

 

[catorres1]

Not sure I can help much here in terms of overall experience, I am a newbie to this but I did just go through this myself, and spent a lot of time obsessing. But I can at least share my recent experience with you FWIW.

Living in Texas, I did not have a chance to try the packs like I would have liked to, so I would say if you get the chance to try them all on, with lots of weight in them, that's probably your deciding factor. Gotta have weight though, even cheapo packs I tried on empty felt fine.

In addition, there is the 'customization and organization' style that you have to consider. Some people like bags that are not much more than a stuff sack, others want everything in it's place and a place for everything, and they want it their way. I am probably closer to the latter...so I can quickly find what I want and not forget it where I last put it. So that is another characteristic that might help you differentiate.

Myself, I really like the lightweight of SG, also knowing it's built by a respected guy who sheep hunts. MR has been around and I like how their bags were layed out, for the most part. But in the end I went with Kifaru. A couple reasons...while others are as well, Kifaru is pretty well considered a safe bet in quality and hauling capability/comfort. Another, I am near 6'3", and the ability to get a 26" frame was nice, not everyone has that. The way they think of the customizability of the bags was good for me, I like lots of organization and customization potential.

But in the end, one thing stood out for me. Twice in the past few years, I had texted Aron Snyder a question, and each time he called me back, in one case from the side of a mountain on a saturday from a sat phone. He took time to explain stuff to me and totally got it when I explained my financial capabilities, in one case, pushing me away from the edge on something that he said was too much to spend for me and overkill. This year, when I finally was able to buy, on Memorial Day weekend, on Sunday afternoon, as I was about to pull the trigger on a MR Pintler, I noted a deal on Kifaru that I was thinking was wrong, but that made it financially feasible for me. Guiltily, I texted Aron to see if I understood the terms correctly and if I could wait until Monday or Tuesday to get it done and just call in then. He said call me now...I told him I could wait, he said no, call me now. He spent the next hour going over options with me and setting me up as efficiently (use and money wise) as possible.

I had spoken to at least one other of the pack companies on your list, they were polite and nice.. but I did not end up getting the help I needed. Since getting my pack from Kifaru, and through the whole process of finalizing what I wanted, CS was unbelievable with everyone I talked to. One of their guys setup facetime so he could look at my set up and help walk me through an adjustment. Aron certainly sets the standard, but the whole company seems to offer the same, including AFTER the sale, and that really means something to me. All American made, and customer service better than any I have experienced anywhere else.

Again, I am not an experienced backpacker, so take it FWIW, but hope that helps in your decision making process.

 

[307]

^^^ That is a hell of a testimonial for Kifaru!

 

[treillw]

Not sure I can help much here in terms of overall experience, I am a newbie to this but I did just go through this myself, and spent a lot of time obsessing. But I can at least share my recent experience with you FWIW.

Living in Texas, I did not have a chance to try the packs like I would have liked to, so I would say if you get the chance to try them all on, with lots of weight in them, that's probably your deciding factor. Gotta have weight though, even cheapo packs I tried on empty felt fine.

In addition, there is the 'customization and organization' style that you have to consider. Some people like bags that are not much more than a stuff sack, others want everything in it's place and a place for everything, and they want it their way. I am probably closer to the latter...so I can quickly find what I want and not forget it where I last put it. So that is another characteristic that might help you differentiate.

Myself, I really like the lightweight of SG, also knowing it's built by a respected guy who sheep hunts. MR has been around and I like how their bags were layed out, for the most part. But in the end I went with Kifaru. A couple reasons...while others are as well, Kifaru is pretty well considered a safe bet in quality and hauling capability/comfort. Another, I am near 6'3", and the ability to get a 26" frame was nice, not everyone has that. The way they think of the customizability of the bags was good for me, I like lots of organization and customization potential.

But in the end, one thing stood out for me. Twice in the past few years, I had texted Aron Snyder a question, and each time he called me back, in one case from the side of a mountain on a saturday from a sat phone. He took time to explain stuff to me and totally got it when I explained my financial capabilities, in one case, pushing me away from the edge on something that he said was too much to spend for me and overkill. This year, when I finally was able to buy, on Memorial Day weekend, on Sunday afternoon, as I was about to pull the trigger on a MR Pintler, I noted a deal on Kifaru that I was thinking was wrong, but that made it financially feasible for me. Guiltily, I texted Aron to see if I understood the terms correctly and if I could wait until Monday or Tuesday to get it done and just call in then. He said call me now...I told him I could wait, he said no, call me now. He spent the next hour going over options with me and setting me up as efficiently (use and money wise) as possible.

I had spoken to at least one other of the pack companies on your list, they were polite and nice.. but I did not end up getting the help I needed. Since getting my pack from Kifaru, and through the whole process of finalizing what I wanted, CS was unbelievable with everyone I talked to. One of their guys setup facetime so he could look at my set up and help walk me through an adjustment. Aron certainly sets the standard, but the whole company seems to offer the same, including AFTER the sale, and that really means something to me. All American made, and customer service better than any I have experienced anywhere else.

Again, I am not an experienced backpacker, so take it FWIW, but hope that helps in your decision making process.

Due to my lack of time, their website is overwhelming to me haha. I guess I just need to give him a call and see what they recommend.

 

[catorres1]

Yeah, I totally get that, shoot him a text and tell him you are lost and he'll get back if he can, I am certain. Also, feel free to PM me and I'll give you my phone number, having just navigated the process, be glad to help if I can.

 

[307]

You aren't the only one. Too many options and add ons kind of turned me away from Kifaru.

 

[boom]

i have had a great CS experience with Kifaru. i think i even talked to Aron as well.

to be honest, i also "phone stalked" some poor lady at Mystery Ranch..i cant remember her name, but i am damn sure i could recall her voice. she fielded every ridiculous question i asked..despite the much more user friendly website; i still had copious questions. my wife was pissed that i was yet again, backpack shopping. i know this was going to be THE last pack purchase (shhhhh..for a long while). i even bought foilage colors so i could hopefully pull that "presto chango" trick on my wife and let her think it was the same old pack. should have married a dumber woman..i was busted!! nevertheless, i had to get my "last" pack purchase right..so i stalked the poor lady. my Metcalf is a badass pack. yes it feels heavier, but what's gained in this absolute burliness to the pack was worth the weight penalty.

 

[KurtR]

Call Aron he will help you out. I called on a Saturday he took the time to help me out. Didn't realize it till later but he was on the White tail hunt and took time out of it to help me. Customer service means a lot to me and I haven't gotten any better than from Kifaru.

 

[catorres1]

You aren't the only one. Too many options and add ons kind of turned me away from Kifaru.

Yeah, I work in online marketing...we help folks with, among other things, usability experience, conversion paths, and architecture to improve the customer path. Maybe I should give Aron a call...

 

[treillw]

So if you were to have a SG and Kifaru pack side by side, what differences would you notice? I wish there was a store where I could actually do this to see for myself!

Which frame is best for carrying half of a boned out elk? I carried two bulls out this past year - we carried all the meat boned out, head, and our hunting gear in one trip. I had over half the meat and the head draped over my shoulders. Rough couple of hours. I'm not trying to brag or anything, just trying to show what I want to do with it.

How are the Kuiu packs and frames?

 

[eagle#eyes]

If you are able to, buy them both, return the one you like the least (because they are both great, just a little different) and keep the other. Then hunt and kill stuff to put in it and be happy.

 

[mvmnts]

It seems like to me Kifaru and Stone Glacier are in a class of their own and the rest are fighting over the scraps. Something drew me to Stone Glacier, I like the look of their packs and I like that they are the lightest for the most part. Kifaru's product line up is a little over saturated, but i think they turn it to their strength with having great customer service. I went with SG and I'm very happy with it, but I sometimes wonder if I should have gone Kifaru knowing that I was moving right nextdoor to them and would have access to their support and service in the future if need be.

 

[AXEL]

I bought my first pack from Dana Gleason, in 1978, used it a LOT, even hauling it up a 105 ft. Alberta Forest Service fire tower 2-3 times a day on a rope, for four months. I gave it to a young friend who helped me when I was crippled due to injuries, 2014, and have owned/used 15 Dana-MR packs since, have one Terraframe I modded left for packing meat if I get lucky.

I would hardly describe MR or SO as "fighting over the scraps", I now use SO packs as they are much lighter and the most comfortable I have ever carried. I had two Kifarus, not comfortable for me, but, 1st gen. and I understand they may well be better now.

So, try to check all the highend makes, the new SO Brooks, would be ideal for your needs, IMHO and I am sure that SG is also great, but, I have never seen one.

We need regional "gear fests" where we could try and compare gear to see which works best for us as individuals.

 

[darcytribe]

I bought my first pack from Dana Gleason, in 1978, used it a LOT, even hauling it up a 105 ft. Alberta Forest Service fire tower 2-3 times a day on a rope, for four months. I gave it to a young friend who helped me when I was crippled due to injuries, 2014, and have owned/used 15 Dana-MR packs since, have one Terraframe I modded left for packing meat if I get lucky.

I would hardly describe MR or SO as "fighting over the scraps", I now use SO packs as they are much lighter and the most comfortable I have ever carried. I had two Kifarus, not comfortable for me, but, 1st gen. and I understand they may well be better now.

So, try to check all the highend makes, the new SO Brooks, would be ideal for your needs, IMHO and I am sure that SG is also great, but, I have never seen one.

We need regional "gear fests" where we could try and compare gear to see which works best for us as individuals.

"We need regional "gear fests" where we could try and compare gear to see which works best for us as individuals"

Now THIS is a tremendous idea! Where do I sign-up! Maybe make a suggestion to the moderators to promote such an event(s).

 

[philos]

"We need regional "gear fests" where we could try and compare gear to see which works best for us as individuals"

Now THIS is a tremendous idea! Where do I sign-up! Maybe make a suggestion to the moderators to promote such an event(s).

That is indeed a great idea. I'd be willing to pay shipping in order to see/try-on several packs. It is difficult to see these packs in person and the set ups can be expensive. It would be awesome to see & touch it before you throw down serious coin.