Mods to horn hunter full curl

[quibton]

Hey everyone,

I have the full curl with day bag that I used on my mule deer hunt last year. Love the layout of the system but on the pack out I felt like there was some things to be desired of the belt. Don’t know much about packs because this is my first.

Felt like the belt could be wider and have a little more lumbar support. I had around 100# on it with gear and meat and was getting some hot spots on my hips.

Just wondering if anybody has done any mods to a full curl pack frame? Would it be worth looking at a higher end frame? Would horn hunter bags for other frames?


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[wabowman]

Hey everyone,

I have the full curl with day bag that I used on my mule deer hunt last year. Love the layout of the system but on the pack out I felt like there was some things to be desired of the belt. Don’t know much about packs because this is my first.

Felt like the belt could be wider and have a little more lumbar support. I had around 100# on it with gear and meat and was getting some hot spots on my hips.

Just wondering if anybody has done any mods to a full curl pack frame? Would it be worth looking at a higher end frame? Would horn hunter bags for other frames?


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I ran into the same issues. Fixed it by buying an Exo.

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[quibton]

I ran into the same issues. Fixed it by buying an Exo.

How do you like the exo? Heard good things about them but noticed they don’t have a meat shelf. I like having a meat shelf but don’t know if it is needed.


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[wabowman]

I ran into the same issues. Fixed it by buying an Exo.

How do you like the exo? Heard good things about them but noticed they don’t have a meat shelf. I like having a meat shelf but don’t know if it is needed.


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I love the exo. It is very comfortable. I hunt with it on all the time with about 15# of gear.
They do have a great meat shelf as an accessory.
It rides between the bag and frame when not in use and you don't even know it's there.
Where are you located?
Here is a pic of mine set up for my workouts with a 50# sandbag and meat shelf.


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[wabowman]

Here it is.

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[quibton]

Is the orange fabric the meat shelf? Looks like a nice setup. I’m located in west central MN. Primary uses are for mule deer but gonna get into elk in the near future


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[wabowman]

Is the orange fabric the meat shelf? Looks like a nice setup. I’m located in west central MN. Primary uses are for mule deer but gonna get into elk in the near future


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Yes it is the orange fabric. It comes in all the standard pack colors also. I picked the orange to be legal during modern seasons around here.
I'm sure if you post looking for someone with an Exo around you, you would find someone. So you could check them out.

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[quibton]

Thanks for the info


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[mrbillbrown]

Just purchase a Kifaru belt and put it on your HH frame. Works great and you’ve got everything you want.

 

[quibton]

Just purchase a Kifaru belt and put it on your HH frame. Works great and you’ve got everything you want.

Is it just an easy swap like that? If so I’ll look into that. Thank you


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[BRTreedogs]

Just Google full curl belt swaps and u will find some threads and pics of guys swapping some belts, I also really liked some of the features of the full curl, but actually decided the exo was a better layout for me as well.
But when I was training with my full curl I shorten up the torso length when I had weight and that really helped keep the hip belt in the small of my back, so maybe give that a try.
I also called HH and had them mail me some extra buckles and ordered a 3ft piece of 1" webbing to lash straight across where the bottom of the day pack clips in and that helped keep the load up on my mid back more. I hated how low it felt like the weight would get and that helped.
May also consider trying to sandwich some more foam under the lumber pad. Imo the lumber pad is not big enough on that pack.

 

[quibton]

Just Google full curl belt swaps and u will find some threads and pics of guys swapping some belts, I also really liked some of the features of the full curl, but actually decided the exo was a better layout for me as well.
But when I was training with my full curl I shorten up the torso length when I had weight and that really helped keep the hip belt in the small of my back, so maybe give that a try.
I also called HH and had them mail me some extra buckles and ordered a 3ft piece of 1" webbing to lash straight across where the bottom of the day pack clips in and that helped keep the load up on my mid back more. I hated how low it felt like the weight would get and that helped.
May also consider trying to sandwich some more foam under the lumber pad. Imo the lumber pad is not big enough on that pack.

I have done everything you just described except using extra webbing to keep the load higher. I just used old bath towels stacked up with weight on top of them.
The last person to reply to me also uses exo. How do you like yours? I’ve looked at them and SG


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[BRTreedogs]

Well good and bad to everything, I went w the 3500 because I wanted a do all bag and really wanted the long spotting scope/tripod pockets. Also the whole setup is the same weight as the full curl frame only. Over all is is way more comfortable but I don't feel as low profile and like I'm hanging up on brush more.
And I deff think I will miss the HH when shed hunting.
But it is a pretty be cost to go exo.

 

[quibton]

Thanks for the info


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[BRTreedogs]

Having the strap go straight across at least meat and sand bags really helped, if u want to stay w the FC it's like $6 to try. If u got it new it should have came with a couple extras, but they shipped them to me for free, I just felt like my sandbag was always blobbing to the bottom.
I feel like they should u a different mesh on the belt.
I still think for the money the HH is a solid choice. The switch was really about layout for me. But at the same time I love the exo alot.
You can buy an exoframe a meat shelf and their horn hauler kit which is almost just like the Horn Hunter layout except for you can adjust the height of the meat shelf up more towards the center of your back I really almost went that way.

 

[quibton]

I’ve been really researching exo and am leaning toward going that route. Seems like they have great features similar to the horn hunter but more comfortable frame


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[BRTreedogs]

I know you said you're using it for mule deer hunting but there's a lot of facets to that does the bag lay out of the XO work better for you I hunt elk and bugle and or have the desire to High Country mule deer hunt and overnight out of my bag for multiple days what kind of mule deer hunting do you do? are you willing to shoot any deer or are you carrying a spotter with you so you can field judge and only want to shoot larger or older age class deer? if so the layout of the 3500 might work a lot better for you as it did for me I'd say in comfortability there's no comparison EXO's way better.

 

[quibton]

I know you said you're using it for mule deer hunting but there's a lot of facets to that does the bag lay out of the XO work better for you I hunt elk and bugle and or have the desire to High Country mule deer hunt and overnight out of my bag for multiple days what kind of mule deer hunting do you do? are you willing to shoot any deer or are you carrying a spotter with you so you can field judge and only want to shoot larger or older age class deer? if so the layout of the 3500 might work a lot better for you as it did for me I'd say in comfortability there's no comparison EXO's way better.

Last year was my first year for Muley in SD, so it’s not like I had to hike in super far. I was at base camp every night. I fell in love with it and plan to continue Muley hunting but also plan to venture into elk hunting where I would carry camp with me.
The HH did great when it was just my extra layers and gear in the pack but when I put a full deer on it it was a different story. It did the job, but I feel I could be more comfortable.
Who knows, maybe just swapping that hip belt would be the better option. Would definitely save me some $


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[adamm88]

I has a hh full curl that i traded into and throught it would be awsome, i hunted with it two full days two years ago then my season ended due to never ending kid illness but i had the same issues with my hips burning, i just thought i was out of shape(which i am), i swaped the belt with a molle 2 waistbelt and it helped some by carrying it around my house. I ended up selling the pack in the off season and picked up a slumberjack bounty 2.0. It was a game changer for comfort compared to the horn hunter. It does everything i want it to plus some.


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[BRTreedogs]

I would say if you see a big tripod and spotter in your future maybe plan an upgrade.
If not I'd try some of the upgrades to your HH,
For me it was a 4 tier upgrade, comfort,layout,weight,and I hated getting to the water bladder if the big bag was on.

But you also gotta relise 100lbs is 100lbs it's only gonna be so comfortable.