Pack Questions, Please Help!

[WV Mountaineer]

If it were me, I'd run a smaller bag and put my camp in the cart until I got to base camp. I run the Kifaru 24 inch hunter frame and have been fooling around with the 22 mag bag. The more I run it, the more I truly like it. I have been training with camp gear and food in a dry sack nestled between the frame and bag, with all my day essentials in the 22 mag with a 3 liter water bladder. Mins my bow, I'm right at 36 pounds for 3 days and would be close to 50 for a 10 day trip with clothing to fit from teens to 80. My wife's gear will be right at 24 for a three day and 44 pounds for a 10 day trip



I tell you all that to give you idea of what to shoot for in gear and expected weight. Run a day hunt type bag, put camp and food between that frame and bag or in the cart, and hunt light to save your back bro God Bless

 

[boom]

I’m a huge fan of the Mystery Ranch Metcalf as that is what I use. That said, it is the wrong pack for the hunt you describe.
I would really look at the Kifaru offerings and call them. They are friendly and knowledgeable. Good advice so far in this thread.

i think i would go for it with my MR Metcalf. i would dry-bag ALL the food and attach it to outside the pack. hell, stick it on the meatshelf. dont let the wife carry any. get it all to camp. your job is done. start hunting and eating. logically, the food should be all gone for the walk home.

i did 10 days with my Kifaru, and that one has no meatshelf.

you wife would maybe be stronger on the hike back by then..and you could come out heavy with meat. she could take a bit more of the camp load on the way out.

 

[AKironhead]

I have used most of the packs you are looking at and for a trip like this I think there is only two options and both are the right answer.

The MR marshall is very heavy and not large enough at 6400ci and over 7lbs.
The Exo is a great pack but is just too small at 5500ci
I haven't personally used the SO pack but at 4800 it's definitely too small

That leaves Kifaru and Stone Glacier. Both of these frames are top tier products. You can't go wrong either way. In my opinion the main difference in these two systems is in the design philosophy.

Stone Glacier was designed around sheep hunting and prioritizes base weight, and utilizes tall narrow load column with a meat shelf. Kifaru was designed around durability and comfort over weight. With the larger circumference of the Kifaru bags a meat shelf is not built in nor would you want to use one as the load would be so far out from your center of gravity (only on the really large bags) it would make for a miserable pack out no matter how comfortable the frame is. To me the Kifaru is more comfortable under load which allows you to carry more and makes up for the extra weight. That being said, packs are a lot like boots, different strokes for different folks.

From Stone Glacier I would recommend the Sky guide 7900. At 7900ci this combo comes in right at 6lbs and compresses very well with a 4500ci bivy mode. With the Xcurve frame it is more comfortable than the Krux was and is almost as comfortable as the Kifaru.

From Kifaru I would recommend the either the AMR (7800ci) the Fulcrum (7800ci) or the Crater (8000ci). With a 24" frame with composite stays the base weight for these are all right at 6.5lbs. However if you're willing to wait a few weeks rumor has it they are releasing a new frame that will nock almost a pound off of number.

Whichever brand you go with, get the same for your wife so you have redundancy and backup options. Then, bike in as far as you can go, stuff her pack with sleeping bags, air mattresses, puffy layers, and enough TP to choke a donkey and you'll be good to go. Happy hunting!

 

[bhowren]

Lol

If you're gonna do a 10 dayer and haul much of the wifes stuff- I would get the Kifaru AMR, then strap the biggest Stone Glacier to the out side of that.
Fill both packs and have a great ride in, or hike in.

I couldn't imagine what my wife would need for 10 days, and being 10 miles in, the idea of running back to the truck wouldn't be an option at 20 mile round trip.

My God, just the toilet paper requirements alone would fill the Stone Glacier.
Pretty sure she aint gonna do MTN House for that long either, so the food alone will fill 1/3 of the AMR.

You have a good point! I will have to make sure I monitor what goes into her pack! After all I have seen her pack for other trips! No I don't think just Mountain House will work for her! Hoping to dehydrate a good variety of meals/etc.. for us.

 

[bhowren]

I haven't owned any of the packs that have been mentioned so far, but I can give you my $.02 about the Kuiu icon pro 7200, which I have hunted with for 3+ seasons now. Very light, a lot of pockets and expandability with the strap systems. Plenty of accessories that are cheap to add to the pack to make it even more functional and you should have no problem carrying enough gear for a 7-10 day trip even while keeping your wife's pack weight at a minimum. Have carried a large quartered mule deer buck with the head and all my gear out in one (although very heavy) trip and the pack was comfortable on my back and carried the weight just fine. The one downside I have found is that you have to run your water line out through the drawstring hole in the top of the pack if you use the water carrier accessory, but that's the only thing that isn't perfect in my opinion.

I have tried them on, and have quite a bit of Kuiu gear. They are nice packs but didn't feel right for me, although I do like their products. Thanks for the advice!

 

[bhowren]

The SG frames are very easy to adjust, the Kifaru frames can be a little more complicated but aren't bad at all and there are plenty of videos from Aron to walk you through it.

These two along with the Exo do seem to be the three I am leaning towards. Now to find a way to try the Stone Glacier so that I can compare!

 

[bhowren]

If it were me, I'd run a smaller bag and put my camp in the cart until I got to base camp. I run the Kifaru 24 inch hunter frame and have been fooling around with the 22 mag bag. The more I run it, the more I truly like it. I have been training with camp gear and food in a dry sack nestled between the frame and bag, with all my day essentials in the 22 mag with a 3 liter water bladder. Mins my bow, I'm right at 36 pounds for 3 days and would be close to 50 for a 10 day trip with clothing to fit from teens to 80. My wife's gear will be right at 24 for a three day and 44 pounds for a 10 day trip



I tell you all that to give you idea of what to shoot for in gear and expected weight. Run a day hunt type bag, put camp and food between that frame and bag or in the cart, and hunt light to save your back bro God Bless

Thanks for adding the weights in there. It gives me a better idea what to shoot for for 10 days worth. Haven't really weighed stuff sincewe have been staying in our Toy Hauler and driving up in the mornings. However, I want to get back in there farther before daybreak and maybe not get up so darned early!

 

[bhowren]

i think i would go for it with my MR Metcalf. i would dry-bag ALL the food and attach it to outside the pack. hell, stick it on the meatshelf. dont let the wife carry any. get it all to camp. your job is done. start hunting and eating. logically, the food should be all gone for the walk home.

i did 10 days with my Kifaru, and that one has no meatshelf.

you wife would maybe be stronger on the hike back by then..and you could come out heavy with meat. she could take a bit more of the camp load on the way out.

I just watched a video that suggested putting the food in a bag on the meat shelf as well! This is a great idea! Thank you!

 

[WV Mountaineer]

In the last two years, Seek Outside seems to have the most dedicated followers. Meaning once people tried them, they fall head over hills in love with their system. I've only seen one guy post he didn't like it. That ain't the gopsel but, do not forget about them.




Also, I use the meat shelf on my Kifaru and it does not stick out with loaded meat. You can make it as slender as you want and if you are packing BOMB style, the Bag determines the shape and dimension of the load, not the meat shelf. I don't know where the above poster is getting all that but, the frame size on the two he refers to is almost identical. So, I don't know if I mis-read him or what but, keep this in mind and do not base your choice on the meat shelf info he gave. God Bless men

 

[COlineman78]

These two along with the Exo do seem to be the three I am leaning towards. Now to find a way to try the Stone Glacier so that I can compare!

Also, there is a new lighter Kifaru frame coming out in the next month or so; so I don't know how long it will take Corey to get it in, but make sure to check it out. It may or may not fit you better.

 

[bhowren]

I have used most of the packs you are looking at and for a trip like this I think there is only two options and both are the right answer.

The MR marshall is very heavy and not large enough at 6400ci and over 7lbs.
The Exo is a great pack but is just too small at 5500ci
I haven't personally used the SO pack but at 4800 it's definitely too small

That leaves Kifaru and Stone Glacier. Both of these frames are top tier products. You can't go wrong either way. In my opinion the main difference in these two systems is in the design philosophy.

Stone Glacier was designed around sheep hunting and prioritizes base weight, and utilizes tall narrow load column with a meat shelf. Kifaru was designed around durability and comfort over weight. With the larger circumference of the Kifaru bags a meat shelf is not built in nor would you want to use one as the load would be so far out from your center of gravity (only on the really large bags) it would make for a miserable pack out no matter how comfortable the frame is. To me the Kifaru is more comfortable under load which allows you to carry more and makes up for the extra weight. That being said, packs are a lot like boots, different strokes for different folks.

From Stone Glacier I would recommend the Sky guide 7900. At 7900ci this combo comes in right at 6lbs and compresses very well with a 4500ci bivy mode. With the Xcurve frame it is more comfortable than the Krux was and is almost as comfortable as the Kifaru.

From Kifaru I would recommend the either the AMR (7800ci) the Fulcrum (7800ci) or the Crater (8000ci). With a 24" frame with composite stays the base weight for these are all right at 6.5lbs. However if you're willing to wait a few weeks rumor has it they are releasing a new frame that will nock almost a pound off of number.

Whichever brand you go with, get the same for your wife so you have redundancy and backup options. Then, bike in as far as you can go, stuff her pack with sleeping bags, air mattresses, puffy layers, and enough TP to choke a donkey and you'll be good to go. Happy hunting!

Do you still think the 4800-5500 cubic inch size will be too small even with the bikes and trailer, and leaving much of the gear at Base Camp during day hunts? I know the Exo expands to bigger than 5500, not sure about the Seek Outside as I have yet to see one in person. Once I/we get the gear in there, most of the gear will stay at Base Camp. The trailer is built off of a game cart that is rated at @ 500lbs. I know I won't be towing that much behind a bike, but should be able to get a decent load on there I think. Plan on doing plenty of dry runs prior to the hunt for checking on how the trailer works with different loads, but haven't completely finished it yet.

Good to know about the possibility of a New Frame coming out from Kifaru! Thanks for the info.

 

[COlineman78]

I just watched a video that suggested putting the food in a bag on the meat shelf as well! This is a great idea! Thank you!

I'm not a huge fan of this idea. It will move a lot of weight further away from your back. Depending on your food, the weight per volume is not nearly as much as some of the heavier objects in your pack like tent and compressed sleeping bag. This unnecessarily increases your moment of inertia which will make your pack seem heavier.

 

[bhowren]

I'm not a huge fan of this idea. It will move a lot of weight further away from your back. Depending on your food, the weight per volume is not nearly as much as some of the heavier objects in your pack like tent and compressed sleeping bag. This unnecessarily increases your moment of inertia which will make your pack seem heavier.

Thanks for the advice. I will test it out prior to and see how it works. Maybe I can shift some other stuff from inside to the load shelf in a bag? I will have to try several different ways probably in order to get things right.

 

[boom]

I'm not a huge fan of this idea. It will move a lot of weight further away from your back. Depending on your food, the weight per volume is not nearly as much as some of the heavier objects in your pack like tent and compressed sleeping bag. This unnecessarily increases your moment of inertia which will make your pack seem heavier.

I find food and water is typically my heavier than my bag and tent stuff. Besides, if it isn’t. Put the heavy ass tent and bag in the meat shelf.

Hunting, the stuff for the hunt is the load. Rifle and ammo, my stupid bow is a ton. My binos. Good lord, heavy.

In this case, I dont think the biggest pack is nessesarily the answer. The woman may hate it and never go back. Or she doesn’t go every trip. I really admire my friends that really minimize gear.

Anyways, not my problem to bear. Good luck OP. You lucky dude having a girl that wants to hang out. Just my humble opinion.

 

[Flojoe]

I have an EXO 5500 and did a 10 day Sheep Hunt 2 years ago where I was able to bike in some with trailers. I will say that I will definitely get a bigger pack the next time I try to do an extended hunt, 5500 was too small.

That said I was still able to make it work, and if you are able to get in with a bike and trailer the 5500 will get the job done.

 

[Leebob]

Do you still think the 4800-5500 cubic inch size will be too small even with the bikes and trailer, and leaving much of the gear at Base Camp during day hunts? I know the Exo expands to bigger than 5500, not sure about the Seek Outside as I have yet to see one in person..

I don’t know squat about extended unsupported alpine hunting but if you feel a Unaweep 4800 is too small maybe consider the Brooks. Fully expanded, 7400 ci., but can be compressed down to as little as 1200 ci. I see one in my future and I hope the reality is as good as the intent. It seems like a very versatile system and will come in at a little over half the weight of my 5200 ci Kifaru. Time will tell I suppose.

 

[bhowren]

I find food and water is typically my heavier than my bag and tent stuff. Besides, if it isn’t. Put the heavy ass tent and bag in the meat shelf.

Hunting, the stuff for the hunt is the load. Rifle and ammo, my stupid bow is a ton. My binos. Good lord, heavy.

In this case, I dont think the biggest pack is nessesarily the answer. The woman may hate it and never go back. Or she doesn’t go every trip. I really admire my friends that really minimize gear.

Anyways, not my problem to bear. Good luck OP. You lucky dude having a girl that wants to hang out. Just my humble opinion.

I am lucky! My wife is a great sport!

 

[bhowren]

I have an EXO 5500 and did a 10 day Sheep Hunt 2 years ago where I was able to bike in some with trailers. I will say that I will definitely get a bigger pack the next time I try to do an extended hunt, 5500 was too small.

That said I was still able to make it work, and if you are able to get in with a bike and trailer the 5500 will get the job done.

Good to know! I will definitely have to see how much my trailer will handle. I like how well these packs in this size range compress for day hunt mode.

 

[bhowren]

I don’t know squat about extended unsupported alpine hunting but if you feel a Unaweep 4800 is too small maybe consider the Brooks. Fully expanded, 7400 ci., but can be compressed down to as little as 1200 ci. I see one in my future and I hope the reality is as good as the intent. It seems like a very versatile system and will come in at a little over half the weight of my 5200 ci Kifaru. Time will tell I suppose.

If you get a Seek Outside any time soon let me know what you think. No one around here I know has one. I hear good things about their products, but mostly involving their floorless shelters and stoves.

 

[Leebob]

If you get a Seek Outside any time soon let me know what you think. No one around here I know has one. I hear good things about their products, but mostly involving their floorless shelters and stoves.

Will do. It won’t be super soon. I won’t be ordering before the end of the month and then I’m not sure what the lead time will be. As per WV Mountaineer above, research has revealed a good amount of praise for their product, but I will be going in blind as well. Fingers are crossed.