different price range packs

[Robertsj22]

can anyone explain what makes a stone glacier,exo, or kirafu pack better than say a seek outside, or a crooked horn or a cabelas pack. Im just looking for a pack to haul a quartered up whitetail or an elk quarter. I might pack in for a few days but thats years off for right now.

 

[tttoadman]

The interchangeability of components is a big deal. The narrow form fitting profile of these high end packs makes them disappear during hunting. If I was whitetail hunting in a just a short distance, I don't think i would worry so much about it. The Cabelas guide pack is pretty nice fitting and seems like it would be fine for short distances.

 

[Kevin_t]

can anyone explain what makes a stone glacier,exo, or kirafu pack better than say a seek outside, or a crooked horn or a cabelas pack. Im just looking for a pack to haul a quartered up whitetail or an elk quarter. I might pack in for a few days but thats years off for right now.

Excuse me, and maybe I am biased , but I would argue that our packs (Seek Outside) can stand toe to toe with any of them. We use as good if not better materials.
You can change out bags with our packs as well.

 

[Robertsj22]

not trying to offend at all i was just grouping by price range.

 

[boom]

the fabric: it's made of unicorn hair collected by wood nymphs ONLY during the winter month' dew covered mornings...then it is dried by naked forest elfs blowing on it.

the result..80 lbs feels like 40.

 

[bmart2622]

USA made, military grade products, R&D, versatility, modularity....

 

[boom]

to be serious..i dont think pricing reflects everything. well, some, not everything. business folks call it "prestige pricing".. they have an effen term for it!! basically, it means if it is expensive, it must be good. something like that.

the pack i carry and love is damn near half the price of the bag that sits hanging in my garage..the one i cant sell, because i promised my wife it was the best damn pack on the planet. i feel quite stupid buying it. because packs are like boots..there is one for everyone..hope the one for you isnt one of the high end ones..

 

[deerhunter628]

I have a Kifaru and love it. They truley are good but i think it is also a status piece. I think for what you are talking about, and for what i do for that matter, my Badlands 2200 works great. Not saying they are as good as Kifaru.

 

[doncarpenter]

can anyone explain what makes a stone glacier,exo, or kirafu pack better than say a seek outside, or a crooked horn or a cabelas pack. Im just looking for a pack to haul a quartered up whitetail or an elk quarter. I might pack in for a few days but thats years off for right now.

I can't speak for crooked horn or cabelas but Seek Outside makes an extremely comfortable and light pack. Everyone raves about Kifarus belt, and rightly so, it is one of the best I have ever tried, but the seek ouside belt is my favorite by some margin. The padding is generous, but not too soft and it just stays put. No slipping or shifting and no re-tightening. The frame also has the benefit of being height adjustable, which I think is greatly beneficial for a whitetail hunter, short and compact when the full frame height isn't needed. They are actually the only manufacturer that you mentioned that has such a system. I would urge you to give Seek Outside a phone call as I am sure they have something that will fit your hunting style.

Just for full disclosure, I have no affiliation with any company. I just like to try different gear and I am currently running a Stone Glacier X-curve, which is a little too much frame for me for whitetail hunting.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

 

[oldgoat]

Resale value on Kifaru is insane, 25# in it, feels like an almost empty Badlands 2200 and it's adjustable down to the minute degree. It makes a difference, as far as the price, well there's a lot of ways to save up the money, I work extra overtime, take my lunch, drive an older truck. You sometimes get what you pay for, do you buy the cheapest bow, gun, or whatever gear you buy. I speak for Kifaru because that's what use, live a couple miles from them and are friends with some of them, it's easy to stop by for help etc, I'm sure the other top tier packs are awesome too but I'm sold on Kifaru!

 

[DWP51]

Being Berry compliant makes a big difference... every little thing on the pack is made in the USA, sourced in the USA, down to the materials.

Beyond that versatility is a large factor also.

I only have experience with Mystery Ranch and Kifaru packs, but I would list the top tier hunting packs as Kifaru, Stone Glacier, Mystery Ranch, Exo, and Seek Outside. In no particular order. Within my list of top tier packs it really boils down to a few things that are different with each person: fit, wants, specific needs, bag layout, aesthetics, and brand familiarity/ loyalty.

In order to save some $ one could get a very good backpack that is marketed to backpackers not hunters... either new or used. That would save some dough.

 

[Robertsj22]

maybe i should throw this out there where does a badlands pack or an eberlystock fit in

 

[wesfromky]

I will also add that I have been buying Kifaru gear for the last year and a half or so not just for the reasons below, but also because they support a solid social media/podcast presence, and I have picked up a ton of great info via Kifarucast / Grittybowman.

Being Berry compliant makes a big difference... every little thing on the pack is made in the USA, sourced in the USA, down to the materials.

Beyond that versatility is a large factor also.

...Within my list of top tier packs it really boils down to a few things that are different with each person: fit, wants, specific needs, bag layout, aesthetics, and brand familiarity/ loyalty.
.

 

[deerhunter628]

maybe i should throw this out there where does a badlands pack or an eberlystock fit in

They are good entry level packs. Good for somebody just getting into backpacks. My badlands 2200 works great as a daypack and great for my whitetail hunts. I would say great for 60lbs and less.

 

[mlevimadden]

Put 80 lbs in a badlands, sitka, tenzing, eberlestock and hike for 2 miles. Then move the weight over to a kifaru, exo, seek outside, stone glacier pack and hike another 2 miles. You'll see why they cost twice as much.

I did this last year with my buddy on a black bear hunt and we traded packs (exo and sitka) both with 70 lbs in them. It wasn't even close. Another buddy had a Tenzing and we split his cow elk on one mile pack-out. The tenzing couldn't even keep the bone-in quarters strapped in, let alone carry the weight well. Another cow elk hunt with a 2 mile pack-out and another guy with a badlands pack was miserable with 3/4 of the weight and broke the hanging strap on the badlands putting it on.

The cost difference isn't worth it to everyone, and you shouldn't let not being able to afford a top-tier pack keep you from hunting. But there is a performance and comfort difference between the price levels.

 

[LaGriz]

"The cost difference isn't worth it to everyone, and you shouldn't let not being able to afford a top-tier pack keep you from hunting. But there is a performance and comfort difference between the price levels."

Well put. I have used a Horn Hunter full curl that I picked up at reasonable price in 2013 - Swapped out the hip belt to an EXO and have a much more comfortable rig. The mods cost more than I hoped and I might have been better off just going with a "high End" used pack from the start.

The HH full curl is nice for strapping odd sized loads and would be good for shed hunting. My buddy just uses a external frame, dry bag and a day pack. He likes the aluminum pack frame over a interal frame pack as a preferred pack out tool. He also packs in a lock-on stand with it on occasion to position over a water hole. He will cash the frame near by an travel in and out with a day pack. There is a weight penalty doing this but it is vestal. This friend is self-employed living in a high tax state in the North East. With limited funds he only gets to hunt the west every couple of years. This cat is one tough and determined hunter and woodsman. He trained by trapping and hiking a local ski hill each night after work. He killed elk on his first 3 DIY archery hunts in Colorado in a OTC unit. The elk were all taken with a recurve bow including a dandy 6X6 that scored nearly 330! Very old school as he still shoots aluminum arrows with Bear Green heads. LaGriz

 

[MTSabo]

I tried a kifaru pack but ended up with a seek outside revolution. For me the seek outside pack was way more comfortable. I compared each over the course of a few days hauling 95 lbs. I couldn't be happier with my purchase.

 

[duchntr]

First, the SO packs are and should be considered a top tier pack. Ive used (actually packed animals not just internet animals) with kifaru,MR and SO packs. For me the SO pack fits/carries heavy loads best, which is my primary concern. And as far as bag design/layout and aesthetics that is a secondary concern for me, if thats your primary concern pack bag layout and selection most certainly go to kifaru imo. All 3 pack manufactures make a quality product that you would probably be happy with and are better by leaps and bounds then anything your going to find at cabelas.

 

[Trial153]

SO is up there with the best of them. No doubt at all.

 

[colersu22]

I got an email from Seek Outside the other day saying they are going to start having First Lite Cypher as a com option for packs too.