Mystery Ranch Metcalf vs Exo Mtn. Gear 3600

[gigglyal225]

I have the ability to buy both of these at a reduced cost and was curious about opinions on the packs. Will mainly be using the pack for normal backpacking while also using it every once in a while for hunting.

Mystery Ranch Metcalf: $288

Exo Mtn. Gear 3600: $600

 

[Tdonat]

I’ve had both and ultimately wound up keeping the exo, they’re both great packs but the exo carries weight for me a bit better. The mystery ranch puts more weight on your lower back/hips where as the exo sits on your upper hip bones which seems to transfer the weight a little bit better for me. The exo also packs down into a smaller package if you’re going light and don’t need to stuff it full of things. The hip belt/lumbar pad is quite a bit more comfortable for me as well.
Don’t get me wrong, the Mystery Ranch packs are great and I had my last one for 10 years but there’s definitely some upgrades on the exo that are worth the extra money in my opinion.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

For those prices, HARD to avoid the MR. It will be heavier, over-built, somewhat feature rich, but less specialized than the Exo. Niether is a wrong answer. MR has kind of lagged on the hunting front as far as development goes (and they are HORRIBLE about making changes and obsoleting previous systems and bags) but is certainly trying some new tricks with outdoor packs. Their overall pack weight is somewhat mitigated by their ability to control how that weight is distributed to your body well. Their explination of their approach is helpful to understanding "why" they do things the way they do: (https://www.mysteryranch.com/load-carriage-architecture-of-a-mystery-ranch-pack). Their hip belts are more padded and narrow, while exo/SG/kifaru are generally thinner/wider. I find I like the approach of spreading the load out more as far as contact area between the suspension and my body. But I also absolutely love the MR padding. I've found their packs are warmer to wear against your body (ie they don't breath well when on due to how they build their suspension contact points).

Is all that required? Up for debate. For me personally, the stone glacier suspension system is WAY simpler than MR and has worked really well carrying heavy weight. I think you'd find the same for Exo. Much better than my old MR Nice frame (lift kit modified). One thing Exo does is offer a lot of different stay heights depending on your torso length, which is a really nice customization feature for your body.

 

[Kurts86]

I had a Metcalf and switched to an Exo K2 3500 and never looked back.

The MR are packs are heavy for what they are and don’t have great organization. They carry weight just fine but they just aren’t as nice and refined as an Exo. I don’t like the overseas made MR fabric compared to the US made NICE series but it’s also never been a problem. It is lighter between the fabric and NICE to Guidelite Frame.

Mystery ranch IS a great value in a pack in that it’s capable of carrying heavy loads at half the street price of an Exo/SG/Kifaru. Lots of packs at MR’s price point are just wasted money.

The Exo packs are as minimal as you can get without sacrificing things you need to operate efficiently or compromise load carrying capacity.