Are Kifaru,Exo and Stone Glacier that much better?

[BeaverHunter]

Quick background so my question makes sense. I Hunted with an external frame pack frame for years then broke down and bought an Eberlestock Dragonfly pack about 10 years ago and the difference when packing out and animal was drastic. Last year I finally upgraded to a Mystery Ranch Marshall that's a couple years old(Nice Frame). Packed out a moose and couple elk with it and the difference between that and my Eberlestock was drastic. So much better. When meat is loaded on the meat shelf it's much more comfortable then hanging down low like on my Eberlestock.

So back to my original question: Is upgrading to a Kifaru or an Exo or Stone Glacier that much better than my current Mystery Ranch? Packed out my elk this year with my buddy who runs a Kifaru and he was never leaned over and seemed much more comfortable than me. But that could be because hes built like a linebacker and I'm 6'0 170 pounds and built much more lean(but in good shape). They(kifaru, Exo, Stone Glacier) seem to have a cult like following and everybody I talk to that has them seems to like them. Im not afraid to spend the money if they are an improvement over my current set up. Thoughts?

 

[HoytHunter24]

At that point i think it is personal preference. Most people place Mystery Ranch right up with those others you mention. If it works for you I wouldn't change it. If you have the money and want to see what else is out there, go ahead and try. I went from the same dragon fly to a Kuiu Icon Pro (which was a huge upgrade) and then went to a EXO. Not a huge difference I just like the hip belt better.

 

[md126]

Short answer... yes

All packs are more or less the same until you put some weight in them and chew up some mileage. MR packs are good but not in the same league as Exo, Kifaru, and SG.

 

[backcountryshaffer]

IF the structure can support the load...once you put the weight in it, it's all about fit. If you have any of those brands mentioned that doesn't provide a proper fit it won't work well. I sold an Exo to a buddy who loves it and bought a 26" Kifaru with flat back stays that fits me. If your MR doesn't fit you perfectly then it won't ride as well as it could and you'll suffer. I love my Kifaru's but I'm not going to tell you they are better. I have just learned how to make them fit me. You can probably get your MR to fit you better with some help and possible tweaking.

 

[WYCFM1]

If you hunt every year and ever have extra money for a pack or boots and can still afford to go hunting that year. A pack as comfortable as a kifaru is a huge must. Obviously good boots are a must also. The problem is that once you have higher end gear you pry will always buy more and never touch the lower end pack again. That’s how my body feels. I’m 22 and owning a kifaru I hope I never back pack for 7 days at 57 lbs in a lower end pack again...Ever. Cuz it was already pretty rugged with my 44 mag and duplex lite frame. I’m 5,11 155lbs and packed out my spike with one buddy one trip and it was ok. The only thing that hurt was butt muscles uphill and the skin around my hips took a beating. It’s definitely a world of difference In my experience

 

[Browninglover1]

Does your NICE frame have the lift kit? And have you made sure the load lifters are positioned properly on the shoulder straps? My pack wasn't feeling as comfortable as I remembered and upon a little investigation I found my load lifter straps had slid backwards and were effectively behind my shoulder. I slid them back forward to the proper location and the pack rode perfect again.

Each body type will be a little different with which pack feels best for you. I've really enjoyed my MR but I plan on trying out a Kifaru next year because I love the company and I really enjoy all their bag offerings.

 

[BeaverHunter]

I guess I didn't explain myself clearly. I am not uncomfortable with my Mystery Ranch but when I pack a heavy load I can feel it for sure. I feel I have it fitted to me correctly (right yoke and waist belt and adjusted the frame per Mystery Ranch instructions) But I thought the external pack frame pack and then my Eberlestock pack were awesome until I upgraded. Guess I'm trying to find out if anybody has had a Mystery Ranch and then went to a higher end pack(stone Glacier, Kifaru, Exo) and noticed a big difference in comfort while packing heavy loads especially. Hope this makes sense.

 

[realunlucky]

Why don't you try your buddies pack and find out?

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[easilyamused]

So my personal experience would say that yes it is a big difference and worth the cost. I had a mystery ranch nice frame with the lift kit and at 50+ lbs the kifaru is worlds better for me. In fact my buddy had a mystery ranch guide lite and after I got my kifaru we swapped packs on a training hike (50lbs in each pack) and we didnt get more than 50 yards before he decided to sell the mystery ranch and buy a kifaru. Im sure a stone glacier or exo would give you a similar type of experience but I havent tried either of those, but I will always recommend a Kifaru to anybody who asks.

 

[BeaverHunter]

Why don't you try your buddies pack and find out?

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Not a bad idea, but he's a lot different size and shape than me so I don't know how it would fit. He lives 500 miles away and about the only time we see each other is hunting season. And I don't think he will swap me when were packing out a bull or buck.

 

[Farmingdale's Finest]

I guess I didn't explain myself clearly. I am not uncomfortable with my Mystery Ranch but when I pack a heavy load I can feel it for sure. I feel I have it fitted to me correctly (right yoke and waist belt and adjusted the frame per Mystery Ranch instructions) But I thought the external pack frame pack and then my Eberlestock pack were awesome until I upgraded. Guess I'm trying to find out if anybody has had a Mystery Ranch and then went to a higher end pack(stone Glacier, Kifaru, Exo) and noticed a big difference in comfort while packing heavy loads especially. Hope this makes sense.

I don’t have any first hand knowledge of anything other than MR packs but I know Aron Snyder has been quoted on the Gritty Bowman podcast that when someone doesn’t fit in the Kifaru pack they recommend they try MR packs first because they tend to fit most people and they are very durable. He also praised SG packs as good but haven’t heard him say use it over another like he has MR.


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[Perrin713]

Two years of using a Eberlestock X2 in Montana and constantly having shoulder and back pains from hiking around. Soon as I added on mule deer or elk meat talk about pain. Just upgraded to. Kifaru frame and Muskeg bag. The attention to quality is insane. I haven’t had a chance to use the pack yet but in a few weeks I’ll be back in Montana.

 

[Kotaman]

I've owned several packs from MR, Kifaru, SG and EXO. To say MR is inferior to these three is just plain wrong. I prefer Kifaru and SG to the other two, but to say any of these is "better" than the other is blowing smoke. What's best, is what works for you.

 

[bojangles808]

if your pack works with a heavy load i wouldnt i change it until you try one of those other with a load. a lot of it is fit and personal preference and what youve used in the past. i shot a buck down in a hole and had a miserable packout as the kuiu pack i had kept slipping and not holding the weight where it needed to be. dont know if it was the pack or more my body type but all i could think about was selling the thing on the pack out because it was so uncomfortable and not a good fit for ME. upgraded to an exo and that was ok until i had a similar experience with a load and the belt slipping and then said screw it im going to upgrade once and for all ordered both a kifaru and SG and kept the one that felt best with 90 lbs loaded in it. (SG). thats just me though

 

[bsnedeker]

Kifaru packs have a badass Rhino on them. End of discussion!

 

[x.enigmatic.x]

Disclaimer: Never ran an Exo or SG... sorry, can’t attest to their performance, but I’m sure it is very good as I’ve never really heard anything bad about them. Many guys here have probably ran all 3.

I’m lean like you... 6’0” and 175. I’ve had a general pack progression: Badlands 2200, KUIU Icon Pro (Gen 2 frame), MR NICE Crewcab, and now Kifaru for the past 4 years.

For me, the frame, belt/ lumbar pad and suspension system on the Kifaru has been incredible. Even without “success weight”, essentially daily hunt weight, the Kifaru keeps me so much more comfortable in the field. Under the heavy loads, the distribution of the Kifaru was unmatched (compared to the packs listed above). I’ve had two hunting partners and now one co-worker switch to a Kifaru setup and they all agree, it is next level.

I love the modularity of the Kifaru over the Exo... lots of options to add pockets or pouches and tons of bags to choose from. Not sure how much you can cram in an Exo, but I’ve done boned out mule deer (with head) in one trip, then both a front/ hind quarter (bone in) of a mature bull in my Kifaru. That’s some great expansion and includes my daily use gear in it as well.

I only swear by two products to people... Swaro optics and Kifaru packs. I feel like a lot of the rest is personal preference and fit/ feel to the individual. Guess the same could hold true with packs, but everyone I know who has tried my Kifaru, has ordered one and never looked back.




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[jspradley]

If you are carrying more than 40lb, yes.

 

[150plusB&C]

Yep. You’ll dugout out like EVERYONE else


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[hammer0419]

Features and just high quality are obviously important. HOWEVER, the biggest feature with these high end packs are.... They are NOT "one size fits some." They are offered in multiple sizes and configurations. A great fit and comfort are just so important. There is no price tag on that!!

 

[EmperorMA]

I have had and worked with all of them. Kifaru was heavy and by far the most uncomfortable of all, even with as little as 30 lbs inside. With 60, Kifaru is unbearable for me. This is with being fit by someone very well-respected.

Stone Glacier packs are nice and light, but by the time you add everything on to give them the organization of some of the others, they are no longer lighter than the base packs of some of their competitors and they cost quite a bit more. I will say that up to 50 lbs, SG is hard to beat for me.

EXO makes nice packs that fit me well. No add ons needed for the most part but I can see where some would. Again, great for hunting and moving around but not my fave over 50 lbs.

I really disliked Mystery Ranch NICE frames but am ok with the Guide Light which replaced it. It carried closer and handled weight well enough for me to have good mobility with 60 lbs. The newest Guide Light MT frame works extremely well for me and I’ve packed 80 lbs easily in the Sawtooth. I feel like I can run a marathon with that much weight on my back!

Seek Outside might be my favorite of all. It rides close, tight, gives me maximum mobility and is lightweight but also lets me haul up to 60 lbs quite comfortably. That’s about all I like to carry these days.

Bottom line is that what works for me may or may not work for you. I’d rather have my fingernails pulled out with pliers than wear a Kifaru for even 30 minutes, yet others here love them. I can pretty much schlep 80 lbs all day in a new Mystery Ranch Guide Light MT pack, and I feel like I can almost fly in a Seek Outside Peregrine. Stone Glacier packs also make me happy and if I were looking at a non-hunting pack where I didn’t need to purchase a bunch of extra pockets and accessories, SG might be the way I’d go.

One thing I can say for certain is that you definitely shouldn’t be using the term “upgrade” for any of these packs over any of the others. It’s all about what works for you, and figuring that out just costs a shit-ton of money.