Backpack Month: Review of Stone Glacier's Sky 7400 + a chance to win one!

[robby denning]

Good job on the article, and (Rokslide staff) on the whole pack month series in general. Enjoyable reading. I'd like to see more objective data in these articles; things like packbag dimensions. As mentioned in the Exo article, cubic inch ratings are inherently fuzzy, and things like bag height and upper and lower circumference not only give a more concrete idea of size, but also provide feedback on how the designer choose to address various issues of pack performance.

Keep up the good work.

I'll pass that on to our writers, Thanks DaveC

 

[Muledeernv]

Solid review on the stone glacier pack thanks

 

[Matt W.]

Good job on the article, and (Rokslide staff) on the whole pack month series in general. Enjoyable reading. I'd like to see more objective data in these articles; things like packbag dimensions. As mentioned in the Exo article, cubic inch ratings are inherently fuzzy, and things like bag height and upper and lower circumference not only give a more concrete idea of size, but also provide feedback on how the designer choose to address various issues of pack performance.

Keep up the good work.

DaveC, PM me specifically what you are looking for. I'll get some measurements for you and provide an update here on the thread. You are probably not the only one who would want this info. Thanks!

 

[RCL]

Great review.
I have a SG Solo and at 5' 10" and 155# it was very easy to set up.
Quality is exceptional.

 

[Fishn4eyes]

I am loving these packs.

I have an Approach and a Solo and would welcome a Sky to the fleet!

Great gear for sure.

 

[ChrisS]

I don't have facebook, but I like the review and SG is definitely on my short list for the next pack.

I almost shed a tear the other night watching Ultimate Survival Alaska when Dallas Seavey tossed his SG pack in the river and lost it.

 

[keepitwiredtight]

High Country could you comment a little more on your bladder vs. Vapur bottle comments. Prons/cons, etc. What hassles did you experience with a bladder and the 7400? Why did you prefer the Vapurs? just a general inquiry. I'm thinking about getting an Archer 6200 and I currently run a bladder setup. Thanks.

 

[Matt W.]

High Country could you comment a little more on your bladder vs. Vapur bottle comments. Pros/cons, etc. What hassles did you experience with a bladder and the 7400? Why did you prefer the Vapurs? just a general inquiry. I'm thinking about getting an Archer 6200 and I currently run a bladder setup. Thanks.

I loved bladders, Camelbak, in particular when I mountain biked. I had a bladder specific pack, hose was right there, kept it out the mud. When I tried to transition a bladder to my pack I never really liked it. I went through Camelbak, Platypus, and found my favorite with the MSR Dromlite kit. However, a full bladder is heavy, and its bulky, and it can sometimes leak. I have also had a tube freeze on me a few times.

I got tried of always trying to fit a bladder somewhere that balanced out my load. When I bought my Stone Glacier I asked Kurt where he put his bladder. I figured he would have a great answer. He surprised me and said he did not use one. I asked for more info and he turned me onto the system I mentioned in the review. My buddy saw the set up in the garage, we never even made it the field, and he was convinced. We both ran that setup on our sheep hunt this year and each ran it on separate trips we did later in the fall. I'm sold on it.

Easy to shift weight around in the pack.
Convenient size
Light
Water maintains a good taste, no plastic taste (at least in first season)
Durable

I liked having the smaller Camelbak bottle because that was the bottle I used as my mixed liquid. I experimented with several of the various Wilderness Athlete powders and kept the Vaspur bottles for pure water only. Worked well for me. That 20oz size seemed to work perfect with the WA single use pouches.

Hope that helps!

 

[mcr-85]

Good write up. I want one of these.

 

[KH_bowfly]

Thanks for the write up. The toughest part looks like deciding which SG model to pick.

 

[Matt W.]

For those of you looking for measurements:
Height (extended) 37"
Width 12.75"
Depth 11.5"
Circumference 48.5"

Hope those were what you were looking for.

Thanks!

 

[keepitwiredtight]

Hope that helps!

Yes it did. Thank you much!

 

[5MilesBack]

Here's a shameless plug for a SG Solo bag I have for sale in the Classifieds. Good deal if you don't want or need a 7000+ cu in bag.

 

[robby denning]

No shame at all. Get her sold, that's what it's all about

 

[5MilesBack]

The SG system is very well designed. In fact, a few years ago I was designing my own pack to work the same way, and when I found SG I said "That's what I've been trying to accomplish". So I went ahead and bought the whole SG pack and accessories instead of working on my own. Here's a pic of the Krux frame with the Solo bag, and a dry bag sandwiched in between with my tent and bag strapped on as well. All my daypack gear is in the Solo bag, so all I have to do is drop the dry bag with camp supplies etc when I set up camp, and the SG is ready to roll in day hunt mode. The SG system is set up for this no matter what size bag you put on the Krux frame. Great design.

 

[Ramshead]

Over the years I have had packs that seemed to have more or less cubic inches than advertised. My SG 7400 seems about right, my Barneys which is rated at 6800 is more like 8000, and a buddy's brand name hunting pack is probably 1000 cubes short. Dan McHale has a helpful volume calculator as follows:
http://www.mchalepacks.com/ultralight/Detail Hi Rez Pages/Pack Volumes - Go Figure!.htm

 

[pika]

Any review on these packs is worth reading, I've switched from a great pack to an amazing pack, just received my SG 5100, have loaded it up primarily with my day hunting gear to break in. It's tough to get across how well a pack fits in a review but this frame fits amazing, not to mention the approximate 3.5 lbs weight saving. With bighorns and high country mule deer being my primary interest I think SG 7400 would work great on longer trips, certainly make it easier to stay out longer. I really like the bivy mode on these packs, just so streamlined, being in an area's prone to very high winds having the option to pull off the lid makes sense.

 

[GDinAK]

Thanks for the great review I have a sheep hunt this August and planning to give the 7400 a try!

 

[sheep.elk.moose fanatic]

Looking forward to seeing the pack at wssobc convention March 13th

 

[muleman]

My one real complaint with the Sky 7400 was the chest strap. It would twist slightly or come off the sliders if I was not careful with it. I'm not sure how this could be improved, but I was able to overcome the issues, it just required me to pay more attention to the sliding connections than I wanted to.

I don't understand the issues you are having with the chest strap. Almost exclusively, I have used the KRuX frame and various bags since mid 2013. It'd be hard giving up my Stone Glacier; it seems to be my lucky charm. I have been very fortunate to pack several animals out in 2013, 2014, and just recently a cow in January of this year. With my all my usage, what I call the chest strap has been a non issue for me. So I am intrigued by the problems you are having.

When you say the chest strap you mean the strap that roughly goes over your sternum and links the shoulder straps, right? Can you get a picture of the issue?