Kuiu Icon Pro

[Burnt Reynolds]

I have an older MR Marshall and while it's always served me well it's a bit heavy and frankly a little too "busy" for my tastes (straps and buckles everywhere), and not the best for simple day pack use.

Last year I bought an Icon Pro 3200 and only used it on one 7 day elk hunt from a base camp. Was just what I wanted in terms of weight, capacity, ease of use, etc.

My 2017 hunting is looking like this: Dall sheep in August, archery elk in Wyoming and/or Oregon in September.

I've been training with about 35lbs in the Marshall bag sandwhiched between the Kuiu frame & bag and have no problems, I'm thinking of buying an ultra 6000 bag for my Dall sheep hunt - question is: is that carbon frame all they say it is? I've read the internet horror stories about broken frames and don't want to be at 6k feet trying to sort a solution to a broken frame. I believe my frame is the latest generation; who's got a lot of experience with these in remote country and will vouch for it taking a pounding with heavy or awkward loads? I wouldn't say I'm suffering from a lack of confidence, but a boost never hurt

I don't want to buy a whole new pack and don't really want to take the MR. I've had no issues to-date with the kuiu frame but my example hasn't really "been there, done that".

 

[LongWayAround]

Mine has carried four big game animals out and hasn't broken. I have no reference for what a 'better' pack feels like with the same load.

I read the same horror stories after buying it and thus have some reservations against really loading it up for training heavy.

Queue the suggestion to just buy a kifaru...

 

[orionsbrother]

I picked up one of the Icons for really cheap back when they had problems with the carbon frame sheets breaking. I needed a new pack. Money was tight. I rolled the dice. The plan was to be careful to not overload the pack. The plan went out the window. The pack creaked, but got the job done.

I was worried about the carbon frame having been stressed and slipped a coupled of cut down carbon arrows into the frame tab or stay pockets for added strength. It has packed out another three elk and a couple of mule deer with no issues.

I was able to leg into a Kifaru via the classifieds here. My wife uses the Icon for family trips now. And I'll use it with the 1850 bag as a day pack in the future when we're base camped and can have an extra pack.

So you could pick up a 6000 bag for your Icon Pro. I don't think they've had problems with those frames. If you're still concerned about the frame, you might be able to beef it up like I did with my old Icon.

Or... you could watch the classifieds for a Kifaru pack...

 

[COlineman78]

Carbon Fiber's failure mode is way different than any other material. When you stress it to failure it won't necessarily break right then and there, but will create a major weak spot where the frame is allowed to bend more than it should. Some of the storied I've heard about the Icon frames breaking were people saying that they didn't even have the frame loaded down and were doing something like tying their shoe or something stupid. What really happened is they broke it on the load out on the trip before and it didn't completely fail until they put some shear stress on it the next trip. For the guy that is only packing out 1-2 animals a year and/or not loading it down with much more than 100lbs you should be fine for quite a while. As a precaution you may consider looking over the frame very closely before every trip to make sure you don't have any stress fractures.

Carbon fiber composites have a lot of strength along the plane of the sheet. Almost every aerospace application of carbon fiber does one of 2 things (both of which Kuiu did not do). Sandwich a material like wood or foam or create an enclosed tube or box-like structure. Either of which will add rigidity in the 3rd axis. This is why Kifaru's composite stays have wood laminate between the sheets of carbon fiber.

 

[doverpack12]

I have packed a lot of animals with both the original icon 1850 and now the icon pro 3200 version that was the first year they put the silicone on the lumbar pad. I have loaded both heavier than I even care to know the weight of. The load had to come out so I packed it and off I went. Original packed a raghorn bull 4 miles. Deboned the bull and left the skull intact because I like the European look. I took everything except the two fronts or a front and the back straps. My friend only had a badlands super day. He was able to take both of our bows. That pack hauled multiple deer also. Sold it went to EXO In 2014 and 2015 the. Back to icon pro starting last spring. Have packed a bear two elk and two deer along with lots of sheds and backpacking. Biggest load my dad shot a 370 bull and right before that I shot a nice mule deer. They died about 300 yards apart. My friend who also has an icon pro and has since 2014 season (still going strong) my dad and I made one big heavy trip out of there. I had the deer euro trimmed down, all of the deboned deer, elk hind ( biggest quarter I've ever seen on an elk), and front quarter and my usual dayhunt stuff comes in around 35 pounds before I eat my food and drink 4 liters of water. I might have had one side of the neck meat not positive on that though. Cut a bear in half this spring put it in a garbage bag and packed it. If I was you I would have no concerns about breaking the frame. A little athletic tape around the base in the pocket on the belt and on the shoulder strap T locks will take care of any noise. My elk this year was 5 miles in and my father in law has a slightly torn MCL so he kept his pack under 60 pounds. We made two trips out of there.

 

[Mrgreene92]

I have packed a lot of animals with both the original icon 1850 and now the icon pro 3200 version that was the first year they put the silicone on the lumbar pad. I have loaded both heavier than I even care to know the weight of. The load had to come out so I packed it and off I went. Original packed a raghorn bull 4 miles. Deboned the bull and left the skull intact because I like the European look. I took everything except the two fronts or a front and the back straps. My friend only had a badlands super day. He was able to take both of our bows. That pack hauled multiple deer also. Sold it went to EXO In 2014 and 2015 the. Back to icon pro starting last spring. Have packed a bear two elk and two deer along with lots of sheds and backpacking. Biggest load my dad shot a 370 bull and right before that I shot a nice mule deer. They died about 300 yards apart. My friend who also has an icon pro and has since 2014 season (still going strong) my dad and I made one big heavy trip out of there. I had the deer euro trimmed down, all of the deboned deer, elk hind ( biggest quarter I've ever seen on an elk), and front quarter and my usual dayhunt stuff comes in around 35 pounds before I eat my food and drink 4 liters of water. I might have had one side of the neck meat not positive on that though. Cut a bear in half this spring put it in a garbage bag and packed it. If I was you I would have no concerns about breaking the frame. A little athletic tape around the base in the pocket on the belt and on the shoulder strap T locks will take care of any noise. My elk this year was 5 miles in and my father in law has a slightly torn MCL so he kept his pack under 60 pounds. We made two trips out of there.

Why did you decide to go back to the icon from the exo? I have read nothing but great things about the exo.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

 

[todd kelly]

I think you have answered your own question...... If you already have doubts about it, why take a chance? I have never read a thread or post about a Kifaru owner not wanting to train with heavy weights cause it might damage the pack, or a MR owner mad cause the frame cracked while packing out a moose quarter, even SG has no complaints that I have found about stuff breaking on their packs.

I know there are lots of guys who like the kuiu pack and have had zero issues with them so far, but when your spending big $$$ on a hunt you should have no thoughts in the back of your head whether or not the gear you have will fail.

 

[Burnt Reynolds]

Thanks for the replies fellas. Right after I posted the op I watched the video of Jason from kuiu throwing his ultra down the cliff. Thinking I'll be just fine. And thanks for the tip on the squeak, I've been minorly annoyed by it. My training loop is 3.5 miles with 560 feet ascent in a single steep ass climb. I've been having to jog the last half mile (and soon more) to keep beating my time, pack rides well with the current load. Think I'll up the weight to 50lbs and go from there. And, as of my most recent impulse purchase yesterday a new pack is totally out of the hunt budget now lol.

 

[doverpack12]

Why did you decide to go back to the icon from the exo? I have read nothing but great things about the exo.

Sent from my SM-T350 using Tapatalk

The bag and layout drove me absolutely nuts. The frame, belt and shoulder straps were great, EXO as a company and customer service is great. I had a 2014 EXO 3500 and could never fit anywhere close to what I can in the Kuiu 3200. I upgraded to the 2015 5500 to get the floating lid and new shoulder harness attachment because my 2014 squeeked like no other. Still couldn't fit or get to much in the 5500 so I ended up running my water bladder between bag and frame which helped a little but still tough to fit stuff in and get to. For me it was just the bag layout mostly that I couldn't take. I waited to see what the daypack bag was and the horn hauler came out then the 2000 bag which I felt were both too small and I would have to buy them both and combine them to get the capacity I was looking for. I don't think my dislike of the EXO bags is limited to theirs. I just feel you loose easy access to the top portion of the bag with a side or back access. For day hunts and frequently getting in and out of the bag going through the top lid is just a pain and the side zip is tough to reach the far side of the main bag. With a horseshoe zipper you have full access either side of the bag and relatively easy to the bottom.

 

[Mrgreene92]

The bag and layout drove me absolutely nuts. The frame, belt and shoulder straps were great, EXO as a company and customer service is great. I had a 2014 EXO 3500 and could never fit anywhere close to what I can in the Kuiu 3200. I upgraded to the 2015 5500 to get the floating lid and new shoulder harness attachment because my 2014 squeeked like no other. Still couldn't fit or get to much in the 5500 so I ended up running my water bladder between bag and frame which helped a little but still tough to fit stuff in and get to. For me it was just the bag layout mostly that I couldn't take. I waited to see what the daypack bag was and the horn hauler came out then the 2000 bag which I felt were both too small and I would have to buy them both and combine them to get the capacity I was looking for. I don't think my dislike of the EXO bags is limited to theirs. I just feel you loose easy access to the top portion of the bag with a side or back access. For day hunts and frequently getting in and out of the bag going through the top lid is just a pain and the side zip is tough to reach the far side of the main bag. With a horseshoe zipper you have full access either side of the bag and relatively easy to the bottom.

Thanks for the input. I'm currently trying to decide between the two and this thread has given me more confidence to go with the 5200 for now.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

 

[Buglebrush]

I would definitely go Exo over Kuiu. 2017 Exo 3500 looks like it has a horseshoe zip.

 

[Benjblt]

I would definitely go Exo over Kuiu. 2017 Exo 3500 looks like it has a horseshoe zip.

I'm pretty sure that it just has side zippers.

That is the main thing that I like about Kuiu (I don't own one); they have that nice horseshoe zipper. I don't know why more companies don't do something more similar. I like Stone Glacier's Sky Talus and the middle zip but still not as much.

 

[bluetick78]

A killer pack that boasts a horseshoe zip is the Kifaru Mountain Warrior. A friend of mine that guides in Wyoming bought one a few years back after a Kuiu frame failure. He has it on a Duplex frame and loves it. I've been with him on some nasty long pack outs and I'm impressed by the weight it can handle and the ease of getting to any of your gear due to the horseshoe zip design. I just got my first "high end" pack, an Exo 3500, and I love the simplicity and compressability, but if it doesn't work for me then a Kifaru Mountain Warrior will be where I land next.

 

[Benjblt]

A killer pack that boasts a horseshoe zip is the Kifaru Mountain Warrior. A friend of mine that guides in Wyoming bought one a few years back after a Kuiu frame failure. He has it on a Duplex frame and loves it. I've been with him on some nasty long pack outs and I'm impressed by the weight it can handle and the ease of getting to any of your gear due to the horseshoe zip design. I just got my first "high end" pack, an Exo 3500, and I love the simplicity and compressability, but if it doesn't work for me then a Kifaru Mountain Warrior will be where I land next.

Is there a load shelf? Can you load meat between the pack and frame?

 

[tipsntails7]

Is there a load shelf? Can you load meat between the pack and frame?

No load shelf, although you could use a grab it. Any bag that detached from a frame for the most part can sandwich loads.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk