Lady frame and pack sizing advice?

[Arctic_Beaver]

I picked up a SG X-Curve frame and 40/56 bag for my girlfriend a few months ago for our hunting and backpacking trips. I have a SG X-curve also and thought it would be good if we could both use and swap different bags. She was using a loaner mens Arcteryx pack from me that was a little big previously. It turns out that the longer stays (26") and frame height of the X-Curve are obviously too tall, causing her head to have to cant forward and putting pressure/tension on upper back. When she initially tried the pack on after we received it, I suspected this might be the case and confirmed during a backpacking trip last weekend.

What are some similar options that have worked for other female hunters here? For reference she is 5'4". I was considering the Kifaru Ultralite Frame, 24" stays and short shoulder strap length. I'm not sure what bag option would be best, I would tend towards lighter and simple like I tried with the SG EVO 40/56. I also saw Mystery Ranch makes a women's specific Metcalf, which seems a tad heavy for the bag capacity. The other consideration was just to stick to a general backpacking brands like Osprey or Arcteryx, but those obviously don't have a meat shelf and the bag size is smaller than comparable mens packs. So she would have to just load up on camp gear and I pack meat. Any other ideas or recommendations?

Bag size would ideally be 5000-6500 cubic inches. A meat shelf would be a plus. This would be for backpack caribou, black bear and (possibly) goat hunts someday.

 

[bobr1]

I tried to get my wife to fit with several bags and companies. We just couldn't find one that fit her right. She tried the Womens mystery ranch and it fit her very well. I think they only make a few womens only size but it did actually fit her much better. That's just my experience, YMMV.

 

[MuleyFever]

My wife is 5'4, I think, and uses a small/small KUIU Icon Pro. The best option may be to go to some outdoor retailers and try the packs made for women.

 

[wind gypsy]

Am I the only one that saw this thread an thought "Artic_Beaver" might be a lady and found it comical?

 

[Jagger0502]

my wife just got the MR woman’s metcalf. She has been hiking with it and does like it but I can tell the frame is still a little big for her at 5’4” and a fused disk in her back making her back very straight but once we got it adjusted correctly she is doing fine. The only difference in the mens and woman’s is the shoulder straps which are thinner and curve a little around her chest. At first she had trouble and pain in her shoulder but we had the load straps to tight. We have not had a very heavy load in it yet to really test it out.

the other packs we were looking at were the seek outside packs. I think they would have worked out very well due to the size and weight. I read a lot of good reviews on them and talked to a few people that love them. They are simple which I liked and seemed to fit people with a straight back and shorter torso better than most. Plus the price is great for what you get.

I have the SG 5900 on the xframe and she doesn’t like it much but it’s also not sized for her so take that with a grain of salt. I love the SG, think it’s the best pack out there for me.

 

[Fatcamp]

My wife has the women's Pintler. She likes it.

 

[elkhunter505]

I am around that size and am currently using a 22” frame from Kifaru. Thing is with Kifaru the stay length is what they advertise, the actual length of the frame from top to bottom is about 1” longer for every frame. My inseam is 30” and I’m around 155 or 160 and the small belt is almost too big. Could go for an in between size. I am 100% certain I will be getting a 24” duplex lite in the coming years if they don’t bring out another new frame before I order. My head does hit the frame when I look uphill at an extreme angle but it’s not bad at all. I also think with the sharp curvature at the top of the lite frame that may help a little more. Also exo makes a 24 inch frame now that is for sure a 24” and it also allows you to add height to it for pack outs with end caps. Just a few options. I just like the Kifaru bags for the exterior options.

 

[elkhunter505]

You could also look for an old Markhor and add a guide lid and some pockets to it to get around that size rating. That is the lightest bag I know of. If you want something new, a muskeg 5000 or a hoodlum would probably be your best option for similar efficiency to the 40/56 rather than the bells and whistles of some of the other bags

 

[Dexter Grayson]

My Wife is 5' tall, she settled on a Women's Gregory. Its bright blue but its been a really good pack for her!

 

[wesfromky]

I think going with a women's specifc backpacking pack might be best, as there is more to the fit changes for women than just stay length. If you want to stay with a "hunting" company, then the Kifaru 22" with any number of their bags would work. As is always mentioned, call and talk to them and they might be able to give you more solid advice.

As a PS, I have a Kifaru 22' frame and like it better than the 24" I had, though I am not hauling heavy loads. Woodsman, 22mag, or Stryker might be bags to look at, though I think all the bags will fit any of the current frames.

 

[eatonc926]

I’m 5’7” and run an SG x-curve frame with a small hip belt. It fits me really well it took a little bit of testing and changing the shoulder straps to get it to fit right. But now I love it. I had issues with finding ones to fit me as well, had tried MR and other options. Luckily I live in MT and was able to goto SG and have them give me a hand with the fit.

 

[motts]

My wife is using an Exo K2 with a small belt I bought myself to compare to the SG X-curve (I was going to sell it until she asked if she could try it out). She's only used it for a couple of hike in fly fishing trips at this point, but finds it much more comfortable than the women's specific Osprey she was previuosly using.

It would be helpful if Exo - or all pack companies for that matter - made a narrower shoulder harness for women, as this is the only area where there's still a little room for improvement with regard to how it fits her. She's also 5'4" and about 120lbs for reference. It took about an afternoon of loading the pack up with some weight, making adjustments, and having her wear it around the backyard to get the fit dialed in.

 

[sndmn11]

@KickinNDishin is 5' and a no extension Seek Outside revolution frame fits her well.

 

[280rem]

Just got my wife the MR Pintler. Just came yesterday. Initial thoughts are she loves it! I was impressed with women’s strap sizing and cut. It looks to me perfect and I would think she will continue to love it.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Kifaru 22" with a 22 Mag

 

[duchntr]

Take a look at SO's divide 4500. My wife uses a unaweep 6300 with stock height 24" stays and likes it. The extra capacity yet light weight allows her to carry all the light bulky items, tent, sleeping bags, clothes food and I hump the meat. She has also used a few ospreys the last was an Ariel 75?, all fit well but they cubed out too fast.

 

[Jauwater]

Look into the Hill People Gear Decker Frame. The harness has alot of strap for Torso adjustment. Also, the harness can allow for the pack to ride far off from your shoulders by loosening the load lifters a bit. Which would get the frame away from her head a little, allowing her to look around better, say if your heading up a steep incline. I attached a blurry pic (still shot from a video), trying to show the separation of harness and frame that I'm mentioning. Pull on the load lifters and the frame will suck up tight to your back. Or let them loose and the frame will ride far off your back. I bet she could find that sweet spot, were the frame would ride comfortably without affecting her shoulders or head movement.

They also have the Aston House Backcountry pack with 22" stays. Wouldnt be the better option for hauling meat though. The decker has a meat self.

Sent from my SM-S205DL using Tapatalk

 

[couesbitten]

My wife uses the 22" Kifaru frame and if I remember correctly, a 44 Mag bag.

 

[rfgreenwell]

My 5'-2" wife uses a Kifaru 22" with a Woodsman. We had to have kifaru shorten a set of shoulder straps by 4" to get her 15" torso dialed in. Fits her fine. The Woodsman is big enough to carry all the bulk she needs and all the weight she can carry.

 

[Yaada_205]

My 5'-2" wife uses a Kifaru 22" with a Woodsman. We had to have kifaru shorten a set of shoulder straps by 4" to get her 15" torso dialed in. Fits her fine. The Woodsman is big enough to carry all the bulk she needs and all the weight she can carry.

When having Kifaru shortened the shoulder straps, was this a customizing option that they offer or you had to pay extra?