Seek outside Goshawk

[stevie]

Received my Goshawk on the 24th. So far I like it. As noted very strappy and no large conversion buckle. I have reviewed all the videos and things are starting to make sense. I have been out of large game hunting and backpacking for over 30 years, so I am trying to learn all the new advancements in equipment.

I received a Kifaru duplex lite with woodsman bag a couple weeks ago, so I have been using light weigh 20 pounds until I can gradually work up to heavier loads. I loaded up the goshawk and it does seem more comfortable but I still need to work out the fitting a bit. The woodman was pretty much spot on when received.

Time will tell which one I will like better once I put on a few more miles and add some additional weight.

 

[RockChucker30]

ITW Nexus quit making the 4 to 1 center buckle, so we have limited stock. We originally shipped all packs with them, but due to the circumstance they are by request only.

Strappy kind of is what it is. For heavy awkward loads you need the straps to control everything. For a day load they're too much. Take straps off if you're not using them and put them back on if needed.

IMO the straps don't matter if the pack is worn, except in high winds. In wind I tuck them under to keep the tail ends from flapping. Some people like strapkeepers on them.

 

[stevie]

ITW Nexus quit making the 4 to 1 center buckle, so we have limited stock. We originally shipped all packs with them, but due to the circumstance they are by request only.

Strappy kind of is what it is. For heavy awkward loads you need the straps to control everything. For a day load they're too much. Take straps off if you're not using them and put them back on if needed.

IMO the straps don't matter if the pack is worn, except in high winds. In wind I tuck them under to keep the tail ends from flapping. Some people like strapkeepers on them.

Following your advice, removed straps not really need for light loads. Removed my lid, talon and lumbar pad. Removing the lumbar pad made a big improvement in comfort at least for my light loads.

I can see the advantages to the gatekeepers, very easy to use.

 

[Halleywood]

I've had my Goshawk for a month now and I have to say I love the gatekeepers so far. From my perspective, and while it is "strappy" like all the high end packs, I like how there are gatekeepers on both ends so you can in effect cut the length of the excess strap in half by tightening both ends. Instead of having a foot of strap to deal with there is 6" hanging from both ends.

I've only walked around the house with between 20 and 80# in it. Originally I ordered it without the lumbar pad. It was fine until I got over 60# in it. Anything over that and I got pain in my upper glute area. I got the pad and it's been super comfortable since. It's 0 degrees here so I think I'm going to take it outside and play around with the pack a bit to gauge the noisiness of the Xpac fabric in cold temps. That's the only thing that I'm unsure of with the pack. Everything else is money so far. I can't wait to get it out hunting next spring.

 

[DanColorado]

How did you all decide on a pack? I am looking at the Goshawk as well as the Stone Glacier Evo 3300 and the Kuiu Ultra 4000. I am struggling with a few elements of buying a pack before I can try it on.

I know you can't really get a good gauge of a pack until you have weight and go for a long walk but it still is nice to be able to hold 40# for 20 minutes to get a rough idea. My other concern is belt size as I seem to be smack in the middle of sizes for Seek Outside and Kuiu, which could be an issue all layered up for late season vs the warm weather for archery on the front range. Similarly for the warm weather I can't tell if the ventilation is any good on any of these for the warmer days (I tend to sweat a lot).

Thoughts? Suggestions?

 

[RockChucker30]

I know you can't really get a good gauge of a pack until you have weight and go for a long walk but it still is nice to be able to hold 40# for 20 minutes to get a rough idea. My other concern is belt size as I seem to be smack in the middle of sizes for Seek Outside and Kuiu, which could be an issue all layered up for late season vs the warm weather for archery on the front range. Similarly for the warm weather I can't tell if the ventilation is any good on any of these for the warmer days (I tend to sweat a lot).

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Try before you buy is a challenge when you're a relatively small run manufacturer of very high end gear with limited retail presence. We address that with a good return policy. Buy it, keep it clean, put it though its' paces, and return it within 30 days if it doesn't work. I will say that our folks do a good job of working through fit issues if there are any.

Belt sizing - I'm a 34 pant, can wear a medium or large. I prefer the large most of the time, except for hot summer backpacking or archery elk when I may drop several pounds. The longer belt will wrap the points of the hips better and is usually more comfortable, the drawback is if you shrink down on a long trip you can run out of adjustment.

On ventilation....I grew up in Tennessee. At 92° and 80+% humidity ventilation doesn't matter. I'll sweat through my shirt whether I'm wearing a pack or not. The trampoline style frames that supposedly create great ventilation also shift the load away from your body which is usually terrible for comfort with bigger loads. So I guess I'm kind of a nonbeliever in ventilated packs.