Tarptent's are great. I had the same concerns about trekking poles vs. regular poles. I had read that Tarptent's poles were a bit bendy, so I went with some carbon poles from http://www.rutalocura.com/ . Super light and strong.
I ran the 5500. If you are doing all three, the Exo is a great pack. It is light, comfortable, will haul a load ... and then will compress down as small as you want for day hunting or whitetail hunting. The other nice thing is you can get the frame, and then get a large bag and a small bag...
What is said above is accurate. One time I didn't like a feature, and they made me a whole new custom bag for free. Not kidding. I was amazed!! That said, I hated the many times I had to send in things for zipper or seam repair. Still, my 2200 and 2800 were the most comfortable day packs I...
What kind of elk hunt? Basecamp? Spike Camp? Bivy? If you do a basecamp, just get a Badlands 2200. If you are doing spike camp or a bivy camp, consider the better packs. I personally use an Exo for whitetail, and then let my brother use it for our elk hunts.
It depends on you. Packs are like boots, it all depends on how they fit your body. I have both Kifaru and Exo. I'm not sure I'd pay the extra $150, but that is because they both work for me. Having said that, I find myself reaching for the Kifaru frame for elk each time. Both fantastic pack...
I'd say first, with no load. Just putting the frame on the floor and flexing it side to side, like you would if you had the pack on and were turning and looking back while still facing forward. Then let's say at 50 lbs, a typical pack-in load.
@joshdidthis. I used the fabric from Camo Fabric Depot last year. The cordura itself was ok, pretty much like all the 500D Cordura I have used from other sources. But the PU coating didn't appear to be very substantial at all. That said, I do really like their A-tacs iX pattern a lot.
Pods8, that is a great offer. I'll inbox you. I have used both x-pac and 500d cordura before. I haven't used the 330d cordura faced x-pac. So a couple of questions for you.
1. I've read that x-pac can delaminate relatively fast. Any insight on that?
2. Any insight into the cordura sold...