Sitka pants have been a go to for me. I have run kryptek, FL, Kuiu, Sitka and Sitka by far fits the best through the thighs. I am 6' 230 and have tree trunks for thighs. The Sitka pants have all been comfortable through the legs and have all withstood seasons of abuse.
Some Stalkasins would definitely handle that problem. I have used some of those Vibram toe shoes and that was great for allowing grip in steeper terrain.
Kuiu is nice in that it's light and simple so hunting is really nice without the extra weight. Additionally, when my buddy's pack shoulder straps started to wear out they sent new ones for free.
Kifaru is king though, American-made down to the raw materials. Built to handle the heaviest of...
I either wash it in the meat cooler or in the tub with a little detergent or dish soap. Let it soak overnight and give it a scrub, rinse and give it a hang dry.
I run the Stryker XL and have not had an issue with it. You throw a bane or Sherman pocket on it and you successfully turned it into a better hellbender in my opinion. Either pack will do a great job for you and you will not be disappointed.
Learn to do it all yourself. Shops can be great and have one good tech out of 3 techs. If you want to guarantee things are getting done right you just need to learn it yourself. Luckily with Youtube and forums, you can learn pretty quickly.
As long as you run the new windage bracket you will be good to go. Should have plenty of room to spare. I have it on my 33 V3X. have yet to run into an issue.
I prefer my SH Hogg Father double pin to most others. I prefer the heavier overbuilt aspect to it as it tends to break less in field than the others I have run. If you want to convert a single pin to a double, triple, or 5 pin, you just need to buy the housing you want and swap out at the bar...
You will just have to swap out the housing to the new 5 pin. Super easy to do, just give them a call and they will make sure you get everything you need for the swap.
Norden Knives ascent is by far my favorite. Stays sharp as long if not longer than any other knife I have had. Broke down my elk this year and only touched up the blade twice.