…

[307]

Ok. I responded a couple times to posters. Then I read the whole thread. I know this is just a discussion. And, I’m bored. So, here goes.

What's off is they now have a new facility. That moved quite a ways from the origin of this company. Frank wasn’t the only one who didn’t transfer with them. And, the way I understood it, that was his decision. Not that it matters.


I don’t know where their cordura comes from in this country. But, I’m guessing the move put them farther away. That’s price increase number one. Shipping increases as delivery destinations get farther away. And, being berry compliant doesn’t lend to a closer option.

I’ve never met many people standing in line to be a seamstress either. Much less to sew back packs. I don’t know if their sewers moved or not. I’m just saying if they didn’t, it likely wasn’t easy finding a compotent labor force that was willing to move to Wyoming. And, it took money to get them there whether they transferred or had to be hired. Price increase number 2.

Tooling, material, work force, new hires, transferring employees are all cost they took on. Profits come after those increases hit home. Somewhere in all this is why things now cost more for them. Which is why consumer prices are increased and further options are limited.

Anyways, no one there is living lavishly. And, at these prices, no one is buying the whole cow now versus the steak pre move. Running a business for profit is different than being a W2 employee. And, that distinction is lost in a lot of these posts.

It’s not a mystery. Their pricing has been adjusted due to having a higher overhead. Everyone there realized the fallout from higher pricing. It’s not due to greed either.

Things for them have changed. You still gotta decide if buying American made is good enough versus berry compliant. I’ll take berry compliant. There frames are the pinnacle. So are their bags. Set aside the bias and everyone is still compared to Kifaru when it comes to back packs. And, You look to the top to find the benchmark. That hasn’t changed.

Wow.

 

[3forks]

If that’s the way you feel about fan boys, you’d better sell your exo if you have one.

Packs are packs. Vanity in pack ownership is too. Over the last two years, exo could box up horse crap and quite a few guys here would spend 6 months talking about the release date. Then after getting it for a day, post three thousand times between them how good it was.

I’m not saying you don’t mean what you are saying. But, I am saying is the fanboy barrage is pretty strong right now for the K4.

Steve is a great guy. Exo makes a great pack. But, never in the history of hunting forums has there been such a cult following as exo has right now. Maybe it’s well deserved. But, it’s hard to believe it is after reading the snail trail the fanboys laid down at the idea of the K4

I don’t have an Exo pack.

You have a Kifaru rhino tattooed somewhere on your body, don’t you?

 

[ljalberta]

I don’t currently own any Kifaru packs, but I’ve had a few frames and packs in the past. I also have owned 3 SGs, and still own 1 SG and 1 Exo pack. For me, this is just due to design cycles. I’m sure Kifaru will come out with a new pack over the next few years that intrigues me to make a jump back.

I do still have other Kifaru products that I use and love. If I ever lose my woobie I’ll order another the next day.

I will say, the best customer service experiences I’ve ever had have been with Kifaru and Aron. The man has answered and made calls at all times of the day and on the sides of the mountain at times.

 

[tony]

I don’t mean to be contentious with this post, but I was always turned off by Kifaru due to some of their customer base. I just didn’t want to be associated with the guys who didn’t seem to be able to think for themselves and were/are rabid Kifaru fans who operate with blind loyalty.

Don't go over to Tacoma World forum then

I'm going out here on a limb, I think the downfall started when they got rid of Mel.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

I don’t have an Exo pack.

You have a Kifaru rhino tattooed somewhere on your body, don’t you?

Nope. I just listened to you post about 5 times concerning those fanboys. It’s obvious that’s how you feel. And, that’s ok. But, it doesn’t change reality.

 

[WV Mountaineer]

Wow.

It must be something concerning screen names that start with 3. Countless post talking about how things have changed. One post pointing out that it’s not a mystery why things have changed. And, you say wow to that?

 

[rodney482]

Because that's the best bag they ever made. I still have a DT1 as well and have no plans to change it.

Aron was shooting Athens back then and had just started at Kifaru and sent me the Timberline and Ive been rocking that pack since like 2012. Lotta miles on that pack and its never let me down.

Mine is self contained and prior to the modular system.

 

[Pinewood]

I own a reckoning on a tactical frame. It works great for me, handles the loads well, I've owned it for about 6 years and it is still in great condition. There might be something better out there, that fits me better or is slightly better configured, but not for the cost to get there. It's just not worth it. You get well into the point of diminishing returns when you're jumping around buying, trying and re selling gear at a loss just to get something that is 1 or 2% better. If it's a pound too heavy, chances are you can find that pound on your waist line to lose.

 

[Marbles]

If that’s the way you feel about fan boys, you’d better sell your exo if you have one.

Packs are packs. Vanity in pack ownership is too. Over the last two years, exo could box up horse crap and quite a few guys here would spend 6 months talking about the release date. Then after getting it for a day, post three thousand times between them how good it was.

I’m not saying you don’t mean what you are saying. But, I am saying is the fanboy barrage is pretty strong right now for the K4.

Steve is a great guy. Exo makes a great pack. But, never in the history of hunting forums has there been such a cult following as exo has right now. Maybe it’s well deserved. But, it’s hard to believe it is after reading the snail trail the fanboys laid down at the idea of the K4

But, Exo sells very few things, very intentionally.

Their rifle carrier was knocked pretty hard.

When Exo starts selling "Backcountry Wallets" I'll agree you have a point. But, at the moment Kifaru is whoring out their brand, Exo is not. Exo certainly could at this point, and if they did I would probably not buy another pack from them.

I have yet to see an Exo user imply that only idiots or physically weak people would use a different brand (I'm sure it is coming though), I have seen more than one Kifaru user imply that.

Don't worry though, your love of Kifaru is well documented and we all know you will disagree.

 

[tdhanses]

It must be something concerning screen names that start with 3. Countless post talking about how things have changed. One post pointing out that it’s not a mystery why things have changed. And, you say wow to that?

I think most of us that feel something has changed and not for the better are actually using Kifaru packs. I still run my Kifaru and really haven’t paid much attention to anything they offer for the last few years. I’ll keep running my Kifaru till it dies and then I’ll look at all options. I don’t think Kifaru is the standard all others are measured against, it’s just an option.

 

[svivian]

But, Exo sells very few things, very intentionally.

Their rifle carrier was knocked pretty hard.

When Exo starts selling "Backcountry Wallets" I'll agree you have a point. But, at the moment Kifaru is whoring out their brand, Exo is not. Exo certainly could at this point, and if they did I would probably not buy another pack from them.

I have yet to see an Exo user imply that only idiots or physically weak people would use a different brand (I'm sure it is coming though), I have seen more than one Kifaru user imply that.

Don't worry though, your love of Kifaru is well documented and we all know you will disagree.

I remember those days when the kifaru fan boys were thick and felt everyone was inferior if you werent 5 miles deep with a kifaru on. You couldnt even start a thread asking about packs because it would be bombarded with kifaru guys trashing every brand.

Kifaru made and makes very good shelters and packs. No doubting the quality and performance.... but the early fan club really ruined the brand for me. I really did like the bikini frame for the short time i used it.

 

[wind gypsy]

It must be something concerning screen names that start with 3. Countless post talking about how things have changed. One post pointing out that it’s not a mystery why things have changed. And, you say wow to that?

You might think you made a post about why things changed but it reads as a kifaru apologist making excuses for them and then pointing to anyone who objectively does not see them as the pinnacle or top dog as misguided by bias which is very ironic.

 

[3forks]

You might think you made a post about why things changed but it reads as a kifaru apologist making excuses for them and then pointing to anyone who objectively does not see them as the pinnacle or top dog as misguided by bias which is very ironic.

I envision him with a vein popping out on his forehead, hyperventilating, blowing bubbles out his nose while trying to compose a response to your post and others like it.

 

[realunlucky]

I envision him with a vein popping out on his forehead, hyperventilating, blowing bubbles out his nose while trying to compose a response to your post and others like it.

Funny that's how I saw YOU typing this one up

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I remember those days when the kifaru fan boys were thick and felt everyone was inferior if you werent 5 miles deep with a kifaru on. You couldnt even start a thread asking about packs because it would be bombarded with kifaru guys trashing every brand.

Kifaru made and makes very good shelters and packs. No doubting the quality and performance.... but the early fan club really ruined the brand for me. I really did like the bikini frame for the short time i used it.

That fan club is still going strong. Check out their facebook group, any time Aron Snyder says something incredibly rude to a customer, it gets like 150 likes from the followers. Its great entertainment.

 

[realunlucky]

That fan club is still going strong. Check out their facebook group, any time Aron Snyder says something incredibly rude to a customer, it gets like 150 likes from the followers. Its great entertainment.

I guess I don't really see the difference of someone blindly bashing them on every Kifaru thread and someone blindly defending them. Different toy soliders fighting an imaginary battle of truth and lies!

 

[Scotto]

That fan club is still going strong. Check out their facebook group, any time Aron Snyder says something incredibly rude to a customer, it gets like 150 likes from the followers. Its great entertainment.

At the end of the day, it's kinda like " It's my ball and I make the rules".
Buy or don't.
I like my Kifaru pack frame and LPP parka. I have tried others and have not changed. He was very helpful and CS has been top notch.

 

[7mm-08]

Kifaru makes a very solid pack. It's bags are durable, interchangeable and well constructed. I used a Kifaru pack system for hunting for a few years ultimately moving to Exo (K2 system and now the K4 system) because the pack worked better for me. My experience is that Kifaru has excellent customer service and I have benefitted from that aspect of its company when I have called them with questions. Unbelievably, I have had their lead design engineer, Eric Bender, reach out to me via email the same day I have posed questions to their customer service folks on an older Timberline 3 I still have. What I will say is that Kifaru is an exceptional company that manufactures its offerings in the USA. Please continue to support Kifaru (and Exo) and all of the other small companies that are still dedicated to that philosophy.

 

[3forks]

I guess I don't really see the difference of someone blindly bashing them on every Kifaru thread and someone blindly defending them. Different toy soliders fighting an imaginary battle of truth and lies!

No one who has posted in this thread is bashing Kifaru, are they?

 

[The Ri Guy]

That's just the way it goes as businesses become larger, more successful, and the competitive landscape + consumer spending habits change.

I was employee #5 at my job 20 years ago, and although we're still "the same mom and pop family owned company" with "the same values" and doing "the same thing" as when I onboarded, we're now over 10x the revenue and employee count, and not many of the people, processes, methodologies, nor even many of the products, are the same as they once were. Many "Frank's" have come and gone in my time here, but the business continues to grow and succeed despite most of us regularly scratching our heads at Ownerships decisions.

I imagine much of Snyder's decision making comes down to pure dollars and cents business, appeasing stakeholders, and his duty to protect his employees livelihoods. Regardless of what Rokslide's opinion is.

We few here are the hardcore nerds of the hunting world, and a vocal minority at that.