Best Value

[Benjblt]

Also, do you think the Exo 5500 is enough for a 5 day Hunt? . . 7 day hunt? I'm thinking elk hunts more than anything.

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[eagle#eyes]

Thanks for all the input. I feel like there is so much to know and I need to try some. I don't have access to any of these packs.

Do any of these provide options to go from a larger pack (on the way into camp) to a smaller day pack? I know kifaru does and Kuiu doesn't.

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Pretty much all of them are compressible to the point when there is nothing in them, they can be as flat as you want them.

 

[R_burg]

Thanks for all the input. I feel like there is so much to know and I need to try some. I don't have access to any of these packs.

Do any of these provide options to go from a larger pack (on the way into camp) to a smaller day pack? I know kifaru does and Kuiu doesn't.

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Well, thats exactly what I do with my Kuiu, I just pack the smaller pack with me. I use the 3200 in camp, but will use the 7200 to pack in. IMO in practical terms it works the same as having additional attachments you take off the pack, which is how the Kifaru works. I like that I have the Icon Pro 3200 for 2-3 day hunts as well, as its a very well developed pack for those types of hunts.

Regarding your next post, 5500 should be fine for a 5-7 day hunt. I went 7200 because... why not? The weight savings between 5200 and 7200 is minimal, and you cant invent space when you need it. The extra space will work well if I have to help any other people in my party haul gear or if I have a 7-10+ day hunt.

I am not trying to talk you out of a Kifaru pack. As I said above it really is the best pack you can buy. I bought a few pieces of Kuiu clothing and knew they were developed for people with my build, so I trusted the suspension would fit me well. They make very good packs (nobody really disputes this), and if you research other places than Rokslide their packs have a better following than here. Which is not to take anything away from Rokslide, this is a great forum. In general though, members here really prescribe to the idea that you should buy the best pack in the world as your first foray into packs. I did not prescribe to this idea. I PM'd members here and talked to other people and did outside research and the general consensus was for the money, you couldnt beat a Kuiu pack... especially when taking a 15-30% discount into acct. It seems to me sometimes this opinion doesnt make it to the forum because Kuiu gets attacked a decent amount on the internet. Maybe deservedly so, maybe not. It just depends on your point of view.

Hopefully this helps. Everyone else here gives you great advice as well, I am sure better than me. But I was in your shoes earlier this year and I hope that walking you through my research and thought process gives some insight as well.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

This

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/roks...faru-bikini-frame-highcamp-4800-multicam.html

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[Akicita]

Also, do you think the Exo 5500 is enough for a 5 day Hunt? . . 7 day hunt? I'm thinking elk hunts more than anything.

My personal daily food ration load out for high exertion back country or mountaineering activities can range from 270 to 300 cubic inches of pack space per day. Therefore a typical 5 to 7 day outing for me requires approximately 1500 to 2100 cubic inches of pack space. That is a considerable amount in a 5500 cubic inch pack. The picture I attached in the earlier post has an 8 day load out of rations on a 10 day hunt for a total of approximately 2400 cubic inches. . . I'm not saying it couldn't be done in a 5500 cubic inch pack but I feel it would be very tight along with typical cold season back country and elk hunting gear.

 

[eagle#eyes]

My personal daily food ration load out for high exertion back country or mountaineering activities can range from 270 to 300 cubic inches of pack space per day. Therefore a typical 5 to 7 day outing for me requires approximately 1500 to 2100 cubic inches of pack space. That is a considerable amount in a 5500 cubic inch pack. The picture I attached in the earlier post has an 8 day load out of rations on a 10 day hunt for a total of approximately 2400 cubic inches. . . I'm not saying it couldn't be done in a 5500 cubic inch pack but I feel it would be very tight along with typical cold season back country and elk hunting gear.

Also, do you think the Exo 5500 is enough for a 5 day Hunt? . . 7 day hunt? I'm thinking elk hunts more than anything.

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If i remember correctly, the Exo 5500 is larger than 5500 cubic inches. Somebody that runs one can add in but i think that was discussed at one time or another.

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Also, do you think the Exo 5500 is enough for a 5 day Hunt? . . 7 day hunt? I'm thinking elk hunts more than anything.

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I've seen an exo 3500 do 8 days.

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[Benjblt]

If i remember correctly, the Exo 5500 is larger than 5500 cubic inches. Somebody that runs one can add in but i think that was discussed at one time or another.

That's what the spec's on their website seemed to indicate.

 

[Benjblt]

Well, thats exactly what I do with my Kuiu, I just pack the smaller pack with me. I use the 3200 in camp, but will use the 7200 to pack in. IMO in practical terms it works the same as having additional attachments you take off the pack, which is how the Kifaru works. I like that I have the Icon Pro 3200 for 2-3 day hunts as well, as its a very well developed pack for those types of hunts.

Regarding your next post, 5500 should be fine for a 5-7 day hunt. I went 7200 because... why not? The weight savings between 5200 and 7200 is minimal, and you cant invent space when you need it. The extra space will work well if I have to help any other people in my party haul gear or if I have a 7-10+ day hunt.

I am not trying to talk you out of a Kifaru pack. As I said above it really is the best pack you can buy. I bought a few pieces of Kuiu clothing and knew they were developed for people with my build, so I trusted the suspension would fit me well. They make very good packs (nobody really disputes this), and if you research other places than Rokslide their packs have a better following than here. Which is not to take anything away from Rokslide, this is a great forum. In general though, members here really prescribe to the idea that you should buy the best pack in the world as your first foray into packs. I did not prescribe to this idea. I PM'd members here and talked to other people and did outside research and the general consensus was for the money, you couldnt beat a Kuiu pack... especially when taking a 15-30% discount into acct. It seems to me sometimes this opinion doesnt make it to the forum because Kuiu gets attacked a decent amount on the internet. Maybe deservedly so, maybe not. It just depends on your point of view.

Hopefully this helps. Everyone else here gives you great advice as well, I am sure better than me. But I was in your shoes earlier this year and I hope that walking you through my research and thought process gives some insight as well.

How does the Kuiu hall heavy loads like an elk quarter?

 

[William Hanson (live2hunt)]

Another good deal

http://www.rokslide.com/forums/roks...markoor-belt-pouches-water-bottle-holder.html

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[camping1601]

Also, do you think the Exo 5500 is enough for a 5 day Hunt? . . 7 day hunt? I'm thinking elk hunts more than anything.

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Easily do 7+ days.

 

[R_burg]

How does the Kuiu hall heavy loads like an elk quarter?

I havent had the opportunity to quarter out an Elk with it yet, but I have loaded ~85 lbs in it a few times and hiked and I had no pressure points and the pack did fine. Plenty of people use these packs to quarter out Elk and other large game. They are a popular pack.

 

[Bughalli]

You know the adage "buy once, cry once"....keep that in mind. Relative to your price range and needs, it's hard to beat to Kuiu Icon, especially when you catch a 30% off sale. They're just so darn affordable for what you get. If money wasn't a factor, then it's worth exploring all the options out there and go with what fits you best. It's quite a process, much like buying boots. Good luck.

 

[Buglebrush]

Exo 5500 will easily get you 7-10 days. I personally have the 3500, and can get 7 days easy, but I am minimalist when it comes to gear. I wouldn't buy the earlier models of Exo, because IME the K-2 frame is far superior. If you are a big/tall guy go Kifaru as they offer a taller stiffer frame. If you are primarily doing 7-10 day trips I would lean towards the stiffer Kifaru. If you do lots of dayhunts/short trips with the occasional 7-10 trip I much prefer Exo. You simply cannot beat Exo for all day carrying, and I packed 2 elk in mine last year in complete comfort. IME you can't do better than these two. One of my buddies bought a Kuiu last year, and now he is selling it for an Exo or Kifaru. Buy once cry once. My $.02.

 

[ElwoodUT]

Considering the original post.
Always remember that everyone that gives you advise on a pack has been in this position and probably done several hours of research, tried on several packs, asked a ton of questions and finally settled on the perfect pack FOR THEM.

Not everyone has the same body shape or comfort zones as everyone else. You need to try on as many packs as possible whether they are your friends or you have to go to the store to try them on. Put as much weight in them as possible, make sure the load lifters relieve the weight from your shoulders with your torso length. I am 6'2" and had some serious trouble with finding a pack that lifts the weight off my shoulders while keeping the belt down on my hips. A lot of the good packs will have adjustments for torso length so consider that as well.

You can also find companies that offer a lifetime warranty which is very nice. I have broken plastic buckles in -10 degrees and they'll just send me new ones or if you keep your pack long enough it does get beat up they'll replace whatever wears out.

Maybe "Made in the USA" is important to you but not to the people giving you advice.

The most important thing is to determine what you expect out of your pack. Are you going to camp in a trailer and hike in a few miles each day? Are you going to spike camp 11 miles in for 7 days? Can you afford to spend $500+ or do you need to stay down in the $300-500 range?

I have a Horn Hunter Full Curl and absolutely love it but that is ME. It fits all of my needs plus some. I need to be able to pack in for 5 days and pack out tons of weight. I didn't want to have to buy a separate day pack and this accomplished that need. I wanted a warranty and like that it is made in the USA.

I would figure out as many specifics as possible and maybe narrow your choices down to 3 or 4 packs and then ask this forum again. I bet you will get a lot of very specific help about each pack.

 

[JWW]

This is what I got Wolf Alpha Pack | Mystery Ranch Backpacks. For $380 with removable lid that converts to daybag, and you can shift the pack up the frame to make it ride taller if needed. Going to add a piece of 500D for a meat shelf or maybe a kifaru grab it an call it good. If you are lucky enough to go to a show you can try lots of packs on which is very helpful. I wish I could afford the best of the best, but the reality is that I cannot. I would also read what mountaineering folks have to say on bags as they typically carry much heavier loads than most people will hunting.

 

[Gumbo]

I think a used MR with the NICE frame would be about the best value you could find. I think they are the most durable, rugged packs I've used and are very comfortable, although the NICE frame is a little heavy. Be sure that it includes a lift kit, which is necessary in my opinion. The classifieds here have had quite a few of these lately since the new guide light frame came out.

 

[JWW]

Thanks for all the input. I feel like there is so much to know and I need to try some. I don't have access to any of these packs.

Do any of these provide options to go from a larger pack (on the way into camp) to a smaller day pack? I know kifaru does and Kuiu doesn't.

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Some MR packs have detachable daypack lid. That was a pretty big factor for me. The horn hunter full curl pack which is supposed to be a very good budget pack also has a daypack. Both the MR wolf pack and horn hunter come in at $380. I did a lot of shopping around over the past few months and this was as cheap as I could find. Mystery Ranch | Daypack Lid Demo in Mystery Ranch Backpack Hunting Packs on Vimeo

 

[puck60]

Botach.Com has the Slumberjack Bounty 4500 Big Game Hunting Mandrake Pack for $129.99. A great value.