Exo Mountain Gear K4 Pack Review ***Updated 3/28/23***

[roosiebull]

Might be kinda petty, but that Nalgene pocket kicks ass, it’s a utilitarian but clever design.

 

[Mitten32]

I haven't tried. I'll take a look when I have some time.

I am interested to see if this is the case as well. Thanks!

 

[Fins_N_Tines]

The website gives you the compressed dimensions!!

View attachment 522797

I was waiting for the dimensions to compare to k3 bag size. Cubic inches are great but bag dimensions are also helpful. I think Steve does a great job of overall design, but the 7200 is deeper (13") than wider (10.5"). This would be problematic when utilizing load shelf if bag was full. Note: I'm not saying it wont' work, just may not be very comfortable. The face of the bag would be approx 2 feet away from your back. Compare that to 3600 bag that is 8" deep. This design is very conducive to utilizing the load shelf. The closer you get that load to your back the better. This is also one of the reasons Steve preaches do not use more bag than you need. The pack carries better if load is taller than further away from center of back.

All this to say I like the dimensions of the 3600 a lot when compared to the K3 4800. Makes me even more confident that I can get 7 days out of it. The 5000 is still best overall do it all bag for size.

 

[rclouse79]

I was waiting for the dimensions to compare to k3 bag size. Cubic inches are great but bag dimensions are also helpful. I think Steve does a great job of overall design, but the 7200 is deeper (13") than wider (10.5"). This would be problematic when utilizing load shelf if bag was full. Note: I'm not saying it wont' work, just may not be very comfortable. The face of the bag would be approx 2 feet away from your back. Compare that to 3600 bag that is 8" deep. This design is very conducive to utilizing the load shelf. The closer you get that load to your back the better. This is also one of the reasons Steve preaches do not use more bag than you need. The pack carries better if load is taller than further away from center of back.

All this to say I like the dimensions of the 3600 a lot when compared to the K3 4800. Makes me even more confident that I can get 7 days out of it. The 5000 is still best overall do it all bag for size.

I was impressed how well my buddy's 7000 k3 packs would cinch down. I think you are correct if you had the pack completely loaded with crap. If you are packing a reasonable amount of gear, you should be able to suck the load just as close to your back. I still find it amazing that the new 7200 is only a couple ounces more than the 5000. Unless you love the horseshoe design, the bigger pack seems pretty attractive. Even if you don't normally use the space, you always have it in a pinch. Sometimes it is nice to be able to throw your crap into a big pack at the end of a hunt, instead of playing Tetris trying to fit an expeditions worth of gear into a day pack.

 

[sr80]

I've only used load shelf once and its was alright to say the least ( my opinion ) I prefer meat in the bag. If i go with the 7k bag i would likely haul meat inside the bag, that bag would have more than enough room for my gear and boned out meat for a 10 day'r. I'm leaning towards the 5K now though, i don't have any 10 day trips planned this year.

 

[S&S ARCHERY]

We shot studio image’s yesterday. Here is a 7200 compressed.

All of the bags are designed to be ran nearly empty and still have all the fabric, webbing, lid, etc tight to the frame so nothing is floppy.

 

[ande7824]

Would anyone be willing to explain to me their pros/cons on the straight zipper on the 7200 vs the horseshoe zipper on the 5k bag? Trying to figure out if there is something that would lead me to prefer one over the other. My only experience with any pack was with my 4800 size k3. Thanks.

 

[prm]

We shot studio image’s yesterday. Here is a 7200 compressed.

All of the bags are designed to be ran nearly empty and still have all the fabric, webbing, lid, etc tight to the frame so nothing is floppy.

View attachment 524413View attachment 524414

That is a beautiful thing right there!

 

[rclouse79]

That is a beautiful thing right there!

I agree, although pics like this are making my wait more agonizing.

edit: I sold my old trusty pack on Ebay and shipped it off yesterday. Not having a hunting pack in my gear closet makes me feel sad.

On a side note, I think that will be the last thing I ever sell on Ebay. It seems like their fees have gone up a lot since the last time I sold something.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Would anyone be willing to explain to me their pros/cons on the straight zipper on the 7200 vs the horseshoe zipper on the 5k bag? Trying to figure out if there is something that would lead me to prefer one over the other. My only experience with any pack was with my 4800 size k3. Thanks.

The straight zipper saves weight and leaves you with slightly less chance of getting water in your main bag.

The horseshoe zipper gives you more/wider access to the main bag. It's helpful to people who want to load bulky items inside the pack, like bone-in quarters and such. Or if you want full access to the inside of your bag.

I prefer the single zipper on the 7200 and 3600 bags myself.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Would anyone be willing to explain to me their pros/cons on the straight zipper on the 7200 vs the horseshoe zipper on the 5k bag? Trying to figure out if there is something that would lead me to prefer one over the other. My only experience with any pack was with my 4800 size k3. Thanks.

I like the bigger stretch pocket.
The stretch pocket on my 4800 seemed much less usable then my 3500.

I also usually sit down with my bow on my left and pack on right.
And the stretch pocket zipper is on the close side.

 

[ande7824]

The straight zipper saves weight and leaves you with slightly less chance of getting water in your main bag.

The horseshoe zipper gives you more/wider access to the main bag. It's helpful to people who want to load bulky items inside the pack, like bone-in quarters and such. Or if you want full access to the inside of your bag.

I prefer the single zipper on the 7200 and 3600 bags myself.

The slight waterproof advantage I wouldn't have thought of. I prefer to keep meat out of the bag, so the horse show shape isn't a requirement there. Now I suppose it's a choice on size. Only going to have one do it all bag so leaning towards 7200.

 

[ande7824]

I like the bigger stretch pocket.
The stretch pocket on my 4800 seemed much less usable then my 3500.

I also usually sit down with my bow on my left and pack on right.
And the stretch pocket zipper is on the close side.

That's a good point on more stretch pocket usability.

 

[Justin Crossley]

The slight waterproof advantage I wouldn't have thought of. I prefer to keep meat out of the bag, so the horse show shape isn't a requirement there. Now I suppose it's a choice on size. Only going to have one do it all bag so leaning towards 7200.

Remember that the 7200 is "deeper," so it will allow more weight farther from your back. If you load the bag correctly, it's not a problem, but it's something to be aware of when looking at the largest bags from most companies.

 

[Fins_N_Tines]

The slight waterproof advantage I wouldn't have thought of. I prefer to keep meat out of the bag, so the horse show shape isn't a requirement there. Now I suppose it's a choice on size. Only going to have one do it all bag so leaning towards 7200.

I've mentioned it before, but last year using the 4800 (horseshoe zipper) I noticed unzipping fully put the flap in the dirt. On one occasion I was filling up water and unzipped the bag fully to put large reservoir inside bag. I had car keys and first aid kit in the mesh pocket on the horseshoe part. Once I unzipped the flap of bag fabric fell directly into a mud getting keys and first aid kid wet and muddy. One example, but I have always liked single full length side zip. Cleaner, lighter weight, and doesn't allow fabric to flop all over.

 

[BRTreedogs]

After zipping up my katabatic quilt and tearing a hole in it I could care less if a pack had any zipper at all.

 

[veganhunter]

After zipping up my katabatic quilt and tearing a hole in it I could care less if a pack had any zipper at all.

Did that to my Western Mountaineering Megalite in 2018.
Then I ripped my Western Mountaineering Badger in 2020 on the corner of a Mountain House.

Stuff sacks only for my bag from that day on

 

[bmart2622]

All for the horseshoe zip

 

[ande7824]

I had the horse shoe on my old pack and never thought twice on it TBH but the use of a bigger pocket and avoidance of the flap sounds appealing.

 

[bmart2622]

Either zipper style is not a deal breaker for me and wouldn't keep me from buying a bag but all things equal Id take the horseshoe. I like being able to lay the pack flat and lay the panel open to load the bag