- Joined
- Feb 26, 2012
- Messages
- 581
I'll send you a DM.Well crap, I didn’t notice the email was from the day before. I missed out.
I'll send you a DM.Well crap, I didn’t notice the email was from the day before. I missed out.
We could have told you thatLet’s just say the EXO team are some of the best in the business! Thanks Mark.
Practice taking the lid off and putting it on a little bit, it’s as quick and easy as it can be, I can take it off in about 5 seconds, and it doesn’t take much longer to put it back on.Got mine in today. Upgraded from an Eberlestock X2. Initial impressions:
* Holy hell this this is light and packs down small. The box it comes in is tiny- I was shocked that there was a backpack in there!
* Really glad I got the 5000. I think I could have been disappointed if I had gone smaller. I haven’t really tried packing stuff in it yet, but without expanding the top section that rolls it doesn’t look huge at first but looks to be very expandable. That’s perfect imo because I’m using this pack for day trips mostly, but often need to pack bulky items like my Sitka fanatic jacket which I don’t wear walking in.
* I love the horseshoe zipper design- looks really easy to pack and find stuff in it. With my X2 I can only access the main pouch via the top which is a pain.
* The lid has lots of actual storage space unlike my x2. I can pack food for the day and all my gear that needs to be easily accessible there. Very functional. I kind of wish it were easier to remove, perhaps via buckles. I’d consider only bringing that up with me while hunting out of a tree if so, at least in early season.
* It is extremely comfortable and seems to handle load MUCH better than the x2. The load lifters are very functional, something I didn’t have with the x2 which got uncomfortable with any weight I felt, especially on my shoulders. That’s the main reason I upgraded so very happy there. The adjustability is insane and once I got it tightened down I felt like was one with the pack. It’s awesome. I actually threw my back out this morning and when I put the k4 on, my pain went away as it was supporting me so well. I can’t say enough on this topic, it’s amazing.
* The material feels light yet tough. My X2 feels a little more bomb proof but also feel it’s heavy for its capacity. The k4 feels like a great balance between durability and weight. I do wish the k4 had an option for a quieter material. It isn’t loud but it isn’t silent like the X2 in camo at least. Not a huge deal.
* I didn’t try accessing the meat carrying section yet. For day to day stuff it does look like it’ll take some practice attaching and reattaching.
Overall I’m extremely pleased and can’t wait to try it out this weekend.
To be fair I havent event tried taking it off yet. I will definitely practice and sure it’ll be quicker/easier than I imagined.Practice taking the lid off and putting it on a little bit, it’s as quick and easy as it can be, I can take it off in about 5 seconds, and it doesn’t take much longer to put it back on.
With any pack system like the k4, there are a lot of moving parts, but as you get familiar with the k4, you will start to appreciate how simple it is… from completely breaking the pack down, to loading meat, to switching bags… everything on the k4 is simple and intuitive
All of my exo packs have shared that trait, but I think the k4 is even more refined simplicity. My last primary pack I would have to watch a YouTube video to refresh my memory to make a simple adjustment or switch bags.
With some familiarity of the k4, you will gain appreciation for how simple everything is.
I recommend breaking the whole pack down a couple times and accessing the meat shelf just to familiarize yourself with it. The orange stitching on the load shelf compression is another good example… every little detail is thought out to make the pack easy to use for us knuckle draggers
You will be pleased how easy the lid comes off, the 2 straps in the back are just as easy as the buckles in the front, and if it was buckles all around, it would be just another floppy lid, the straps make the lid stay tight and not flop around… I hate floppy lidsTo be fair I havent event tried taking it off yet. I will definitely practice and sure it’ll be quicker/easier than I imagined.
And a sweet new hoody ;-)FYI all - looks like the lightweight Nalgene bottles are up
Thank you for the feedback. Looks like 3600 may be the ticket for me.I would recommend the 3600. 2200 is pretty tight even for day hunting if you are hunting in cold weather with optics.
I have the 3600 as well as a 2300 day pack by KUIU. I find that the 2300 fills up fast when packing puffys, optics, tripod, snacks, glassing pad, etc. It's doable but if I only had one pack it would definitely be 3600.
I think its hard to use as is.
Especially if I just want to dump a quarter in the bag and get hoofing.
When snow went into your side zip pants melted and soaked you're socks.I'm not saying this to be snarky, or to say that you can't/shouldn't haul a quarter in the bag...
But this is a perfect example of wanting something that isn't based on the design intent of the product. While you certainly can put quarters in the bag, that isn't high on our list when considering things like zip access and bag layout/design. We just have different priorities in this example.
And honestly, what is the design intent of not zipping open? A tad more durability when top loading?I'm not saying this to be snarky, or to say that you can't/shouldn't haul a quarter in the bag...
But this is a perfect example of wanting something that isn't based on the design intent of the product. While you certainly can put quarters in the bag, that isn't high on our list when considering things like zip access and bag layout/design. We just have different priorities in this example.
If I had to guess, I'd guess the intent is to use the meat shelf for quarters and the bag for gear/stuffAnd honestly, what is the design intent of not zipping open? A tad more durability when top loading?
Id give that up in an instant.