Exo Mountain K4?

[prm]

Just the very tip of the iceberg. The warehouse is going to be crazy busy the next few months that's for sure.

Well, I'll be happy to get one of those packs out of your way. Win-win.

 

[mcseal2]

I love my old K2 3500, but I think I'll be ordering a K4 5000 with a dry bag when they are released. I want to get a Coyote brown solid this time to draw a little less attention using it as a carry-on flying to AK. One of the guys I go with has a K3 4800 in Ranger Green so I want a different color.

I want the horse shoe zipper for easier access on my next one. I end up always getting stuff in and out through the top on my K2, even when I'm not using the dry bag.

 

[Xerute]

Just the very tip of the iceberg. The warehouse is going to be crazy busy the next few months that's for sure.

Been a listener to the podcast and following Exo for a year now. Congratulations on the upcoming release. Excited for the pack and appreciate your time and effort to your customers, soon to be customers, and the hunting community as a whole. Love the process you went through to make your products, especially the K4.
I was listening to the podcast and someone brought up the K5 and that it is something you are working on. With the K4 being what seems to be bulletproof and the K5 being a more ultralight idea is the next K3/K4 upgrade really just dependent on new fabrics and materials that are yet to be introduced or released to the public?
Sorry for the long paragraph but hope it is something you can talk about more on a future podcast.

 

[Mark at EXO]

Hey guys. We will have the official K4 Size Selection information posted on our website before we begin taking K4 orders (or Rokslide pre-orders) online, but I wanted to give you guys a preview of this size selection information.

We will have a quick and concise version, but I am giving you guys a lot of detail here...

HIPBELT SIZE SELECTION​

For the K4 Frame & Pack Systems, we offer 5 hipbelt sizes — Extra-Small (XS), Small (SM), Medium (MD), Large (LG), and Extra-Large (XL).

We no longer use “pants size” at all in our size selection chart. We have just found too much variance with what size pants a guy wears, compared to how they may be built above that waistline.

To determine your K4 hipbelt size, find the Iliac Crest — which is the highest point of your hip’s bone structure. This will be above where you wear your pants, and is slightly below the navel. Measure directly over your skin and pull the tape/string snug enough to begin to compress any excess tissue.





DO NOT “ROUND UP” on your Iliac Crest measurement at all. Our size guidelines account for having plenty of room for clothing layers and other factors. For example, as you can see above, I measure right at 33.5-33.75”, but still wear a Small hipbelt. I do not “round up” to 34” and wear a Medium.

FRAME HEIGHT SELECTION​

The K4 Frame is available with 4 different frame height options — 22”, 23.5”, 25”, and 26.5”. Selecting a frame height will be determined primarily by your height and torso length, but can also be influenced by your overall body shape, as well as how and where you intend to use your K4 Frame.

Beginning with your height, look at the chart below. In most instances, you will find 2 frame height options listed for your height. Because all of our frames have 6” of torso adjustment on the frame, both frame height options listed for your height will fit you. And even if we used an exact torso measurement (which most people get wrong), you will still have two frames that could adjust to fit that torso measurement.

It isn’t that one of the listed frame heights “will fit” and the other “won’t fit” — instead, either frame height option can fit you, but each will offer slightly different benefits for your build, or for your intended application.



As mentioned above, either of the two frame height options listed for your height will fit you. Choosing between the two becomes a matter of preference or nuance for your body shape and/or intended use…

Consider the SHORTER option if…

• BODY SHAPE — You are pretty average, and/or are lean and athletic is your overall physique. You are not overly “big and broad” through the upper body, and/or…
• LEGS & TORSO — You have longer legs (and therefore a shorter torso) than average for your height, and/or
• HUNTING AREA — You hunt a lot of thick cover and want to prioritize mobility and head-clearance for ducking under cover, and/or..
• HUNTING STYLE — You mostly day hunt (from the truck, trailhead, or a backcountry basecamp) and do not commonly carry multiple days worth of food and gear on your back while hunting.

Consider the TALLER option if…

• BODY SHAPE — You are big and “barrel chested” in your upper body, or are really “thick” (more than just moderately overweight) throughout the midsection and upper body, and/or…
• LEGS & TORSO — You have shorter legs (and therefore a longer torso) than average for your height, and/or…
• HUNTING AREA — You hunt more open country and want to prioritize every bit of load-hauling performance, even if that comes at a slight reduction of head clearance from the additional frame height, and/or…
• HUNTING STYLE — You commonly backpack hunt, carrying multiple days worth of food and gear (35lbs+) on your back while hunting.

The percentages listed next to the frame height options is just a guide for how many people of a given stature would choose between the frame height options listed. For example, roughly 80% of guys who are 5’ 10” tall would be best in the 25” frame height. The other 20% of guys may choose the 26.5” frame — either because they are very big and broad-chested in their build — or, for example, they are prioritizing heavy load performance because they will be carrying a 60lb pack for the entire duration of a 10-Day sheep hunt in Alaska.

Our final Size Selection page on the website will have a video that walks through everything, including how to take measurements. We will also have images showing how the different frame height options fit on the same person, as an example of what you can expect to see/feel between two options for your build.

This is just an early preview for you guys. Tag me in a reply if you have any questions.

 

[S&S ARCHERY]

Been a listener to the podcast and following Exo for a year now. Congratulations on the upcoming release. Excited for the pack and appreciate your time and effort to your customers, soon to be customers, and the hunting community as a whole. Love the process you went through to make your products, especially the K4.
I was listening to the podcast and someone brought up the K5 and that it is something you are working on. With the K4 being what seems to be bulletproof and the K5 being a more ultralight idea is the next K3/K4 upgrade really just dependent on new fabrics and materials that are yet to be introduced or released to the public?
Sorry for the long paragraph but hope it is something you can talk about more on a future podcast.

For anyone interested here is the podcast where we talk about this, I specifically answer this question starting at the 28 minute mark.

Hunt Backcountry Podcast MM 168 | Where to Carry Your InReach, Plus more K4 (and K5?!) Q&A

Steve & Mark answer your listener questions — discussing the best place to carry your InReach (and why it matters), what body type works best in the K4 Frame, what we are working on for K5, and how material choices affect breathability, sweat, and chafing.

exomtngear.com

My next design project I want to tackle is to create the absolute lightest / functional pack that I can build. The sacrifice to get there will be long term durability with the goal to keep at least 90% of the frame performance as K4. It's a 3 year project though as the only true way to test durability is to build some and test over a few years. I see this as a very niche product that few people will actually want to buy but we'll see. Even if the project never sees the light of day I will learn things that I could eventually apply to the successor of K4.

As far as what the successor to K4 looks like, you are correct. New ideas, new materials and customer feedback from K4 will all steer what that looks like. I built K4 as forward thinking as I possibly could though and we have every intention to run it for a bare minimum of 4-5 years. After that timeframe it would depend on if I have built something that is significantly better than K4. We will never release a product just because, it has to be better than its previous generation.

 

[Dos Perros]

I'd love to see Exo tackle the integrated frame day pack kind of product. 2000 to 3000 ci. Carries your day pack load very well, and could grit through the first load of an elk, and then the user would swap to a meat hauling pack for the rest.

 

[JNDEER]

@Mark at EXO

Is it possible to purchase custom cut frame stays? Say 26” or 25.5”?

 

[S&S ARCHERY]

@Mark at EXO

Is it possible to purchase custom cut frame stays? Say 26” or 25.5”?

We can certainly help you out there. Just email us directly and we can make it work.

 

[Davidson51]

I saw the email announcement this morning... will there be an early offer to WKRs?

 

[Mark at EXO]

I saw the email announcement this morning... will there be an early offer to WKRs?

Yes. We will share a link just for Rokslide, which should be 24-36hrs ahead of the public release. The exact timing is TBD, but just stay tuned to this thread as we get closer to the end of the month.

 

[JNDEER]

We can certainly help you out there. Just email us directly and we can make it work.

Fantastic.

Look forward to the video release and will discuss with you guys further when the website goes live.

 

[tanker]

Thinking they said they were going to put a video up eventually on how to cut down the carbon stays so you can customize your own size.

 

[S&S ARCHERY]

Thinking they said they were going to put a video up eventually on how to cut down the carbon stays so you can customize your own size.

Yeah I will have that video out there in the near future.

 

[TheTone]

I'd love to see Exo tackle the integrated frame day pack kind of product. 2000 to 3000 ci. Carries your day pack load very well, and could grit through the first load of an elk, and then the user would swap to a meat hauling pack for the rest.

Agreed. I’ve got a couple bags from other companies in that range and love them.

 

[Xerute]

Appreciate the thorough reply Steve.

 

[Dos Perros]

Agreed. I’ve got a couple bags from other companies in that range and love them.

What do you have? Was looking at Ruck Mule but they are a too heavy compared to my SG...wouldn't save anything. Looking for something in that 2 to 2.5 pounds range.

 

[huntnful]

I genuinely don’t understand the want for a specific “day pack”. First and foremost, you need to be able to carry out 100-120lbs on the frame if you actually plan on killing something during this day hunt. So that part is already covered. They will not, and should not deviate from that. Then they have a 3600 bag that you can basically compress down to absolutely nothing with minimal weight. You can even remove the lid for even l less weight and bulk. I’ve never felt the need/want for a slightly modified smaller pack at all.

Unless everyone is just referring to some backpacking/hiking item, and not pursuing big game during the said use of this smaller day pack

 

[TheTone]

What do you have? Was looking at Ruck Mule but they are a too heavy compared to my SG...wouldn't save anything. Looking for something in that 2 to 2.5 pounds range.

2010 or 11 era Mystery ranch bighorn and SG avail. They don’t hit that weight range but have both been great packs. The mystery ranch has got a ton of miles on it

 

[Dos Perros]

I genuinely don’t understand the want for a specific “day pack”. First and foremost, you need to be able to carry out 100-120lbs on the frame if you actually plan on killing something during this day hunt. So that part is already covered. They will not, and should not deviate from that. Then they have a 3600 bag that you can basically compress down to absolutely nothing with minimal weight. You can even remove the lid for even l less weight and bulk. I’ve never felt the need/want for a slightly modified smaller pack at all.

Unless everyone is just referring to some backpacking/hiking item, and not pursuing big game during the said use of this smaller day pack

I two trip deer in western Kansas. Cover a lot of miles just to get one killed. No sense in carrying an extra 2 pounds in a pack to make one half-load more comfortable. Distances are usually no more than a mile or two from the truck.

I've never put more than 80 or 90 pounds in a pack for any distance.

 

[bmart2622]

I'd like a day pack. I hunt on horses mostly and theres times where I cant quite get the horses to an elk, a small pack that can shuttle quarters would be great. And you can certainly pack an elk out without putting 120lbs on your back