Exo Mountain K4?

Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
707
Location
Boise, ID
@S&S ARCHERY
Should we be cutting the carbon stays at the top or at the bottom? Is a hack saw preferred over a grinder?

If you are just doing less than 1/2" you can just take if off the top of the stay. If you're doing more I would do equal parts top and bottom. So if you wanted to reduce 1", do 1/2" top and bottom.

I have just been C-clamping the stay to the edge of a table and using a grinder with a 4.5" metal cut off wheel and that works great. You then just take some sand paper and smooth out the edges.

I will get a video done here soon on it, priority for the next few weeks though is getting all the initial orders shipped out the door.
 
Joined
Mar 23, 2012
Messages
707
Location
Boise, ID
Will I need a strap kit to attach antlers on top of bag when running without the lid?

Yes you would want them for sure. They don't exist yet though, I am waiting on the quick attach buckles to show up from YKK and then we'll get them made pretty quickly. Its probably a couple months out though.

In the mean time if you need something asap we do have the K3 straps still and they would work just fine: https://exomtngear.com/collections/k3/products/k3-accessory-straps

Steve
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
5,367
Location
oregon coast
I can't use a nalgene pocket on any pack. Too far back to reach for me. I'd rather they put a zipper on top of it and I can use it for headlamps, gloves, water purification or whatever.

The bottle holder on the belt works perfect!
I can use it with my k2, but it’s a pain in the ass, only pack I have been able to get a bottle out of if I wasn’t dressed for cold weather, but half the time I couldn’t get it back in, so it’s a real smack in the face 😂

The Nalgene holder they put on the k4 is the perfect solution, it’s a great accessory, so I can carry one somewhere in the bag, one in the holder and never consider a bladder again, but the bladder pocket is where my rain gear will live when I’m packing it, stretch pocket for my shelter when I’m carrying it. So the waterproof bladder pocket is still very useful to me.
 
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Joined
Apr 23, 2021
Messages
665
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
My 3600 just arrived after ordering on Monday. Initial impressions:

- LOVE the Coyote, I think it looks awesome.
- I got a 23.5" frame, and it feels a little tall for me still. I'm 5'6" w/ 30" inseam, and do wear packs pretty high up on my hips. I don't think I'd want to go all the way down to a 22", but I will likely take off 1/2 to 1" eventually. I used my Short K3 in "Super-Short" mode (frame plus removed) for about a 23" frame, so the 23.5" being a little tall for me makes sense.
- I need to work on my shoulder mobility; the Nalgene holder is accessible for me but not without strain. LOVE the way the weight of it feels (or rather, doesn't feel) on the hipbelt though!
- With the shorter frame an empty bag feels pretty loose on the frame, since the length of the bag is designed to fit up to the longer frames. They did away with the " strap keeper loops" that were on the K3, that I thought helped mitigate this. Those with longer frames and full bags likely won't notice this at all though.
- I feel like I would've liked to see dual/two-way zippers on the side pockets. If the bag isn't completely full or if using it in lid-less mode, accessing the side pocket zippers from the top can be a little finicky.
- Squadron material feels awesome and bombproof, all of the stitching on the bag and frame is absolutely flawless and very robust.

Keep in mind this is just nitpicking little things I'm noticing after playing around with the bag for just 10 minutes, I'm sure once I actually start using the bag a lot of these nitpicks will vanish entirely. Super impressed with what the Exo team has accomplished here, and ready for this damned winter to be over so I can get out into the mountains again!
 

rclouse79

WKR
Joined
Dec 10, 2019
Messages
1,858
My 3600 just arrived after ordering on Monday. Initial impressions:

- LOVE the Coyote, I think it looks awesome.
- I got a 23.5" frame, and it feels a little tall for me still. I'm 5'6" w/ 30" inseam, and do wear packs pretty high up on my hips. I don't think I'd want to go all the way down to a 22", but I will likely take off 1/2 to 1" eventually. I used my Short K3 in "Super-Short" mode (frame plus removed) for about a 23" frame, so the 23.5" being a little tall for me makes sense.
- I need to work on my shoulder mobility; the Nalgene holder is accessible for me but not without strain. LOVE the way the weight of it feels (or rather, doesn't feel) on the hipbelt though!
- With the shorter frame an empty bag feels pretty loose on the frame, since the length of the bag is designed to fit up to the longer frames. They did away with the " strap keeper loops" that were on the K3, that I thought helped mitigate this. Those with longer frames and full bags likely won't notice this at all though.
- I feel like I would've liked to see dual/two-way zippers on the side pockets. If the bag isn't completely full or if using it in lid-less mode, accessing the side pocket zippers can be a little finicky.
- Squadron material feels awesome and bombproof, all of the stitching on the bag and frame is absolutely flawless and very robust.

Keep in mind this is just nitpicking little things I'm noticing after playing around with the bag for just 10 minutes, I'm sure once I actually start using the bag a lot of these nitpicks will vanish entirely. Super impressed with what the Exo team has accomplished here, and ready for this damned winter to be over so I can get out into the mountains again!
I also thought that dual zips on the side pockets would be nice. That is about the only thing I would change on the pack.
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
5,367
Location
oregon coast
I found a temporary solution for weapon carry until exo releases their weapon carry accessory… not ideal but I think it will be functional

I was able to thread the soft side of the Velcro on a universal gun bearer through the Nalgene molle slots and then mate them up… didn’t like how it wrapped around the new waist belt and I think it will be better not having the weight on the belt anyway… it’s pretty redneck, But it’s my favorite option for what I have been doing… might sew on a smaller diameter webbing on the fat webbing if this doesn’t work well and put a ladder lock on top or something to secure it, or secure the webbing to a molle clip somehow, but this should work for now
 

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DroptineDC18

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 8, 2017
Messages
156
Location
MN
Y’all are killing me. I just ordered a K3 late last year and haven’t even used it yet, but the force is pulling me to buy a K4.
 

ThorM465

WKR
Classified Approved
Joined
Feb 8, 2023
Messages
361
Location
Madison, AL
If you are just doing less than 1/2" you can just take if off the top of the stay. If you're doing more I would do equal parts top and bottom. So if you wanted to reduce 1", do 1/2" top and bottom.

I have just been C-clamping the stay to the edge of a table and using a grinder with a 4.5" metal cut off wheel and that works great. You then just take some sand paper and smooth out the edges.

I will get a video done here soon on it, priority for the next few weeks though is getting all the initial orders shipped out the door.
Diablo has composite, aluminum, and steel blades for circular saws. If you can match up the right blade with the stays(carbon fiber correct?) it would be a lot cleaner and quicker cut. The engineers at Diablo are great, it may be worth a phone call for a blade recommendation.

However, without having my hands on your stays, I suspect one of the battery powered bandsaws would be the ideal tool for the job.
 

rclouse79

WKR
Joined
Dec 10, 2019
Messages
1,858
I found a temporary solution for weapon carry until exo releases their weapon carry accessory… not ideal but I think it will be functional

I was able to thread the soft side of the Velcro on a universal gun bearer through the Nalgene molle slots and then mate them up… didn’t like how it wrapped around the new waist belt and I think it will be better not having the weight on the belt anyway… it’s pretty redneck, But it’s my favorite option for what I have been doing… might sew on a smaller diameter webbing on the fat webbing if this doesn’t work well and put a ladder lock on top or something to secure it, or secure the webbing to a molle clip somehow, but this should work for now
What if you cut the part that goes through the mollee to be 1 inch and then ran a sewing machine over where you cut?
 
Joined
Aug 23, 2014
Messages
5,367
Location
oregon coast
What if you cut the part that goes through the mollee to be 1 inch and then ran a sewing machine over where you cut?
I think it would work well, and kind of what I’m thinking, I was just trying to figure out a “right now” solution, and it’s freakishly non existent with a 9.5# rifle… I know Steve talks a lot about not hanging weight off of the waist belt, but I didn’t realize how much different it could be… it never really bothered me having the rifle on the waist belt, it was kind of a necessary evil, but utilizing that row of molle made me realize how big of a difference it is…

Trying to figure out how to keep the length adjusted but also neck it down to the correct size webbing to thread through the molle slots, but that is where it needs to be mounted, because now I know how good it can feel… I have a couple ideas but it will have to be next weekend when I go back up north because one of my wife’s friends can sew, but I’ll have something better figured out by then

I want it to stay adjustable length because I like my rifle to ride lower than my bow in the bucket
 

JD Jones

WKR
Joined
Dec 2, 2021
Messages
504
Location
Texas
I'm really struggling to decide between a 5000 and 7000. I currently have the 6400 and love it.
With the 6400, are you always filling it up or is there room for more typically? If you are unsure always go up. These bags make that an easy call with the compressibility
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Messages
1,026
Location
Santa Fe, NM
I’d size up unless you only do 3-4 day max hunts. Having the extra space is real nice on a 7+ day hunt where you’ve got a shit load of food etc


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