Brando3381
FNG
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2022
- Messages
- 4
I just finally upgraded to the K3 this year and love it. I killed and packed out 2 bull elk and a bighorn sheep with it this year. It might be a year or two before i can afford the next upgrade
Glad to hear you guys will be at the Sheep Show!! Cant wait to put my hands on the new K4. I'm still running a K2 5500, also had your original 3500 when the company started. Might be time for another upgrade!!Sorry for the lack of response on here to the questions lately, things have been exceptionally busy gearing up for the K4 launch. I've been pretty much living at our sew shop finalizing all the last details and QC'ing every new K4 part coming out of production.
The testing phase we put the packs through this fall went exceptionally well. Overall the frame had near unanimous positive feedback when comparing to K3. We ended up with about 130 packs out there being tested and I only had 1 tester prefer his K3 frame over the K4. To have those kind of results when talking about a backpack frame which is so heavily dependent on body shape, individual preferences on fit and packing style to me was extremely positive. I also received great constructive feedback on small design changes and I was able to make some final tweaks to the packs based off that. Most importantly we had zero issues with the packs (no durability issues, no squeaking, etc) and that gave me the final go ahead to start with production.
We are now in full production of K4 and things are looking great, to say I am excited to get these out there would be a massive understatement.
We will have K4 packs available to see, put on and pre- order at Sheep show here in a few weeks and also at Hunt Expo in early February. The website won't go live until late March for orders but when we do go live we'll have packs in inventory and ready to go for immediate shipping. We are using these two shows as trial runs / test samples to help us see how sales will break out between all the new options. Getting this data we'll then be able to adjust production so when the website goes live inventory will match as close as possible to how sales will break out. We will also be measuring customers waist sizes and torso lengths at the shows so we can get the fitting charts as accurate as possible for customers buying online.
Lots more info to come from us in the coming weeks and months. We have a massive list of content we've generated to cover every question we think our customers might ask about K4 that we'll be knocking out.
Here's a few updated photos of the K4 frame that I took last week. Ignore the Fusion harness on one side, I just shot this real quick so Mark could work on mock up's of the new pack cards we'll have at the shows. It was the only thing I had laying in my office at that moment.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and cheers to 2023!
Steve
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Steve, Any plans for more info after the shows but before March through a YouTube video on the website (or similar platform) for those of us that can’t get to the shows? It would be very helpful.
Thanks
I appreciate and use the YouTube comparison videos going into detail about the frames and packs and how they compare to older generations.Absolutely, we'll be releasing info before it goes on the website. Probably not a lot in January but certainly in February as we get closer to the launch.
Will the K2 & K3 bags be compatible with the K4 frame?
means k3 still good for new startNo, The K4 will not have any compatibility with older frames and bags. When I started working on the K4 design I didn't want to be limited to what we were thinking back in 2013. The bag dimensions, bag attachment to frame and buckles are all different than previous generations.
We will still support K3 for the next few years though. We'll continue to make accessories and bags for K3 for at least 2 years from now.
Steve
Steve, with all the molle you have on there I can't help but wonder what accessories and weapon carrier designs you have coming out as well...Sorry for the lack of response on here to the questions lately, things have been exceptionally busy gearing up for the K4 launch. I've been pretty much living at our sew shop finalizing all the last details and QC'ing every new K4 part coming out of production.
The testing phase we put the packs through this fall went exceptionally well. Overall the frame had near unanimous positive feedback when comparing to K3. We ended up with about 130 packs out there being tested and I only had 1 tester prefer his K3 frame over the K4. To have those kind of results when talking about a backpack frame which is so heavily dependent on body shape, individual preferences on fit and packing style to me was extremely positive. I also received great constructive feedback on small design changes and I was able to make some final tweaks to the packs based off that. Most importantly we had zero issues with the packs (no durability issues, no squeaking, etc) and that gave me the final go ahead to start with production.
We are now in full production of K4 and things are looking great, to say I am excited to get these out there would be a massive understatement.
We will have K4 packs available to see, put on and pre- order at Sheep show here in a few weeks and also at Hunt Expo in early February. The website won't go live until late March for orders but when we do go live we'll have packs in inventory and ready to go for immediate shipping. We are using these two shows as trial runs / test samples to help us see how sales will break out between all the new options. Getting this data we'll then be able to adjust production so when the website goes live inventory will match as close as possible to how sales will break out. We will also be measuring customers waist sizes and torso lengths at the shows so we can get the fitting charts as accurate as possible for customers buying online.
Lots more info to come from us in the coming weeks and months. We have a massive list of content we've generated to cover every question we think our customers might ask about K4 that we'll be knocking out.
Here's a few updated photos of the K4 frame that I took last week. Ignore the Fusion harness on one side, I just shot this real quick so Mark could work on mock up's of the new pack cards we'll have at the shows. It was the only thing I had laying in my office at that moment.
Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and cheers to 2023!
Steve
View attachment 492577
View attachment 492578
As a guy who has one of these, this is one of the best reasons to upgrade to the K4.Steve, with all the molle you have on there I can't help but wonder what accessories and weapon carrier designs you have coming out as well...
Looks like adjustable load lifter angles on that frame? I really like the looks of the horizontal support on this frame, nothing worse than a frame that barrels with awkward loads. Looks great Steve!
Any chance you'll have any for sale at the Portland oregon sportsman show?
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Will there be any sales on old K3 inventory when this pack goes live? Also if you don’t mind sharing what do you think the discounted rates would be.We aren't 100% sure if we'll be at Portland or not right now. We have a booth space planned but it just depends on how busy we are. Worst case I'll send some packs over to the guys at Born and Raised outdoors and they'll have some on display for people to check out.
They just did the biggest sale they have ever done in Nov.Will there be any sales on old K3 inventory when this pack goes live? Also if you don’t mind sharing what do you think the discounted rates would be.
I’d love to get a pack, but the current rates are way too high for my budget.
Look at the classifieds. Matter of fact I have a K3 3200 Im gonna let go of.Will there be any sales on old K3 inventory when this pack goes live? Also if you don’t mind sharing what do you think the discounted rates would be.
I’d love to get a pack, but the current rates are way too high for my budget.