Exo Mountain K4?

[Blackcow]

Dunno. Does look like a HDPE and squadron frame sheet with carbon stays in sewn in stay pockets.

 

[wind gypsy]

Early run of the K2 before Exo switched to Ranger Green. I guess the easy answer if I didn't care for the zipper on the K4 is: leave it unzipped!

The leave it unzipped thing doesn't really account for why i like the old way:
1. zippers don't stretch when you're stuffing something in like the stretch material does
2. The vertical opening is a lot more prone to dump your stuff if you leave it unzipped than the old top opening
3. Stuffing things in from the side with the shallow width and then having to zip it in just doesn't seem as ideal as stuffing something in a deep pocket from the top.
4. I've zipped enough ultralight puffy shells in zippers to know I'd rather not have one more place to do it.
5. A little added weight.

All that said, it's not that important of a distinction to me but I like the old way better and it'd be lighter and easier/cheaper to make for exo.

 

[wind gypsy]

Also, I always liked the straight webbing on belt for mounting holsters and pockets on EXO vs the PALS on kifaru or SO that attachments always seem to fall off from and require a holster adapter of some sort. Not a fan of the move to molle.

 

[dreamingWest]

The leave it unzipped thing doesn't really account for why i like the old way:
1. zippers don't stretch when you're stuffing something in like the stretch material does
2. The vertical opening is is a lot more prone to dump your stuff if you leave it unzipped than the old top opening
3. Stuffing stuff in from the side with the shallow width and then having to zip it in just doesn't seem as ideal as stuffing something in a deep pocket from the top.
4. I've zipped enough ultralight puffy shells in zippers to know I'd rather not have one more place to do it.
5. A little added weight.

All that said, it's not that important of a distinction to me but I like the old way better and it'd be lighter and easier/cheaper to make for exo.

100% agree with this. I'm trying to take it easy on Steve! He's probably already dealing with 100 requests for special run bags.

 

[BRTreedogs]

It was my Katabatic Quilt that got zippered in my 3500.
I don't even use the zippers any more.

 

[camelcluch]

Anyone have a price list? I may have missed it.

 

[roosiebull]

Anyone have a price list? I may have missed it.

Steve posted it a couple pages back (maybe a few now)

 

[camelcluch]

Thank you! I’m slow

 

[Dos Perros]

Dunno. Does look like a HDPE and squadron frame sheet with carbon stays in sewn in stay pockets.

This makes it much more like it's competitors than previous models. SG also uses carbon stays on top of a HDPE sheet. Kifaru uses composite or aluminum stays on top of HDPE sheet.

 

[Blackcow]

^^yep^^.

 

[Dioni A]

I haven't torn it apart but I'm pretty sure there's no sheet of plastic in there. It has cross braces but it doesn't feel like there's anything behind the material adding structure separate from that.

 

[doncarpenter]

I don't know for sure, but I highly doubt the new frame has a plastic frame sheet in the upper portion. The previous generations did not. It appears from the pics that they use horizontal structural support to prevent barreling because the structure is right underneath the compression straps.

There is a sheet behind the lumbar area. This was discussed in the podcast.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

 

[Blackcow]

Good to know.

 

[Fins_N_Tines]

For what it worth, when Steve discussed the frame, he said it was made out of squadron. There was no mention of a frame sheet of any kind.

 

[twall13]

I went and checked it out today at the show. It definitely doesn't have a frame sheet. Two vertical carbon stays with some thinner horizontal carbon stays for rigidity. Mark went over it with me.

Also, I made the mistake of trying it on and I'll be placing an order at some point soon. I don't need a new pack and have plans to pick up a new bow or I would have bought it on the spot. It felt good enough that I'll be buying one soon even though I had no plan to upgrade this year.

I actually put it on and asked how much weight was in there, guessing 30 lbs. It was actually 53. Still a far cry from a heavy meat pack out but it felt really great with that weight for me. It's been a couple of iterations since I've tried an Exo pack but this belt felt a little better than my Kifaru so consider me impressed.

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

 

[roosiebull]

I agree. The Exo bag I have that has a zipped back stretchy panel seems harder to stuff things in. But yes, of course it keeps spruce and pine needles out. Regardless, I plan to pick up a K4 3600 to complement my K2 2000/5500 combo. The K4 really looks great.

I certainly understand why some prefer the open top stretch pocket, but I for one prefer the zipper, open top will certainly get me a nice daily collection of salmonberry debris, and same thing going through dog hair reprod, open top pockets fill constantly.

I don’t have very strong opinions on it either way, but prefer the zipper. I’m a fan of stretch pockets on the back though, good place to pack extra clothes and wet gear. When switching back and forth with packs, when not using the exo, I miss the stretch pockets

 

[bow puller]

K4 build quality is next level. K3 is great but compare a K4 to any other pack in person and you'll know Steve eats sleeps and breathes packs and is advancing pack manufacturing technology.

 

[K_pem]

Total side note here, but did anyone else who’s watching the elk101 series notice that Lenny isn’t wearing a K4? He’s actually wearing a Kuiu pack of all other pack options, odd…

Seemed strange to me considering I’m pretty sure he helped start the company

 

[D-String]

I went with a lot less aggressive taper than the K3 bags, so there is more volume down there now, but it's still there. I like the advantages it offers. Weight distribution in regards to how the pack is loaded is very overlooked in my opinion. The tapered bag forces gear to sit up higher in the pack rather than having everything slump to the bottom.

Which is why I love EXO packs so much; they carry the loads so much better and also why I have 3 soon to be 4 of them! I’ve tried them all. EXO are the best! Thanks Steve!

 

[BRTreedogs]

The more I look at the zippered side pockets the more my excitement is dying down.
I had a 44mag and took it on 1 hunt. Then adapted an exo 4800 to the Kifaru frame.
I just found the zippered side pockets inconvenient.
But the 44 mag doesn't have stretch pockets on the corners. So I guess I could use those. I usually put my trekkers in the open top pocket so the sun doesn't shine off of them.
Maybe some spray paint is in order to. Why aren't trekking poles a flat color?

I know Steve says the k3 bags are not compatible but im not afraid to cut the buckles off ether.

I'm super excited for the K4 frame updates, the angles molle is awesome and the double stretch pockets.
I need to see one in person.