Exo Mountain K4?

[ChrisAU]

Stuffed my 5500 full of clothes and installed the rifle carrier to play with it. Gotta say, after doing forward carry my whole (relatively short) backpack hunting life, it made me nervous as shit the first time putting the pack on.

Some obeservstions:

1) My 22” rifle + 4” suppressor is VERY tall on it. Something you’d have to be super careful with.

2) The quick release buckle is easy enough, but maybe too easy? Could just be my heathen forward carrying self, but it made me nervous how easy it was to unbuckle the buckle.

3) There is no protection for the stock/barrel against the buckle. A sewn in piece of fabric would be nice. Although I imagine I’ll use the pack carry for hikes in and out and when packing meat, so I’ll use my pictured rifle cover there.

4) I took this opportunity to install an auto lock on both side of the pack, they are very squeaky - will these quieten over time? As in I can hear them squeak just moving the pack around.

5) I did try forward carry by putting a Kifaru upper in the sternum strap tri-glide. With the bucket in the designed position it was too hard to get to, and put the rifle on too flat of a plane (pointing forward). I moved the bucket (don’t cuss me Steve/Mark) to where the rear attachment was in the single row panel in the rear and the front attachment was on the most rearward MOLLE row on the belt and it worked pretty well. Easy enough to do if you want to have both options available to you in the field, though you’d have to leave that rear MOLLE row empty for the change.

6) I did need to remove my triad stock pack. I’ll probably order just the pad as I don’t use the pack features anyway. There was just too much going on to stuff it into the elastic bottom piece, especially if wanting to do forward carry with the pack already on.



My heathen solution for forward carry:

 

[camelcluch]

You could try stealth strips on the buckle to help protect the rifle.

 

[MTFred]

In response to the concerns of the buckle rubbing the stocks of our rifles. I agree, there should have been a piece of fabric sewn in. I am going to try mole skin, same stuff I use on the back of my heal. Sticks well enough to my boots, so we'll see how it goes.

 

[sr80]

In response to the concerns of the buckle rubbing the stocks of our rifles. I agree, there should have been a piece of fabric sewn in. I am going to try mole skin, same stuff I use on the back of my heal. Sticks well enough to my boots, so we'll see how it goes.

Ive cut a small piece of lukotape before and stuck it onto buckles before to prevent this this.

 

[Coveyleader]

Placed an order today. Plan on packing a Mountain Goat out in a couple weeks with it.

Elk first.

 

[snowcamoman]

Put some 3M adhesive backed velcro (soft side obviously) on the inner buckle to protect your rifles. Stuff stays put and adds a thicker, more protective layer than moleskin or Leukatape.

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[roosiebull]

I am a Kifaru small and an Exo K4 small, and I have a 30” waist.

Same

 

[DakotaBPNW]

I just swapped out my Medium belt for a Small last night, much better. I was maxed out on the medium trying to tighten it down. I wear around a 31” or 32” pant and my hip measures right around 29.5” the way Exo has you do it for fitment. I lost around 25lbs after I ordered my K4 originally so this was a good problem to have

 

[roosiebull]

After receiving my rifle sling here are my thoughts for those looking to purchase.

It was easy to mount & I appreciated the QR code to watch the video. As with all my Exo purchases the quality is great & shipping is always quick.

The bucket is snug with the elastic band, which is unique compared to the SG & Kifaru options I’ve tried before. It keeps the stock secure in the sling, but does add resistance if quickly deploying.

I did have some challenges with quickly finding the buckle to release the rifle. I am a very inflexible person so I had to really try to get my hand up there then find it with my fingers. I’d consider myself an outlier here.

I personally will be looking at this setup for hunts where I don’t plan to be still hunting. The deployment is just not as smooth as front carry with my Kifaru, and being unable to put the rifle back in the sling with pack on limits my use cases. Basically if I’m looking to replace a sling I’ll go front carry. If I just want my rifle secure but accessible without taking the pack off I’ll use the Exo sling.

A great product that I’d say fits the goals that Steve outlined. It’s pretty hard to be all things to everybody. Im happy with my purchase.


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Pretty good synopsis. I mounted mine today and it’s a good option for the intended design, but I’m sticking to the gun bearer. The exo won’t work well with my bow and don’t love where it rides so it’s off to a new home tomorrow. Going to modify my gun bearer and roll with that, for my needs, there is no replacement that I know of

 

[fisherman983]

Put a boned out bear in my k4 last night. I'd guess 80lbs of meat or so. It was substantially more comfortable than my k3. Belt didn't slip, stayed where it was supposed to.



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[Up_A_Creek]

How are guys mounting the gun bearer? Around the belt or through the Nalgene molle? Thanks!

 

[eltaco]

I don’t have any experience with rifle carriers. A few of you mentioned concern for finish wear. Are you concerned about wear on the stock at the bottom elastic opening, or at the barrel where the top strap wraps around? I have felt tape and will probably put some on just to be safe. I’d rather take the time now than find wear and need to resolve that later.

Maybe a non-issue, just better safe than sorry.

 

[ChrisAU]

I don’t have any experience with rifle carriers. A few of you mentioned concern for finish wear. Are you concerned about wear on the stock at the bottom elastic opening, or at the barrel where the top strap wraps around? I have felt tape and will probably put some on just to be safe. I’d rather take the time now than find wear and need to resolve that later.

Maybe a non-issue, just better safe than sorry.

The top where the plastic buckle sits on the rifle. I’ll use some type of tape as well.

 

[lintond]

How are guys mounting the gun bearer? Around the belt or through the Nalgene molle? Thanks!

I just started playing with this setup. Bought a 1.5” strap adjuster and some webbing. Using the strap adjuster that came with the Exo gun sling but you could probably attach to the molle other ways. I have to figure out how to go from 1.5” buckle to 1” webbing…the knot is temporary.

This gun bearer was the bottom portion of a Kifaru molle compatible one not the universal.

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[ChrisAU]

I just started playing with this setup. Bought a 1.5” strap adjuster and some webbing. Using the strap adjuster that came with the Exo gun sling but you could probably attach to the molle other ways. I have to figure out how to go from 1.5” buckle to 1” webbing…the knot is temporary.

This gun bearer was the bottom portion of a Kifaru molle compatible one not the universal.

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Have you tried that with forward carry?

 

[Etxaggie]

In looking for a bigger bag to fit on a SG X Curve, I fell down the K4 rabbit hole. For those of you who have experience with the K4 and Stone Glacier (specifically the X Curve frame), do you think the K4 is worth the additional cost of the EXO frame, or would you just recommend getting a bigger SG bag?

 

[lintond]

Have you tried that with forward carry?

Yes, just toyed around in the garage no field use. It’s a little further back then how I’ve done in past. Alternatively you probably could use the same approach onto the belt molle or maybe a double attachment to split the difference.


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[roosiebull]

How are guys mounting the gun bearer? Around the belt or through the Nalgene molle? Thanks!

Nalgene molle for me, don’t like it around the belt. I am going to sew a conversion on mine soon, just to make it clean and streamline

With that row of molle where it is, you would be doing yourself a disservice going around the belt… the weight disappears mounted to the Nalgene molle

 

[RAM190Hog]

Does anyone else here find the lumbar foam too soft? At 50-60lbs and up I am struggling with the pack sagging like I did with K3.

I took the lumbar pad off my SG Xcurve and put it in place, and snuggled up the waist belt and it seemed much more secure.

Might have to look into a firmer foam for the Exo lumbar or rig a permanent solution for the SG lumbar on Exo waist belt.

 

[RAM190Hog]

The big three packs companies (Exo, Kifaru, SG) all make great packs and all have something about them I like more than the others. In my opinion SG got it right with the lumbar pad.
If I could throw a SG lumbar on a K4 I think it would be perfect.
The K4 lumbar pad in my very limited use, puts a lot of pressure on my lower back; I like a firm lumbar just not so thick and bulky. SG pad is firm but is thinner and sits nicely on the lower back and holds firm.

I just made a new post and then found yours. Just held my SG lumbar on Exo with a 70lb load and liked it much better. May try to find what foam SG is using and buy some
For Exo lumbar. I find the Exo lumbar pad way too soft.