Finally Built My Ultimate Day Pack. Kuiu Pack, Exo K4 Frame, Kifaru belt

mgstucson

FNG
Joined
Dec 9, 2022
Messages
69
I really like KUIU bags, but not so much their frames and belts. The horseshoe zip on the bag and internal pockets and internal packing straps are great. The KUIU package, as is, is a minimal weight for a frame pack this size, but becomes uncomfortable and fatiguing when under moderate to heavy weight due to the belt design and side to side pack sway under weight. Also, I never liked the fact that for packing meat out, there are no dedicated meat to frame straps for the meat. You just use the 3/4" pack straps to secure everything. This puts a LOT of UNNECESSARY weight and stress on the already minimal size and number of straps. I have been using KUIU bags on KIFARU Duplex Lite frames and tactical frames. On these frames, there are plenty of places to strap meat to frame with 1" straps, while securing the pack to the frame with its own 1" or 3/4" straps, which decreases stress and increases durability on the KUIU bags. This KUIU/KIFARU combination is GREAT, and is comfortable across all weight ranges, but the frames are a little rigid, and the new ARK frame is more rigid. I really like this KUIU/KIFARU combination, especially under heavy weight, and it is still a really workable heavy duty option for me, especially with the big 6000 or 7800 KUIU bag full of gear, and meat pack out.

While I am keeping and continuing to use this KUIU/KIFARU combination, I was looking for something a little more handy for a lite day pack. I really like EXO K4 frames, and their belts are good, but I like KIFARU belts better. So I was thinking my ultimate outfit would be a KUIU pack, a EXO K4 frame, and a KIFARU belt. So I cut the back panel off an EXO K4 belt that was too small for me, that I picked up here on Rokslide with some other stuff I bought. I ordered a carbon fiber panel off fleabay. and spent the afternoon hooking everything up. I really like the result, but I haven't field tested it yet. I may make some minor fitment adjustments to customize fit to my body type, although it feels like a great fit when I try it on already.

First pic, KUIU 4000 LT Pro bag on a straight up EXO K4 frame and belt, with an EXO lid in hunters orange
This is a great option, but I like the KIFARU belt better than the K4 belt.

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Next pic, the same KUIU pack and EXO lid, EXO K4 frame, but with the KIFARU belt, with K4 lumbar pad. I can also use a KIFARU lumbar pad if desired. I find the KIFARU belt just a little more comfortable for my body type, and it has a LOT more molle connections for belt pouches, handgun holsters, rifle bearers, etc., so I made a way to use the KIFARU belt with an EXO frame.

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Same pack opposite side. As you can see, I am using the KUIU shoulder straps. I can also use K4 shoulder straps, but I already had the KUIU ones and they seem to work even better on the EXO frame than on the KUIU frame.


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The K4 frame holds the pack and lower part of the strap pads off my back a little more for much appreciated added ventilation. The KUIU frame holds the straps in full contact with my body all the way up and down, There is a little ventilation right up the middle between the 2 strap pads. The KIFARU Duplex frame has a little better ventilation than the KUIU frame, but using the KUIU should straps on the EXO K4 frame nearly doubles the space between the 2 pads on the shoulder straps as opposed to using on KUIU frame, and there is more room to adjust the angle of the pads, in addition to the extra ventilation. BTW the KUIU bag attaches to the frame via the stay pockets on the top of the KUIU bag, KUIU strap lifters on top of the frame, and uses the 2 KUIU buckles on the back of the pack for strap to frame connection on the bottom. I had to relocate a couple of strap attachment points on the K4 frame to allow the KUIU stay pockets on the bag to seat all the way down onto the K4 stays. These KUIU strap buckles on the bottom back of the pack allow the bag to be drawn tight onto the frame with top to bottom tension. There are also 2 KUIU bottom side strap connection points, and there are convenient straps on the side of the KIFARU belt that hook up to the side buckles on the KUIU pack. PERFECTION (the K4 belt has no bottom side straps, like the KIFARU belt does.) This makes the KIFARU belt a little more stable option to use with the KUIU bag than just using the KUIU bag on a straight up K4 frame and belt. The side straps in the middle of the bag in the pic above, are the standard K4 frame side straps. This still leaves 2 other 1" straps in the middle of the frame dedicated for strapping meat to the frame on a pack out. I like this arrangement, because when I need to get in the main or side compartments in the KUIU bag, I just have 2- 1" buckles on the front of the pack to release, instead of the 4- 3/4" buckles, 2 buckles on each side of the pack, when using the KUIU standard straps and buckles. I was going to add the KUIU straps to the EXO K4 frame that would allow use of standard KUIU middle bag 3/4" side straps AND leave FOUR 1" straps for attaching meat to frame. I still may do it so I can use either option. but for now I kind of like using the K4 side straps instead.

MY new KUIU/EXO/KIFARU is the best combination I have found yet for my ultimate day pack. It may even be better for heavy loads as well, but I won't know until I field test it. I think I would still go with my KUIU/KIFARU Duplex Tactical Frame or Lite Frame option when carrying the really big packs like the KUIU 7800.
 
Here is a series of pics showing cutting the back panel off a K4 belt, mounting the K4 back panel to a carbon fiber panel that will enable the K4 frame to mount to a KIFARU belt.

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Now get yourself an HPG harness and experience ultimate comfort.
The HPG harness I saw is designed to put the weight of your pack on your shoulders. They do look like great frameless packs. With the framed packs, the only strap pressure on your shoulders is on the front of your shoulders, there is little to no weight on the top on the shoulders. With a properly adjusted pack, the shoulder strap load lifters actually create a slight space between the top of the shoulder and the shoulder strap. You can slide your fingers in the space even with a hundred pounds in the pack. This is MUCH LESS fatiguing than carrying the weight on your shoulders. I carried a frameless shoulder pack for years and found even with light to moderate weight, it was about 5x more fatiguing than a framed pack with the same weight which puts nearly all the weight on the belt. That is what make belt selection so critical. Nealry all the weight is the belt, and the shoulder straps only function is to keep the top on the pack from shifting side to side or front to back.
 
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