brik- at this point I still own both the woodsman and the mountain warrior. IMO the mtn warrior was already the best single pack for me. By adding a grab-it that would be used as a meat shelf and a couple compression straps that ran on the outside of the zippered pocket it basically covered all my needs, but it wasn't perfect. I ran a 14'r for day hunts last year and it worked great, when I killed my bull I took the back straps and t-loins out on the first trip with the 14'r and then grabbed my frame that I had setup to haul meat.
This system worked great, but again wasn't perfect. It really boils down to what you want. For training a grab-it and a couple auto lock buckles and you're golden. That way you never have to unnecessarily stress your bag or meat shelf, it would be difficult for me to justify buying a bag strictly for training. The other thing I really like about the MW is how neatly it will compress to be used in day hunt mode. I have never deboned an animal to pack it out, I have always quartered them, so packing meat inside the bag wasn't something I wanted/needed to do. So the move to a smaller pack with a meat shelf made sense for me. In addition to what I already stated I am also trying to lighten my load this year and therefore need to give myself less capacity. Its very hard for me to see extra room and not take advantage it. See pic below for a trip I made this summer, in the pack I had the following and had plenty of room to spare.
0 degree down bag, stuffed into the bottom of the bag
Redcliff/pole
fishing gear
food
stove
extra clothes
rain coat
ground sheet
pillow
possibles pouch
whatever else I'm forgetting
As you can see I ran a standard lid an had a ton of room left. The truth is this may be your first Kifaru bag, but it probably won't be your last. For the most part they all resell pretty easy for pretty good money. Go with your gut and buy the bag that appeals the most to you. You'll figure out if a center zip is your preference vs a panel loader vs whatever. I started with a 22 mag, it's a great bag, then went to a MW, then to a 14'r and now to a woodsman. They all work, but you'll find out which one or two or three (haha) works best for you. At this point start by narrowing down how many cubic inches you need and go from there. The other thing you could do is call those guys, they are very approachable and really want you to be happy with their gear.
