Insight on new kifaru frame?

JP100

WKR
Joined
Dec 20, 2013
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1,230
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South Island New Zealand
With this new frame and opening between the frame, is anyone experiencing stuff poking through at touching your back? Obviously something sharp and awkward might but say you had a jetboil packed inside your bag would you feel it?

You do have to think about how you pack your bag abit more, things like a nalgene/pot will poke through and be a bit annoying. just have to pack those away from the frame.
 

Ebby

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Joined
Jul 12, 2013
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868
My total pack with medium muskeg bag, organizer lid, 26” frame and medium belt is 6lbs 8ozs. Compared to a similar setup on my Seek Outside at 4lbs 13ozs. Pretty big difference. I haven’t had a chance to really check out the comfort yet. I’ll get to that next week.
 

slim9300

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Feb 26, 2012
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1,712
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Olympia, WA
My total pack with medium muskeg bag, organizer lid, 26” frame and medium belt is 6lbs 8ozs. Compared to a similar setup on my Seek Outside at 4lbs 13ozs. Pretty big difference. I haven’t had a chance to really check out the comfort yet. I’ll get to that next week.

What is your max carrying weight when packing out an animal?


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Ironman8

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Aug 15, 2013
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928
I’ve seen a handful of guys say that the new frames carry weight much better than the hunter duplex frame.

What exactly makes this the case?
 

tgskog

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 25, 2015
Messages
110
I know there's been a few comments on an elevated load shelf. Here are some pics of my modified frame. I was debating whether doing molle webbing up the vertical stays so you had options of attaching a k-clip but decided on the less destructive route and had a rectangular loop sewn in. Had Native Textiles sew in the attachment. Dave did a great job and was great to work with.

duplex1.jpg
duplex.jpg
 
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Ironman8

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Aug 15, 2013
Messages
928
I would say the biggest difference in comfort probably stems from the stays being moved behind the frame sheet.

I can’t say I’ve ever felt the stays through the lumbar pad and through the shoulder/back pads...which are the only two contact points that I would think would be felt. What am I missing?
 

Squirrels

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Joined
Dec 29, 2016
Messages
1,477
There is a new style load hauling item for the lite and ultralite frames, it's called the quarter panel. Nice idea, I think I will be making myself one of those.
 
Joined
Dec 23, 2017
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Location
Michigan
Do you that have them think the new frame really carries weight better? I have a tactical frame, and I am ok with the frame weight, and it really does not make me sweat that bad. Do you think it carries weight better enough to invest in one?
 

sr80

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Feb 19, 2014
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1,400
Location
British Columbia
Do you that have them think the new frame really carries weight better? I have a tactical frame, and I am ok with the frame weight, and it really does not make me sweat that bad. Do you think it carries weight better enough to invest in one?

might be just a mental thing to justify the cost and thats its new - so it has to be better! :D
 

matman

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 23, 2018
Messages
131
Location
Red Dirt USA
I know there's been a few comments on an elevated load shelf. Here are some pics of my modified frame. I was debating whether doing molle webbing up the vertical stays so you had options of attaching a k-clip but decided on the less destructive route and had a rectangular loop sewn in. Had Native Textiles sew in the attachment. Dave did a great job and was great to work with.

View attachment 76144
View attachment 76145

How does it handle weight? Have you loaded it up yet? I sent David (NT) an email about this a week ago.


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Squirrels

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Dec 29, 2016
Messages
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After seeing what NY did for tgskog I got inspired to try it myself. If you have a machine that will punch through the frame sheet this is a very very simple mod. It was the only thing I wondered why they left off this frame. Here is a picture of mine, took about 20 minutes total.
70356e65a8bda6815cf6925ee049d1d6.jpg



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Joined
Jan 26, 2017
Messages
1,226
Location
WA State
Question about connecting the Exo bags to these new frames. Do the fewer tab loops on the ultralite line up with the buckles on the exo pack or would the 5 tab loops on the lite frame be needed for proper alignment? If the ultralite frame will work good with an exo, then I would rather have that over the lite but if the lite will line up better then I will go that route.
 

tgskog

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Sep 25, 2015
Messages
110
I've loaded 100lb in the elevated load shelf and I personally like carrying the weight a little higher up. Prior to making the mod I thought this frame handled heavy loads better than other packs i've used but like it that much more with the load elevated.
 

matman

Lil-Rokslider
Joined
Feb 23, 2018
Messages
131
Location
Red Dirt USA
I've loaded 100lb in the elevated load shelf and I personally like carrying the weight a little higher up. Prior to making the mod I thought this frame handled heavy loads better than other packs i've used but like it that much more with the load elevated.

Thanks for the input. I’m getting my frame stripped to send off for installation of rectangle loops as well. My plans were to either do this or build me essentially what Kifaru did with their quarter panel; however, make the quarter panel relatively shorter so that the weight would again be elevated. The issue I see with the quarter panel is that you are setting the load on the lower side of your lumbar. Great to hear it’s handling loads well. I was just wondering if the fabric and everything in that spot would support the extra weight.


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ssliger

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Jun 20, 2013
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Location
Laramie Wy
Question about connecting the Exo bags to these new frames. Do the fewer tab loops on the ultralite line up with the buckles on the exo pack or would the 5 tab loops on the lite frame be needed for proper alignment? If the ultralite frame will work good with an exo, then I would rather have that over the lite but if the lite will line up better then I will go that route.

I have the new frame with the 3 tab loops on each side. Works perfectly with my EXO 5500 bag.


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Squirrels

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Dec 29, 2016
Messages
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Thanks for the input. I’m getting my frame stripped to send off for installation of rectangle loops as well. My plans were to either do this or build me essentially what Kifaru did with their quarter panel; however, make the quarter panel relatively shorter so that the weight would again be elevated. The issue I see with the quarter panel is that you are setting the load on the lower side of your lumbar. Great to hear it’s handling loads well. I was just wondering if the fabric and everything in that spot would support the extra weight.
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I'm with you, the quarter panel is a neat idea and would work well under certain situations I think. But overall it doesn't address MY needs.
 
Joined
Jan 26, 2017
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1,226
Location
WA State
Has anyone had the chance to weigh both the ultralite and lite with a small belt and nothing else on it? Wondering if their advertised weights are actually true.
 
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