K4 2200 & 5000 initial review

[mcseal2]

I just got in my new K4 system yesterday. I hiked about 3 miles with it today, and thought I'd give my initial thoughts. I'll add more after I get back from CO next month and use it on my hunt.

First impressions are very good. I have been using a K2 3500 for years and like it very much. I added a K3 hip belt when that option came out and thought that was an improvement. With my rifle included I had 35.75lbs with the 5000 bag today when I went hiking through the hills. It flexes laterally similar to the K2, which was always my favorite thing about it. It handles weight while not feeling restrictive like some frame packs do. I thought the K4 was very comfortable.

The 2200 bag is to small for my late season deer hunting. It holds all my gear fine in the main bag, but the built in "lid" pocket and side spotting scope pockets become very hard to use with the main bag pretty full. I mostly hunt rifle seasons later in the year, or Alaska. I take more bulky layers than someone hunting earlier and just need more capacity. With my Superdown Pro set, game bags, poncho, knife, and med/emergency kit in the main bag I could not easily fit my Kowa 554 or Slik 624 in the side pockets. I also could not fit my Swaro 15's in the "lid" pocket. Adding the separate lid like the larger bags use helped, but after experimenting I found I'd rather just run the 5000 bag and lid with more than enough room than have the lid on the 2200. I really like the horseshoe zipper or I'd have tried the 3600 bag.

If I was hunting earlier in the year and only taking a light puffy jacket or vest and my Kuiu superdown ultra pants I could fit everything in the 2200 easily. This year I'll be in CO in November and will use the 5000 bag. I could see myself using the 2200 for antelope or elk when I have less layers and no 15's. I think without the 15's I could fit my Superdown Pro jacket and Superdown Ultra pants plus my other gear with no problem.

I really like the Nalgene and rifle holder accessories. They both work very well and allow access to those items without removing the pack. With practice I think the 3-4 seconds from "draw" to shot is realistic. I think I can get faster with practice. I have the rifle holder on the right side of the pack, Nalgene on the left. I found that I needed to shift all my heavy items as far left as possible to counterbalance my rifle. The rifle weighed 8.75lbs as carried. Putting the Slik 624 in the stretch pocket on the left, spotter in the LH zipper pocket, and my knife and snacks against that side of the pack helped. I put my puffy layers along the right side. It balanced well like that.

I could get the Nalgene in and out while wearing the pack easily. I think they nailed that accessory.

The only thing I found I'd change compared to my K2 is I like the old open top spotter and tripod pockets better than the new zippered ones. I could fill the K2 3500 main bag pretty tight and still easily remove those items from the old style pockets. These new ones eat up more internal pack space it seems to me. It's something to consider when choosing a bag size.

All in all I'm very happy with my purchase. My old K2 worked well enough I'd not seen much reason to change. Flying to AK I wanted to get a solid color pack for a carry on instead of my old multi-cam K2 though. Also in AK I ended up carrying all my buddy's gear on a long hike once when he left his stuff to rush to head off a herd. Having more bag capacity for his stuff would have been better than strapping his loaded bag to the back of mine. All that weight kept shifting to the right, and I ended up having some back issues for a little while after that hike. I like more bag size than needed in AK now for unplanned occurrences. I think any time I need to fly the new solid color K2 will be my carry on.

That's about it from what little I have done so far. I'll add to this post in about a month, hopefully it will be bloody by then!

 

[White Mamba]

I find my 2200 just a tad to small as well when you need to bring puffy layers. The side pockets need a redesign so they expand from a full main bag.

 

[MHWASH]

Honestly I don't see much improvement over my K2. I do prefer the side pockets on the K3 4800 bag I had on the K2. I really enjoy the content that EXO puts out, and that was a big reason I went with the K4, but I don't feel the upgrade was worth it.

I was able to sell my K2/K3 hybrid for a good price, so I don't feel like I got hurt. I did not feel like the K2 was lacking in any way, but I felt that if the K2 was such a good pack the K4 must be great. Had the K4 not been on the market, I would have kept hunting with the K2 with no desire to switch up packs.

 

[mcseal2]

I had no complaints about my K2. I think I will like the K4 at least as much though. The Nalgene holder and rifle holder one are significant upgrades in my mind. I can’t say if its better with weight or not until I get more time using it. I think the K2 was just good enough there is only so much room for improvement.

 

[camelcluch]

I like the K4 suspension and belt a lot. I used the 2200 for elk and thought it was plenty big and I could probably do 3 nights out of it. My only real “complaint” is that I miss the stretch pocket in the middle. That’s a personal thing I guess so boohoo to me. I did think the belt and lumbar pad fit me a bit better than my K2 and K3. That said I packed out some serious weight in the K2 2000. I did think the pack got better as I used it. Break in was real. The K4 is a winner to me and I hope to use the 5000 next year and give it a workout.

 

[Theringworm]

This is the exact setup, K4 with 2200 and 5000 bags, that I plan on buying. Just waiting to see the new 2023 Pack Shootout video, hopefully real real soon, to reassure me. 2nd option would be Stone Glacier. I greatly appreciate your detailed review.

 

[Coveyleader]

A must!

 

[mcseal2]

Thanks for all the replies.

How many days I can get out of a certain size of pack is always hard for me to say, and even harder for me to base decisions on from other people's reviews without more context.

For example a person on an early archery elk hunt who is carrying a light shelter, 30 degree down quilt, no spotter and tripod, and minimal layers needs way less space than a later rifle hunt. I'm usually hunting October or November with a rifle in the west. My personal list changes a lot even during the same time period depending on species. If I'm hunting deer I carry my SLC 15x56's and a spotter. I also want heavier puffy layers to be stationary for longer periods of time. Hunting elk I would not take the 15's and would not glass without moving for as long, so I'd take different insulating layers. The time of year I hunt I use a Kifaru 20 degree Slickbag that's a lot bulkier than a down bag.

A summer scouting trip where I take my light down blanket and Durston X mid 1 for a shelter I can get by with way less pack bag space than I use for later season hunts with snow.

Anyway, just an observation to consider when looking at pack reviews, mine included.