KIFARU ARK FRAME review

[2001precision]

I’m in the same boat as you. I swapped the pad from the duplex to the ark and am getting a lot of pressure in one spot on my back. I’m going to tweak the torso length a little more, but I’m afraid the duplex is going to be the frame that fits me.

I commented back in April (#220 in this thread), replying to Ragged Hunter. That comment about the pad digging in on the top 2” resonated with me. After adjusting the pack a few different ways with no success, I was definitely pretty disappointed. I was convinced this pack wasn’t the one for me.

I had an area I wanted to scout, and push my own limits into a wilderness area last year in April. I also had a cougar tag I wanted to try and fill. The area was known to have LOTS of cats. This was about the same time I ordered that Kifaru Ark and Fulcrum bag, and decided I wasn’t going to send the pack back to Kifaru. Mostly because I needed a quality backpack that wouldn’t fail me on a trip like that. Besides walking around the yard with some light weight, this was the first time I really loaded it up and put some miles on my boots. I only ended up doing like 8 miles, but the country was steep and covered in snow. With an unnecessary 80lb camp, I was definitely a little sore getting back to the truck. Mostly from the bag breaking into my body, specifically around the belt and lumbar.

I actually tried a K4, K3, and Stone Glacier before the trip, and preferred their lumbar, over the Ark. That was BEFORE I broke it in.

Since that trip in April, I brought it with me to Bristol Bay commercially fishing, it’s been packed hundreds of miles all over Washington and Idaho, archery elk hunting, high country deer hunting, bear hunting, and it’s had multiple loads over 100lbs this year with different critters. Top packout was 131 lbs about 5 1/2 miles, with a 3x3 Muley. My heaviest ever. My opinion on the frame, specifically the lumbar, has changed 100%. The top of the pad definitely broke down a bit, almost like memory foam but a lot more dense. It’s fits NICE now. Really, really good. The buckles and straps are amazing, top quality. Just like the rest of the bag and frame.
That’s why I initially kept the Kifaru, based on my own experiences and research, I thought it would be the toughest for my application. Also the most customizable. Sometimes I carry a 20lb .338 Lapua, and sometimes I carry a bow. Sometimes both…it works awesome. With all the attachment points and accessories, you can do anything with this bag if your smart enough. I’m really glad I didn’t send the Kifaru Ark and Fulcrum back, it would have been a bad mistake.
I actually like the combo so much I might buy a second bag today with all the sales still running…

I highly recommend Kifaru, and the Ark frame.

 

[BZA7]

I commented back in April (#220 in this thread), replying to Ragged Hunter. That comment about the pad digging in on the top 2” resonated with me. After adjusting the pack a few different ways with no success, I was definitely pretty disappointed. I was convinced this pack wasn’t the one for me.

I had an area I wanted to scout, and push my own limits into a wilderness area last year in April. I also had a cougar tag I wanted to try and fill. The area was known to have LOTS of cats. This was about the same time I ordered that Kifaru Ark and Fulcrum bag, and decided I wasn’t going to send the pack back to Kifaru. Mostly because I needed a quality backpack that wouldn’t fail me on a trip like that. Besides walking around the yard with some light weight, this was the first time I really loaded it up and put some miles on my boots. I only ended up doing like 8 miles, but the country was steep and covered in snow. With an unnecessary 80lb camp, I was definitely a little sore getting back to the truck. Mostly from the bag breaking into my body, specifically around the belt and lumbar.

I actually tried a K4, K3, and Stone Glacier before the trip, and preferred their lumbar, over the Ark. That was BEFORE I broke it in.

Since that trip in April, I brought it with me to Bristol Bay commercially fishing, it’s been packed hundreds of miles all over Washington and Idaho, archery elk hunting, high country deer hunting, bear hunting, and it’s had multiple loads over 100lbs this year with different critters. Top packout was 131 lbs about 5 1/2 miles, with a 3x3 Muley. My heaviest ever. My opinion on the frame, specifically the lumbar, has changed 100%. The top of the pad definitely broke down a bit, almost like memory foam but a lot more dense. It’s fits NICE now. Really, really good. The buckles and straps are amazing, top quality. Just like the rest of the bag and frame.
That’s why I initially kept the Kifaru, based on my own experiences and research, I thought it would be the toughest for my application. Also the most customizable. Sometimes I carry a 20lb .338 Lapua, and sometimes I carry a bow. Sometimes both…it works awesome. With all the attachment points and accessories, you can do anything with this bag if your smart enough. I’m really glad I didn’t send the Kifaru Ark and Fulcrum back, it would have been a bad mistake.
I actually like the combo so much I might buy a second bag today with all the sales still running…

I highly recommend Kifaru, and the Ark frame.

Awesome, how long do you think it took for the pad to become "broke in". Just trying to get a gauge. Thanks!

 

[2001precision]

Awesome, how long do you think it took for the pad to become "broke in". Just trying to get a gauge. Thanks!

Well I would say it depends how it fits your body initially, and how much weight you are going to have in it. Since the initial fit for me was certainly less than ideal, I would say probably 50-100 miles with anywhere from 20-80lbs loaded down. That’s pretty much fully broken in… but after that first trip in April with 80lbs for 8mi, it whooped my hips and back bad but really broke the bag in a lot. After that, the trips were a lot smoother.
I also learned the bag, and its adaptability. moving the shoulder straps up and down, different belt sizes and attachment points, different lids, and properly loading the load shelf, and compression straps in different spots had a learning curve. Now that the bag broke into me, and I broke into it, we’ve got a pretty good relationship…

 

[BZA7]

Well I would say it depends how it fits your body initially, and how much weight you are going to have in it. Since the initial fit for me was certainly less than ideal, I would say probably 50-100 miles with anywhere from 20-80lbs loaded down. That’s pretty much fully broken in… but after that first trip in April with 80lbs for 8mi, it whooped my hips and back bad but really broke the bag in a lot. After that, the trips were a lot smoother.
I also learned the bag, and its adaptability. moving the shoulder straps up and down, different belt sizes and attachment points, different lids, and properly loading the load shelf, and compression straps in different spots had a learning curve. Now that the bag broke into me, and I broke into it, we’ve got a pretty good relationship…

Nice, that all makes sense. Thanks for the quick reply!

 

[Pilarczyk85]

Theee most comfortable pack (for me) I've used yet. Just fits and stays snug on hikes and pack outs. Love it.

 

[astockett]

Curious to see how this compares to the height feel of the previous frames