Kifaru Ark Frame Thoughts

[mpb21]

What are your thoughts on the new ark frame from kifaru?

I have long been a kifaru fan, have had multiple packs and frames over the past decade plus.

I really wanted to love the Ark frame. I packed out 3 elk and 2 deer with it this year. Rucked 100+ miles in the last year.

I just don't love this frame, I am considering going back to the tried and true duplex. I don't know exactly what it is but it rubs and rides much differently than my duplex frames did. I also wish they'd stuck with 24" and 26" frame instead going to a 22" and 25" frame.

 

[bozeman]

For my back, its 1000% more comfy than the duplex. Just something about the duplex didnt ride well for me. Just goes to show how 'individual' pack fit is for some people. Once I got the Ark dialed in, I sold the others I had been trying. Edit to add, I went with the 25".

 

[Steven.Elmore]

I agree with the Ark frame fitting differently than the Duplex. For me when loaded with weight my posture goes more into a leaning forward position than with the Duplex or the K4. I rucked all summer with it and the K4 trying to figure out why my back wasn't as sore with the K4. My conclusion was posture, I'm thinking of trying to put some sort of spacer between the shoulder pad and the frame to see if it will ride more upright.

I ended up hunting with the K4 this year just for that reason. Also I wasn't too impressed that the waist belt only had 4 slots when all the pockets were designed for 5. That was probably my most disappointing purchase last year.

 

[doc holiday13]

I would suggest reading through the several Ark threads in the backpack forum .. Lots of opinions already posted, just read.

 

[Ozzy841]

What are your thoughts on the new ark frame from kifaru?

I have long been a kifaru fan, have had multiple packs and frames over the past decade plus.

I really wanted to love the Ark frame. I packed out 3 elk and 2 deer with it this year. Rucked 100+ miles in the last year.

I just don't love this frame, I am considering going back to the tried and true duplex. I don't know exactly what it is but it rubs and rides much differently than my duplex frames did. I also wish they'd stuck with 24" and 26" frame instead going to a 22" and 25" frame.

I also don’t love the ark. I find the load lifter angle is too short for me when carrying heavy loads. Went back to my duplex light and have been happier. Just hoping they continue to support shoulder straps etc for that frame otherwise I’ll be looking at other options when they wear out.

 

[justin davis]

I’m a big fan of it. It feels great to my back

 

[silasbowhunter]

I love my Ark frame. I had a duplex tactical and routinely rucked with 50+lbs on it. I never loved it.. I didn’t need semi curved stays and never had them so maybe that was it?
This ark frame feels drastically different to me. Time will tell but I love it so far.


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[prm]

I am a big fan of the Ark.

I agree the pockets don’t fit the belt very well. The K4 pockets fit perfectly on the Ark belt though.

 

[nphunter]

So far ehh for me. Packed out two bulls with mine. Both were with a front and rear quarter so a very heavy load. To me when i loosen the shoulder straps or load lifters the pack wants to fall off backward, this wasn’t the case with my duplex hunter with carbon arrows I’ve been using since they came out.

I also think it’s super cheesy that you have to carry extra straps to hook to load lifters and hip belt up if you want to drop the bag between loads. I like that with the old Kifaru or even the Exo bags the load lifters can stay hooked up or on some bags you just pull and reconnect. The Ark just had slots cut in the carbon you have to choke a little buckle too after removing the bag. Also with there are not enough slots to run a bag with a load sling and a grab it together. When packing out the bulls this year I got covered in blood, with the duplex the blood would stay on the back of the pack since it didn’t have huge holes.

I feel like the ark will be comfy after breaking it in a little more but so far it feel stiff compared to the old worn in duplex. I also packed a bull out with a SG Sky 5900 this year and used it all summer backpacking and on two backpack hunts. After packing out a bull with it I washed it and put it on the classifieds the next day and went back to the duplex, once the SG sold I bought the Ark.

Time will tell with the Ark, I know that the duplex is a winner and would recommend them 100%. I’ve packed out dozens of animals with mine and put on 100’s of miles with heavy loads and it’s still going strong.

 

[Maverick1]

@mpb21 - I purchased a replacement lumbar pad foam, took it apart into two sections, and put one of the two sections back in the lumbar pad area. (This essentially halves the thickness of the lumbar pad.)

Rides much better - FOR ME. I did the same thing with my previous kifaru frames with similar improvements in comfort, both with light and heavy loads. (Might be a body-specific thing - I don't skip leg day. Gluteus Maximus.)

Have not read about too many other people doing this, but it has worked really well for me for many years.

Figured this out many seasons ago after having lower back discomfort using a kifaru frame with the pack near empty. (One of those things sitting around mid-day on the mountain, thinking "a heavier pack is more comfortable on my lower back. A lighter pack is less comfortable. That doesn't make sense. Let's take my backpack apart and figure out what's going on.")

Have been using it that way ever since, with near-empty packs all the way up to 150lbs+ YMMV.
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[silasbowhunter]

I also think it’s super cheesy that you have to carry extra straps to hook to load lifters and hip belt up if you want to drop the bag between loads. I like that with the old Kifaru or even the Exo bags the load lifters can stay hooked up or on some bags you just pull and reconnect. The Ark just had slots cut in the carbon you have to choke a little buckle too after removing the bag. Also with there are not enough slots to run a bag with a load sling and a grab it together. When packing out the bulls this year I got covered in blood, with the duplex the blood would stay on the back of the pack since it didn’t have huge holes.

I agree with the load lifter stuff. It’s a joke honestly. My frame didn’t even come with the loop locks and now Scheels/kifaru (purchased through Scheels) is being weird about sending them? Even though I offered to pay.
The system could be better but I love the way the ark frame fits me so I guess I will deal with these nuances.


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[nphunter]

I agree with the load lifter stuff. It’s a joke honestly. My frame didn’t even come with the loop locks and now Scheels/kifaru (purchased through Scheels) is being weird about sending them? Even though I offered to pay.
The system could be better but I love the way the ark frame fits me so I guess I will deal with these nuances.


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I don't not like the fit but I also liked the Stone Glacier with a light load, probably because it's lighter and has a nice simple design. I've been using my other Kifaru for like 10 years so it's like putting on an old worn out pair of sneakers. Everything just feels stiff on the Ark, I will use it next fall and see how I like it for backpacking and day hunts. I really only used it as a meat hauler this year since I got it so late in the season. Honesty I carried probably 120lbs (front and rear of a 6 point bull), down a step slippery face, 1200ft in about a mile straight line, got that elk out and before I got back to the house a friend called and shot another bull, dropped off the first elk in the driveway and drove up and packed another front and rear quarter out another mile and maybe 400ft of elevation. The pack carried the load well, just didn't feel as comfortable as the duplex.

I packed a bull out a couple weeks earlier with the SG and that packout was over 7 miles of packing meat and the stone glacier hip belt kept either coming loose or just wouldn't go tight enough, the rest of the pack was great and the way it loaded up was nice too. The hip belt was enough to make me want to ditch it as soon as I got back to the truck though, I did a lot of jumping up and down trying to get the belt tight with meat on my back.

Hopefully I get to haul a few more animals out next fall and if I decide to keep the Ark I will cut the bag and add some velcro so that I can just leave the load lifters connected to the frame the whole time and connect the bag around them. Seems like a missed opportunity by Kifaru, Exo does a great job of this with their frame. I'm tempted to try a K4 but don't want to end up having to flip it like I did the SG. The old Duplex is still working well with an Exo K3 bag but it's starting to show some signs of wear and I hope to retire it and keep it as a spare.

 

[mpb21]

@mpb21 - I purchased a replacement lumbar pad foam, took it apart into two sections, and put one of the two sections back in the lumbar pad area. (This essentially halves the thickness of the lumbar pad.)

Rides much better - FOR ME. I did the same thing with my previous kifaru frames with similar improvements in comfort, both with light and heavy loads. (Might be a body-specific thing - I don't skip leg day. Gluteus Maximus.)

Have not read about too many other people doing this, but it has worked really well for me for many years.

Figured this out many seasons ago after having lower back discomfort using a kifaru frame with the pack near empty. (One of those things sitting around mid-day on the mountain, thinking "a heavier pack is more comfortable on my lower back. A lighter pack is less comfortable. That doesn't make sense. Let's take my backpack apart and figure out what's going on.")

Have been using it that way ever since, with near-empty packs all the way up to 150lbs+ YMMV.
-
-

@mpb21 - I purchased a replacement lumbar pad foam, took it apart into two sections, and put one of the two sections back in the lumbar pad area. (This essentially halves the thickness of the lumbar pad.)

Rides much better - FOR ME. I did the same thing with my previous kifaru frames with similar improvements in comfort, both with light and heavy loads. (Might be a body-specific thing - I don't skip leg day. Gluteus Maximus.)

Have not read about too many other people doing this, but it has worked really well for me for many years.

Figured this out many seasons ago after having lower back discomfort using a kifaru frame with the pack near empty. (One of those things sitting around mid-day on the mountain, thinking "a heavier pack is more comfortable on my lower back. A lighter pack is less comfortable. That doesn't make sense. Let's take my backpack apart and figure out what's going on.")

Have been using it that way ever since, with near-empty packs all the way up to 150lbs+ YMMV.
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I am 100% going to give this a try and see if it makes a difference for me