Kifaru Ark or Exo K4 or IA pack/frame

[mrdeadheadr]

Hey, I've been rocking the Kifaru Ark past year or so and think it's pretty nice but..
Just not a fan of figuring out of how to pack meat/the clips are complicated system i feel personally.. and pack feels heavyish without weight

I hear people having issued with Initial Ascent packs glueing/meat hauling problems failing some too..

Would the K4 pack be just as comfortable as Kifaru I guess is what I'm asking.. any thoughts on switching from Kifaru to Exo?

thanks..!

 

[camelcluch]

The Exo system is extremely easy to use.

 

[Jtb.kfd]

My kids and I have went through about every pack (except Kifaru) and have landed on EXO. We have K2’s, 3’s and K4’s. Love them all but the K4 is exceptional. We had good luck with Stone Glacier but preferred the EXO. My brother has a newer IA and we have done several bear hunts with it this year. Its comfortable but I too have heard about the failures and I don’t care for the straps on the IA and also it is a wider, stiffer pack. EXO runs an amazing company as well, something big would have to change for me to consider or recommend any other pack for hunting/meat hauling.

 

[mrdeadheadr]

My kids and I have went through about every pack (except Kifaru) and have landed on EXO. We have K2’s, 3’s and K4’s. Love them all but the K4 is exceptional. We had good luck with Stone Glacier but preferred the EXO. My brother has a newer IA and we have done several bear hunts with it this year. Its comfortable but I too have heard about the failures and I don’t care for the straps on the IA and also it is a wider, stiffer pack. EXO runs an amazing company as well, something big would have to change for me to consider or recommend any other pack for hunting/meat hauling.

thanks! just wondering if Exo K4 would be stiff enough and sit good on my hips like the kifaru kinda does

 

[Roughneck]

I have used Exo and Kifaru of the ones you mentioned. The new ARK frame is great just couldn’t find a bag I liked and ended up running the ARK frame with an EXO K3 bag. I also have 2 EXO K4 packs that I really like and are top notch.

 

[chicoredneck]

I used a K4 this season to pack out 4 elk and a pronghorn. It’s the most comfortable pack I have used under weight. I like it better than the stone glacier I was running before.

 

[6.5x284]

I have both. I generally prefer the EXO under 60 lb and the ARK over 60 lb. I also prefer the sheet frame on the ARK for carrying quarters and heads. Both are really good though.


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[Hnthrdr]

I use an Exo k4 been through several over the years, K4 is a fantastic pack, 1st and last pack out this year was a nice sized bull, it carries weight well, you can tell the guys who designed it actually hunt and use it, lots of thought and attention to little details. Went from Alice pack, to MR, Eberlestock, to MR and now to Exo, this will be the go to for a long long time…