Kifaru Dominating the Hunting Market

[MuleyFever]

Ok so maybe the title of the thread was a bit much for some of you to handle. I expected a little negativity because of that. I read somewhere that most people only read titles to form an opinion. I wanted to see if that was true with the Rokslide crowd. Obviously y'all are a tough crowd. That being said, as much as some of you want to believe otherwise, like it or not, Kifaru is the company setting the bar. It's not Exo, it's not SG, and it's not SO. It's not Kuiu. It's not Sitka. It's not MR. And it's damn sure not Badlands. But It is Kifaru. They are the company setting the standards the other companies have to live up to.

Thats some good backpedaling. However, we did read the post and in it you said " I'm interested to hear what/why you think makes Kifaru packs great and why they are dominating the hunting scene." So no, you didnt just put dominating it in the title to see if we just read the title.

As to your above post, again, nothing you wrote says that Kifaru is dominating the hunting scene. Now you are saying they are setting the bar. Like mentioned above, what bar? If I want a light weight set up with a bag that has great organization built in guess what, Kifaru is not anywhere near the bar.

 

[RazzleDazzle]

Ok so maybe the title of the thread was a bit much for some of you to handle. I expected a little negativity because of that. I read somewhere that most people only read titles to form an opinion. I wanted to see if that was true with the Rokslide crowd. Obviously y'all are a tough crowd. That being said, as much as some of you want to believe otherwise, like it or not, Kifaru is the company setting the bar. It's not Exo, it's not SG, and it's not SO. It's not Kuiu. It's not Sitka. It's not MR. And it's damn sure not Badlands. But It is Kifaru. They are the company setting the standards the other companies have to live up to.

Hahaaaaaaa fanboy alert, the whole "I'm a bad ass cuz I run kifaru" explained to a T. News flash, your opinions dont trump other peoples. People have stated their opinions on Kifaru. Personally you couldn't pay me to run thier purses and they deff dont set the standard in my world. Unless we're talking overpriced, heavy, funny looking man pouches and for sale 2nd hand all over the classifieds bar than you're right. They deff set that bar for me. Your bar is a little different and that's cool but you haven't changed my mind buddy. Keep trying.

 

[brsnow]

I think the level of impact social influencers have is amazing. People basically believe what they are told to do and buy. It even becomes emotional for them.

 

[Peaks&Creeks]

I think Kifaru is a great company. I’ve gone to the shop in Denver and tried on their frames and packs, and the staff was absolutely awesome and helpful. Unfortunately they don’t make a pack (to date) that appeals to me at all. Some of the newer bags like the 22 Mag, Shape Charge and MiniKeg are getting closer. I just can’t deal with how heavy all their bags are. Also not a big fan of all the man purses that dangle off the bag should you need more storage. I like streamlined bags with minimal but well thought out organization. Their frame is comfortable though. I’ve tried on the SG X-curve on a Sky 5900 bag and it didn’t work for me. Cool bag, frame didn’t work for my body. Working with them was also just as great as Kifaru folks. Tried the Exo pack as my buddy runs one. Wasn’t fully for me either. I currently run a Kuiu Icon Pro and have run it for 2 season. Main reason I’m getting rid of it is cause it has too many bells and whistles and straps galore which drive me nuts. Carries pretty comfortably but above 50 pounds I start to get hot spots. I will be checking out Seek Outside this year as they are only 2 hours from me and I like the lightweight and simplicity of their packs. Also hear the frames are comfy and bomber.

To each their own. I think all these cottage pack makers have great options for what ever suits your style, but none of them are one size fits all, Kifaru included.


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[Wrench]

I have been super transparent about how Kifaru works for me....not the best all the time, but always among the best.

With that said, they're 100% American. They build good stuff. You could call Snyder out and he'd tell it straight.....possibly ending in a fight. I like to see someone passionate about their products.

I'm stoked to have an American company in our niche market doing well. I wish there were more.......and I like to chuck arrows with a longbow or "tradbow" for the Instagramers and Snyder is an excellent example of effective hunter with one.

I think we're luck to have small businesses that are not so commercialized that they don't hear us.

To all the niche market guys.....please pay attention to that last point.

 

[tdhanses]

Ok so maybe the title of the thread was a bit much for some of you to handle. I expected a little negativity because of that. I read somewhere that most people only read titles to form an opinion. I wanted to see if that was true with the Rokslide crowd. Obviously y'all are a tough crowd. That being said, as much as some of you want to believe otherwise, like it or not, Kifaru is the company setting the bar. It's not Exo, it's not SG, and it's not SO. It's not Kuiu. It's not Sitka. It's not MR. And it's damn sure not Badlands. But It is Kifaru. They are the company setting the standards the other companies have to live up to.

AND, this is 100% your opinion, not fact and that’s ok

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

I only personally know ONE other guy who runs a Kifaru pack in the backcountry, and I've been backpacking and/or hunting every single year for the past 25 years.

Even in the little niche market that they serve, they aren't the dominate player by any stretch.

 

[ianpadron]

Are there actual numbers to back up that they are number one?

I have a good bit of Kifaru gear, and it's definitely awesome, but I have a hard time believing they're moving more shelters than Seek Outside, or more packs than Exo, MR, SG etc.

In fact, I think the 2 most common packs (in terms of what guys are rocking when I run into them in the backcountry) are EXO and KUIU.

5 years ago, I'd agree that Kifaru was indeed dominating the pack/shelter market for hunters, just doesn't seem to be the case anymore. And don't read that as they have dropped off in sales/quality (the opposite is true), but the rise of the other brands mentioned above has changed the landscape for sure.

 

[Kevin Dill]

Thankfully we're seeing a bit of objectivity and skepticism dominate this thread.

 

[bsnedeker]

I think Kifaru is a great company. I’ve gone to the shop in Denver and tried on their frames and packs, and the staff was absolutely awesome and helpful. Unfortunately they don’t make a pack (to date) that appeals to me at all. Some of the newer bags like the 22 Mag, Shape Charge and MiniKeg are getting closer. I just can’t deal with how heavy all their bags are. Also not a big fan of all the man purses that dangle off the bag should you need more storage. I like streamlined bags with minimal but well thought out organization. Their frame is comfortable though. I’ve tried on the SG X-curve on a Sky 5900 bag and it didn’t work for me. Cool bag, frame didn’t work for my body. Working with them was also just as great as Kifaru folks. Tried the Exo pack as my buddy runs one. Wasn’t fully for me either. I currently run a Kuiu Icon Pro and have run it for 2 season. Main reason I’m getting rid of it is cause it has too many bells and whistles and straps galore which drive me nuts. Carries pretty comfortably but above 50 pounds I start to get hot spots. I will be checking out Seek Outside this year as they are only 2 hours from me and I like the lightweight and simplicity of their packs. Also hear the frames are comfy and bomber.

To each their own. I think all these cottage pack makers have great options for what ever suits your style, but none of them are one size fits all, Kifaru included.


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That's a really interesting perspective to me...you think the Kifaru bags look like they have purses hanging off of them but you are interested in SO packs. To my eyes, every SO pack I've seen looks like a hodgepodge of a bunch of different bags randomly sewn together! Goes to show how subjective tastes are in this arena!

For the record, I completely agree with you on most of the Kifaru packs, which is why I run an old-school argali. Under 2 pounds for the bag, just a garbage bag with straps type deal without 8 pounds of molle webbing on it. I wish they would come back with something similar so I can spend more money with them! The argali isn't 100% compatible with their new frame (load lifter connections have changed) which is a bit annoying, but I make do!

 

[Kevin_t]

Ok so maybe the title of the thread was a bit much for some of you to handle. I expected a little negativity because of that. I read somewhere that most people only read titles to form an opinion. I wanted to see if that was true with the Rokslide crowd. Obviously y'all are a tough crowd. That being said, as much as some of you want to believe otherwise, like it or not, Kifaru is the company setting the bar. It's not Exo, it's not SG, and it's not SO. It's not Kuiu. It's not Sitka. It's not MR. And it's damn sure not Badlands. But It is Kifaru. They are the company setting the standards the other companies have to live up to.

Personally, I don't feel we are playing catch up to anyone. We are setting our own standard. We have not changed packs much in recent years, because we feel they are well refined and that we meet all verticals with our current offering. We were the first one to offer X-pac as a hunting pack fabric. We were the first to offer an adjustable frame height to the hunting crowd. We also were the first one, to make a strong use of compression panels and day packs as part of the overall system. Now we have introduced the new SpectraGridHT of which we worked with Spectra on and we are currently the only one offering it (Quiet, Rugged. Waterproof enough, and 60 percent the weight of 500D Cordura .. plus it looks great). Our frame is Patented and our suspension punches way above it's weight class so why change it. With regards to shelters, I feel our Patent Pending Zipperless stuff and our Dyneema stuff are setting new standards. We also were the first lightweight shelter maker to offer Carbon Poles, integrated sod skirts etc. In essence, I don't think we are playing catch up to anybody.
Kind Regards
Kevin

 

[Peaks&Creeks]

That's a really interesting perspective to me...you think the Kifaru bags look like they have purses hanging off of them but you are interested in SO packs. To my eyes, every SO pack I've seen looks like a hodgepodge of a bunch of different bags randomly sewn together! Goes to show how subjective tastes are in this arena!

For the record, I completely agree with you on most of the Kifaru packs, which is why I run an old-school argali. Under 2 pounds for the bag, just a garbage bag with straps type deal without 8 pounds of molle webbing on it. I wish they would come back with something similar so I can spend more money with them! The argali isn't 100% compatible with their new frame (load lifter connections have changed) which is a bit annoying, but I make do!

Hahaha to be honest SO was always on the bottom of my list as I thought they looked randomly put together as well. But I did get my hands on one and they need to be seen up close. They are well thought out and the craftsmanship is really good. This was one of their backpacking bags so didn’t get the chance to see their hunting frame. The main thing for me is the weight of the Kifaru bags. By the time I attach a bottle holder, guide lid, extra pouch for here and there I’m looking at a 7 pound bag. With SO I can have a sub 4 pound bag that has integrated spotting scope/tripod bag, and mesh stuff pocket (mainly speaking about their Peregrine bag). It also cinches down streamlined if you’re not wanting to use the side pockets. It’s also made out of X-Pack material so no need for a rain cover. I’m liking the direction Kifaru is going with some of their newer packs, but the issue is still weight. How is a 22 Mag 2.6 pounds for just the bag? Once I add the frame I have 5.5 pound day pack. Doesn’t make sense to me. Everyone has different preferences how they like their packs. I like simple, lightweight integrated pockets/sleeves and a side zip entry, and not a bunch of straps I need to fasten every time I get something from my bag. Sounds simple but have yet to find the perfect pack.


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[Life_Feeds_On_Life]

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong packs but in doing comparisons it doesn't seem that Kifaru is much more expensive than the others if at all.

 

[Randle]

It seems to me that other companies are setting their own standards and designs with features they like and use and now kifaru has noticed the market and building bags similar. Horseshoe zip openings, center zip, meat/load shelf.
I remember hearing how they did like them and now have these features.
Most guys I know have never heard of Kifaru , Exo, stone glacier, etc. let alone I don't see these companies in the mountains either. Buy what you like and keep pounding the mountains .

 

[Meridian90]

It seems to me that other companies are setting their own standards and designs with features they like and use and now kifaru has noticed the market and building bags similar. Horseshoe zip openings, center zip, meat/load shelf.
I remember hearing how they did like them and now have these features.
Most guys I know have never heard of Kifaru , Exo, stone glacier, etc. let alone I don't see these companies in the mountains either. Buy what you like and keep pounding the mountains .

In MN, I can't remember the last person I talked to outside my 3-5 closest hunting buddies who know anything other than cabelas/fleet farm brands and Danner/Irish Setter boots. Nothing against these brands, it's just unlikely you will run across anyone with knowledge of Kifaru, Exo, SG, SO, Sitka, FL, Crispi, Kennetrek etc etc.

 

[2rocky]

Product quality and Market domination are two different things. Market domination speaks to sales volume.

In that metric, Coleman dominates the market.

i will admit that the durability of the product line and the likeability of their president certainly gives the company a head start when someone wants a hunting centric pack.

 

[fatlander]

Kifaru offers a ton of different stuff and has the modularity to be super custom, or not. I’m pretty simple: mountain warrior, standard lid, and a grab it. I’ve seen some of the packs with so many pockets on it you could have built a pack twice the size. Different strokes for different folks and I think that’s why kifaru is so appealing to many people.

Ive never personally met another person with a kifaru pack.


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[Brian Fahs]

I live in pennsylvania and hunt deer and turkey in the northeast and midwest. Nobody I know or have seen know anything about kifaru. I decided I needed a frame to haul treestands and pack deer quarters. I had run cabelas and badlands versions with poor results so the search began.

As has been said on here youtube has a ton of pack information. I settled on kifaru after a lengthy search. I bought a hunter model duplex frame and tried a 22 mag and a reckoning bag twice. I had a tahr and an argali. I sold all the bags and settled on a cargo panel guide lid grabit and a couple pouches.

The modularity of kifaru products and quality of build have me hooked. The comfort of packing a whitetail out of steep Nasty stuff versus dragging it is unreal. My buddies are slow to learn and continue to suffer.

Kifaru is not for everyone but I sure like their stuff. Based on resale on here a lot of others like it too. Being 100% American made is just icing on the cake.

 

[KurtR]

i live in a town of 3000 in bfe south dakota. I know of 6 people not including me using Kifaru. I like that Snyder kills alot of shit and packs it out.

 

[RazzleDazzle]

i live in a town of 3000 in bfe south dakota. I know of 6 people not including me using Kifaru. I like that Snyder kills alot of shit and packs it out.

I'd be willing to bet the guys who make/design/sell/own any of the "mainstream" names mentioned above kill a lot of shit and pack it out....just an assumption though....