KUIU Backpack Review - ICON 1850

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Roksliders, I just posted a thorough review of KUIU's Icon 1850 pack after using the hell out of it this past season. If you're interested in a really tough, versatile, lightweight day-pack that can pack meat with the best of them, you're going to want to check this out.

A Season With an Icon - KUIU's 1850 Pack System

Shoot Straight!

Coop

 

[SHTF]

Darin that was awesome right up. Great work. Especially like the Kuiu Tat from carrying the heavy load. That was sick.

 

[robby denning]

great review, really well written

 

[HJ Handy]

Nice write up.

 

[squirrelduster]

I bought one last year and used it as a day pack and ended up hauling a boned out hog from a nasty canyon. Handles a load great.

 

[MesaHorseCo.]

I've been kicking around the idea of trying a kuiu...thanks for the insight.

 

[fillthefreezer]

Roksliders, I just posted a thorough review of KUIU's Icon 1850 pack after using the hell out of it this past season. If you're interested in a really tough, versatile, lightweight day-pack that can pack meat with the best of them, you're going to want to check this out.

Coop

did you buy this pack?

 

[Justin Crossley]

Good review Darin. I enjoyed reading it.

 

[sodaksooner]

1st on my list to try this year. Good write up and has helped solidify my decision.

 

[Shrek]

did you buy this pack?

Coop , I noticed you are wearing Kuiu head to toe , do you have a professional relationship with the company ? Free gear ? Paid staff ?

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Coop , I noticed you are wearing Kuiu head to toe , do you have a professional relationship with the company ? Free gear ? Paid staff ?

That photo up top is actually my hunting partner! No, neither of us have a full ride with KUIU (I don't think they have a pro staff actually). My buddy bought his gear at retail before I had any KUIU. I desperately needed to update a lot of my gear and also wanted to support Rokslide's sponsors so I bought begged and stole a lot of stuff over the last 12 months from KUIU, First Lite, etc... Most of what I bought was from KUIU because I really liked my buddies' gear and I liked the Verde camo. I didn't pay full retail for everything, but I still spent way more than my wife needs to know about!

Robby Denning asked me to put together a review recently so I thought I would share one of my favorite pieces of gear with the folks on Rokslide. Considering what I paid for the pack and the time invested in doing the review, I guess you could say I actually invested about 2X retail LOL! Hope you guys enjoyed the write up.

Coop

 

[fillthefreezer]

it was a good review, dont get me wrong, but still curious if you paid for it.

i do believe that type of disclosure matters when reading a review. and other than the written portion of a backpack review, isnt the rest just hunting and hiking?

 

[Justin Crossley]

I think you will get more honest reviews from guys who don't pay vs guys who do pay for the gear. Not many guys will pay a bunch of money for gear and then say it sucks. Plus most guys who pay don't have the opportunity to test as much gear and therefore don't have as much experience to base their opinions from.

 

[dotman]

it was a good review, dont get me wrong, but still curious if you paid for it.

i do believe that type of disclosure matters when reading a review. and other than the written portion of a backpack review, isnt the rest just hunting and hiking?

Reread his last paragraph in his post above yours, sounds to me like he paid for it.

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

Thought I just answered that... Yes - I paid for the backpack. No - I didn't pay full retail. Rokslide (I'm the editor by the way) & KUIU have a relationship, much like we do with Kifaru and Stone Glacier, and all our sponsors. No, a discount on a backpack didn't sway my opinion of the pack nor does the fact that Aron Snyder is a personal friend and business associate. I put a lot of effort into all the articles I write and edit for Rokslide. The time invested in writing more than offset any discount I got. I've used half a dozen other packs in the last few years - none of which I paid for. This is the first pack I took the time to write a review on and feel confident that if somebody buys it based on my experience, they will not be disappointed. It's my reputation, not yours. That responsibility carries a hell of a lot more weight than free gear can buy.

 

[Justin Crossley]

Well said Darin.

We need a "like" button on this site.

 

[Nick Muche]

Nice review Darin.

 

[Brock A]

it was a good review, dont get me wrong, but still curious if you paid for it.

I do believe that type of disclosure matters when reading a review. And other than the written portion of a backpack review, isnt the rest just hunting and hiking?

p. .

 

[tipsntails7]

Thought I just answered that... Yes - I paid for the backpack. No - I didn't pay full retail. Rokslide (I'm the editor by the way) & KUIU have a relationship, much like we do with Kifaru and Stone Glacier, and all our sponsors. No, a discount on a backpack didn't sway my opinion of the pack nor does the fact that Aron Snyder is a personal friend and business associate. I put a lot of effort into all the articles I write and edit for Rokslide. The time invested in writing more than offset any discount I got. I've used half a dozen other packs in the last few years - none of which I paid for. This is the first pack I took the time to write a review on and feel confident that if somebody buys it based on my experience, they will not be disappointed. It's my reputation, not yours. That responsibility carries a hell of a lot more weight than free gear can buy.

I personally don't care if you paid for it or not, what I do care about is your honest opinion which I believe you gave. Because it's Kuiu and because it's this pack people are immediately skeptical, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. Like I've said I agree with about 99 percent of what you said. People have this stigma on these packs that they are trash because they can break, which is probably a much over stated problem. I broke mine and was pretty furious about it. Looking back some blame could be mine, I'm much more aware of how I load stuff now and have not had an issue with the replacment frame Kuiu provided in a very timely manor.

With all that said its fair to assume that if you didn't like this pack instead of writing an article you would just never say anything about it and move on. That's the only problem I feel people are having. I understand that's the nature of the beast. You cannot have rok staff bashing sponsors and more people need to realize that. In not saying any of this would change your opinion or sway what you have to say, but if you hated this pack, this would not be an article about how crappy it was.

 

[str_8tup]

Excellent article Coop! I personally could careless if you paid for it or not, guys really need to know that your not full of bs! When Copper talks about Equipment I will listen. Again, this is the guy Randy Ulmer goes for equipment questions!