KUIU's New ICON 5200 & 7200 Packs, Rain Covers & Dry Bags - Now Available On-Line

[luke moffat]

I personally think the carbon idea is the Achilles heal, cool concept but once it breaks your done.

I agree, that is one of the reasons I won't use one.

 

[trapperjay]

Isnt the SG carbon fiber also?

 

[trapperjay]

Nevermind, just found it on the website...if it's "carbon composite", I wonder what the "composite" material is?

 

[RobD]

I like how quickly and easily these packs can be interchanged. It may make sense for longer trips into the backcountry to haul everything into base camp in the 7,200 with the 1850 packed up inside of it. Then once you are there switch the frame over to the day pack and leave the 7,200 at basecamp with everything else. It only takes a couple minutes to switch the carbon fiber frame over. Do you guys think this would be worthwhile?

 

[MAT]

Not worth the money nor the weight. I plan to pack in a camp with a Bikini frame and a Cableas bag and hunt with a Badlands fanny pack. I don't have the weights in front of me right now but this is significantly lighter than the KUIU options. The 1850 on the frame is over 4# 5 oz. The lightest option I would hunt with is 3# 6 oz. Like I said initially, KUIU bags are heavy for an "ultralight" pack, mainly because they have all the bells and whistles that (IMO) are not needed, especially just to haul in a camp. Now if they had a no frills bag to put on their frame this could be a decent option.

BTW - All carbon fiber used in backpacks (and most everythying else) is composite. The fiber by itself is a cloth, the CF is mixed with a resin ala fiberglass, thus making a composite.

 

[luke moffat]

Not worth the money nor the weight. I plan to pack in a camp with a Bikini frame and a Cableas bag and hunt with a Badlands fanny pack. I don't have the weights in front of me right now but this is significantly lighter than the KUIU options. The 1850 on the frame is over 4# 5 oz. The lightest option I would hunt with is 3# 6 oz. Like I said initially, KUIU bags are heavy for an "ultralight" pack, mainly because they have all the bells and whistles that (IMO) are not needed, especially just to haul in a camp. Now if they had a no frills bag to put on their frame this could be a decent option.

BTW - All carbon fiber used in backpacks (and most everythying else) is composite. The fiber by itself is a cloth, the CF is mixed with a resin ala fiberglass, thus making a composite.

Kuiu packs are not light enough, but you haul in a 1.5 pound fanny pack in addition to the a frame and packbag....I guess I'm not seeing the weight savings in all of this then. If you just hunted out of the Kifaru frame with the cabelas packbag I guess it would make sense, but you are up near the same total weight as 7K bag of the Kuiu. 61 oz alone between a badlands fanny pack and just a black Kifaru Bikini frame. Figure your Cabelas packbag weighs in at 1 pound you are really only saving a pound. I'm glad your system works for you, just can't follow it, but dont' have to, it works for you and thats really all that matters at the end of the day.

The Kuiu frame is just 3 oz more than the Kifaru Bikini frame (according to the website) The Kifaru highcamp really just cut down to no frills would be 2 pounds in the 7K model and 1.75 in the 4800 model which is about at light as you could make them and be giving up a lot of features I atleast like about them. Anyways say you have 1.75 pound highcamp pack and a 2.5 pound Kuiu frame I'm afraid even then you'd still be at 4.25 pound which is well above your 3 pound 6 oz goal. How much does that Cabelas bag you are putting on there weigh?? Granted that Bikini frame and Badlands fanny comes in at nearly 4 pounds in itself so I guess you are pushing the envelope as it is huh?

 

[Jager]

RobD I wouldn't say it is a quick change over.

It always amazes me that people cry over a pound or 2, it is buggar all weight, and yet they will carry hiking poles, a sleeping 'mat', a heap of food and the one that really cracks me up is cooking 'pot/s'.

If you want to truly go ultra-light, leave this superfluous stuff behind.

The Kuiu packs are lightweight packs, too 'lightweight' for me, the pockets are a great configuration though, apart from no sleeping bag compartment. Compare it too an MR 6500, the weight difference on paper seems to mess with some peoples heads, it is barely 70 ounces of water. To organise a tube bag the same, you are going to come up to weight with stuff sacks and the like. For me, packs with plenty of pockets are the only way to go. Here's a scenario, it is 0200 hrs, your shelter has just blown away in a huge storm, you go searching in the dark in your tube bag for your space blanket, out everything comes, strewn across the ground in driving rain, you finally find the space blanket, wrap yourself in it, pack your know wet gear away and head off the mountain in search of dry shelter. Next morning you find that half your gear is still up on the mountain because in your haste in the dark to get out of there you didn't stuff all the neat little bags back in your pack. Doesn't happen? Seen it happen more times that I can remember. Complaining over the weight of a bit more cordura and a couple of zips, just does not make sense.

 

[Matt W.]

Both the KUIU ICON 7200 and the Kifaru T1, DT1, HighCamp Packs can be cinched down and compressed enough to work for me. Empty, the ICON or a Kifaru are in the 6-7lbs range. A smaller bag is maybe 1/2 that? Just does not seem worth it to me. ??

 

[MAT]

My weights: Cabelas 3700 ci bag 1# 5oz, w/ Bikini frame 3# 10 oz, with Badlands Blackjack fanny total 5.0#. I really wanted a KU3700 as that would save another 1#. With the Icon 5200 plus that 1800 you are at 6# 14oz, almost 2# more. Plus you would be wearing a 3# 6oz (w/o the frame) pack every day. The fanny pack is 1100 ci and 1# 6oz.

It never ceases to amaze me how folks will be so obsessed with losing pack weight to saw a toothbrush in half, then when it comes to a pack will say 2# is more than worth it for the extra comfort, even though they don’t need a pack that HD unless they kill something (and really don't "need" it if they do). Add up the effort of lugging an extra 2# up and down hill every day for a week!

 

[luke moffat]

My weights: Cabelas 3700 ci bag 1# 5oz, w/ Bikini frame 3# 10 oz, with Badlands Blackjack fanny total 5.0#. I really wanted a KU3700 as that would save another 1#. With the Icon 5200 plus that 1800 you are at 6# 14oz, almost 2# more. Plus you would be wearing a 3# 6oz (w/o the frame) pack every day. The fanny pack is 1100 ci and 1# 6oz.

It never ceases to amaze me how folks will be so obsessed with losing pack weight to saw a toothbrush in half, then when it comes to a pack will say 2# is more than worth it for the extra comfort, even though they don’t need a pack that HD unless they kill something (and really don't "need" it if they do). Add up the effort of lugging an extra 2# up and down hill every day for a week!

Interested in trading that Bikini frame plus some coin for a KU 5200. Would get ya sub 3#s...

 

[colonel00]

MAT, care to share (perhaps in another thread as to not hijack this one) how you are attaching the cabelas bag to the bikini frame?

 

[MAT]

Well, I don't have the Bikini frame yet so??? Seems possible from what others have done with non Kifaru bags. I'll post it when I get it, should be here next week. Someone else mentioned making the Bikini even lighter, I'll be looking at that too. Not sure if that's possible?

 

[Rent Outdoor Gear]

It never ceases to amaze me how folks will be so obsessed with losing pack weight to saw a toothbrush in half, then when it comes to a pack will say 2# is more than worth it for the extra comfort, even though they don’t need a pack that HD unless they kill something (and really don't "need" it if they do). Add up the effort of lugging an extra 2# up and down hill every day for a week!

This might seem weird... but I plan to kill something every time I walk out of camp and often the places I hike to do it are so hellish, the last thing I want to do is haul my 200 pounds on an extra 5 mile round trip with a 1500' vertical each way to go fetch a real pack so I won't have to carry an extra pound or two each day. I also want to be able to comfortably pack a lot more layers, food, water and gear than I can comfortably stuff in a fanny pack.

Heck, my "daypack" often weighs 20 pounds because I am prepared for pretty much anything mother nature wants to dish out. Even that kind of weight "feels" a lot lighter at the end of the day when you have a decent frame and suspension under it. I also really like pockets to organize my gear. Try digging a backup release out of the bottom of your tube when you jam one full of mud as a screaming bull is charging in. Been there done that - horns are on the wall.

To each their own... I guess that's why there is more than one pack company out there with happy customers.

 

[luke moffat]

Well, I don't have the Bikini frame yet so??? Seems possible from what others have done with non Kifaru bags. I'll post it when I get it, should be here next week. Someone else mentioned making the Bikini even lighter, I'll be looking at that too. Not sure if that's possible?

Probably be easier and cheaper to find a lighter weight fanny pack than a 1.5 pound fanny pack by Badlands. Or easier yet, hunt out of the cabelas bag/bikini frame and save the 1.5 pounds right off the top by leaving it at home.

 

[Bloodworks]

When I leave camp I am in the mindset of killing and bringing meat back on the first trip no matter what. Making an additional trip of even a half mile to retrieve a pack outweighs the extra pound or two I may have to carry daily. Hell I'm stronger than that and defecate more weight than that. In it to win it is always a good mode to reside.

 

[MAT]

This might seem weird... but I plan to kill something every time I walk out of camp and often the places I hike to do it are so hellish, the last thing I want to do is haul my 200 pounds on an extra 5 mile round trip with a 1500' vertical each way to go fetch a real pack so I won't have to carry an extra pound or two each day.

You are a minority of those who will buy these packs. There are lighter options that will carry 100# of meat on that first trip. If it makes a difference on the last day of how far you will go it will affect your sucess rate. If that's more than 20% on elk I appauld you, but that means for most of us 80% of the time carrying an extra 2# for nothing. Actually it's one slighlty more uncomfortable pack out 20% of the time to save 2# every step you make 100% of the time.

Personally I don't like hunting with a pack on my back, and taking it on and off all day sucks. And if you guys shot a real bow you wouldn't need a release.

 

[Ronster]

I personally think the carbon idea is the Achilles heal, cool concept but once it breaks your done.

You could make the same arguement about the Kifaru composite stays no? If you arent hearing about anyone breaking one I would think that they are pretty good to do. Neat design, Im sure it will need a bit of tweeking just like most new things but I bet it ends up nice.

That said, I still cant wait for my BT1 to get here (its delivery day).

 

[Aron Snyder]

The Kifaru composite stay is made of hardwood and carbon. The hardwood protects the carbon from damage, but also keep it from flexing too far and eventually breaking.

At this point we have had no composite stays break and I honestly don't think it could be done (when they are in the pack anyway). It's not really an apples to apples comparison, but more apples to grapes.....they are a lot different in design and material.

You could make the same arguement about the Kifaru composite stays no? If you arent hearing about anyone breaking one I would think that they are pretty good to do. Neat design, Im sure it will need a bit of tweeking just like most new things but I bet it ends up nice.

That said, I still cant wait for my BT1 to get here (its delivery day).

 

[Ryan Avery]

You could make the same arguement about the Kifaru composite stays no? If you arent hearing about anyone breaking one I would think that they are pretty good to do. Neat design, Im sure it will need a bit of tweeking just like most new things but I bet it ends up nice.

That said, I still cant wait for my BT1 to get here (its delivery day).

The composite design is not new. It's been working in longbows and recurves for years. Very durable!

 

[kickemall]

I would really like to see the Kuiu pack go through the same test that Matt did with Stone Glacier and Kifaru, especially the loaded toss down the bluff. If it survived that as well as the other two I think that would alleviate a lot of concerns with the frame. I like pockets so their updated pack appeals to me but without some feedback like that I'm to leary to try it. I am going to stop by their show room when I can and take a look although I don't know if that will help.