MR Cabinet and Kifaru Nomad as do-it-all packs?

[castandblast]

The Nomad is still my favorite pack, day hunts to multi-day pack in hunts using the camp bag. I'm always amazed when a pack with only three compression straps becomes "a million straps"! It only takes a second to undo three buckles and open the whole Nomad up. It only takes a couple more seconds to tuck the loose strap ends underneath the part of the strap with tension on it and get them out of the way. No Velcro needed....

 

[MtnMuley]

I'm highly confused about your camp bag too. Interested what they have to say. It seems useless to me without the buckle.

 

[rhunter424]

That's what I thought but wasn't sure, I guess everyone makes mistakes. I'll be emailing them in the morning! Thanks for all your help man.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Just send back to camp bag with your nomad when you return it for a simpler bag

 

[oldgoat]

Just send back to camp bag with your nomad when you return it for a simpler bag

Yeah rhunter, the Nomad is kind of a Smart Person Pack I guess!

 

[Kevin Dill]

This is only my personal thinking, but I simply do not enjoy a pack which has an abundance of straps, webbing, buckles, a lid, lots of pockets, various access points and generalized busy-ness. I respect those who love 'em though. I once went the full modular system route and it made me crazy managing it all. I'm hunting...I want things dumb-simple and easy every single day. In many cases the simplest packs are also the lightest ones. A guy can manage miles of webbing to a point, but I've owned and seen packs that looked like they had confetti hanging from them...the tag ends of so many straps.

I can't opinionate on the Cabinet vs Nomad vs other pack. What I can say is this: If possible the best thing you can do is purchase 2 or 3 packs at once and get them all in to evaluate. Spend a couple days testing them with your clothes and gear weights. You may well be surprised which one feels the best when you are at home away from crowds, noise and people talking at you. Top priority must be the fit and comfort under load. The configuration and bells matter less...or should. The coolest pack in the catalog is a waste in the woods if it doesn't fit and carry right for you. Keep the best and return the others. You'll spend extra money but you'll have the assurance of getting it right without doubts.

 

[1signguy]

Any of the Kifaru or other packs comes with its own set of requirements and personality.

From my standpoint, I can't imagine how I could have a more versatile pack. For the last two years I have been using a different pack for what I consider heavy day trips- tripod, scope, two sets of binoculars, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, water, chair... Occasionally I have a weapon, kill kit etc. but I mostly recon on day trips and make hunts a multi day affair... This Winter I got tired of using a less comfortable pack for those day trips and having to move items back and forth between that pack and my Kifaru EMR II- which I felt was just way too big for day trips. Hence the switch to the nomad.

With the nomad I no longer have to switch things between packs. I can return from a day trip, add the camp bag and guide lid and literally be ready for a 5-7 day trip. Could I get something built specifically for day trips? Sure. But am I gonna haul that day pack along on a 5 day hunt? No. I am back using my nomad or some other pack in day trim and switching things between packs for one day hunts versus longer trips. Now I get home from a trip and clean and reload the camp bag and guide lid and store it where it just needs to be attached and I am ready to roll out on another adventure...

I agree with what one of the other posters wrote- find a used one and try it. If you hate it you can probably sell it for what it cost you... If we ever hunt together I will only need to add my camp bag and guide lid. Give me twenty minutes notice and I will be ready for you to pick me up. (the pack takes two minutes to be ready- the 18 minutes is for my wife. She will scream about another hunt for 16 minutes and then we make up which takes 2 minutes)

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Cory Arola]

When the Nomad first came out I was following your same line of thought and quickly ordered one thinking this would be "THE" pack. After several trips I quickly figured out that the Nomad was "Jack of many but Master of none" when it came to pack in trips. The bag got the job done but was too wide with camp between the wings and had too many straps to mess with - especially when running a lid for me.

The one exception to that was day hunting trips when I expected to be hauling game out and over the years I have found that to be the Nomad's niche for me and I still use the Nomad for guiding and day hunts, typically without a lid. I much preferred the larger bag for pack in trips such as the Reckoning or Duplex Timberline 1.

As far as packing meat and camp all in the same trip that is simply too much weight for me. When solo I usually plan on 3 loads to get everything out of the woods on a back country elk hunt. First and second trips out I usually pack a heavy load of meat (usually a front and hind quarter) with some of the non-essential camp gear filling any voids in the bag. The final load consists of the last bit of meat (back straps, loins, and neck meat) and possibly the antlers along my tent, sleeping bag and pad. For back country deer hunts I can usually pack all the meat in 1 load and my camp in another.

My thoughts exactly. I run the Nomad when I am camping at the truck and day hunting and my AMR for backcountry trips.