Mystery Ranch vs Stone Glacier

[stuckbuck]

Im looking for someone who has tried both brands to tell me how they compare comfort under weight wise.
I currently have a MR Marshall and was intrigued by SG's weight difference in packs. I have used mine on one 4 day trip and was fortunate enough to to experience carrying an animal with it.
I have got to say my comfort level was fine as a day pack and under about 80 lbs load.
My pack, out of the box weighed in at exactly 9 lbs which is over their advertised weight. I have considered striping it down to the bare frame and fitting it with a kifaru cargo panel and one of their load bags.
My biggest concern in doing this is the nice frame alone weighs just under 5 lbs. and with the kifaru items it will come in at about 7.5-8 lbs depending on if I add pockets or not! That's heavy for a minimalist pack!!

So, I'm hoping if I try the SG minimalist (under 3lbs) will be equivalent in comfort and I also may add a Sky Archer bag later on if I like it.

 

[Ramcam]

If your happy with the pack and it is comfortable under heavy load you have won the pack lottery.I am not sure why you would want to change it.A lot of guys spend a lot of cash chasing the lighter pack dream.That MR pack will last you a lifetime.

 

[stuckbuck]

Well... I'm just looking for something a little better. Aren't we all?
I guess my main goal is to be able to break the large pack Down to make for a much lighter functioning day pack.
The parts and pieces I mentioned getting from kifaru will cost almost as much as buying/trying the much lighter SG pack! But the big difference is the weight of the pack system itself.

 

[striker3]

I looked at MR packs, but the weight of an external frame is just not worth it. I wouldn't dismiss Kifaru out of the equation though. The Ultralight frame weighs about the same as the SG Krux, and a couple of lashing straps will give you the same capability as the SG Minimalist for around the same price. I have not tried an SG personally, but I have tried the MR and the Kifaru systems. Night and day difference. The Kifaru carried much better, felt like a lot less weight than was really in it.

I would dump the NICE frame in a heart beat, which is a shame because I live just down the road from MR and like to shop local. Where do you live? Maybe there is someone nearby that would let you test out the SG or Kifaru.

 

[Bubblehide]

I have the SG SkyArcher. This past season I used it on a wilderness deer hunt. I managed a nice more mature buck, and with my spotter, tripod, snacks water, lunch jacket and whatever other miscellaneous stuff, including a totally full SG meat bag, my pack topped the scale at 100 pounds. I know my pack weighed more, but the scale only went to 100 pounds. Between the weight and altitude, while carrying the pack, it made it difficult to breath, or better said, my body wanted more oxygen than I could take in, under such a load at altitude. However, with that said, the load could not have been any more comfortable. Perhaps the SG just fits me as perfectly as it can, but I have never used a more comfortable pack for hauling heavy loads. By the way, I carried that load several miles to camp, and the next morning, minus the spotter, I carried that load again several miles to the truck with an awaiting ice chest. I'm 53, I started hunting as a child, and I can't say enough positive things about SG. However, with Kifaru's new UL frame, you may want to also give them a good look.

 

[stuckbuck]

Maybe there is someone nearby that would let you test out the SG or Kifaru.

I live in Ga, that would be great if someone due west of Atlanta had one I could try. Either kifaru or SG.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

I've ran both, and packed animals with both. The MR NICE frame with the lift extension is bomber, and really handles loads well. But if you're looking at weight, they are heavy, period. They have a online short video from dana himself explaining why, and the main answer is to give you support under extreme conditons. MR is great for durability as well as bag layout, the frame is what kills you.

I would strongly consider waiting a bit (maybe a few weeks away?) for the release of their new frame for hunting, they cut a lot of extra crap off of the Nice frame. I think they saved around a lb or 1.5 lb on the metcalf, so you can bet almost all of that is in the frame.

I sold my MR setup and bought a SG. You'll notice right away it's built with just as tough of materials, but there is no extra, it's purposefully minimalistic. The xpac fabric is a nice add. I think the compression system on SG bags is awesome, very easy to adjust loads in the bag. The think what really is different is the suspension. The 3 piece SG belt is wider, flatter/thinner than the MR, but transfers weight well. It's really just foam wrapped in a mesh, there is no structure to it. The shoulder straps are the same way. The mesh in the MR seems to be a little tougher, my SG mesh is starting to fray a bit. They use xpac on thr belt and shoulder straps to toughen them up. I've found the yoke adjustment on the MR to be very nice, but again the tradeoff is weight. I laugh when I pick up my backpack compared with the MR.

The krux frame is extremely stiff vetically, just like the NICE frame. Both also twist, the the krux has a lot more give when you torque it due to the structure. Rather than horizontal reinforcement like the Nice frame, the "X" gives it stiffness in that direction. You can bend the frame in a "U" shape when the bag is emtpy, but it loads up flat. I had problems with it barreling using a full kifaru meat bag in the load sling. The frame molds itself around a hard tube like that, so it's better to run a wider, flatter dry bag against it, which is why they sell one (I asked them about this).

All that said, both carry weight extremely well. I find the SG tougher to get a good fit, but much more adjustable for how you can dial the fit in to yourself. I talked with the owner about this for a bit (top rate CS, no worries there) and he mentioned he ran a Nice frame at one time, so the strong points of that system were a reference in his design. It's extemtly light, but tough, so I'm glad I made the switch. I run a solo for everything, and can fit a 5 day archery load in the bag with a lid (3300 + 500 cubes). I have the access bag to give me a little more space, which totals to 4700 cubes (3300 + 500 + 900).

 

[Chris Sloan]

Well your back profile and height might make this easy for you. The SG is one of the best but its only offered in 26" frame w straight stays. If you have a long torso and flat back, thats perfect. Otherwise Kifaru has more options. I got a minmalist setup in june and really liked it. 100x better than my old Sadlands 4500. Lived up to the hype and was comfy training all summer at 60-80. Was gonna throw a dirt cheap daypack on the sg for a little more cu in and have the ultimate poor man setup. Weeeeeellll when you have some cheaper,=(bigger heavier) gear you need more room. It was just too small when i tried to do some test runs. Kifaru put their Highcamps on sale and i jumped ship . Figured out @ 5'7" i only needed a 24" frame to get my 45 deg load lifter angle and 1shotgear had a 24" hunting frame in stock! Also found out i have a pretty curved back and curved stays fit waaaay better than straight. Flipped the SG on the classifieds and got my 4800 HC and guide lid for 200 and 320 in the frame. Got the curved stays as a accidental free upgrade when i swapped out a 22" UL that was too small. I LOVE this kifaru! The SG carried a load well, but the kifaru belt is better, shoulder straps have more padding and it seems to be a more durable pack. The pack carries so well you wont even notice if its 4 or 6 lbs.

 

[stuckbuck]

I'm 6'2" and have a 21" torso, I thought about the krux being for flat backs only but wouldn't the MR be as well? I do have a curved lower back, I did the test Aron suggested on one of the thousands of vidios I watched on YouTube.

 

[roadrunner]

I went with SG because it was the lightest at empty than any other. I also went with it because of the ability to compress your load with the bag and it also has a load (meat) shelf. I do not like the idea of putting meat into my bag. Packed out a boned out elk this past fall without any problems - one trip, just heavy.

SG almost seems to be one of those "unsung" hero's. Kifaru makes a good system. But, the extra "advertisement" caused me to look elsewhere. I've never been a conformist.

 

[Rick Leathley]

I can't compare MR/Kifaru to the SG. I can say I have never regretted getting a SG. I have always felt like I am using the lightest, strongest pack available and have never worried about it letting me down.

Can't say enough about the customer service at SG.

Basically you have a 1st world problem here. Making the choice between MR/Kifaru/SG you poor guy.

 

[goathunter]

I don't know how anyone could pack a whole boned out elk in one trip unless its a calf. On sheer dimensions alone forget the weight!

 

[bcimport]

I found the MR with lift kit or a 6500 more comfortable when loaded heavy and much more durable. The SG at average loads was about the same level of comfort, when just running day gear the weight and flexibility of the SG was better.

 

[stuckbuck]

Well your back profile and height might make this easy for you. The SG is one of the best but its only offered in 26" frame w straight stays. If you have a long torso and flat back, thats perfect. Otherwise Kifaru has more options. I got a minmalist setup in june and really liked it. 100x better than my old Sadlands 4500. Lived up to the hype and was comfy training all summer at 60-80. Was gonna throw a dirt cheap daypack on the sg for a little more cu in and have the ultimate poor man setup. Weeeeeellll when you have some cheaper,=(bigger heavier) gear you need more room. It was just too small when i tried to do some test runs. Kifaru put their Highcamps on sale and i jumped ship. Figured out @ 5'7" i only needed a 24" frame to get my 45 deg load lifter angle and 1shotgear had a 24" hunting frame in stock! Also found out i have a pretty curved back and curved stays fit waaaay better than straight. Flipped the SG on the classifieds and got my 4800 HC and guide lid for 200 and 320 in the frame. ( got the curved stays as a accidental free upgrade when i swapped out a 22" UL that was too small.

Do the carbon ultra light stays have a bend/curvature or are you talking about the aluminum stays?

 

[mrbillbrown]

Stuck, the Kifaru composite stays come in a flat back and a regular back stay profile. Both have slight bends (or curvature) to them but the flat back has less of a curve and the regular back has more curve.

 

[stuckbuck]

Basically you have a 1st world problem here. Making the choice between MR/Kifaru/SG you poor guy.

The struggle is real my friend!

 

[striker3]

And theUltrlight uses carbon arrows shafts, relying more on the lumbar pad, which is pretty beefy, to support the curvature of the spine. I use the 24" ultralight frame, am 5'8" with a normal back and find it very comfortable.

 

[stuckbuck]

And theUltrlight uses carbon arrows shafts, relying more on the lumbar pad, which is pretty beefy, to support the curvature of the spine. I use the 24" ultralight frame, am 5'8" with a normal back and find it very comfortable.

If you had the hunting duplex could you remove the stays and add arrows to make it essentially the ultralight platform?

 

[mrbillbrown]

Yes you could. There's absolutely no difference in the hunting duplex and the UL duplex except the stays.

 

[roadrunner]

I don't know how anyone could pack a whole boned out elk in one trip unless its a calf. On sheer dimensions alone forget the weight!

A calf would be easy - this one was 90 lbs on back and two 20 lb sacks, one in each hand. Stupid mistake to say the least...