New Frame and Bags from Kifaru International

dotman

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
8,200
Hey now, I'm not laughing at what works for you! I'm just pointing out the self defeating choices of going with the super light bag, and then slapping 4 pockets on it and making it heavier than the timberline! The logic is what makes me chuckle! :)

Do you organize with stuff sacks and dry sacks? If so why not have ones that can attach to your pack, ku pockets, pullouts and pods sealed weigh nothing.

I'm not 100% committed to taking my E&E as my lid but it is an option, I keep my tarp and stove plus all pegs in a ku long pocket. Have a possibles pouch I may sell and a few pullouts to organize systems. Sleeping bag and bivy in dry sack and may get an xl pullout for clothes.

In the end with all the hacking you did to your T1 you paid about $125 for the side slit pockets. All the stuff I have except the xl pullout so I see no reason to pay extra for a bag I would also hack up similar to what you did and when packed full the add on pockets add no more added exterior space then the built in pockets but other then packing meat out I'll only have a small pocket on my belt and if I take the E&E I'll leave the highcamp at camp while hunting but still use the the bikini with my E&E with day hunt items organized :)

I don't know the options are endless and for a $205 investment for the bag why spend more for the side and back pockets :)

So really it is purely about modularity and price vs current crap instock at home :). If I hate the highcamp I can always order up a T1 and sell all the other stuff to pay for it.

Also I can stuff a 2L hydration bladder in the bottom pocket of the E&E and that thing feels like nothing so it will make for a badass daypack with a bikini and still be able to strap a full load of meat with a grab-it and lash kit.

Heck I guess I'm a gear junkie and like messing around with options :). Probably said the same thing 4 or 5 times just in this post :)
 
Last edited:
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
1,848
Location
Rochester Hills, MI
Do you organize with stuff sacks and dry sacks? If so why not have ones that can attach to your pack, ku pockets, pullouts and pods sealed weigh nothing.

I'm not 100% committed to taking my E&E as my lid but it is an option, I keep my tarp and stove plus all pegs in a ku long pocket. Have a possibles pouch I may sell and a few pullouts to organize systems. Sleeping bag and bivy in dry sack and may get an xl pullout for clothes.

In the end with all the hacking you did to your T1 you paid about $125 for the side slit pockets. All the stuff I have except the xl pullout so I see no reason to pay extra for a bag I would also hack up similar to what you did and when packed full the add on pockets add no more added exterior space then the built in pockets but other then packing meat out I'll only have a small pocket on my belt and if I take the E&E I'll leave the highcamp at camp while hunting but still use the the bikini with my E&E with day hunt items organized :)

I don't know the options are endless and for a $205 investment for the bag why spend more for the side and back pockets :)

So really it is purely about modularity and price vs current crap instock at home :). If I hate the highcamp I can always order up a T1 and sell all the other stuff to pay for it.

Also I can stuff a 2L hydration bladder in the bottom pocket of the E&E and that thing feels like nothing so it will make for a badass daypack with a bikini and still be able to strap a full load of meat with a grab-it and lash kit.

Heck I guess I'm a gear junkie and like messing around with options :). Probably said the same thing 4 or 5 times just in this post :)

Don't forget my 2 back pouches and my big bottom zipper! Oh I know you're a gear junky as am I. And to answer the question about stuff sacks, I see your point but I only use 1 sack and its a compression for my food. But that will be going out the window as I'll be using the hanging meat bag (gen2) for my food for the pack in. all of my other stuff is in ziplocs or 2 small KU pullouts I got in a trade.

I was speaking more to the money side of customization, as people were offloading DT1s with bags included to purchase a highcamp/bikini. I'm just letting the guys know who have a DT1 bag you can get that thing in the same weight range as a highcamp and just order the frame. I'm not trying to tell people how to spend their money, I'm just showing different options that you can take if you already own a DT bag like myself.
 

dotman

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
8,200
Don't forget my 2 back pouches and my big bottom zipper! Oh I know you're a gear junky as am I. And to answer the question about stuff sacks, I see your point but I only use 1 sack and its a compression for my food. But that will be going out the window as I'll be using the hanging meat bag (gen2) for my food for the pack in. all of my other stuff is in ziplocs or 2 small KU pullouts I got in a trade.

I was speaking more to the money side of customization, as people were offloading DT1s with bags included to purchase a highcamp/bikini. I'm just letting the guys know who have a DT1 bag you can get that thing in the same weight range as a highcamp and just order the frame. I'm not trying to tell people how to spend their money, I'm just showing different options that you can take if you already own a DT bag like myself.

If I would of had a DT1 bag no way I would have sold it :).
 

dotman

WKR
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
8,200
Didn't you have a KU5200? Talk about light. Why did you want to come to the dark side *cordura*? Hell, a 2.75lb pack that can carry 125 seems pretty damn good to me

I was offered one heck of a smokin deal on a trade for a T1. I'll be hunting some really nasty thick stuff this year and decided the cordura sounded like a good option :). Truthfully if that deal hadn't come up or this new frame released I'd still be rockin the ku, really liked it but also like playing with new gear if I'm not out $$.
 

sk1

WKR
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
1,216
Location
SE Wisconsin
well i done did it....sold the duplex, now on the waiting list with everyone else for a bikini frame, excited to be down to around 6lbs without doing the math on my setup. i remember when i held the kuiu 5000 thinking man this is light, now i should think the same thing with this pack, only it will actually be comfortable also.
 
Joined
Jul 29, 2012
Messages
683
So did everyone order black on the frame? Or did anyone bite the bullet on the 3.5 oz and order MC (or any other assorted color)?
 

Shrek

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Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
7,066
Location
Hilliard Florida
I ate the 5.5oz and got all foliage. 3.5oz for the frame and belt and 2oz for the bag. As I understand it the foliage straps weigh more on the bag. When you move black just stands out too much for me.
 

luke moffat

Super Moderator
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
108
Never really one to worry too much about pack color, it think its something grossly overated when it comes to actually spooking animals. That said I did get my highcamp bag in Highlander to be more in Vogue, not because I think for one second that it will help me get closer to animals than a standard Coyote bag. I did get the frame in standard black because there is no way in heck I'm paying the extra 10-15% for a frame in highlander that you'll never see anyways, plus the added weight isn't that appealing either.

2 oz for a more "trendy" bag color I can live with, 3.5 oz for a frame that you'll never see anyways well I can live with black....its all personal preference and how much ya wanna spend. Kudos to Kifaru for giving everyone choices in what they feel is important.
 

sk1

WKR
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
Messages
1,216
Location
SE Wisconsin
i went foliage and took the weight penalty, which kinda sucks because thats the whole idea of going from duplex to the bikini frame. i dont care that the frame or belt is black, i just didnt want the shoulder straps to be black as they are big and stand out to me. how an animal sees that, who knows....but if im going to have gigantic black shoulder straps, i feel like i might as well wear a yellow shirt too....that's just me though i know black shoulder straps probably dont make a huge difference
 
Joined
Jun 6, 2012
Messages
31
Location
Bozeman MT
I went with all foliage for my bikini frame and DT1 bag. I like the look of foliage and think it will work well in most of the terrain I will use it in here in Montana. I wasn't concerned about the increase in weight as it will be lighter and more functional than my old Blue Widow. I was looking for one pack to do it all from summer backpacking with my kids to hunting in the fall. If the fit of the pack is spot on I should be done buying packs for a while. April can't get here soon enough.
 
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Messages
4,906
Location
Colorado
Black frame (cuz it's lighter) and highlander highcamp bag. Black with the highlander looks pretty nice. All my other Kifaru packs are foliage color which I really like.
 

Shrek

WKR
Joined
Jul 17, 2012
Messages
7,066
Location
Hilliard Florida
Another reason I went with foliage is that I like to hook up with granola crunching , vegan hippie chicks and and a bunch of of camo kind of keeps my bamdi killing carnivore side a little too much in mind ;) .
 
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