New Kuiu 5200 Icon pro

[280twoeighty]

First let me say I know very little about this pack. I am familiar with the Kuiu name. Not so much their product. I Just looked at it more out of curiousity than anything. The today only sale price at $315 seems pretty darn good. I did a bit of poking around here and the new ones seemed to be held in pretty high regard, realizing there are some folks who don't like the company.

I have a couple of questions. One is that price seems to include the complete pack and Pro Frame, is that correct? Nothing else needed?

I see the frame is stated as made in the USA, Is the pack made here also?

What is the thought on them?

Thanks

 

[Josh Wright]

Pack is not. Who cares anyway. You will like the icon pro. I ordered another one today.

 

[280twoeighty]

I do. Thanks for the reply. It does sound like a pretty good set up. Thanks again.

 

[Josh Wright]

Go to stone glacier if you want all american.

 

[Pmn86]

Ordered one today as well. Wanted to try something in the mean time while waiting for other packs to come back in stock. Figured at this price I wouldn't take a big loss on the resell market if it didn't work out.

 

[COlineman78]

I see the frame is stated as made in the USA, Is the pack made here also?

What is the thought on them?

Only the piece of carbon fiber is made in the USA. The shoulder straps and waist belt along with the pack, buckles, etc. are made in China. I personally don't mind paying a little more for truly USA made products, but in the case of packs the price difference is so big for other reasons I doubt this will influence you unless you're the "I only buy 'merican" type.

I had a Kuiu pack shortly and sold it after just a couple months. The primary reason I got rid of it was because it couldn't be adjusted to correctly fit my height (6'5" with a very long torso). I now have a Kifaru and it is much better (but also costs double what a Kuiu will run you). Honestly it depends how you will be using it whether you will like it or not. If you are the once or twice a year type hauling an elk out maybe once every other year you will be more than happy. But if you're the type to be using a pack 10+ times a year and hauling 80lb+ loads more than a couple times a year than you will be better off with a Kifaru, SG or Exo. I didn't have the 5200 but had the 7200. The pack itself is well thought our and easy to pack. It is nowhere as bulletproof as a Kifaru, but most people don't need it to be.

As a aerospace engineer, I will say that I believe the design of the carbon fiber frame is flawed in both structural and material design. It is bound to form a crack eventually and will have a catastrophic failure when you least expect it. Composites will not fail immediately and will usually fail on the trip after a heavy load where the cracks were created. There are several stories of people doing something innocent like tying their shoes when the frame fails.

 

[AndyB]

I was tempted by this but slightly suspicious that they will soon be upgrading packs, or something on the pack, waistbelt whatever........like happened when I bought the 2013 model icon..so i'll gamble and hang on and see. Other good options if I am wrong.

 

[Josh Wright]

I packed an entire bone in mule deer with my ultra frame and suspension this year and it did just fine. I also packed out 1 elk shoulder and 1 elk ham with it and did just fine. My last mule deer I killed in had to split the load because I couldn't lift the pack itself.

I like the way the stone glacier looks and was going to buy one, but at this price i will try the icon pro.

 

[SSAbraham]

Where did you see it on sale?

 

[Josh Wright]

Where did you see it on sale?

It was yesterday for 10 hours. It will be another sale on the 19th

 

[MuleyFever]

Where did you see it on sale?

KUIU had a 10 hr sale on their web page yesterday.

The Icon Pro is a good pack and for that price a great pack.

 

[SSAbraham]

Did you guys find out through their mail group or via another means?

 

[Dos Perros]

They sent out an email on the 10 hour sale. They sent out a mailer on the sale coming on the 19th.

 

[Phantom X]

I had the Icon pro 5200 and returned it. FYI the mostly grey pack that was displayed on their site for quite a while has been replaced with one that has the front center zipper section in Major-Brown. They did not tell me when I ordered via the phone of this change.

One of the things that really bugged me was the U Zipper. They only put two zippers on it and the zippers zip towards the bottom to close. Who does that? It makes it quite difficult to get into just the upper portion of the U Section. You have to completely un-zip a whole side to bring the zipper up to the top. They should have put four zippers.

I decided to return it and get another bag or two for my Duplex frame.


edit: I guess they finally updated the photo of the 5200

 

[dunner543]

One of the things that really bugged me was the U Zipper. They only put two zippers on it and the zippers zip towards the bottom to close. Who does that? It makes it quite difficult to get into just the upper portion of the U Section. You have to completely un-zip a whole side to bring the zipper up to the top. They should have put four zippers.

I second that, those zippers are really irritating. They should be right next to each other so you can open it just a little to reach in and grab something. I put the 7200 on a duplex frame for my elk hunt this year and it worked well under normal loads 50-65 lbs. Didn't get an animal so I can't comment on how it works with more weight.

 

[Pmn86]

The horse shoe zipper design? That was one of the things I was looking forward to with the pack. We'll see when it gets here.

 

[dunner543]

The horse shoe zipper is one of the things I really wanted too. The problem is when the zipper is completely closed, you have a zipper pull at the bottom on both sides. If you want to get something out you have to open it from the bottom on either side and stuff starts spilling out. Would have been a lot better if they had the pulls together so you could open just the spot you need. Of course there is top access too but IMO the advantage of the horseshoe zipper is to get to items in the middle or bottom of the bag easier. They jacked that up by putting the pulls where they did.

 

[Derek Anderson]

I just picked up a 7200 yesterday. It was too good of a deal to pass up. My only gripe is with having to return stuff if it isn't the right size. I had to return a pair of gaiters because my calf size was right at 16.5 the top end of the large, and the bottom end of the XL. I got the LX and the things would slide off. I ALMOST returned a pair of guide pants because I got them in 38 because the size chart says 37 and I am at a 36.5, they were borderline to big but I was fine with them because I might layer. The attack pants will have to be 36. Their sizing is true form so go off what you wear normally, not their measurements.

 

[Pramo]

I'm a two week a year western hunter and one week western family camper and bought an Icon pro 1800 then put on Ultra 6000 and Ultra 3000 bag. I rigged up the 1800 to a set of REI suspension and use it for my eastern whitetail day pack. This year I hunted and hauled out a bear, elk and mule deer by myself and the pack handled it well. If I lived out west I'd probably want something more heavy duty but at the weight and price I felt it was good and it fits well as an airplane carry on.

For size in 6'2'' 180 and have the smaller waist belt. Fits well and can handle 60-70 pounds fine, the bear hide and meat was about 100+ pound load it was doable but heavy and I only had to go a mile with it.

View attachment 30705
View attachment 30706
View attachment 30707

 

[COlineman78]

The horse shoe zipper is one of the things I really wanted too. The problem is when the zipper is completely closed, you have a zipper pull at the bottom on both sides. If you want to get something out you have to open it from the bottom on either side and stuff starts spilling out. Would have been a lot better if they had the pulls together so you could open just the spot you need. Of course there is top access too but IMO the advantage of the horseshoe zipper is to get to items in the middle or bottom of the bag easier. They jacked that up by putting the pulls where they did.

The 3200 is actually as you describe. I though they should've just added 2 extra pulls on the 52/7200 so that you could access the bottom on both sides as well as the top. It would cost them 10 cents to add 2 more zipper pulls and allow you to use it however you want. The First Lite North Branch Pants have 6 total zipper pulls on a single zipper and it is convenient for using them however you want.