New KUIU Icon 6

[DandyHunting]

I just ordered the KUIU ICON 6 4500 Divide after nearly going with the Exo K4 3600.

A few notes from my research:

I called KUIU and they said they will not be selling the top lid separately for the ICON 6 3500. Their whitepaper says the 3500 has the attachment points for a lid, but the lids are not sold separately, which is annoying.

KUIU customer service told me the new ICON 6 belt measures 6” at its tallest point. Exo told me the K4 belt is 6 5/8” at its tallest point.

The Exo K4 3600 is listed at 3,620 ci bag only, but 4,268 ci with the lid. So with the lid, it’s really closer to a 4,300 ci pack.

The KUIU ICON 6 4500 Divide is listed at 4,500 ci with the lid and 4,000 ci lidless. I’ll probably run it lidless for September archery elk and add the lid for winter/rifle hunts or when I need more room for my kids.

I’ll post pics and give an update once I get it on June 30th. I haven’t seen many independent YouTube reviews yet, so I was hoping KUIU would have sent prerelease packs to a few people for testing.

There’s a lot of unknowns but all the included accessories and 10% made me go with the 4500.

Also they didn’t have my size yet at the Kuiu store in Denver to try on yet.

At the end of the day you can’t go wrong with a lot of these mid to high end packs. But I’m happy to try it out and give an honest review.

 

[billysmals]

So I've been wondering if you could intermix and Exo frame and Kuiu Icon 6 bag....and from what I can tell....if the spacing is close to the same for the frame stays the major problem is how the bag attaches to the suspension at the bottom. See below..

The Kuiu Bag uses velcro tabs.



The Exo uses a strap through a tri glide.


So the Exo Bags feed a strap through the triglide, where the kuiu bag uses the velcro tab and then the frame has a bottom compression strap that wraps to the bag.

Theoretically you could possibily wrap the kuiu bag velcro tab through the triglide and then secure the bag to the frame, but you would lose the ability to use a bottom compression strap. Perhaps you could find a way for that to be added back.

I don't think the top attachments would be a problem as they both slide the bag onto the carbon stays.

Just a thought experiment....supposing the frame and bag attachment diimenions line up.

 

[Pramo]

I rolled the dice and bought a 3500, I have a 8 year old SG that's been through the ringer and ready for a new set of shoulder straps (already replaced once). Had a Kuiu Ultra ~10 years ago and bag/strap ripped packing an elk. I'll have it next week and will report back how it does on a weighted hike.

 

[king402]

I'm debating between the 4500 and 6000 bags. I leaning toward the 6000 for the extra space if needed with only a few oz weight penalty. Most of my hunts are 3 day hunts but I want the option to do more if needed. Any suggestions? Any reason to go with the 4500 over the 6000?

 

[DandyHunting]

I'm debating between the 4500 and 6000 bags. I leaning toward the 6000 for the extra space if needed with only a few oz weight penalty. Most of my hunts are 3 day hunts but I want the option to do more if needed. Any suggestions? Any reason to go with the 4500 over the 6000?

My 4500 arrives Tuesday, so I’ll let you know my thoughts once I actually get my hands on it. It’s all just internet knowledge at this point. So from what i've peiced together...depends how compact your gear is. I’ve seen plenty of guys pack 3 to 4 days in the 3500 to 3600ci range. EXO even lists the K4 3600 as a 3 to 5 day pack, so a lot of this comes down to how dialed your sleep system, food, and layers are.

I went with the 4500 because most of my hunts will be shorter, and I think it’s a really good middle ground. KUIU rates it up to 3 self-supported days, but with compact gear I think it can stretch beyond that. The 6000 makes sense if you want more margin, especially for bulkier cold-weather gear or longer trips, and the weight penalty is only a few ounces.

Main reason I’d choose the 4500 over the 6000 is less bulk for the majority of hunts. But i'd pull the trigger soon as they've already sold out of the TALL frame size.

 

[king402]

Good to know. That makes it easy since I need a tall frame. I guess I'll have to wait until they are back in stock. By then, you'll be able to tell us how the 4500 is. Thanks!