New pack - Kifaru or Mystery Ranch

[Trial153]

your looking at two of the best load hauling pack companies in the business. I am sure that between them you can find a pack and frame that suits you. I own both BTW.

 

[ironmiketr]

Kifaru frame is great and as others said it shines when you add weight. I take long hikes with my kid and hooked our old child carrier to the duplex frame. it changed my hiking life. i really dig the lumbar pad.

 

[richiexu]

Personally I found MR to be more comfortable than Kifaru on lighter weights

 

[Ledanek]

What??? Maybe I have an older one, believe mine had made in USA. Man I hope not

I've been wrong before: Sawtooth 45 on Guidelight MT frame is made in Vietnam

Mystery Ranch Sawtooth 45

https://imgur.com/a/lWVuCfM

 

[Still Hunter]

Bought a Metcalf in Foilage and waiting for delivery. Hope it meets expectations! Plan to load it up when it gets here, I will let you know how it does

 

[jspradley]

How important is Made in the US to you?

Both make top notch gear and I cant imagine you going wrong with either of them so I'd try both if you can and see which you like better.

 

[tamoko]

This is more and easy to find parts or update for MR.
From comfort, I think this is the same.

 

[MattB355]

I am 6'3" 230lbs with a long torso. I went with Kifaru based on all the good reviews. I called them and asked them what they recommended for my situation, size, fit, intended use. They recommended a 44 mag pack with their frame. After receiving the pack I was having trouble figuring out all the straps and getting the correct fit with weight. I was able to call up the owner of the company on his cell over the phone, sent him pictures and he guided me through the proper fit over the phone--that is what I call service. Lastly, the packs are super high quality compared to anything I have seen in the hunting stores. I never thought I would spend $750 on a pack and frame but now feel that it was worth it for the quality and features and use. I put 85 lbs in the pack and had no problems with fit and carrying the load on my hips. I would feel comfortable putting 135-150lbs in it.

 

[D wine]

Debating between Kifaru Hoodlum or Mystery Ranch (looking at three different ones). Need the best frame for carrying weight on hips. Have had surgery on my back in the past and have reconstructed my knee this winter. So, can’t take a risk on something that could be hard to manage with a load. Have looked at Seek Outside, Kuiu and Exo but didn’t get a chance to try any of those. Also haven’t seen the Initial Ascent or Stone Glacier. But have seen some bags and frames from Kifaru and Mystery Ranch. I do like pockets for being a bit organized.

Question: which frame is usually more comfortable under load of 75lbbs or more? I’m 6”2 (was 6”3before back surgery...). So need something for my height.

I have a MR Marshall it provides more pockets for organization If that’s a big consideration.

 

[joshdidthis]

I've owned the a Marshall on a GLF, sawtooth on the GLF mt and a kifaru Tactical 26". They're all pretty comfortable to 40-45 lbs but after that the kifaru shines for me. You'll have to try them out for yourself but I stayed with kifaru. The main thing for me was the curved stays in the kifaru fit my back better VS the straight/flat stays on the mystery ranch. I still want to try the duplex light frame. If you go the MR route I'd recommend the new guide light mt frame.

 

[Clovis]

Just my 2 cents. I have a Kifaru bikini frame with the HC7000 bag. It is great for lighter weights and I can make it work for heavier. I haven't tried the newer versions of the mystery ranch frames, but the old NICE 6500 is what I reach for when I know I am carrying enough weight that I get more concerned with how it carries than the weight of the pack.

 

[OXN939]

Bought a Metcalf in Foilage and waiting for delivery. Hope it meets expectations! Plan to load it up when it gets here, I will let you know how it does

Any opinions on Metcalf vs the Selway 60? Looking at the latter for a pack in gig this fall. Thinking I'm going to go with the school of thought that its better to get a slightly larger pack than necessary and cinch it down than try to stuff everything necessary in a pack that's a little too small.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Just my $.02 as others have said, do yourself a favor and try both if possible. If not I'd reccomend making a checklist of all the things you want out of a pack and see which one meets your expectations more.

Experience with both. Kifaru makes the most comfortable hip belt in the industry (for me anyway). I ran a guidelight MT last year and it was the most impressive pack/frame I've had to date. Both make fantastic products and fit me well.

On the MR GLMT, the new hip belt stays put on me like velcro. Also heavy loads of boned out meat didn't sag any, it just stayed put exactly where I sinched it down.... which is something I haven't been able to say with other packs in the past. I also didn't have any "barrel'ing" in the frame when tightened up around big loads of meat.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Any opinions on Metcalf vs the Selway 60? Looking at the latter for a pack in gig this fall. Thinking I'm going to go with the school of thought that its better to get a slightly larger pack than necessary and cinch it down than try to stuff everything necessary in a pack that's a little too small.

I like the thought behind the selway but I tend to favor a more minimalist pack. If pockets and compartments are important then it might not be the bag for you. I have a pintler and love the tri-zip. So much that I wish they'd make a beartooth sized bag with it.

 

[OXN939]

I like the thought behind the selway but I tend to favor a more minimalist pack. If pockets and compartments are important then it might not be the bag for you. I have a pintler and love the tri-zip. So much that I wish they'd make a beartooth sized bag with it.

First thing that jumps out to me about the Selway is that it's almost a pound lighter. I've got lots of miles backpacking in my day but have never owned a dedicated hunting pack, and man are they heavy. Kifaru Woodsman is way lighter, but ultra minimalist with what appears to be no pouches other than a brain.

 

[trophyhill]

How important is Made in the US to you?

Never been more important to me than it is right now. This country is owned by China. It's time to take our manufacturing, our economy, our jobs and our country back. I had no idea our medications are 90+% made in China until they unleashed this plague on the world and America in particular. I think it's time for the hunting industry to take the lead on buying and manufacturing American

 

[EmbraceTheSuck]

Kifaru is made in the USA, 100%. I would give them a try. I am looking at their packs now. That said, I have a MR Metcalf and a Pop-up 28, which I used to carry out an elk quarter, backstrap and neck meat. The load shelf worked well. Not too bad for a day pack with a load shelf.