Pack recommendation

[madeleine]

I'm 5'5", 140-150lbs. I was thrilled to find a Kuiu Ultra 6000 bag on eBay for cheap, plus use a 20% off + free shipping code to get the frame and suspension off their website for a total cost of $350. Got it all put together and found the shoulder straps sit 3 inches above my traps at the lowest height setting.

I'm pretty set on shopping the second hand market. Obviously not finding anything made for women. Can anyone recommend men's pack make/models that fit women's bodies well? I'll be using it to hunt elk in the mountains.

Thanks in advance

Edit: I bought an Exo K2 3500 from a great seller I found on this forum. Fits and feels great, can't wait to try it in the field. Grateful for all the help and advice.

 

[*zap*]

Can you get a shorter torso suspension from them?

 

[madeleine]

Can you get a shorter torso suspension from them?

Thanks for your response, I believe the S/M I had is the smallest size they offer.

The shape/orientation of the shoulder straps was also uncomfortable, and while I expect this from men's packs, I hope to hear from other women that some are better than others.

 

[HiMtnHntr]

Mystery ranch makes packs for women. My wife uses their popup 28. My 12 and 16 year old boys also use it. They all like it. The pack was used to pack 3 elk out this year, and can handle a hind quarter no problem. My older boy had about 80 lb on it. The popup doesn't have tons of interior space, but there are many other pack options. Sizes/fit are adjustable on these packs.

 

[mtwarden]

Where at in Montana? Take a trip to Bozeman and stop at both Mystery Ranch and Stone Glacier and see if they can fit you a pack. These folks know how a pack is supposed to fit and will take the time to get it right.

While your there, stop for lunch at Rice- might be the best Thai restaurant in the state

 

[X-file]

Where at in Montana? Take a trip to Bozeman and stop at both Mystery Ranch and Stone Glacier and see if they can fit you a pack. These folks know how a pack is supposed to fit and will take the time to get it right.

While your there, stop for lunch at Rice- might be the best Thai restaurant in the state

Agree completely on those two brands. My wife has the 2019 MR Pinter women’s. And she loves the fit. Mostly the way the hip belt fits and the angle of the shoulder straps across the chest. Similar height and weight as well. If you are in Missoula, I believe that straight 6 archery carries the stone glacier line. Those are great for strap adjustability. In Helena, capital sports carries both lines and I believe shedhorn in Ennis does too. Now if you are looking for non hunting packs, my wife has been really impressed with the women’s offerings from Osprey

Hope this helps


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[madeleine]

I do know of Mystery Ranch and Stone Glacier, I am hoping to find something used to save $$, the second hand market is where I see a deficit in options for women... but I will probably end up having to buy something new so it’s good to hear about these positive experiences your wives have had.

I used my Osprey backpacking bag to pack out half of my boyfriend’s black bear last year and it worked fine but it’s really, really loud. Creaks and squeaks all over. Great fitting pack though.

 

[mtwarden]

you can always go to SG and MR and get fitted and not purchase anything; once you determine what pack fits you, you can watch the classifieds here for a used one and/or put in a WTB ad

for hunting, you definitely want a hunting pack

one additional manufacturer to consider is Seek Outside- comfy, lightweight (lightweight for a hunting pack) and very adjustable

 

[madeleine]

Where at in Montana? Take a trip to Bozeman and stop at both Mystery Ranch and Stone Glacier and see if they can fit you a pack. These folks know how a pack is supposed to fit and will take the time to get it right.

While your there, stop for lunch at Rice- might be the best Thai restaurant in the state

you can always go to SG and MR and get fitted and not purchase anything; once you determine what pack fits you, you can watch the classifieds here for a used one and/or put in a WTB ad

for hunting, you definitely want a hunting pack

one additional manufacturer to consider is Seek Outside- comfy, lightweight (lightweight for a hunting pack) and very adjustable

Thanks for this advice. And I’ll check out Rice, I always go to Roost when I’m in Bozeman, best fried chicken! We have a great new Thai place in Missoula too... slowly turning into Bozeman...

 

[mtwarden]

I'll check the Roost out next time I'm in Bozeman; Double Front in Missoula isn't too shabby either for chicken

 

[X-file]

I do know of Mystery Ranch and Stone Glacier, I am hoping to find something used to save $$, the second hand market is where I see a deficit in options for women... but I will probably end up having to buy something new so it’s good to hear about these positive experiences your wives have had.

I used my Osprey backpacking bag to pack out half of my boyfriend’s black bear last year and it worked fine but it’s really, really loud. Creaks and squeaks all over. Great fitting pack though.

Keep an eye on camofire. They will have the women’s mystery ranch from time to time. Another good place to look is mountain archery. They have the MR packs on sale and I think there might be a discount code too. If you found a pack cheap enough you may also be able to replace the yoke and the belt. Might want to check with MR on that to be sure though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jdmaxwell]

My wife can chime in when she gets chance.
But she ran Kuiu and Mystery Ranch Pintler before packing animals out.
Had Stone Glacier last year after getting fitted at shop in Bozeman.
She had settled on her EXO K3 pack and we put it to work a bunch this past year.

 

[madeleine]

My wife can chime in when she gets chance.
But she ran Kuiu and Mystery Ranch Pintler before packing animals out.
Had Stone Glacier last year after getting fitted at shop in Bozeman.
She had settled on her EXO K3 pack and we put it to work a bunch this past year.

Haha yes it would be nice to hear from a woman in the Women’s Council forum! But thank you very much for your response, I see EXOs in the classifieds a lot so I will definitely be looking for one to try on. It’s encouraging to hear of a woman’s positive experience in one.

 

[mtnridge girl]

My wife can chime in when she gets chance.
But she ran Kuiu and Mystery Ranch Pintler before packing animals out.
Had Stone Glacier last year after getting fitted at shop in Bozeman.
She had settled on her EXO K3 pack and we put it to work a bunch this past year.

I had a few cheap packs to start and always complained of my traps hurting. Then I bought a Kuiu and thought it was a big improvement used it a few years, but still had an issue with not being able to get the shoulder straps to sit properly unless the sternum strap was uncomfortably in the middle of my chest. Which not only looked ridiculous but also felt awkward.

I moved on to the women's mystery ranch (pintler) everything about it fit great but it was simply too small for a week long backpack hunt and did not carry meat nearly as well as I expected.

I tried my husband's exo k2 and it seemed decent but the shoulder straps were too wide and it just felt like it was made for a man! Unable to fit all of my gear into my mystery ranch for a 10 day hunt, I took a chance on the exo k3 and the slight modifications were definitely better suited for a female!

Used the k3 for a hunt and it was the best pack I have tried. After the hunt we stopped by stone glacier and I tried their packs, the guys were great and actually evaluated my exo vs their packs for me and thought the exo fit just as well as the stone glacier. They helped me better adjust my exo and gave me a split sternum buckle so I had more adjustability above and below the normal adjustment of the exo.

Now that I have the k3 adjusted well I believe I will be keeping it for quite awhile.

Hope this helps!

 

[madeleine]

I had a few cheap packs to start and always complained of my traps hurting. Then I bought a Kuiu and thought it was a big improvement used it a few years, but still had an issue with not being able to get the shoulder straps to sit properly unless the sternum strap was uncomfortably in the middle of my chest. Which not only looked ridiculous but also felt awkward.

I moved on to the women's mystery ranch (pintler) everything about it fit great but it was simply too small for a week long backpack hunt and did not carry meat nearly as well as I expected.

I tried my husband's exo k2 and it seemed decent but the shoulder straps were too wide and it just felt like it was made for a man! Unable to fit all of my gear into my mystery ranch for a 10 day hunt, I took a chance on the exo k3 and the slight modifications were definitely better suited for a female!

Used the k3 for a hunt and it was the best pack I have tried. After the hunt we stopped by stone glacier and I tried their packs, the guys were great and actually evaluated my exo vs their packs for me and thought the exo fit just as well as the stone glacier. They helped me better adjust my exo and gave me a split sternum buckle so I had more adjustability above and below the normal adjustment of the exo.

Now that I have the k3 adjusted well I believe I will be keeping it for quite awhile.

Hope this helps!

Thank you!!
Great to hear Stone Glacier was so accommodating. I’ll keep your recommendations in mind re: K2 vs. K3.

I’ve seen the Mystery Ranch Pintler brought up quite a bit but not the Women’s Metcalf, which I just tried on locally and it fit well.

 

[Bcreek86]

+1 for MR stepping it up with women’s packs! My wife loves hers. I run an exo and she runs a women’s pop up 28.

 

[NeverSummer]

I use the Mystery Ranch Metcalf for overnights or late season and the Pop Up 28 for day hunts. Works very well for me. I backpack all summer with the Metcalf, backcountry fly fishing trips, high Alpine stuff, so I've put a lot of miles on it. You can some really good deals around black Friday and the holidays. I bought my pack new a couple of years ago for three fiddy.

 

[Tanya Avery]

I have the Kifaru 22 mag pack and have used it for the last 3 seasons. it’s the perfect size for me. i’m 5’6. Where do you live? Often times Rokslide members will meet you so you can try on their packs if you just ask


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[TThomson5]

I second on the Mystery Ranch Women’s Pintler. I have used it on three deer hunts and also an elk hunt. I used the website to measure what size I needed and it fits amazing! I also added a gun sling to the pack from Kifaru that allows the pack to take the weight of my gun and not my shoulder. Makes it a lot easier to chase those elk

 

[Tanya Avery]

I'm 5'5", 140-150lbs. I was thrilled to find a Kuiu Ultra 6000 bag on eBay for cheap, plus use a 20% off + free shipping code to get the frame and suspension off their website for a total cost of $350. Got it all put together and found the shoulder straps sit 3 inches above my traps at the lowest height setting.

I'm pretty set on shopping the second hand market. Obviously not finding anything made for women. Can anyone recommend men's pack make/models that fit women's bodies well? I'll be using it to hunt elk in the mountains.

Thanks in advance

Edit: I bought an Exo K2 3500 from a great seller I found on this forum. Fits and feels great, can't wait to try it in the field. Grateful for all the help and advice.

i’m glad you found something. I can’t wait to hear how it works for you


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro