snowcamoman
WKR
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- Feb 19, 2014
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This is fairly long and photo intensive, but hopefully helps someone or at least provide some details.
Hunting Backpack Testing
• Kifaru Bikini Frame with Highcamp 7000
• Kuiu Ultra 6000
• Stone Glacier Terminus (6300 cubic inches).
I had the chance to get my hands on a couple of other packs that would be classified in similar classes or volume ranges. I own a Kifaru Bikini frame with a Highcamp 7000. I’ve added the Kifaru Grab It and two extra K-connector straps for better compression of the bag with gear and meat. Total weight of the Kifaru with additional items is 5 pounds 2 oz. I borrowed a Stone Glacier Terminus pack with their one piece belt and a side pocket on the hip belt. This pack weighed in at 4 pounds 1 ounce. The final pack I borrowed is the Kuiu Ultra 6000. This pack had a size large/x-large hip-belt and large frame. Weight of the Ultra 6000 was 3 pounds 13 ounces.
Aesthetics and layout of packs
All of these packs are what you would call minimal type packs. There are not a lot of pockets and storage options on these packs. The Kifaru Highcamp has zero extra pockets on it and is simply a large, top loading type bag with a second lower zipper area to access gear. The Kifaru has lots of straps and connection points on it as well as on the Bikini frame. There are endless options on what you can add to a Kifaru bag and frame as almost all of their pack gear is interchangeable with different bags and storage options. With all of these options on the Kifaru, it leads to a bag and pack that has a lot of drooping strap tag ends that look kind of sloppy. This sloppy look goes away as the bag is filled and the straps get extended out and connected to the frame or bag connection points. In terms of gear lashing and compression versatility, the Kifaru is superb. The downside with the almost endless options of compression is that there will be a learning curve on how a person will decide what works best for them to keep their loads under control. The fabric on the Kifaru is tough 500D Cordura and has a proven track record of good performance and durability in the field.
The Stone Glacier Terminus and Krux frame has a few more features for storing gear than the Kifaru Highcamp. There is a large vertical zipper on the bag for access to gear, an interior pocket and a pocket in the lid. The compression straps on the Terminus are very well laid out. They’re quick and easy to use to keep large, bulging loads under control and sucked up close to the frame. The fabric on the Terminus is a combination of 500 Cordura and XPac fabric. Stone Glacier has other exterior bags that can be connected onto the Terminus bag for additional storage and functions.
The Kuiu Ultra 6000 goes even farther on bag storage and features than the Highcamp or Terminus bags. There is a large, vertical zipper offset on the Ultra for quick access into the main compartment of the pack. On the rear of the pack is a large zippered vertical pocket for spotting scope and gear. On top of the rear spotting scope pocket is another smaller pocket to stow smaller pieces of gear. The lid has a zippered storage area and there is an external elastic type, open topped stuff-it type pocket. Fabric on the Ultra is the lightest of the bags tested, 160D Cordura.
Here is a photo of the packs all strapped down into a day-hunt type mode.
Setting up the packs
I won’t go into too much detail on setting up the shoulder harnesses for the packs, but will say that the Ultra and Stone Glacier Krux frame were very easy to setup with Velcro type adjustment for positioning of the harnesses. The Kifaru involved more work and strap adjustments. If you need to see more about this, there are lots of YouTube videos out there.
Hipbelts
Here’s a snapshot side view of the hip belts on the packs.
The Kifaru Bikini frame hip belt is the widest and most contoured shaped of the three belts. The Ultra is the narrowest and most padded (thickness) of the belts. The Stone Glacier is right in the middle in terms of width. The Ultra and Terminus use single pull compression straps for the main belt. The Kifaru uses a power-pull compression system, which to me is much quicker and simpler to get anchored down solid onto my hips. I can get the Kuiu and Stone Glacier to anchor down solidly, it just takes a bit longer and two hands. Stone Glacier offers an optional power-pull type setup for their belts.
Testing
I wanted to test the packs starting at 40 pounds, 80 and then to 100 pounds.
First up for the 40 pound test was the Kuiu Ultra 6000. I laid the pack down flat and leveled out the bag of salt in the Ultra for a nice, flat load. I strapped the salt down inside of the bag and then stood the Ultra up. The first thing I noticed when I did this, was that the bag of salt inside shifted down to the bottom of the Ultra bag and formed a bulge. I unloaded it and got it more under control with the upper straps, but the load tended to still want to work its way down low without another lower strap.
This is not how I prefer a load to be transported. When I strap a load down to my frame, I want that load to stay in place. Having a heavy load of meat drop to the bottom of a bag causes an extreme amount of lower back pressure and discomfort for me. I tinkered around trying to get the Ultra to keep the bag in place up higher in the bag, but could not do it. I put the pack on and did some hiking around the yard and down the street. My yard has several different steep hills, so I was able to side hill and test it in a variety of conditions, although not over a ton of miles. The 40 pounds in the Ultra felt good and the pack moved nicely as I side hilled and performed a variety of movements, simulating something I might do in the mountains. The hip belt and shoulder straps were comfortable and I did not have any hot spots forming or discomfort.
Second up was the Stone Glacier Terminus. I again laid the pack down and put a 40 pound bag of salt into the pack. I packed and flattened it out in the bag and then used the compression strap system on the Terminus to tighten everything down. I have to say that the compression strap system on the Stone Glacier and quality of buckles is absolutely fantastic. It seems clear to me that Stone Glacier did their homework on how a load needs to be compressed and what it takes to do it.
Here's a side by side of the Kuiu and Stone Glacier showing the lower portion of the bags and compression systems.
I stood the pack up and there was no load shifting within the bag. I put the pack on and performed the same type of hiking and movements around the yard and neighborhood. The pack rode great and was very comfortable. No hot spots or anything that I would or could change about the 40 pound load in the Stone Glacier.
Third up for the 40 pound class testing was the Kifaru. The same process of loading salt was used. Since this is my own personal pack, I’m pretty familiar with what I need to do to anchor a load. The “as-is” Highcamp 7000 bag without any extra compression straps is just not enough to really anchor an unstable load like a bag of salt. I know from prior testing that a bag of salt stuffed into the stock model Highcamp results in the same lower pack bulge as the Ultra pack showed. I've added two of the Kifaru K-connector compression straps horizontally across the Highcamp bag and this locks the load in place. The lower Grab-it I added to the Kifaru also really helps so suck up the lower portion of a bag and keep gear or meat from bulging out. My main intent for the Grab-it is to stash rain-gear and other items I might need to quickly access in a hurry. It’s also for overflow, in case I cannot get all meat and gear into the main bag.
Kifaru Bikini frame and Highcamp 7000 laying beside Stone Glacier Terminus with loads
I strapped the bag of salt into the Kifaru Highcamp, stood it up, and everything stayed in place. Same hiking and testing as the other two packs was performed. The Kifaru hip-belt has more adjustment straps on it than the other two packs and can really be dialed in for an extremely comfortable haul. The wide and contoured Kifaru hip belt is very comfortable and I could easily pack 40 pounds all day long over hill and valley jogging.
Results of 40 pound Testing
No clear winner on comfort levels, they were all comfortable and rode nicely. The Ultra’s inability to stabilize the bag of salt was annoying to me, but obviously did not seem to effect the comfort. Stone Glacier was the winner of the stock model compression system and with a two add on straps to the Kifaru, it was right on Stone Glacier’s heels.
Second Part continued in another post (Part 2).
http://www.rokslide.com/forums/show...-Testing-Kifaru-Stone-Glacier-amp-Kuiu-Part-2
Hunting Backpack Testing
• Kifaru Bikini Frame with Highcamp 7000
• Kuiu Ultra 6000
• Stone Glacier Terminus (6300 cubic inches).
I had the chance to get my hands on a couple of other packs that would be classified in similar classes or volume ranges. I own a Kifaru Bikini frame with a Highcamp 7000. I’ve added the Kifaru Grab It and two extra K-connector straps for better compression of the bag with gear and meat. Total weight of the Kifaru with additional items is 5 pounds 2 oz. I borrowed a Stone Glacier Terminus pack with their one piece belt and a side pocket on the hip belt. This pack weighed in at 4 pounds 1 ounce. The final pack I borrowed is the Kuiu Ultra 6000. This pack had a size large/x-large hip-belt and large frame. Weight of the Ultra 6000 was 3 pounds 13 ounces.
Aesthetics and layout of packs
All of these packs are what you would call minimal type packs. There are not a lot of pockets and storage options on these packs. The Kifaru Highcamp has zero extra pockets on it and is simply a large, top loading type bag with a second lower zipper area to access gear. The Kifaru has lots of straps and connection points on it as well as on the Bikini frame. There are endless options on what you can add to a Kifaru bag and frame as almost all of their pack gear is interchangeable with different bags and storage options. With all of these options on the Kifaru, it leads to a bag and pack that has a lot of drooping strap tag ends that look kind of sloppy. This sloppy look goes away as the bag is filled and the straps get extended out and connected to the frame or bag connection points. In terms of gear lashing and compression versatility, the Kifaru is superb. The downside with the almost endless options of compression is that there will be a learning curve on how a person will decide what works best for them to keep their loads under control. The fabric on the Kifaru is tough 500D Cordura and has a proven track record of good performance and durability in the field.
The Stone Glacier Terminus and Krux frame has a few more features for storing gear than the Kifaru Highcamp. There is a large vertical zipper on the bag for access to gear, an interior pocket and a pocket in the lid. The compression straps on the Terminus are very well laid out. They’re quick and easy to use to keep large, bulging loads under control and sucked up close to the frame. The fabric on the Terminus is a combination of 500 Cordura and XPac fabric. Stone Glacier has other exterior bags that can be connected onto the Terminus bag for additional storage and functions.
The Kuiu Ultra 6000 goes even farther on bag storage and features than the Highcamp or Terminus bags. There is a large, vertical zipper offset on the Ultra for quick access into the main compartment of the pack. On the rear of the pack is a large zippered vertical pocket for spotting scope and gear. On top of the rear spotting scope pocket is another smaller pocket to stow smaller pieces of gear. The lid has a zippered storage area and there is an external elastic type, open topped stuff-it type pocket. Fabric on the Ultra is the lightest of the bags tested, 160D Cordura.
Here is a photo of the packs all strapped down into a day-hunt type mode.
Setting up the packs
I won’t go into too much detail on setting up the shoulder harnesses for the packs, but will say that the Ultra and Stone Glacier Krux frame were very easy to setup with Velcro type adjustment for positioning of the harnesses. The Kifaru involved more work and strap adjustments. If you need to see more about this, there are lots of YouTube videos out there.
Hipbelts
Here’s a snapshot side view of the hip belts on the packs.
The Kifaru Bikini frame hip belt is the widest and most contoured shaped of the three belts. The Ultra is the narrowest and most padded (thickness) of the belts. The Stone Glacier is right in the middle in terms of width. The Ultra and Terminus use single pull compression straps for the main belt. The Kifaru uses a power-pull compression system, which to me is much quicker and simpler to get anchored down solid onto my hips. I can get the Kuiu and Stone Glacier to anchor down solidly, it just takes a bit longer and two hands. Stone Glacier offers an optional power-pull type setup for their belts.
Testing
I wanted to test the packs starting at 40 pounds, 80 and then to 100 pounds.
First up for the 40 pound test was the Kuiu Ultra 6000. I laid the pack down flat and leveled out the bag of salt in the Ultra for a nice, flat load. I strapped the salt down inside of the bag and then stood the Ultra up. The first thing I noticed when I did this, was that the bag of salt inside shifted down to the bottom of the Ultra bag and formed a bulge. I unloaded it and got it more under control with the upper straps, but the load tended to still want to work its way down low without another lower strap.
This is not how I prefer a load to be transported. When I strap a load down to my frame, I want that load to stay in place. Having a heavy load of meat drop to the bottom of a bag causes an extreme amount of lower back pressure and discomfort for me. I tinkered around trying to get the Ultra to keep the bag in place up higher in the bag, but could not do it. I put the pack on and did some hiking around the yard and down the street. My yard has several different steep hills, so I was able to side hill and test it in a variety of conditions, although not over a ton of miles. The 40 pounds in the Ultra felt good and the pack moved nicely as I side hilled and performed a variety of movements, simulating something I might do in the mountains. The hip belt and shoulder straps were comfortable and I did not have any hot spots forming or discomfort.
Second up was the Stone Glacier Terminus. I again laid the pack down and put a 40 pound bag of salt into the pack. I packed and flattened it out in the bag and then used the compression strap system on the Terminus to tighten everything down. I have to say that the compression strap system on the Stone Glacier and quality of buckles is absolutely fantastic. It seems clear to me that Stone Glacier did their homework on how a load needs to be compressed and what it takes to do it.
Here's a side by side of the Kuiu and Stone Glacier showing the lower portion of the bags and compression systems.
I stood the pack up and there was no load shifting within the bag. I put the pack on and performed the same type of hiking and movements around the yard and neighborhood. The pack rode great and was very comfortable. No hot spots or anything that I would or could change about the 40 pound load in the Stone Glacier.
Third up for the 40 pound class testing was the Kifaru. The same process of loading salt was used. Since this is my own personal pack, I’m pretty familiar with what I need to do to anchor a load. The “as-is” Highcamp 7000 bag without any extra compression straps is just not enough to really anchor an unstable load like a bag of salt. I know from prior testing that a bag of salt stuffed into the stock model Highcamp results in the same lower pack bulge as the Ultra pack showed. I've added two of the Kifaru K-connector compression straps horizontally across the Highcamp bag and this locks the load in place. The lower Grab-it I added to the Kifaru also really helps so suck up the lower portion of a bag and keep gear or meat from bulging out. My main intent for the Grab-it is to stash rain-gear and other items I might need to quickly access in a hurry. It’s also for overflow, in case I cannot get all meat and gear into the main bag.
Kifaru Bikini frame and Highcamp 7000 laying beside Stone Glacier Terminus with loads
I strapped the bag of salt into the Kifaru Highcamp, stood it up, and everything stayed in place. Same hiking and testing as the other two packs was performed. The Kifaru hip-belt has more adjustment straps on it than the other two packs and can really be dialed in for an extremely comfortable haul. The wide and contoured Kifaru hip belt is very comfortable and I could easily pack 40 pounds all day long over hill and valley jogging.
Results of 40 pound Testing
No clear winner on comfort levels, they were all comfortable and rode nicely. The Ultra’s inability to stabilize the bag of salt was annoying to me, but obviously did not seem to effect the comfort. Stone Glacier was the winner of the stock model compression system and with a two add on straps to the Kifaru, it was right on Stone Glacier’s heels.
Second Part continued in another post (Part 2).
http://www.rokslide.com/forums/show...-Testing-Kifaru-Stone-Glacier-amp-Kuiu-Part-2
