Seek Outside Pack Out Experiences

[dhmc03]

Ive searched the forum and found tons of great info. Thank you.

I havent found any first hand accounts of how these bags (Seek) do heavily loaded like in an animal pack out situation. Any comparison in that regard to Kifaru would be very helpful.

FWIW Im looking at the SO Goshawk and Brooks.

Thanks in advance for your insight!

 

[PathFinder]

I think I'm going to buy one and play with it. I've used Kifaru for four years now, and really like everything about their product. However, I think their frame may be a bit wide for my narrow torso. It means I end up with lots of pressure on my lumbar and points of my hips, but nowhere else. My hope is that the SO frame will distribute the pressure evenly around my waist. Very interested to see what experiences some people may have.

 

[Frank Grimes]

I’m also interested in SO packs. Mainly the unaweep 4800. How does it handle packing quarters? Inside the bag? Strapped to the back? Bone in or out?

 

[Runningwater]

I've had a Kifaru and now have a SO Fortress 6300. Both packed heavy loads well for me. Don't get me wrong, it sucked at the time, but it was primarily my feet/knees/thighs giving out - not my back/shoulders. They both worked well for me but are quite different in style and ride. I really like my fortress. Try one of each if you can find some to try on.

 

[duchntr]

My experience with Kifaru was with their bikini frame and their 2nd gen duplex. The bikini beat the shit out of me on my first packout (one tripping a cow caribou), then I bought a duplex, which was much better but still rubbed me raw on every packet over 80lbs (ie humping meat out). Then I tried my wifes Seek frame to pack some blacktails, ended up steeling it and have been using it ever since, I don't get hot spots anymore no matter how heavy the load. Im a fairly skinny dude which is why I think the kifaru didn't work, specifically the belt was always slipping, this is not the case with my seek pack. I think kifaru makes a great product and so does SO, my opinion is buy both and try them out and see which one fits your body type best.

 

[tttoadman]

I use Kifaru and SO. I pack about 80lb max. I get the same comfort and feel from both. I seem to carry a little more weight on my shoulders than most, so the SO shoulder harness is really nice for me.

 

[dhmc03]

Thx folks keep em coming

 

[Btaylor]

I’m also interested in SO packs. Mainly the unaweep 4800. How does it handle packing quarters? Inside the bag? Strapped to the back? Bone in or out?

That's the pack I have. Packed out and elk last season, Approx 75# of meat plus dayhunt gear and water. 2.5 miles from kill to the truck and had no issues what so ever. That was boned out meat in the bag. I use one of the 50# training sand bags for training hikes and always run it under the talon and it cinches up tight and stays that way so you could go either route and be fine.

 

[Farmerlentz]

Also interested in this I am currently running a Kifaru but the so pack weights have me very interested

 

[Ridge Ghost]

I helped pack out an elk last season using a SO Goshawk. Previously I had owned a Kifaru T2 w/ internal frame. Both handle a load well, but the hipbelt of the SO is more comfortable and doesn't slip on me like the Kifaru did. Both great pack companies, but I prefer the Seek Outside.

 

[Farmerlentz]

I just pulled the trigger on a goshawk I will update and compare the so to my kifaru when I get it. I dont think you can go wrong either way but some packs fit people better

 

[netman]

The first picture I have 1/3 of a elk in my pack. Second picture I have half a mule deer in my pack. Pack is SO Saker. Exactly like a Brooks but my pack detached from the frame to put game bags in between the pack and frame. As you can see I just loaded the game bags into the pack and got to walking .

 

[Bryanboss429]

The first picture I have 1/3 of a elk in my pack. Second picture I have half a mule deer in my pack. Pack is SO Saker. Exactly like a Brooks but my pack detached from the frame to put game bags in between the pack and frame. As you can see I just loaded the game bags into the pack and got to walking .

Is this how you normally pack with your Saker? I've been trying to decide between the Brooks and the new Lanner. Both would work for me. I just can't decide between packing meat in the bag of the Brooks, or using the load shelf on the Lanner? TIA

 

[dhmc03]

Is this how you normally pack with your Saker? I've been trying to decide between the Brooks and the new Lanner. Both would work for me. I just can't decide between packing meat in the bag of the Brooks, or using the load shelf on the Lanner? TIA

The Saker is exactly the same bag as the Brooks... but with a breakaway load shelf.

So, Saker would give you both options

 

[idahostalker]

I dont usually get on forums very much but I decided to get on tonight and saw your post. I cant comment on how kifaru does with heavy loads but I can comment on how my Brooks pack did with some heavy loads. I packed my bull and my weeks worth of gear out in 2 loads from 5.1 miles back in a completely roadless area. In some ways the pack did good, and in some ways it didnt. The frame, internal meatshelf, and loadlifters were great. The weak part of the pack is definatly the waistbelt. The belt kept on slipping off my butt and putting the weight on my shoulders making me constantly have to readjust. I couldnt get the belt tight enough to stop slipping off my butt and allow the weight to be on my hips instead of my shoulders. Packing a big bull and a weeks worth of gear out in 2 trips is alot more weight than most people carry and while the material used for the pack is durable enough to handle that kind of weight, I honestly dont think it was specifically designed to carry that much weight comfortabley. If they had a waist belt that was wider, stiffer foam, a legitimate lumbar pad, grippy material on the lumbar pad, and forward pull tensioners, it would be alot better!

I also shot and packed out 2 whitetails during the 2018 season. Both whitetails were a couple miles back in the back country. I quartered up and packed each whitetail out in 1 load. For packing out a whole whitetail the pack did great. No real complaints. I have found that up to 80lbs the seekoutside packs do great. From 80-100lbs they are just ok. Once you get around the 120lb mark and heavier the waistbelt sucks and causes some serious issues. If you are not planning on carrying more than 80-ish lbs, I think the seek outside packs are a great choice and that you will be happy with them.

I am keeping my Brooks pack and I will be putting a different waist belt on it. Probably a kifaru or Barney's. I will also be taking off all the gatekeepers and putting regular buckles on. I have grown to not like the gatekeepers. Especially in cold weather. I will also be buying another brand of pack this year to test out in 2019 to see how it does with heavy elk loads.

The 3rd picture is with my days worth of gear and a quartered up whitetail in the pack.

 

[EmperorMA]

I dont usually get on forums very much but I decided to get on tonight and saw your post. I cant comment on how kifaru does with heavy loads but I can comment on how my Brooks pack did with some heavy loads. I packed my bull and my weeks worth of gear out in 2 loads from 5.1 miles back in a completely roadless area. In some ways the pack did good, and in some ways it didnt. The frame, internal meatshelf, and loadlifters were great. The weak part of the pack is definatly the waistbelt. The belt kept on slipping off my butt and putting the weight on my shoulders making me constantly have to readjust. I couldnt get the belt tight enough to stop slipping off my butt and allow the weight to be on my hips instead of my shoulders. Packing a big bull and a weeks worth of gear out in 2 trips is alot more weight than most people carry and while the material used for the pack is durable enough to handle that kind of weight, I honestly dont think it was specifically designed to carry that much weight comfortabley. If they had a waist belt that was wider, stiffer foam, a legitimate lumbar pad, grippy material on the lumbar pad, and forward pull tensioners, it would be alot better!

I also shot and packed out 2 whitetails during the 2018 season. Both whitetails were a couple miles back in the back country. I quartered up and packed each whitetail out in 1 load. For packing out a whole whitetail the pack did great. No real complaints. I have found that up to 80lbs the seekoutside packs do great. From 80-100lbs they are just ok. Once you get around the 120lb mark and heavier the waistbelt sucks and causes some serious issues. If you are not planning on carrying more than 80-ish lbs, I think the seek outside packs are a great choice and that you will be happy with them.

I am keeping my Brooks pack, but I will be buying another brand of pack this year to test out in 2019 to see how it does with elk loads.

The 3rd picture is with my days worth of gear and a quartered up whitetail in the pack.

This is great information.

I don’t believe any pack carries over 100 lbs well, and I simply wouldn’t subject myself to doing it once, let alone twice. Knowing that the Seek Outside packs carry 80 lbs comfortably and up to 100 lbs OK, I’d say that’s probably best in class in my experience. Certainly a ringing endorsement for my elk and deer hunting, where I’m much more likely to be carrying 30-35 lbs in and 60-80 lbs out.

 

[idahostalker]

This is great information.

I don’t believe any pack carries over 100 lbs well, and I simply wouldn’t subject myself to doing it once, let alone twice. Knowing that the Seek Outside packs carry 80 lbs comfortably and up to 100 lbs OK, I’d say that’s probably best in class in my experience. Certainly a ringing endorsement for my elk and deer hunting, where I’m much more likely to be carrying 30-35 lbs in and 60-80 lbs out.

If all you are carrying is 30-35 lbs for most of the time and 60-80lbs when packing something out then seekoutside is a good choice. But I also think you would be very happy with packs from Exo, Kifaru, Stone Glacier, and Mystery Ranch. With 80lbs being the max youll be carrying, you could get a pack from any of the listed brands that fits your needs the best and youll be very happy. They are all designed to carry up to 80lbs well as long as they are adjusted correctly.

 

[RockChucker30]

If all you are carrying is 30-35 lbs for most of the time and 60-80lbs when packing something out then seekoutside is a good choice. But I also think you would be very happy with packs from Exo, Kifaru, Stone Glacier, and Mystery Ranch. With 80lbs being the max youll be carrying, you could get a pack from any of the listed brands that fits your needs the best and youll be very happy. They are all designed to carry up to 80lbs well as long as they are adjusted correctly.

Idahostalker your experience definitely isn't the norm and makes me think something is up that needs fixing. I'd appreciate you emailing me [email protected] so I can try to get the belt slippage issue solved.


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[Wrongside]

Ive searched the forum and found tons of great info. Thank you.

I havent found any first hand accounts of how these bags (Seek) do heavily loaded like in an animal pack out situation. Any comparison in that regard to Kifaru would be very helpful.

FWIW Im looking at the SO Goshawk and Brooks.

Thanks in advance for your insight!

I've been a SO user since they intro'd their pack line. Ran a prototype Evo 6300 for a while. Before that I'd used a bunch of well regarded packs for backpacking, backcountry hunting of sheep, elk, deer, bear, etc. IME, SO packs carry weight as well, or better, than anything available.

Some of it does boil down to fit, personal preference amd body type, of course. So, your mileage may vary. Still, I have a two buddies who are/were big fans of K packs. One begrudgingly admitted- after packing a bone in elk quarter in it- that my Evo carries weight at least as well as his beloved K... 'Maybe better' <mumble mumble> The other, sold his K pack and has been a SO user for several years now.

My Evo has been quite durable, much better than I expected from a pack this light. But it's getting up in miles and years, and I'm looking at replacing/semi-retiring it in the near future. Not in love with SO's newer bags, so may give SG a try. Just have to talk myself out of the XPac that I've really come to like.

 

[Gli_ryan]

I have a stone glacier crux Evo (I think), and a seek outside goshawk. I used the stone to hunt with and pack out my elk this year. Was quite comfortable. I used my seek pack during a wolf hunt and didn’t really pack anything too heavy. While I think the seek pack is more comfortable in general while trying them on at home, it seemed to not be as comfy during my wolf hunt. I was however hiking through a lot of snow and the couple days sucked anyways. I think my experience is my own and I need to revisit the fitment of it with heavy clothing on.

I am not sure how I feel about the two buckles on the belt of the seek bag. I do like the single buckle on the stone. I kind of miss having pockets, neither bag really has them. The seek has the side pouches with I always love using for a water bottle. Stone at least has the top pouch which I fill up during elk season.

Edit: I’m short and I hate when I have to duck below deadfall. Both packs the frame top catches on whatever I’m going under.