SG 3300 or 5900

[stringunner]

Have narrowed the pack search down to one of these two packs. Having a difficult time choosing between the two. I primarily am a day hunter but do backpacking trips aswell. I have now sold all other packs to try and find the “one.”

Both of these will be big enough for the type of backpacking I do. So the question then becomes is one better than the other in day pack mode for hunting? They both seem to shrink down really small but with minimal gear are they both super functional? Which is better as far as access or zipper configuration to access gear? The 3300 has the top pocket? But the 5900 has the front pocket? The 5900 has the side pockets? Are they useful where the 3300 doesn’t? 3300 is 1 lb less.

Thoughts?

 

[Flatgo]

I was in your same boat and went with the 5900. It compacts really well. Since I don’t do a ton of backpacking my gear is a little bulky and I’m glad I went with the 5900. If you take the lid off and cinch it down it’s smaller than most day packs I’ve had in the past.

 

[huntcoop]

I went with the 3300 as I mostly do day trips and didn't want to carry that extra pound. It can hold, very well, a few days worth of gear, no problem. I've had tent, sleeping bag and pad, Helinox chair, clothing, trekking poles, tripod and food for 3 days. The pack was awesome and held everything perfectly.

I'm very happy with all my Stone Glacier products.

 

[Cant hit em]

I have a 3300 its great for day hunting and up to about 4 days for me and my gear. I add the lid for anything longer. I always have the spotter pocket on it. I think a lot of your decision should be based on
1. Length of time out
2. What your other gears volume is
Its always better to have more room than not enough imo. You cant really go wrong with either choice


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[Grumman]

I’d go with the 5900. That front pocket is super handy.


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[blutooth]

I was in the same boat a few months back. I ordered the 5900 based on recommendations from here and carried it around the house in bivy mode. To me it was just too much bag (it seemed wide to me) - even in bivy mode it was 4000ci, and I will never need the 5900ci size. It was just a lot of extra fabric for me to carry around.

I returned it for the R3 with a lid. The zipper on the R3 opens much larger than the solo and with the lid I'm at 3800ci. I also added a large Kifaru belt pouch to the front for some additional organization.

I leave tomorrow for 5 day 3rd rifle backpack hunt and everything including food fits in my pack (but my gear packs down pretty small). I am maxed out on this trip though - mostly due to winter cold weather gear. Anything more and I would need the load shelf for food.

 

[jquarnberg]

I was in the same boat as you on this decision. I went with the solo. I have never tried the 5900 so I cant compare. But I can say this about the 3300...

Its plenty big enough for me. Have not wished for a bigger bag. But I have only put a handful of trips on it so far.

Its fine for day pack use. Nothing special really as a day pack cause its just a big bag. Because of that its not ideal for organizing and accessing my day pack gear. But because the strap set up and zipper set up is simple and well designed it works just fine for a small load of day pack gear your getting in and out of through the day.

It compresses nicely without miles of straps all over the place.

I find the top zipper compartment to be very useful. Especially in day pack mode, it functions kind of like a top lid for me. I do love the frame and I am happier with the solo bag than I was with the several kifaru bags I went through.

 

[Logan T]

I jumped to an X-curve from an Exo this fall and originally bought the approach bag with it for day hunts. Two weeks ago I was trying to decide which of the same bags you mentioned I wanted to get, as I wanted some more room and a bag I could use for a week plus. I ended up going with the 5900. I carry my spotter everywhere and with the front pocket being able to hold the spotter and the two bottom side pockets to take the tripod and whatever else I want strapped on the outside (usually trekking poles) I decided that the 5900 was the one to try.

The 5900 is a big bag but does compress very well when just packing in day hunt mode. I also take off the top lid and go without it. My day hunt gear in the bag consists of game bags, puffy coat, rain jacket, winter gloves, kill kit, small digital camera and a little dry bag with other small items (batteries, headlamp, lighters etc). Plus water bladder. Not a whole lot of gear. It compresses down nicely and I can have the spotter mounted on the tripod and strapped on one side of the pack if I don't want to take it all apart and it is rock solid.

If someone is just going to strictly day hunt, the approach bag with the access bag is the way to go I think.

 

[Kotaman]

I have/have had two 3300's, a 5900, a 6900 and a 7400. I currently use the 5900 for most of my hunts and the 7400 for extended backpack hunts. The 5900 and the 6900 compress so well, I no longer had a use for the 3300. If I could only own one of the above, it would be the Talus 6900. Very versatile...comfortable in daypack mode and big enough for extended trips. The 5900 and 6900 are two of my most favorite packs I've ever owned.

 

[stringunner]

This is all great guys thanks for sharing. I keep going back and forth. This is all very helpful.

 

[stringunner]

I jumped to an X-curve from an Exo this fall and originally bought the approach bag with it for day hunts. Two weeks ago I was trying to decide which of the same bags you mentioned I wanted to get, as I wanted some more room and a bag I could use for a week plus. I ended up going with the 5900. I carry my spotter everywhere and with the front pocket being able to hold the spotter and the two bottom side pockets to take the tripod and whatever else I want strapped on the outside (usually trekking poles) I decided that the 5900 was the one to try.

The 5900 is a big bag but does compress very well when just packing in day hunt mode. I also take off the top lid and go without it. My day hunt gear in the bag consists of game bags, puffy coat, rain jacket, winter gloves, kill kit, small digital camera and a little dry bag with other small items (batteries, headlamp, lighters etc). Plus water bladder. Not a whole lot of gear. It compresses down nicely and I can have the spotter mounted on the tripod and strapped on one side of the pack if I don't want to take it all apart and it is rock solid.

If someone is just going to strictly day hunt, the approach bag with the access bag is the way to go I think.

Your day pack gear sounds almost exactly like mine. Do you feel like there is too much extra bag/material with so little gear?

 

[907to406]

I had the same dilemma and was living in Bozeman at the time so I went into their shop and looked them over. I ended up with the 5900 after looking at the 2 side by side. In all honesty I couldn't be happier. The 5900 compresses down to pretty close to the same size without the lid which is how I run it for day hunts yet is plenty capable for 4-6 day bivy hunts with the lid. Gear organization is excellent and easy to access with the big front pocket and zipper access into the main bag.

Items that live in my pack full time:
-Possibles bag (tags, lighter, waterproof matches, fire starter, water purification tabs, 10' electrical tape, 10' survey tape, compass, space blanket, whistle)
-Kill Kit (game bags, saw, knife and sharpener)
-First aid kit
-Rain pants and Rain Jacket
-Puffy vest
-Beanie
-2L camelback
-Trekking poles
-50' of P-cord
-Carabineer

I would rather have the room and not need it (especially when it compresses down so nicely) than not have the room and need it. The extra pound didn't matter to me as I was coming from a 11.75lb mystery ranch CC. My other thought to rationalize the 5900 over the 3300 was that I can always buy another Stone Glacier bag down the road and put it on the frame if its just for a day trip or I find the 5900 to be too much back for quick outings but that hasn't been the case as of yet. Either you are going to be a happy customer with Stone Glacier.

 

[Logan T]

Your day pack gear sounds almost exactly like mine. Do you feel like there is too much extra bag/material with so little gear?

Not at all. If you tighten the bottom straps all the way up it will shrink the bag up a lot, and also keeps everything from sitting in the bottom of the bag. Then it basically turns into a 3000" bag. Here's a couple pics of it loaded up with all my stuff without the lid. My spotter is in the front pocket. Its a big spotter (swaro ats 80), and you can see if you take it out the bag could be cinched down a whole lot more- basically even to the width of my tripod or less

.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

I’ve had both - agree that the 5900 works great for day hunting. I like having the side pockets, but prefer the front pocket on the solo to the 5900. That said the 5900 does a ton of different things well.

If you’re always day hunting, I’d do the solo. If you backpack at al I’d do the 5900. I’ve done 5 days in a solo in mid September, with the lid, no problem. Very nice to have the 5900 when you’re packing meat AND camp though.


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[tipsntails7]

I was in the same boat a few months back. I ordered the 5900 based on recommendations from here and carried it around the house in bivy mode. To me it was just too much bag (it seemed wide to me) - even in bivy mode it was 4000ci, and I will never need the 5900ci size. It was just a lot of extra fabric for me to carry around.

I returned it for the R3 with a lid. The zipper on the R3 opens much larger than the solo and with the lid I'm at 3800ci. I also added a large Kifaru belt pouch to the front for some additional organization.

I leave tomorrow for 5 day 3rd rifle backpack hunt and everything including food fits in my pack (but my gear packs down pretty small). I am maxed out on this trip though - mostly due to winter cold weather gear. Anything more and I would need the load shelf for food.

I have the 3300 and feel like the R3 is a much much better version of it. The little sleeve pocket on the bottom, the zippers all the way down, and the small amount of molle on the back.

 

[MT_Wyatt]

Yeah after looking at what the R3 offers, I think one of those hits the perfect balance for daypack if you don't need the space of the 5900. Hell I might snag one now, that tan/green one looks pretty slick!

 

[outdoor_matt]

I have the sky archer 6200, had the solo, but never tried the 5900. If day hunting is your primary thing, I would go with the Solo. The top opening feature is really really nice to have. I love the Sky archer for amount of gear I can haul, but for accessibility, I think it's tough to beat the solo. Add a few accessories to the solo, and it can do multi day trips as well.

 

[deadwolf]

I personally like the smallest, most streamlined pack I can get everything I need into. For this reason for anything up to a weeks worth of hunting/fishing/hiking I went with a Solo 3300, 500ci lid, and 900ci access bag. That puts you at 4700ci in a very nice little package. I really really like the access bag. I roll up my rain gear, water filtration kit, hat and gloves, etc., and stuff them in there where they are easy to get to. I also have put the lid and access bag inside on the bottom of the bag when I didn’t need the room, knowing that if I had to expand at all they would be right there ready to go. I only have about four trips with mine (I’m actually on my second SG frame and pack, the new xcurve fixed my issues I had with the Krux), but so far this setup seems to be super versatile, and suits my needs ready well.


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[Mtslackcountry]

I would try and track down the discontinued sky 5100 used. For me its the perfect size and weight

 

[Sverimerica]

I’d go with the 5900. That front pocket is super handy.


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Any idea on the size of that pocket? Larger or smaller than access bag?

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