Should I get 22” frame instead?

[Mergatroyd]

I currently have a Woodsman on a 26” lite frame. I found that walking around the dense woods of Western WA the 26” frame is a snag factory. I am considering selling it and getting a 22” tactical frame. It will still carry all my Hunting/backpacking gear great but wont be so cumbersome getting through the woods with it.
What are your guys thoughts?

 

[Desk Jockey]

I did exactly that a few years ago. Major bonus in deep brush but $$$. I ended up selling the rig but it worked great.

 

[Mergatroyd]

I did exactly that a few years ago. Major bonus in deep brush but $$$. I ended up selling the rig but it worked great.

What did you get jnstead? I figure I could sell my 26” and then spend a little more to get the 22” frame. I also have a 14’r I would consider selling and then just use Woodsman on 22” frame for everything

 

[Desk Jockey]

Somewhat short version is I was a Dana designs and mystery ranch guy before I started hunting A few years back.

I drank the Kifaru Koolaid and got a 26 inch frame and a reckoning. I needed a smaller bag for day hunting deer. I ended up with a woodsman on my 26 but found it snagged a lot and was bigger than I wanted to put up with for what was essentially a day pack. I bought a 22 inch frame and ran that for a year. the bag was great but the kifaru frames never fit me as well as my MR bags. on a whim, I bought an MR pack that was on a pretty good sale and I decided to go back to mystery ranch. Personal preference And TBH I probably never bent the stays to make the fit correct.

FWIW my primary day hunting pack is an MR pop up 38 now. For longer trips I use a pintler or a beartooth.

 

[Mergatroyd]

Somewhat short version is I was a Dana designs and mystery ranch guy before I started hunting A few years back.

I drank the Kifaru Koolaid and got a 26 inch frame and a reckoning. I needed a smaller bag for day hunting deer. I ended up with a woodsman on my 26 but found it snagged a lot and was bigger than I wanted to put up with for what was essentially a day pack. I bought a 22 inch frame and ran that for a year. the bag was great but the kifaru frames never fit me as well as my MR bags. on a whim, I bought an MR pack that was on a pretty good sale and I decided to go back to mystery ranch. Personal preference And TBH I probably never bent the stays to make the fit correct.

FWIW my primary day hunting pack is an MR pop up 38 now. For longer trips I use a pintler or a beartooth.

Those mystery ranch pop up packs look really cool.
As far as the Kifaru frame I have, its super comfortable for me and it hauls great. Hauled my first elk this year with it. I could tell the guys with me that had much lesser packs were struggling with their packs. The woodsman with pockets is the right amount of space for me and like I said, very comfortable. My only gripe is the height. I am hiking around with it FAR more than I am hauling with it. So be comfy for 95% of the packs use and then suffer a little more while hauling since it has lower load lifters? Or suck it up while snagging on under brush? Maybe im being a sissy I dont know haha

 

[Desk Jockey]

You will definitely notice the difference in how it carries a load if you go 22. Not bad but nowhere near as much lift. Heavier on the shoulders and less comfortable overall. However, for a pack that is going to spend a lot of time with very limited gear in it and if you don’t want the bulk then it may be worth it.

Not trying to sell you away from kifaru but that is why I have ended up with the pop up. The 38 is plenty of bag for anything I haul for just a day hunt. It is usually less than half full unless I am hauling layers. When I need it to haul a decent load I do the pop up thing and it handles 50# or more in relative comfort.

 

[Sadler]

I feel your pain man. I’m only 5’8” and have that issue with the 24” frame in north idaho. I wish they’d offer the lite/ultralight frames in 22” like they did with the hunter duplex. I may buy the 22” tactical before next season but I’m crossing my fingers they offer a 22” duplex light in the near future.

 

[Mergatroyd]

I think I am just going to do it. I am sure I could sell my frame relatively easy on Kifaru insiders or here. Plus if they come out with lite version, I could trade for my tactical frame. Weight wise its probably only a few oz difference

 

[eaglemountainman]

Shouldn't you run a frame sized to fit your torso?

 

[mavinwa2]

Shouldn't you run a frame sized to fit your torso?

this above!

and isn't your head above the pack's height?
learn to duck with your shoulders, head too going under branches.

love my Kifaru 26" frame, Reckoning or 22mag bags.

 

[Mergatroyd]

Shouldn't you run a frame sized to fit your torso?

When I called Kifaru, they said for my height I could run the 26” just fine. I figured that would haul meat the best...and it does! I just figured since I walk around the woods far more than haul meat, where do I want the most comfort to be?

 

[eaglemountainman]

If you're not committed to Kifaru, you might want take a look at a Mystery Ranch Pop Up 28. It's slender and short so won't stick out and get hung up while you're maneuvering through heavy cover, as a day pack. When you're ready to haul game, extend the frame and you're all set. Sounds like what you might be looking for. I've had one a few years and it's a rugged little tank. If you need something a bit larger, they also make the PU 38 now. Good luck.

EDIT Sorry, I didn't realize the Woodsman was a 3500ci pack. I thought you were dealing with a smaller day pack.

 

[oldhorse]

I have one of 22 inch Duplex Hunter frames with carbon arrow stays. When Kifaru introduced these in 2015 they called the Hunter frame with carbon arrow stays the 'ultralight ' model. I have used both the 22 Mag( Gen 1&2) and the Woodsman on these frames. My personal favorite is the Gen 1 22 Mag. I love this setup as a cold weather day pack, but I can also get a warm weather overnight out of it if I want to. I do still use a 24 inch frame for my larger pack bags for backpack hunts or just regular backpacking trips. Keep an eye on the classifieds, because the 22 inch frames show up there every so often. I agree with the OP; a 22 inch version of the latest Lite/Ultralite frame would be intriguing.

 

[syoungs]

seek outside with the frame extension kits would let you have the best of both worlds, short pack and comfort while hunting, pop in the extensions and be ready for a heavy haul out with proper load lifters.

 

[DaveS]

When Kifaru came out with the 22" frame I sold my 26" frame and have never looked back. I did it for the same reason as the OP - the 26" would get caught in low branches and stuff. I sewed some stay pockets onto the frame so I can extended it to 26" with some short carbon fiber arrows for meat hauling. Even without extensions the 22" frame carries weight pretty well.

I also have a Seek Outside frame that I cut to 22" and can extend to 26" with the extenders they sell. I haven't packet out meat with the Seek Outside pack yet but in testing with sand bags it works pretty well.

 

[roosiebull]

this above!

and isn't your head above the pack's height?
learn to duck with your shoulders, head too going under branches.

love my Kifaru 26" frame, Reckoning or 22mag bags.

you obviously haven't hunted a lot of thick country.... tall frames in thick stuff is a pain in the ass no matter how you learn to duck, there is no getting around it.

i would probably split the difference if it was me and i only had one frame and get a 24".... gain some mobility but maintain good lift too. i thought about a 22" frame but i just don't think i would like it when it came to hauling really heavy loads.

 

[Mergatroyd]

Well with the announcement of the Stryker XL and the discount on the frames, I did it. I will see what I like best and probably keep both frames and sell off my woodsman and 14’r.

 

[ZDR]

Well with the announcement of the Stryker XL and the discount on the frames, I did it. I will see what I like best and probably keep both frames and sell off my woodsman and 14’r.

So what’s the verdict on the 22” frame?