SJK 2.0 Bounty Backpack Review, by Matt Cashell

[Tsnider]

I am thinking of picking one of the SJK packs up, either the 4500 or the new 2.0 version. Big price difference, so I called SJK to figure out if the 2.0 upgrade was worth it. The guy on the phone did not seem to really know the packs. I asked about the weight difference, he said one had more padding than the other, but he did not seem very sure.

Anyway, trying to figure out which to choose, my question for those with the 4500, the side pockets look significantly smaller than the larger side pocket on the new one. The review posted suggested that the 85mm spotter will fit barely into the 2.0's pocket. Can you fit a full size spotter in the side pockets of the 4500, or is it too short to put in and zip shut?

Thanks!

i had the 1st gen and the big pockets also had somewhat of a pocket behind them you could fit a spotting in i think. its been a while and i didnt have a spotter at the time, but i could fit all sorts of stuff in there. when i saw the new version, i was attracted to the way they redesigned it. i think the new one has the option of the compression straps going over those big side pockets or not. when i got my Kifaru EMRii i was remember thinking slumberjack was basing their design off of it. i still have the one SJK made me cut the straps off of, so i can check it when i get home tonight.

 

[catorres1]

Fantastic, thank you all for the help. I talked with SJK again today, and the guy I talked to was going to get with Nils (?), the guy in their videos. Was supposed to get back in an hour, but it's been several at this point. I asked him a bunch of things, especially targeting what the major substantive difference are and how big the pockets are. I don't have a decent scope at this time, but that's a planned purchase, so really want to know if it will fit in the zippered side pockets. But also want to know why the 4500 is 1 pound lighter...something had to give to make that happen, and I want to know what it is. Also asked about the belt redesign, additional pockets behind the side pocket, which Tsnider just answered. I'll let y'all know if I get an answer that would be helpful.

But yeah, I'd really like to know if a spotter will fit zipped shut, a previous reply gave the dimensions on the pockets....may need to try and compare that to some online specs on spotters I am dreaming about.

Thanks!

 

[Felix1776]

Any one know the main differences between the versions?

I believe the 4500 was internal frame and the 2.0 is external.

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[fort fireman]

Any one know the main differences between the versions?

The differences I've noticed from my pack to the videos I've seen on the 2.0 are the following

FRAME: backplate looks the same to me. Shoulder straps look the same as well. The lumbar pad doesn't look any different in dimensions but they added a nonslip material toot from what I've seen. Not a bad improvement from what I've experienced with my pack slipping down a bit with heavy weight after I get sweaty.
WAIST BELT: left side has a pocket added. 4500 doesn't have one,just molle webbing. However I'm going to order a kifaru belt pouch to correct that. They changed the waist belt to a "power pull" buckle. Where you pull from the sides forward vs pulling out from the center to tighten. May be a good improvement.
THE BAG: it looks as though it attaches to the frame the same way as the 4500. Except as was mentioned the compression straps can be run under the side pockets or over top. The 4500 the straps run over top which can make it tough to get in the side pockets. Both side pockets on the 4500 are the same. The 2.0 has a tall side pocket on one side and 2 smaller pockets on the other side. I kinda like the 2 pocket the same size like the 4500 personally. I'm not sure if the 2.0 has the pocket under the side pocket like the 4500 but I like those. Trekking poles slide down in them nicely and so does my fly rod case.

Those are the differences I have seen between the 2. At least watching the videos of the 2.0 and owning the 4500. The only thing I've taken issue with on the 4500 is what I mentioned earlier. When I've gotten sweated up and have some weight in there I get a bit of slip down and it pulls on my shoulders. I'm in the process of a fix for that. I think I'm going to build up the lumbar pad a bit to help it sit better under heavy weight and maybe add a nonslip material like they did in the 2.0. Hopefully I'm not to far off on the differences I've noticed and this has helped a bit.
I have pictures of my 4500 from when I was gonna do a review before the 2.0 was released if anybody wants them.

 

[catorres1]

This is really helpful, thank you so much for posting this! I did receive a call back from SJK, but they just left a message saying they would email details, and then I did not get an email. Still, I appreciate that at least they called me back. I'll be trying to reach out to them again on Monday and find out what the Nils had to say.

Overall, sounds like the only real question left for me is whether a full size spotter will fit in the pocket. One poster mentioned the pocket is 16x6, but the pockets appear slant cut...so the length is shorter at one side than another. Would you be able to have a look at yours and tell me what the length is on the short side as well? Then I can try and match that up with the spotter I want and see if it might fit.

BTW, how do you intend to build up the pad and add the non-slip?

Thanks again for your help here!

 

[Felix1776]

My pack showed up last night. I messed around with it a little bit this morning. Overall, first impression is really good. Construction seems pretty solid. The hip belt seems great. The little day pack is actually a lot nicer than I expected. I was expecting it to basically be junk. The only things I'm concerned about are the shoulder straps seem kind of thin and don't have much padding. I don't know if this is normal or something that'll actually be an issue or not yet. The other thing is I'm not exactly sure how I would strap my bow to this pack yet especially with a quiver attached. SJK says you can do it but i'm not seeing how to yet. Overall, it seems REALLY nice for the money.

 

[bhylton]

My pack showed up last night. I messed around with it a little bit this morning. Overall, first impression is really good. Construction seems pretty solid. The hip belt seems great. The little day pack is actually a lot nicer than I expected. I was expecting it to basically be junk. The only things I'm concerned about are the shoulder straps seem kind of thin and don't have much padding. I don't know if this is normal or something that'll actually be an issue or not yet. The other thing is I'm not exactly sure how I would strap my bow to this pack yet especially with a quiver attached. SJK says you can do it but i'm not seeing how to yet. Overall, it seems REALLY nice for the money.

does it seem like the frame is tall enough and/or the torso length is adjustable enough to have good,functional load lifters under heavy load?

 

[dotman]

Does anyone know where you can buy this pack outside of SJKs website? I saw one at Overstock.com but that was all I could find.

Kryptek has it for sale on their website.

 

[Felix1776]

Amazon brolio! Between prime and a 10% coupon I had, I got it for $230 shipped.

 

[Felix1776]

Yes I think so. I'm 6'1" and 230 with a relatively short torso compared to my leg length. There was plenty of adjustability for me.

 

[fort fireman]

BTW, how do you intend to build up the pad and add the non-slip?

!

I'm thinking of building a removable lumbar pad. I have some memory foam and a sewing machine. I think I'm going to sew up a sleeve for the foam and have Velcro tabs to wrap around the waistbelt. Just to see if that helps a bit. I'm not sure if it will work.

 

[catorres1]

Just a quick update, I did talk with SJK today on the phone. David was awesome, he got with Nils, called and emailed me and we connected today.

Essentially, what he told me is that since they released the 4500, they worked with local hunters and took their feedback in and made the changes they suggested to come up with the 2.0.

Weight wise, he told me the 4500 is a little smaller in terms of bag size (which is a plus for me) and originally specced to be even lighter than it is, so that is one place where the weight was saved.

The pockets on the sides are smaller (there is some weight savings there), and the way the frames attach are different. This was done in response to hunters using the pack with lots of weight, and it did not sit quite the way they wanted it to under those conditions, so they came up with the additional attaching configuration to stabilize how the bag and frame interact, but that unfortunately also adds weight.

He said the belts and shoulder straps are effectively the same, sans the powerpull capability and the non-slip.

With the addition of more capacity, larger side pockets, additional pocket on the belt, powerpull, some longer webbing, and the different frame connection setup, you have a heavier pack.

All in all, based on the stuff I want to carry and how I want to carry it, particularly in terms of the scope pocket, I think I'll get the 2.0. I do wish I could save the pound and go with the 4500, and it is an awesome price right now, but I want pockets that will fully enclose a fair sized spotter, and the pockets behind that pocket are apparently longer as well, something I need as well, so that's the way I'll need to go.

Hope that helps, if you have any questions if I can help, let me know. David at SJK is also super helpful.

Thanks!

PS...one thing I thought was interesting, David told me that...well, here is a quote from his email " Nels and the hunting community used the 4500 for 2 years and got together each evening to talk about the pros and cons of the pack. "
Whether they got it right or not, I don't know yet, but they seem to have really put some thought into it.

 

[Tsnider]

good luck attaching a bow to it. that is kind of a gimmick feature IMO. it really doesnt work well at all. you have to mount it under the daypack which really doesnt work well, and then it pushes the daypack out so far it feels heavier. i ended up carrying mine 99% of the time.

 

[adamm88]

Interesting thread im definitely interested in one of these packs. If anyone is interested there is one on ebay with a low starting bid...I figured id help fellow rocksliders out, i dont have the funds right now...


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[Felix1776]

I finally got the bounty out for a hike last night. I ultimately did 3.5 miles with 600 ft of elevation gain. Most of which was in the first mile. My initial impression of the back is excellent. Disclaimer: I have minimal experience with these types of packs. So, my frame of reference is pretty narrow. My opinion is based solely on my experience and how the pack feels.

I'm still very impressed with the construction of this pack given the price. Total pack weight for the hike was 45 pounds and it didn't feel like much of anything. It carried the weight very well. The various straps are positioned very smartly and I was able to strap the weight down tightly. It never moved. So far, the most impressive parts are the hip belt and the lumbar pad. The hip belt padding seems to be more than adequate for the job and the belt straps pull/tighten very easily. The lumbar pad is excellent also. It seemed like most of the pack weight rested right on that lumbar pad even though the weight was center in the middle of my back. For somebody with a history of low back injuries, I can say that I was aware of the weight resting on my low back but at no point was it painful or irritating at all. It felt good actually.

The only area of concern is the pocket on the left side of the hip belt. While the pocket was the perfect size for my phone and GPS unit, the zipper on it feels kind of cheap and it didn't want to zip back up with one hand. I had to fight it a little bit every time I got my phone out. With it not wanting to zip one handed and feeling kind of cheap, I expect that zipper to break at some point. I very well could be wrong about this but that's first impressions for you.

I plan on putting 5-10 miles a week on this pack for the next month and then I'm going to ramp it up even more in June. I'll be finding out in the next few months what this pack is made of. At this point, I would ABSOLUTELY recommend it for somebody looking to spend $300 or less on a pack. Again, I got mine for $230.

 

[fort fireman]

packed out heavier than I packed in with my Bounty !!!

 

[Felix1776]

Reporting back on the Bounty. I've done 15 miles this week hiking the hills with 45-50 lbs in the pack. This pack is very comfortable. I've already gotten stronger as a hiker/climber and after 5 minutes or so on the trail, the weight seems to disappear. I'm still VERY impressed with this pack.

 

[fngTony]

Reporting back on the Bounty. I've done 15 miles this week hiking the hills with 45-50 lbs in the pack. This pack is very comfortable. I've already gotten stronger as a hiker/climber and after 5 minutes or so on the trail, the weight seems to disappear. I'm still VERY impressed with this pack.

Great to hear. How are you packing the weight? Are you using a sandbag or something to simulate a meat load between the frame and pack or just weight in the pack?

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[Felix1776]

Great to hear. How are you packing the weight? Are you using a sandbag or something to simulate a meat load between the frame and pack or just weight in the pack?

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I've got a 40 lb sandbag. By the time i pack some stuff in the bottom to raise the weight and add my 3L platypus, its right at 50 lbs. I've currently just got the weight in the main compartment.

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[Clinch]

Just out of curiosity, what is the height of the frame? My brother in law might be in the market for a pack for next season.


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