Stone Glacier or Exo

[GZeus24]

I recently tested the SG5900 side by side with the EXO4800 (and the Kifaru 44Mag but that's not on your list). Despite really liking some things about the x-curve I ended up sending the SG back due to a couple of issues.

Firstly, I had to move the shoulder straps up the hook and loop a long way to get them to fall over my shoulder correctly. Once in position they fit well but I was on the last 2-3 inches of the fastening. I didn't consider it a show stopper and they may offer a longer shoulder strap. If this had been the only issue I would have worked harder to address it because I liked the feel of the x-curve overall.

The deal breaker for me was issues with the belt cinching and loosening. When doing a full pull tightening, the belt would slip and let a little of the tension out just as I released it. It may have been the angle I pulled at or it may have been a faulty unit but having 1/4"-1/2" of belt slip back out of tension on each side was frustrating and not something I have experienced with other belts. However, the real deal breaker for me was that once the belt was under tension it was nearly impossible to release any tension without undoing the buckle. Letting off a little tension to fine tune your belt requires you to really work with both hands to get the hardware to cooperate. There was just no comparing that to the ease of the EXO belt.

I'm not sure how common these experiences are with the SG belt and its a shame that such a fundamental component took it off the table for me as that x-curve really does have a lot of appeal. I'm still testing and debating between the EXO and Kifaru and I'm sure one will work for me in the end. Everyone is different and we are all spoiled for choice with some excellent products. Good luck with your search.

 

[roosiebull]

reading through this and other pack threads, there are some obvious highlights

-pack fit is like boot fit. a pack that fits me perfect may be all wrong for the next guy.... fit is super personal
-many think their pack is the best, and everyone else should buy one
-many have limited comparison knowledge, like their pack, but may not know what they are missing
-bag size and layout is as personal as fit.... we all prefer different things
-we all appreciate different features more or less

the ONLY way to find the "best" pack for you is to try all of the big names, and keep the one that suits you best, not always realistic or possible, they don't give them away. if you have time, the used market is great, especially for high end packs, because you can flip them with little to no loss if you are patient and get a good deal.

the last one for me to try is kifaru, i have not used their newer frames at all, and i'm a pack junky and know the importance of good fit.... it's a complete game changer. i pack a good deal of meat every year, and it's crazy how different the experience is between a pack that fits and one that doesn't.

this year i packed out 2 whole bucks out of basically the same spot, a little over 4 miles, it was a great comparison with 2 different packs with very similar weight and basically the same path out (just opposite sides of the same ridge) both packs were probably a little over 100lbs with all of my gear, rifle and a whole quartered mature buck, empty packs were 36 and 42lbs before adding the meat with my gear for the day, assume with a whole mature buck, they had to be around 100-110lbs, which is about as much as my skinny ass likes to carry any distance.




the experiences were so vastly different. my buck with my SO peregrine punished me, it wasn't a fun pack out... it was painful and difficult, and i had to drop my pack a couple times and give my body a break.... it made me consider walking back the 4 miles with my sis in law's buck and grabbing my game cart, but i didn't want to waste the time, and of course i knew i could do it, so i threw it all in my EXO and off we went.... i could have walked that buck around all day long, it was nothing, and once we got back to the pickup, it was over..... no consequences the next day, and did another 18 miles the next day, and felt fresh.

both packs are great packs, both have pretty big fan bases, and many prefer the SO to EXO.... it is so personal. our bodies are all shaped different, and each of us do better hauling weight a certain way to keep the pack where it needs to be, as well as being very stable.

i have used a lot of packs and haven't found anything that touches EXO for heavy loads.... FOR ME. the opinions of others on pack fit has very little significance to you. there is a lot of good info shared in these threads, but actual fit is between you and the pack, the experience of others won't matter... just like boots.

having a proper fitting pack is hugely important and can really have an effect on your experience, a good fitting pack makes life easy, and a pack that doesn't fit you will make life miserable when meat hits the ground.

having the right pack makes you a more effective hunter, it extends the range you can hunt. i would rather pack 100lbs 5 miles with a good fitting pack than the same weight half of that with a poor fitting pack, and that's not an exaggeration. it's game changing both ways

 

[BCBowtech]

Hey guys.. Thanks for all the input and sorry for being away from the forum for so long. Its been a rough year but things have been looking a lot better in the last 5 months since starting a new career.

Just an update. I did make it down to Montana last summer and visited the guys at Stone Glacier, I tried on a couple packs there with weight and they just didnt feel right on me. So Im still packless at the moment. The search for something new has started again.

 

[N82002]

I’m trying to decide on Exo or Kifaru right now.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Exo. All the way

 

[Broadjumper]

I seem to have had the same trouble with my sky tallus 6900. I have difficulty getting the shoulder straps to fit snug on my shoulders, it's really annoying. I might have been better off with the evo frame. It's still a pretty good thing, but I will be getting a new Exo as soon as I can and hope it fits a bit better for me.

 

[jlw0142]

I am getting a new pack soon and have been in the same boat as you. Love Exo Mtn Gear packs, but I decided that I am probably going with the SG Sky 5900. It just seems like an awesome do-it-all pack. Compresses down to 4300, goes all the way up to 8000, and normally sits at 5900. I think that’s about as versatile as it gets!

 

[Slimshooter]

I have used both packs extensively for work carrying around rifles and heavy gear. As others have mentioned you cannot go wrong with either. However I find myself leaning towards the exo pack both at work and in hunting. Its comfort level and ability to make heavy loads feel lighter are second to none. I have tried tons of packs for backpacking, hunting, military, and recreation and the exo k3 4800 has by far been the best pack ive ever used.