The Kifaru Tahr

[mrbillbrown]

My bad. I should've stopped at "known weight" and not provided an example.

 

[Lonearcher]

They all look like great packs but a zipper down the middle would be ideal. I had a MR longbow with the zipper but got ride of it. Beats dumping the whole pack.

 

[tm7554]

This. Not sure why they won't come out with a center zip.

 

[sr80]

This. Not sure why they won't come out with a center zip.

pretty sure because of the weight, with how anal some people are with the weight of their packs.

 

[dotman]

pretty sure because of the weight, with how anal some people are with the weight of their packs.

Also keeps the cost down. If you really want a zipper any sew shop can add one.

 

[dunner543]

I think too, with these bags, a zipper in the middle would be pretty stressed if you had meat or something in the bag and cinched the 6 compression straps on the sides. Kifaru wants all their gear to be bullet proof which is part of the reason why most of us like it so a zipper would at least partially compromise that in this case.

 

[Aron Snyder]

Weight

Cost

Durability

We ran a few prototypes with a center zipper and with heavy weight the zipper good and did get compromised. That left us with having compression straps that went all the way around the back and buckled against the zipper like that EMRII. That meant running a spotting scope pocket was not an option, but also meant you would have to unbuckle all three compression straps, or at least two of them to get to anything in the bag. It also meant no matter what you did you would need to unbuckle at least two compression straps to get to anything in the bag

We did have the option of running the compression straps like they are now in running a set of 3 down the center but again that added cost and weight. You also need to keep in mind that these bags had an intended purpose of being ultra lightweight or at least relatively light weight and adding anything like zippers went against the original intent. A zipper that is 36 inches in length will weigh about 12-14 ounces. The users we had test the prototypes preferred adding the belt pouches and spotting scope pocket compared to the center zipper as well. This was mostly due to the fact that anything in the main bag did not need to get accessed quickly. All of the things they needed for daily use or in the exterior pockets or lid.

So we did try several designs with a center zipper, but it just did not work out like we'd hoped

Note: if there is any grammatical or spelling errors in this text, please keep in mind I'm driving and using talk to text.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone

 

[Lonearcher]

Thanks for the detailed response Aron, it all made sense, have a happy thanksgiving?

 

[skybuster1329]

Can u fit a medium belt pouch under spotting scope pouch on the back or does that only work on the Markhor and Argali ?

 

[Aron Snyder]

Yep, it fits, but it's tight. I run my Tahr with a medium below the spotting scope pocket.

Can u fit a medium belt pouch under spotting scope pouch on the back or does that only work on the Markhor and Argali ?

 

[Mitigator33]

So quick question. I called Kifaru yesterday and was recommended the Tahr pack for my purposes with a 24" hunting frame. It appears to be a very versatile pack. I mainly White Tail stand hunt and frequently do all day sits. I do not usually carry a stand and 1 mile is about as far as I will ever walk. I do travel via air and auto to midwestern states for the rut every year and will be doing an elk hunt two years from now in Colorado. So the question is how would you set this pack up for tree stand hunting? My thoughts were that the main pouch could have limited gear in it (jackets, layers) and be sucked down then put one medium side pocket on each side and an organizer pocket on the bottom front face with a medium belt pouch above it. Then have one medium belt puch on each side of the belt and a grab it on the back. I am an archery hunter only and was thinking this could hold all my gear (which is really not much when stand hunting relative to you mountain hunters) but stay pretty compact for the stand and when I travel I could load a lot of my items in it for carry on. I am a big guy 6'5 and only have a 32" inseam so I am all torso and none of the other packs that I have tried even come close to fitting me. I tried a Kifaru a guy in camp had and it fits better than any I have tried.

Am I on the right track here as far as pockets and pouches or would you run that differently? My gear usually consist of heavy coat, rain gear, flash light, bow hanger, CCW handgun, lunch and snacks for 1 day, water/drinks for one day, grunt tube, rattle bag, gloves, mask, neck gaiter, kill kit including knives and a few other misc items that are smaller.

 

[Aron Snyder]

Hey brother, give me a call today....you may want a 26" frame.

The Tahr sounds like it will fit the bill though.

720 937 1418

 

[Eagle]

So quick question. I called Kifaru yesterday and was recommended the Tahr pack for my purposes with a 24" hunting frame. It appears to be a very versatile pack. I mainly White Tail stand hunt and frequently do all day sits. I do not usually carry a stand and 1 mile is about as far as I will ever walk. I do travel via air and auto to midwestern states for the rut every year and will be doing an elk hunt two years from now in Colorado. So the question is how would you set this pack up for tree stand hunting? My thoughts were that the main pouch could have limited gear in it (jackets, layers) and be sucked down then put one medium side pocket on each side and an organizer pocket on the bottom front face with a medium belt pouch above it. Then have one medium belt puch on each side of the belt and a grab it on the back. I am an archery hunter only and was thinking this could hold all my gear (which is really not much when stand hunting relative to you mountain hunters) but stay pretty compact for the stand and when I travel I could load a lot of my items in it for carry on. I am a big guy 6'5 and only have a 32" inseam so I am all torso and none of the other packs that I have tried even come close to fitting me. I tried a Kifaru a guy in camp had and it fits better than any I have tried.

Am I on the right track here as far as pockets and pouches or would you run that differently? My gear usually consist of heavy coat, rain gear, flash light, bow hanger, CCW handgun, lunch and snacks for 1 day, water/drinks for one day, grunt tube, rattle bag, gloves, mask, neck gaiter, kill kit including knives and a few other misc items that are smaller.

First off, with your torso length, you'd be better off going with the 26" frame over the 24" frame.

That said, as a mostly whitetail hunter that will be hunting the west at least once a year for the foreseeable future, here's how I plan to setup my tahr whenever I finally decide to pull the trigger.

I'll be getting an additional set of compression straps so I can strap my stand to the back of the pack if I'm doing public land hunts where I won't leave my stand out and often walk over a mile to get to my stand sight. With that, if I'm on public land, I'll put a spotting scope pocket on each side of the tahr where I'll put anything I'll need quick access to (screw in steps, pruning saw, headlamp, safety harness...) and that will be it. With my stand on the back of the pack, there won't be room for any additional pockets most likely. I'd run a medium belt pouch on each side of the belt as well. You could run the medium belt pouches under the spotting scope pockets instead of on the belt if you wanted additional organization of gear while on the stand. In the main bag, I'd have my additional layers, food, water and any other gear that I wouldn't need quick access to that I could get to after up the tree.

If I was hunting private ground where I had stands already in place, the setup would likely be the same, but I may move the belt pouches to the back of the pack. For the west, I'd probably run an additional spotting scope pocket on the back for three total and nothing else aside from the hip belt pockets.

 

[dreamingbig]

If you are hauling a tree stand often I might look at the cargo panel. You can add good volume with various pocket options but have the best tree stand hauler made IMHO.

 

[Eagle]

If you are hauling a tree stand often I might look at the cargo panel. You can add good volume with various pocket options but have the best tree stand hauler made IMHO.

I had one with my original Kifaru pack a couple years ago. Too many buckles to deal with for me, I prefer securing my stand to the back of my pack with a couple horizontal compression straps rather than the cargo panel.

 

[Mitigator33]

After looking some more it looks like the EMRII might also fit the bill. The main difference I see is that is has basically all the pockets that I would want to add to it already built in and it also has a two way zip. Which one do some of you guys that have more experience with these recommend for my style of hunting (white tail tree stand primarily see my previous post just a couple post up for more details)? I am not a fan of the wings on the Nomad with no center zip pocket.

 

[Eagle]

After looking some more it looks like the EMRII might also fit the bill. The main difference I see is that is has basically all the pockets that I would want to add to it already built in and it also has a two way zip. Which one do some of you guys that have more experience with these recommend for my style of hunting (white tail tree stand primarily see my previous post just a couple post up for more details)? I am not a fan of the wings on the Nomad with no center zip pocket.

Give Aron a call, he's the guy you want to talk to with these types of questions, he works for Kifaru.

 

[justin davis]

After looking some more it looks like the EMRII might also fit the bill. The main difference I see is that is has basically all the pockets that I would want to add to it already built in and it also has a two way zip. Which one do some of you guys that have more experience with these recommend for my style of hunting (white tail tree stand primarily see my previous post just a couple post up for more details)? I am not a fan of the wings on the Nomad with no center zip pocket.

The EMR is legit! Awesome pack!

 

[COlineman78]

After looking some more it looks like the EMRII might also fit the bill. The main difference I see is that is has basically all the pockets that I would want to add to it already built in and it also has a two way zip. Which one do some of you guys that have more experience with these recommend for my style of hunting (white tail tree stand primarily see my previous post just a couple post up for more details)? I am not a fan of the wings on the Nomad with no center zip pocket.

You will need the 26". I am very similar in size with a freakishly long torso and arms and the 26" almost isn't long enough. Shrek, who is also a member of the freakishly long torso club has a custom 28" frame.

I have both an EMR2 and a 22 Mag and used to have a DT1. I have not used the EMR2 for hunting, but need the size for my summer backcountry fishing trips where I pack everything including the kitchen sink without the need to worry about coming out heavier than going in. It is by far the most versatile pack and as an added benefit you may also be able to fit a tree stand in a partially zipped main bag. The downside to the EMR2 is the lack of modularity as there is virtually no PALS. IMO the combination of my two packs is a perfect combination and covers everything I would want to do. The 22 Mag is the perfect day hunting pack and could be stretched to a small multi-day pack with some added pockets and Grab-it. It would also most likely require a Grab-It to haul a load of meat out with you, but for my day hunts where I'm not too far from the truck, I'd probably just go switch out for the EMR2 to haul meat.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I have been using the Tahr as a whitetail pack for at least a couple of weeks now. Generally I use a medium pouch on the belt, the Longhunter lid and that's it. To attach a stand I use the existing straps, and it is more than enough for a secure fit.
The things I don't use often go in the main pack, my camera goes in the belt pouch, and the often used gear goes in the Longhunter lid.
The pack itself cinches down very nicely with nothing in it due to the strap orientation, and it will fit a boned out whitetail deer with no problems. I have not used the meat shelf, and frankly don't intend to.
I'm sure I've forgotten to include a lot of things so questions are welcome.