The Teratorn: A Shoot2Hunt X EXO Bag Collab

[B_Reynolds_AK]

A Teratorn made its way up to Alaska recently.
Some of the others on this thread have done a great job of showing the well thought out features that the S2H team have implemented into this pack.

Personally, the feature that stands out the most is the wing system. Not only for accessing a large amount of gear without going into the main compartment, but protecting my gun scope & action from the elements. I typically don’t care about quick access to my gun, especially on long expedition style hunts. If I did, I could use the EXO gun bearer as normal on the outside of the wing.

Bushwhacking is a common occurrence in the places I hunt, as is rough terrain where the pack is scraping and bumping up against trees and rocks. Having the entire gun protected will be a huge benefit.

Packrafting is also a part of numerous hunts I do. After strapping on the raft & paddle, it is typically difficult to access the main bag without taking those things off. With this design, the wings offer more storage options in order to access more of your day hunting gear.


@Ryan Avery wanted everyone to know that the pack isn’t as big as it looks, as I’m 5’6. Same with the OG suppressor in his little hands

 

[ztc92]

Haven’t put the Teratorn to real-world use yet but got it mounted on the frame and starting to get a feel for it.

I think those who comment about it being too big or not streamlined enough for their use may not appreciate the actual size. I compared it side-by-side to my K4 5000 today and was surprised to find they’re nearly the same size, minus the wings. I’d guess the Teratorn main bag is only 10-20% larger than the 5000 and probably will come in around 5600-6000 (not counting the wings). The increased size is mostly the depth, which seems about 2” more than the 5000. That said, it’s going to function like a much bigger bag because there are no side pockets to encroach on the main compartment. It’s also only 10 oz heavier if you trust my questionable basket on a baking scale method.











As for the side bags, they are about 10-20% larger than the side bags made by stone glacier, which are 750 cubic inches. I figure these exo side bags are probably around 900 cubic inches each. By that math, the total volume for the Teratorn including side bags shoujd be around 7400 - 7800. I think it will be great for late season hunts with lots of layers as intended.





I’ve also noticed the Nalgene pockets are considerably larger than my K4 5000 bag. These photos show each with 2 Nalgenes and a life water bottle, then stretched to the max. I think this will make it easier to get rifles, tripods etc in and out with less snags but time will tell.

 

[Helislacker]

Haven’t put the Teratorn to real-world use yet but got it mounted on the frame and starting to get a feel for it.

I think those who comment about it being too big or not streamlined enough for their use may not appreciate the actual size. I compared it side-by-side to my K4 5000 today and was surprised to find they’re nearly the same size, minus the wings. I’d guess the Teratorn main bag is only 10-20% larger than the 5000 and probably will come in around 5600-6000 (not counting the wings). The increased size is mostly the depth, which seems about 2” more than the 5000. That said, it’s going to function like a much bigger bag because there are no side pockets to encroach on the main compartment. It’s also only 10 oz heavier if you trust my questionable basket on a baking scale method.

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As for the side bags, they are about 10-20% larger than the side bags made by stone glacier, which are 750 cubic inches. I figure these exo side bags are probably around 900 cubic inches each. By that math, the total volume for the Teratorn including side bags shoujd be around 7400 - 7800. I think it will be great for late season hunts with lots of layers as intended.

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I’ve also noticed the Nalgene pockets are considerably larger than my K4 5000 bag. These photos show each with 2 Nalgenes and a life water bottle, then stretched to the max. I think this will make it easier to get rifles, tripods etc in and out with less snags but time will tell.


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Given you’ve got both, would you still have a place for the 5000 in your inventory or is the Teratorn a one fits all solution for general hunting?

 

[sneaky]

A Teratorn made its way up to Alaska recently.
Some of the others on this thread have done a great job of showing the well thought out features that the S2H team have implemented into this pack.

Personally, the feature that stands out the most is the wing system. Not only for accessing a large amount of gear without going into the main compartment, but protecting my gun scope & action from the elements. I typically don’t care about quick access to my gun, especially on long expedition style hunts. If I did, I could use the EXO gun bearer as normal on the outside of the wing.

Bushwhacking is a common occurrence in the places I hunt, as is rough terrain where the pack is scraping and bumping up against trees and rocks. Having the entire gun protected will be a huge benefit.

Packrafting is also a part of numerous hunts I do. After strapping on the raft & paddle, it is typically difficult to access the main bag without taking those things off. With this design, the wings offer more storage options in order to access more of your day hunting gear.


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Really nice how well those wings tuck that paddle in to the pack. I was a big fan as soon as I dropped my rifle in the side pocket and wrapped the wing around it. Fishing rod tubes also fit without a hassle.

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[mtnbound]

Shoot2Hunt linked to Exo’s site

Where is the link to the pack. Unable to find it on the S2H site.


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[sneaky]

Where is the link to the pack. Unable to find it on the S2H site.


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They aren't going to be available until July 1st

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[ztc92]

Given you’ve got both, would you still have a place for the 5000 in your inventory or is the Teratorn a one fits all solution for general hunting?

I need to preface this by sharing that I am fairly new to backpacking and western hunting in the past 3-5 years.

For me personally, I suspect the 5000 still has a role when it comes to day hunts or shorter hunts (2-3 days?) in mild weather. I also really like the 5000 for backpacking and fishing excursions. I think the 5000 is a fine bag for carrying things and general use, but for backpack hunting, specifically when opportunities come up quickly, it becomes a real pain to get anything quickly without doing a yard sale of the entire pack.

So basically, for anything more than a quick trip in mild weather, I’m choosing the Teratorn for ease of access to essential gear. I also really like the idea of a separate, protected sleeping bag compartment, though haven’t used it to confirm that yet.

Edit: I likely won’t get any more bags but I think the perfect combo would be the 3600 + Teratorn if I could start over. That said, I really prefer the horseshoe zipper and that’s actually the main reason I got a 5000 to start.

 

[AKarchery]

What are the chances of a teratorn in multicam?


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[Lawnboi]

What are the chances of a teratorn in multicam?


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[Kenny Hart]

Excited for this design. Not quite MY perfect pack, if that means anything, but I think the positives of this bag outweigh my perceived negatives, which aren't many.

Taking everything with the grain of salt that I've only done two real backpack hunts (and many day hunts), but spent many hours packing/unpacking and getting my layout and procedures as efficient as possible for the field.

@ztc92 thanks a ton for those comparison pics! Seems we had the same setup, and your post answered most of my main questions between the two.

The bad first: I hate bungee, I hate bungee, I hate bungee. I'm not a hot-head, but I get unreasonably angry when things get tangled or caught up when I'm trying to be efficient. Every piece of my gear that had bungee on it were eventually cut off because it regularly got caught on stuff. I understand the intent here, but the original face straps AND the wing straps serve this purpose great for me. I do like the idea of the lid having a little extra room to dry wet stuff on top, but the piece inside would be taken out immediately.

I don't like that the front stretch pocket was removed in place of the bungee. I kept my gaiters, gloves, face mask, etc. in there for quick access and at night to prevent both misplacing them and any creepy crawlies from taking up residence. Was hoping for a wider pocket with some room similar to how SG does theirs.

Neutral on the bigger side pockets. Originals fit everything I wanted, and I really like throwing my day's trash in the smaller forward-facing compartment until I got to camp. Do these new ones also have them?

I clipped my toiletry and misc accoutrements pouches, and stored rain gear inside the side zippered pockets. Can live without, though. Does this design retain the Exo accessory pouch clips inside the main bag?

Think I like the sleeping bag pocket. I found that shoving it in after my gear was packed up, similar to a video @Mark at EXO did a while back, takes up remaining pack space far more efficiently than rolling the sleeping bag up and compressing it. It does make me a bit nervous that I'll catch and tear it on something like a zipper while doing so, however.

I love that the pack AND wing bags are slightly bigger than the 5000 and R3 wings while weighing exactly the same...had no interest in the enormous 7200, and much preferred the 5k layout, but I spent my entire time in NM this Feb wishing that the bag and wings were each just a liiiiiiitle larger. Everything fit, but it was tight.

I love the dedicated trekking pole holders.

I love the shorter/wider horseshoe zipper at the top half of the bag... never needed it to unzip fully to the bottom. Just made shoving my sleeping bag in after packing up the bottom of the bag more of a pain as the zippers wanted to open all the way down.

If anyone has any insight on my "negatives," I'm certainly all ears for those who have used it though. And regardless, it's enough of a net positive improvement in what I want that I'll likely upgrade.

 

[atmat]

The bad first: I hate bungee, I hate bungee, I hate bungee.

I hate bungee, too. It always seems to age and get stretched out/become unusable.

Maybe there’s a difference in bungee quality though.

 

[svivian]

I hate bungee, too. It always seems to age and get stretched out/become unusable.

Maybe there’s a difference in bungee quality though.

While that can be true I’ve found it’s easily replaceable as well

 

[Formidilosus]

The bad first: I hate bungee, I hate bungee, I hate bungee. I'm not a hot-head, but I get unreasonably angry when things get tangled or caught up when I'm trying to be efficient. Every piece of my gear that had bungee on it were eventually cut off because it regularly got caught on stuff. I understand the intent here, but the original face straps AND the wing straps serve this purpose great for me. I do like the idea of the lid having a little extra room to dry wet stuff on top, but the piece inside would be taken out immediately.

It takes about 3 seconds to remove the shock cord- that was the intent. There if someone wants it, easy to remove if they don’t. The attachment loops are tiny.

I don't like that the front stretch pocket was removed in place of the bungee.

I/we wanted the front stretch pocket. However if the horseshoe top zipper and the sleeping bag compartment, it wobbly work. Too small and wouldn’t have had enough stretch to be useful.

Neutral on the bigger side pockets. Originals fit everything I wanted, and I really like throwing my day's trash in the smaller forward-facing compartment until I got to camp. Do these new ones also have them?

Yes.

I clipped my toiletry and misc accoutrements pouches, and stored rain gear inside the side zippered pockets. Can live without, though. Does this design retain the Exo accessory pouch clips inside the main bag?

The production bags will.

 

[Formidilosus]

I hate bungee, too. It always seems to age and get stretched out/become unusable.

Maybe there’s a difference in bungee quality though.

Takes about 3 seconds to remove. The attachment loops are very small and you wouldn’t notice them without the shock cord.

 

[Kenny Hart]

It takes about 3 seconds to remove the shock cord- that was the intent. There if someone wants it, easy to remove if they don’t. The attachment loops are tiny.

I/we wanted the front stretch pocket. However if the horseshoe top zipper and the sleeping bag compartment, it wobbly work. Too small and wouldn’t have had enough stretch to be useful.

Understood and agreed, no issues with tiny tabs for those who would want the cord, my main gripe was doing away with the pocket and adding bungee in its place. I figured you guys must have discovered why it didn't work well in practice, so I'm happy you weighed in.

Great to hear on the other features, overall it looks like it solves the couple small gripes I had with my setup.

 

[Kenny Hart]

I hate bungee, too. It always seems to age and get stretched out/become unusable.

Maybe there’s a difference in bungee quality though.

While that can be true I’ve found it’s easily replaceable as well

Sure thing, my gripe isn't that it gets stretched/worn out. Mainly that bungee cord likes to grab onto whatever it's holding when you pull it out, then catch on and prevent the item from being reinserted when you are putting it away.

And just in-general being a magnet for snagging branches/vines/etc in the woods, especially in these locations (top of lid and back of pack) where you're crawling/ducking under said obstacles.

Glad it's on there for those who want it, and more options being included for individual preferences is a good thing when they doesn't impede other functions. I was just initially crabby about my beloved rear stretch pocket being done away with

 

[walk2112]

Any plans for Ultra 400 or XPac rather than the cordura? Would love the added water resistance all around I think, but maybe there are downsides Im not aware of too.

Cool design, nice work!

 

[Mark at EXO]

Any plans for Ultra 400 or XPac rather than the cordura? Would love the added water resistance all around I think, but maybe there are downsides Im not aware of too.

Cool design, nice work!

There are downsides to Ultra 400 and XPac. We have tested those (and other UL fabrics) extensively and they just flat-out don't perform up to their claims — especially over time. We continue to test UL fabrics and are even involved with developing some new ones. More to come...in time.

 

[9.3koolaid]

There are downsides to Ultra 400 and XPac. We have tested those (and other UL fabrics) extensively and they just flat-out don't perform up to their claims — especially over time. We continue to test UL fabrics and are even involved with developing some new ones. More to come...in time.

Can you explain some specific downsides? Seems like there's a lot of packs out there with these fabrics and I haven't heard of issues, not that I've been looking either.

 

[Kenny Hart]

Can you explain some specific downsides? Seems like there's a lot of packs out there with these fabrics and I haven't heard of issues, not that I've been looking either.

If I recall correctly, the material isn't practically more waterproof than cordura in real outdoor situations when assembled into a pack with pockets/zippers/seams/etc, not as quiet, not as durable, and doesn't compress/fold as well.

There may be other factors as well that I'm not naming.