Thinking about a pack?....Get to sheep show.

[c5mrr270]

If any of you fellow roksliders are considering a new pack and don't know which brand you want, model you want, etc. I would highly suggest getting to the sheep show in Reno.

I was able to try out the packs from kifaru, stone glacier, mystery ranch and kuiu. They all had weight available so you could get a feel for their frames, plus you could mess with all the packs and get a feel for pockets, different configurations, etc.

 

[todd kelly]

And what were your thoughts on some of the new packs?

 

[c5mrr270]

My thoughts are that there are a lot of good options.

Stone glacier really impressed me. The frame was comfortable with a load and the packs are super light. The new sky bags with the center zip access are definitely handy, plus they shrink down pretty well in "bivy" mode. For me, the new three piece belt was more comfortable than the original belt. Kurt, the owner/designer was there and was super helpful and willing to answer any questions I had and set the packs up in any configuration I wanted.

Mystery ranch has a new "lift kit" which, in my opinion, fixes the shortcomings of their frame. I ran a Metcalf last year and while it was definitely more comfortable than the crew cab I had before, due to the built in extension, the extra comfort was lost when letting the pack away from the frame to carry meat. According to the guys at mystery ranch you can pull the built in extension out of the Metcalf and then run the "lift kit" on the frame with no weight penalty. This way you can let the pack away from the frame to carry meat and maintain load lift.

For me, the kifaru frame was the most comfortable. Especially the bikini frame with the "flat back" stays. Their frames are sturdy and infinitely adjustable. The number of pack, pocket and lid options is mind boggling. The nomad and emr 2 definitely have my interest. The emr 2 is huge. If you can't put it in that pack, you don't need it! That being said it compresses down extremely well into a user friendly day pack mode. The nomad is a very versatile pack and might be better for my needs now that I'm once again living in California. : ( The customer service was awesome. They switched frames, belts and took their time to make sure everything was fitting properly.

The kuiu frame is very space age looking and is very light, but was the least comfortable for me. The packs had some nice pocket configurations and were also very light but seemed the least durable of the bunch. That being said I know a lot of people like them. They also had a couple new tents that looked pretty interesting.

 

[todd kelly]

Thanks for the info.

I'm glad I'm not in the market for a new pack, way too many great options to choose from.

 

[Phillip Hathaway]

I just ordered a nomad for turkey, deer and whatever else in Indiana. Wont get it until april tho

 

[c5mrr270]

The wait is probably the worst. Especially when you have just seen them in person!

 

[Mckinnon]

I was at the sheep show today just to looks at packs, lots of great options out there. I tried on kifaru, stone glacier, and mystery ranch. Like c5 said, this is a great venue to be able to compare them side by side.

 

[c5mrr270]

I was at the sheep show today just to looks at packs, lots of great options out there. I tried on kifaru, stone glacier, and mystery ranch. Like c5 said, this is a great venue to be able to compare them side by side.

Which were your favorite?

 

[Mckinnon]

I like the Kifaru. Bikini Frame with Nomad will suit my needs well, EMR is too big for what I currently do. This was the most comfortable for me

 

[Kevin Root]

Man I wish I knew they all were going to be at the show. Reno is not all that far from me and I sure wanted to try on the packs. I've heard some great reviews but it sure would be nice to try them out weighted in person before I order one. I was thinking, I'd have to make a trip to Colorado to do it.

 

[Mckinnon]

Worth it if you can make it Kevin, I just couldn't bring myself to spend that much on a pack I had never even seen much less handled and tried on. This gave me the confidence to buy one and now I won't hesitate to place an order as soon as I have my funds straight.

 

[c5mrr270]

Definitely worth the drive. It would be hard to drop that much money on a pack without being able to try them or see them.

 

[AK Shane]

Is Tenzing there with the carbon fiber frame they came out with a year or so ago. You don't hear to much about this frame and suspension. Would be interesting to hear a comparison to SG, Kifaru, etc.

 

[Mckinnon]

I didn't see Tenzing, but I wasn't looking for them either...

 

[ams]

The Tenzing is a decent pack not worth the excessive price IMO. I got one last year and it was pretty comfortable with weight but the bag and pockets just weren't what I was looking for. The belt would be pretty big for some of the smaller guys. It is not easily adjustable. There's about 30 small clips and the ones at the bottom get really confusing around the hipbelt and loadsling. Perhaps the biggest issue, especially for a 600+ dollar pack is the fact its still described as weighing 5# 8oz when in fact it is 6# 12oz. I brought this up to Tenzing almost a year ago and they still haven't corrected the information. Pretty misleading.

 

[AK Shane]

AMS, thanks for the info. Sounds like Tenzing wouldn't be the pack I'm looking for. At 5.5 lbs the pack sounds interesting but at 6.75 lbs I'd probably be looking for more weight savings bang for my buck.

 

[Muledeernv]

I didn't see the there. But if you wanted to see all the good packs in one place that was the place be today.