Ultimate tool for the lightweight arsenal!

[justin davis]

If you guys want to talk light weight. Lets talk Kifaru KU packs. In my opinion the KU packs are the ultimate tool in the lightweight backcountry hunters arsenal. To have such a lightweight yet rugged and amazing preforming back is simply awesome! Ill be using Kifaru KU packs for my fall hunts this year!

How many of you guys are using the KU packs!

 

[dotman]

Add me to the list.

 

[Becca]

My KU5200 was my go to pack last season, and will be the one I use this year for dall sheep, caribou, moose, mountain goat and blacktail deer! Packs loads incredibly well at just over 3lbs...Love my KU pack!

 

[Lawnboi]

I will be getting the 3700 or 5200 this winter hopefully to compliment my T1, for going really lightweight, scouting and stuff where i dont need all the space the T1 offers.

Cant argue with how lightweight they are though!

 

[dotman]

I will be getting the 3700 or 5200 this winter hopefully to compliment my T1, for going really lightweight, scouting and stuff where i dont need all the space the T1 offers.

Cant argue with how lightweight they are though!

I would suggest the 5200 just for the beefier suspension and added space.

 

[Lawnboi]

I would suggest the 5200 just for the beefier suspension and added space.

Cant you get the 3700 with the beefed up suspension? Im thinking of going smaller this time and adding a few pockets, especially with the KU, id like to have a few pockets. Plus It would mainly be my scouting/ not hauling meat pack. If I needed the room to haul some serious loads id more than likly take the T1.

How are you liking yours? Assuming you put some serious miles on it so far.

Becca and Justin. It looks like you have a few seasons behind your KU packs. Any serious signs of wear? Do you forsee them lasting years yet?

 

[chippewawarrior]

I just got a KU3700 with the 5200 belt back in May. I can't say the 5200 belt makes a difference because I have no point of reference, as I never had the 3700 belt to begin with...but...I do have a G1 Late Season (with the UL stays) which sports the wrap tech suspension belt (same as the 3700). The KU is noticeably more comfortable to me compared to the LS after 50lbs or so. Now, understand I have only hauled 65lbs of rice in my 3700 thus far during my training hikes, and the LS doesn't have the precision lift plus built into it's suspension. I do believe the precision lift makes a substantial difference, probably more so then the belt! Also, the KU has yet to see any action in the woods.

I too thought about the 5200 as dotman suggested, but after talking to Aron and Sawtooth (Paul Vertrees, he helped Patrick test the KU's and he still has the prototype 3700) and doing some research, I opted for the smaller pack for several reasons...
1. The pack is way more spacious then it seems, mostly because it's a top loader with the compression lid. I was really surprised how much gear you can stuff into the bag. I can fit my 7 day hunting load out, including food, in the bag with no extra pockets.
2. It expands easily with pockets. If I need a maximum load out, I can add on 2 long pockets and a medium pod. With that pocket configuration, the pack still comes in under 4lbs.
3. I was told (and have come to find) the more stuff you fill the pack with, the better it stabilizes the load. The same held true with my LS, but getting the 3700 nice and tight requires it to be stuffed full. The LS seemed easier to tighten down when it was not full.
4. I don't want to carry more then 80lbs, but if I have to I can using the 5200 belt.
5. I went smaller because I don't live out west. If I did, I would probably have a Timberline (or 2) of some fashion. I only hunt west of the Mississippi for 7-10 days a year. This pack will be used mainly in the Midwest camping or hunting for whitetails.
6. I'm kind of a gram weenie, the smaller pack forces me to keep my gear to a minimum...

I really don't think you could go wrong with either pack, it's just a matter of preference. Lawnboi, I'm in Milwaukee if you want to check out my pack...

 

[dotman]

Cant you get the 3700 with the beefed up suspension? Im thinking of going smaller this time and adding a few pockets, especially with the KU, id like to have a few pockets. Plus It would mainly be my scouting/ not hauling meat pack. If I needed the room to haul some serious loads id more than likly take the T1.

How are you liking yours? Assuming you put some serious miles on it so far.

Becca and Justin. It looks like you have a few seasons behind your KU packs. Any serious signs of wear? Do you forsee them lasting years yet?

I'm really liking it, 50lbs in this thing feels like 25 did in the BW. It just amazes me how good of a pack it is and weighs nothing. Only reason I went with the 5200 is the better overall suspension and larger size. I like not having to add stuff on the outside, well much stuff.

 

[justin davis]

Cant you get the 3700 with the beefed up suspension? Im thinking of going smaller this time and adding a few pockets, especially with the KU, id like to have a few pockets. Plus It would mainly be my scouting/ not hauling meat pack. If I needed the room to haul some serious loads id more than likly take the T1.

How are you liking yours? Assuming you put some serious miles on it so far.

Becca and Justin. It looks like you have a few seasons behind your KU packs. Any serious signs of wear? Do you forsee them lasting years yet?

Yea I have put the KU pack through some tough situations. No signs or wear. Used it on a few Cougar hunts where I was crashing through bushes, sliding down rocks. No signs of use. These packs are tough and will stand up to the conditions. Yet super light!!

 

[fillthefreezer]

i have been curious about the fabric, how durable it was compared to the usual pack cloth-(i fall down alot) and end up snagging fir branches and rocks etc.

 

[Backpack Hunter]

I like both the 5200 and the 3700.
You can get the 3700 with the 5200 suspension, but it still does not handle as much weight as comfortably as the 5200.
As for durability, they are both holding up very well. It seems they have a tendency to slide over things instead of snagging.

 

[Becca]

I have been nothing but pleased with my KU pack, but after two busy seasons tromping around in alder thickets, in and out of boats, and across scree fields, I managed to put several holes through both layers of the ultralight fabric. The holes were more like wear marks than actual snags, and didn't seem to compromise the tensile strength of the pack, but with another busy season upcoming, I opted to send mine back to Kifaru for repairs by the masters

 

[Rizzy]

Best Pack on the Market

I'm really liking my 3700 so far, I highly doubt I will ever use another pack. It's way to light and functional for me to justify the 4 or 5 extra pounds for a stronger pack in the future. It will carry as much weight as I need it to. I'm not a 100 pound load hauler, some of these Idaho mountains are to steep for that! It's the best pack on the market for the type of terrain I hunt.

 

[Lawnboi]

Chippewawarrior thanks for the offer but i already own a T1 so i have a very good idea of what the wraptech suspension is like.

Good to hear that they are holding up. I wouldnt use it often to go tromping through thick brush.... id opt for the timberline for that duty. But it sure would be nice for those weekend scouting, fishing and maybe even open country hunting trips where noise of the fabric and bombproofness are not essetial.

Between a 3700, paratarp and doobie for a sleeping bag thats one light setup! Im already thinking about how nice it would be to cut down weight that much.

 

[larryschwartz]

Becca,

Patrick has tech tip video up about your pack. He thought that the holes were caused by wear from the metal buckles on the straps you guys used to secure your packs to the four-wheelers you use sometimes to get to your jumpoff points.

Larry

I have been nothing but pleased with my KU pack, but after two busy seasons tromping around in alder thickets, in and out of boats, and across scree fields, I managed to put several holes through both layers of the ultralight fabric. The holes were more like wear marks than actual snags, and didn't seem to compromise the tensile strength of the pack, but with another busy season upcoming, I opted to send mine back to Kifaru for repairs by the masters

 

[docdb]

Becca,
I've shied away from the 5200 because I like to carry the rifle attached to the pack. Like with the butt being in the water bottle pocket of a Mystery Ranch pack (Grizzly). I haven't been able to figure out a way to do that with a 5200 looking at K's website, then I saw the above photo. How are you attaching your rifle?
Don

 

[Becca]

Becca,
I've shied away from the 5200 because I like to carry the rifle attached to the pack. Like with the butt being in the water bottle pocket of a Mystery Ranch pack (Grizzly). I haven't been able to figure out a way to do that with a 5200 looking at K's website, then I saw the above photo. How are you attaching your rifle?
Don

We added the Gunslinger Corral to the waist belt of most of our packs, as we prefer to carry rifles on the side of our packs. We use a metal zip tie wrapped with electrical tape at the top of the pack to put the barrel into, and then the stock fits into the gunslinger and secures there for easy access at the waist belt. Has worked great with the KU as well as Luke's T1 and DT1.

 

[chippewawarrior]

Becca,
Can you show us a quick pic of the Gunslinger/metal zip tie setup?
Thanks...

 

[fillthefreezer]

i used my gunslinger for the first time this weekend and was more than impressed with it. i just stuck the barrel in one of the lateral compression straps and just used the bottom portion of the gunslinger

 

[Becca]

Here are a few pics of the gunslinger/zip tie set up.

Close up of the zip tie. We went to metal ties this year after breaking plastic ones last season, and wrapped it in electrical tape so it doesn't scratch or shine too much.. I have it mounted up under my load lifter, and it can be removed intact by undoing the webbing strap:

Here is the close up of the gunslinger itself on the waist belt of my KU5200. It has snaps and Velcro so it can be attached to different waistbelts easily; we have a couple in our household and swap them from pack to pack depending on the trip.

i used my gunslinger for the first time this weekend and was more than impressed with it. i just stuck the barrel in one of the lateral compression straps and just used the bottom portion of the gunslinger

I have done it this way in the past, but found the compression strap pushed the barrel in and made the butt of the rifle stick out from my hip in a way that was uncomfortable. The zip tie method doesn't push the barrel in so tight so the rifle rides straighter vertically. Differences in each person's anatomy mean what works for me might not work for you or vice versa...