Which pack should I go with?

[Hw1288]

I went on my first Montana Elk hunt last November and had a great time, even though we were unsuccessful. Since it was my first western hunt I spent a lot of money on gear ie. Boots, gun, clothing, but not a pack. I thought that my backpacking pack would be sufficient.
I quickly realized it wasn’t.
I’m between Kuiu and EXO but I would really appreciate some experienced opinions.

Thanks

 

[huntnful]

I have a ton of Kuiu gear, but their packs aren't even in the same realm as the exo packs. Exo gets the vote from me without a doubt.

 

[Prrstonpaulh]

I agree, Exo is above and beyond in comfort, especially hauling heavy loads.

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[powpowpowers]

Exo for sure. Kuiu makes some great day packs (I have a Divide 1500 that I love for out and abouts) but for a full fledged hunting backpack nothing beats an Exo. Also totally rocks as a backpacking backpack which I have used many times as such. And the modularity with the K4 is unmatched.

 

[handwerk]

off your list I would say Exo, with Stone Glacier 2nd.

 

[voluble77]

I have a mystery ranch sawtooth 45 because I was able to get it for a great price. While I do like it, I have been eyeing the Exo. I did have an issue with my MR pack squeaking, and customer service took care of it quick and painlessly. This was before Yeti bought them and I have no idea what the company is like now.

 

[ahawk116]

Exo, Stone Glacier, Kifaru would probably round out the top pack companies.

 

[mtnbound]

I went on my first Montana Elk hunt last November and had a great time, even though we were unsuccessful. Since it was my first western hunt I spent a lot of money on gear ie. Boots, gun, clothing, but not a pack. I thought that my backpacking pack would be sufficient.
I quickly realized it wasn’t.
I’m between Kuiu and EXO but I would really appreciate some experienced opinions.

Thanks

Have both, but the EXO is in a different class and it’s USA made. If EXO didn’t exist then I would use Kuiu.

 

[Crewman9710]

Even though you only mention Mystery Ranch in the poll, it might be worth considering any of their packs featuring the 'Overload' feature (e.g., Sawtooth). It allows the user to pull the the pack away from the frame and fill the space in-between with strange shapes or huge loads.

 

[justin davis]

Kifaru is my favorite

 

[98XJRC]

Of those options the EXO K4 is the cream of the crop. It gets a little more crowded when also looking at Stone Glacier and Kifaru, but even among the top brands EXO is still one of if not the best.

Depending on how much your looking at using it for consider looking at a used K3 to save some coin. I've had both a K3 and K4. The K3 did well, however I much prefer my K4 and see no reason to consider looking elsewhere.

 

[mitchellmountain]

There are a lot of used Kifaru packs on here thst can be had for a decent price. They are absolutely fantastic at hauling loads. Big step up from my mystery ranch.

 

[AOberti]

I've owned a Kuiu packed and now 4 Exo packs. Kuiu makes good clothing, but when it comes to packs, they are not even in the discussion with an Exo. Its truly not even a fair comparison, the Exo is light years ahead and its MOST obvious when you put on a heavy load.

 

[justinspicher]

I voted for mystery ranch because that’s what I have the most experience with. I wouldn’t hesitate to get an Exo if I needed a new pack. I didn’t like the feel of the SG packs and their frames.

 

[flyfisher117]

Same answer as the other 69 threads asking this question.

Go try them all on with weight. Get the one that fits and feels good when loaded on your back.

 

[wh0cansay]

The one that works for you.

My first choice would be Hill People Gear. Exo K4 gets a lot of love here. I wouldn't touch Kuiu or Eberlestock. Kifaru is way overpriced for what you get. Seek Outside seems interesting but maybe not so much so for very heavy loads.

 

[PredatorSlayer]

I have tried most packs and love KUIU. They resigned their suspension and bags a few years ago and they are pretty awesome.

 

[Dex818]

All high end packs so whatever fits your body best.

 

[Nicaburns]

Initial Ascent became my new fave last year!

 

[jonnyviceroy]

Whichever fits you best…. But for me like many others EXO is light years above the rest. I appreciate a simple bag design as well that doesn’t have 500 buckles and straps every direction. But in terms of what actually matters which is comfort and performance of the frame, it’s not even a close comparison for me with the others you’ve mentioned in the poll which I have all tried. Similar to boots and plenty of other things it can be somewhat individualized and depend on your preference/body type.