Kuiu Icon Pro

[wpwarren]

I recently bought the icon pro 1850 with the carbon frame. I can't comment on longterm durability, but it seems like a well made pack so far. I have a barney's pack for carrying heavy weight and this pack will fill the day pack with the ability to carry the first meat load out role. I am happy with the pack so far. Buying the barney's pack and the kuiu cost about the same as buying a kifaru with all of the features I would want. When I go backcountry hunting, the kuiu pack will be strapped to the back of my barney's pack below main bag with just the bag and straps (no carbon frame). It should make a nice relatively light pocket and fits well below my super moose bag.

I have been carrying 40 pounds in it for the past week on my training walks and it carries the weight very well. The waste belt also works better for me than the belt on the barney's pack. It is well thought out and has a good assortment of pockets that should help a lot with organization. I also like the slim profile of the pack. It slides through brush very quietly.

 

[Wyodog]

Back to KUIU, doesn't matter what pack (new frame or old). I don't like the rigid frame. If I liked a rigid frame, I would return to an indestructible Camptrails, Dana or Barneys.

Edit: I would love to try an EXO

What don't you like about a rigid frame frame for hauling heavy loads?

 

[wpwarren]

What don't you like about a rigid frame frame for hauling heavy loads?

Here is my take on rigid vs. traditional internal frame packs pros and cons

Rigid (external frame or hybrid frame pack): I would include the most of the kuiu and kifaru packs in this category as well as the traditional external frame packs. They have some sort of solid frame that a bag attaches to.

Pros:
1. Can carry a lot of weight. The frame will flex less than the aluminum or carbon stays in a internal frame allowing you to carry more weight without the pack deforming and being uncomfortable
2. It is often easy to change bags or add additional bags on without jeopardizing the comfort of the suspension. This is great for hunting as you can pack in a larger bag and hunt out of a smaller one.
3. Kind of the same as the last, but externals usually allow you to add more weight higher up than internals. This is huge as it is way more comfortable to carry a pack loaded this way.
4. Rigid packs almost always do a better job of lifting the weight off of your shoulders and transferring it to your waste allowing you to comfortably carry more
5. Many of these packs move the bag farther from you back allowing more airflow and making them cooler.

Cons:
1. These pack often sit very high making it hard to move through low hanging trees quietly. This is not always the case though
2. While also not always true many of these are much wider also making it hard to hunt quietly
3. The extra material adds weight although hybrid designs like kuiu and kifaru can be very light.
4. The extra rigidity can make it difficult to turn at the torso and look around. A good properly adjusted suspension system negates most of this

Internal frame:

These have an internal frame sheet or stays (usually aluminum or carbon fiber) that add rigidity to the pack.

Pros: Often lighter and more manueverable

Cons: many lack sufficient rigidity for carrying truly heavy loads. These usually are just fine for 40-60 pounds but suffer above this.

Frameless packs

These packs have nothing to stiffen them. They can be light and maneuverable, but with out the rigidity they lack the ability to lift any weight off of your shoulders. These are great for day packs when you don't need to haul out meat but suck to carry more than 20 pounds with.