Need advice - Backpack upgrade

[wilkup]

Good morning and I will throw in a thought for you knowing you have already narrowed your choices. Nimrod Outdoors packs have been on my back for hundreds of hunts, thousands of miles the last 25 years and I continue to use the product line. The new carbon fiber back frame is absolutely incredible. Give them a look or give Nate the owner a call. They are made in the USA also, Idaho. Many of the others like Eberlestock and mystery ranch are based in the US, claim to be USA manufactured, but if you look inside you will find a tag from another country. Like Pakistan or Vietnam.

Just another thought.

Nimrod Outdoor Backpacks

For the finest hunting backpacks trust a system the firefighters working forest fires have trusted for decades. Nimrod Outdoor hunting backpacks are built on a customizing system to designed a pack specifically for you and your unique needs. We are the best-kept secret of mountain hunters.

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Give them a look and give Nate a call.

Mystery Ranch has two different pack categories, some made in USA (higher cost) and their cheaper packs which are all made overseas. I'll have to check out the Nimrod packs you suggested.

 

[wilkup]

I've owned a Kuiu and two Exo packs. The Kuiu was a great pack, but really hurt my hips and lower back. My current pack is the Exo 4800. It compresses down to daypack size, but fully loaded can take you into the woods for several days. I've packed deer, elk, and moose with it, so it's bulletproof.

Exo's customer service is second to none. They offer a military/first responder discount and generally have a big sale around Thanksgiving.

I'm interested in the 3200 from them. I continue to hear their customer service is excellent from the masses
Out of curiosity, what body type do you have? Just trying to understand why the Kuiu caused pain in your hips and lumbar.

 

[chav0_12]

I'll throw another one in for Stone Glacier as well. Been using once of their packs for 5 years now. Same frame, always been great, I've switched up the bag to change the layout a bit. I'm sub-5lbs with my setup.

 

[mnoland30]

Wow! 6-8 lbs for a pack? My backpack for summer use weighs 20 oz. My $20 gunshow backpack weighs 3-1/2 lbs. The trick to a pack not hurting is to carry it with weight in it before hunting season. Your shoulders get used to the straps after about 3 days. Unless I'm carrying a really heavy load, I don't use a waist belt. The trick to packing out game is to not carry the bones. No need for a frame, the meat contours to your back. I even take out the silly aluminum straps that come with most internal frame packs. I carried out a cow elk with my pack in two loads. It was hard on my knees, but not my shoulders or hips. You might want to read Ray Jardin's book "Beyond Backpacking". It changed the way I backpack. I bivouaced in overnight on my deer hunt last week. I only had to add 6 lbs of gear to my pack to stay the night, and a couple more pounds for food.

 

[rroope]

I'm planning to upgrade my hunting pack and hopefully utilize a Black Friday sale to save a little money.
I've got buddies that swear by their Kifaru, Kuiu Pros, Mystery Ranch (which I have) and Exos.
I used an Eberlestock F1 Mainframe with various attachments for a few years before I graduated myself to a Mystery Ranch. Both of these are quite heavy systems and I'm looking to cut a lot of weight.
I'm not set on one yet, but have narrowed those under consideration.
I have never owned anything from Kuiu that wasn't bombproof, so their pack is quite high on my list.
A newer player in the game is Initial Ascent. I really like what they're about and the pack system they offer. They supposedly carry better as the weight gets heavier.
The other I'm considering is the Exo K3, just because tons of guys love this one. Joseph Von Benedikt gave their pack a glowing review and endorsement after paying for one himself for a recent hunt he did.
Anyone have experience with all three packs or one at the very least, feel free to sound off and sway me towards one of these three.

 

[rroope]

Kiui will definitely check off the box for lightweight

 

[D$tring]

I'm planning to upgrade my hunting pack and hopefully utilize a Black Friday sale to save a little money.
I've got buddies that swear by their Kifaru, Kuiu Pros, Mystery Ranch (which I have) and Exos.
I used an Eberlestock F1 Mainframe with various attachments for a few years before I graduated myself to a Mystery Ranch. Both of these are quite heavy systems and I'm looking to cut a lot of weight.
I'm not set on one yet, but have narrowed those under consideration.
I have never owned anything from Kuiu that wasn't bombproof, so their pack is quite high on my list.
A newer player in the game is Initial Ascent. I really like what they're about and the pack system they offer. They supposedly carry better as the weight gets heavier.
The other I'm considering is the Exo K3, just because tons of guys love this one. Joseph Von Benedikt gave their pack a glowing review and endorsement after paying for one himself for a recent hunt he did.
Anyone have experience with all three packs or one at the very least, feel free to sound off and sway me towards one of these three.

I have owned and used all that you listed. I am that guy who is constantly trying to find the perfect hunting kit. Buying and selling all sorts or gear. Exo is the one that has stuck the longest. For me it has proven to be the best combination of comfort, strength and weight. I still have the stone glacier for ultralight daypack for light and fast hunts/scouting. I use the exo the most for multi day or cold weather hunts and for packing out that day. I have kept the kifaru for when friends call and need a heavy pack out. So my current usage is 70% exo, 25% stone glacier, and 5% Kifaru. If I had to pick only one, I would sell the kifaru, and then cry as I got rid of my stone glacier (due to all of the epic hunts it has been on and all the animals it has packed out), but I would keep the Exo. I packed out 7 animals (3 deer, 3 elk and 1 moose) last two season with it and it performed flawlessly and the most comfortably a pack ever has for me.

 

[TopPin]

The Kuiu is about the best you can do for an ultralight pack. It's very comfortable, the adjustable, and can handle a heavy load. I've run the 6000 essentially since their introduction. The pro bag is stronger and more gear oriented pack pocket system i.e spotting scope tripod access, ext. The ultra light is very strong as well. Can handle front and hind quarter of elk at the same time. The newer carbon frame is much better than the original.

 

[Tagnbagem]

This year , for elk season , I purchased Mystery Ranch Sawtooth 45. The pack is about 4.5 lbs excellent access to the inner pockets , a well thought out load shelf. The hip belt is very comfortable. The sawtooth is very easily adjustable to your torso to get right fit. A middle road pack of about 2800 cubic inches. Lots of molle for extras and good mystery ranch quality. Not as bulky as metcalf when partially loaded. IMHO

 

[Montucky Roamer]

Wow! 6-8 lbs for a pack? My backpack for summer use weighs 20 oz. My $20 gunshow backpack weighs 3-1/2 lbs. The trick to a pack not hurting is to carry it with weight in it before hunting season. Your shoulders get used to the straps after about 3 days. Unless I'm carrying a really heavy load, I don't use a waist belt. The trick to packing out game is to not carry the bones. No need for a frame, the meat contours to your back. I even take out the silly aluminum straps that come with most internal frame packs. I carried out a cow elk with my pack in two loads. It was hard on my knees, but not my shoulders or hips. You might want to read Ray Jardin's book "Beyond Backpacking". It changed the way I backpack. I bivouaced in overnight on my deer hunt last week. I only had to add 6 lbs of gear to my pack to stay the night, and a couple more pounds for food.

Wow! You really pack out game with that? Like a whole boned out muley or 1/2 a small bull? 100-150# loads? Your beasty? The 2-3 pound packs I've seen really might fail with a good load. My brother ripped a strap off a cheap pack as he hoisted a heavy load up. Had to one strap it for miles

 

[Montucky Roamer]

I have only used an exo for the last 10 years or maybe it's 8? Since they came out anyway. The first generation had squeak issues after a couple years, they sent me a whole new pack tho!! The gen 2 is all I have and I love it. I get the 5500 , a few ozs different from the 3500 and I usually day hunt with it. Packed out a small bull in two trips, various bucks. Some in one load. It punches way above it's moderate weight.
But that being said, you should take a hard look at stone glacier and kifaru and seek outside as well. The stone glacier is loved by a bunch of my buddies. The kuiu pro packs have been good for some others also.
Buy one of each, try em all, and pick the winner. That's the best way

 

[Ricky C]

Hey, I have the Eberlestock J1, Kuiu (couple different size bags), and a Mystery Ranch. I planned on using the MR for a goat hunt on Kodiak this year. When I loaded it to 60 lbs it just didn't cut it. So I went back to the Kuiu, I packed all my gear and half a black tail out, (the rest of the deer disappeared during the night) without any issues. So my vote goes to Kuiu. Good luck and Take Care

 

[chindits]

I used an Alice pack for years. When Seek Outside started up I picked up one of their packs and have been using it ever since. It wasn't expensive back then and was one of the lightest compressible platforms at the time. I probably wouldn't pay what most of the folks pay for packs on this forum.

I'll make no claim that I don't get sore, but I haul elk with it every year and I backpack or scout all summer with it. It's nothing fancy but me and my rifles aren't either.

 

[ingers007]

Vote for the Kuiu, I have the used it for years and won't be changing anytime soon. Light and super comfortable for long hauls.