More Backpacks!

Roughneck Country · #1 11-12-2015, 03:37 PM

Well after this season I am moving on from my KUIU backpacks. Lightweight yes, but didn't pack heavy loads well. The articulating hip belt also just about sent me down he mountain a couple times while the pack was loaded. Was great when it was just my regular gear though.

I am going to try the Mystery Ranch Marshall pack next which is on sale right now. It looks similar to their 6500 only a couple pounds lighter. Does anyone have experience with the mystery ranch packs and NICE frame system that they would like to share? From what I have read it looks pretty good.

upongrassy · #2 11-12-2015, 05:29 PM

I have a 6500,and a metcalf. I Have packed loads in excess of 100 pounds and the packs preformed flawlessly on each occasion and continue to.Yes MR is a "heavy" pack but realistically a few pounds is nothing. the frame is solid and to me extremely comfortable.

ks.snow · #3 11-12-2015, 07:11 PM

Sitka packs look good if you haven't taken a look at them yet. I have no experience using them but read some good review on them.

pilotguy89 · #4 11-12-2015, 07:16 PM

After trying on my 7400ci stone glacier at something like 5 pounds I wont go back to MR ever again! Yes the MR has some nice pockets but I rather cary 5 pounds of water or a warmer jacket then a heavy pack!

Springer · #5 11-12-2015, 08:31 PM

Good to know as i was thinking of going with KUIU and they had a big sale on today of free shipping and 30% off..

Lr1000 · #6 11-12-2015, 08:44 PM

I will second Kuiu carrying heavy loads like crap! I went Kifaru and am very pleased with it. I have realized you can cut weight is some areas but not in others. In my experience a lighter pack does not stay up on your hips with 100+ lbs on it. That being said stone glacier would be nice to try however I'm sick of loosing money on demoing gear. Mystery ranch frame didn't work with me for some reason, I recommend trying someone else's on a few hike if possible before buying.

Zuludog · #7 11-12-2015, 08:59 PM

I'd look at Exo Mountain Gear. I have their 3500 and love it. Packe out 50 or 60 lbs rReally easy. Videos show it handling much more.

Travco1 · #8 06-19-2016, 12:48 PM

Sitka packs are garbage. My buddy's ripped apart after he filled with deboned elk meat. Half way out . Over priced made in china crap .
Love there clothing

Jordan Smith · #9 06-19-2016, 03:24 PM

I would suggest figuring out if you like a lumbar pad-style hip belt, or a full-wrap belt, and go from there. I used to use a Kifaru, but the lumbar pad ain't for me. Now I use a Seek Outside Paradox, and the full-wrap belt feels like it was made for me. Sometimes if I'm carrying a lighter load I forget I'm wearing a pack at all.

sparky660 · #10 06-19-2016, 10:00 PM

I have the new Kifaru duplex hunter frame with the nomad pack and am very happy with both. I'm a big guy and it fits me very well, very modular and hauls heavy loads with ease.

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ram crazy · #11 06-19-2016, 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ks.snow

Sitka packs look good if you haven't taken a look at them yet. I have no experience using them but read some good review on them.

I like my Sitka pack. It is extremely comfortable.

BackPackHunter · #12 06-20-2016, 06:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ram crazy

I like my Sitka pack. It is extremely comfortable.

You can't pull a ram off of a mountain with a Sitka bag

I'm mystery ranch all the way....
But that being said, if it doesn't say Bozeman on it, it's over sea crap
and not for me

I had a 6500 , I liked the frame not the bag
I now use the CrewCab , and have about 60miles on it
Just wish I got camo because they don't show the dirt

chickenfarmer · #13 06-20-2016, 07:00 AM

Mystery ranch has not been innovative in ten years. They are now being built overseas and as a result we're able to buy in some stores,not just direct any longer. They were the pack tho for some time. Try stone glacier. Same fabric and webbing but lighter out of the gate

BackPackHunter · #14 06-20-2016, 07:51 AM

They have made it a pain to deal with them
Wanting you to go through other dealers if you don't live in USA
If you tell the Canada company not to send you a world bag and
You will only accept a bag made in Bozeman they will try to tell you
how there the same, etc... I'm not paying the same for a sweet shop bag
But they will get you the USA bag.

Kuiu was junk
I tried kifaru, they're ok, but not as nice to MR to me
Sitka would be a good bag for school books

Roughneck Country · #15 06-20-2016, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BackPackHunter

They have made it a pain to deal with them
Wanting you to go through other dealers if you don't live in USA
If you tell the Canada company not to send you a world bag and
You will only accept a bag made in Bozeman they will try to tell you
how there the same, etc... I'm not paying the same for a sweet shop bag
But they will get you the USA bag.

Kuiu was junk
I tried kifaru, they're ok, but not as nice to MR to me
Sitka would be a good bag for school books

Pain in the ass not being able to deal direct for sure. I had a friend of mine buy my MR for me in the US, then ship it to me, After everything was said and done, shipping, exchange, duty, the bag was still over $100 cheaper than buying it from a Canadian distributor and it is a USA made bag

Kifaru has a couple bags I want to try, Kuiu I agree is Junk.
I might actually go back to a barneys, but the small version.

Snm · #16 06-20-2016, 08:41 AM

I have the crew cab witht he nice frame and i love it. Its a solid pack and the frame is solid. I bought an aftermarket cushion to make up for some space when i am just in a tshirt. http://ovinnovations.com/collections...me-accessories this company has some nice upgrades and a solid load lifter kit.
I have had it loaded to 100lbs and the load was secure enough to walk on a treadmill.

DerekOlson · #17 06-20-2016, 08:06 PM

You will not be disappointed with MR! I carry 70-95lbs steady the last 6 years and it is as durable as they come. We have had other fellas bring all sorts of the new best thing or light wieght and such and none have out lasted out MR packs. Yes a little heavy and mine is 7 years old.. It takes the load so well and fits so nice on the hips. Essentially no weight or pull on shoulders. I hope I can haul out another ram this November..

just my .02 let us know what you decide!

BackPackHunter · #18 06-20-2016, 09:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DerekOlson

You will not be disappointed with MR! I carry 70-95lbs steady the last 6 years and it is as durable as they come. We have had other fellas bring all sorts of the new best thing or light wieght and such and none have out lasted out MR packs. Yes a little heavy and mine is 7 years old.. It takes the load so well and fits so nice on the hips. Essentially no weight or pull on shoulders. I hope I can haul out another ram this November..

just my .02 let us know what you decide!

Another ? November ?
Do tell, I love November Rams

DerekOlson · #19 06-21-2016, 02:18 AM

Ya I should be getting my 410 draw this year.... I hope anyways. and get practicing shooting a bow in a freezer with gale winds lol

BigRackLover · #20 06-21-2016, 12:08 PM

I just order the SKy Archer from STone Glacier

SammyIam · #21 06-21-2016, 03:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by upongrassy

I have a 6500,and a metcalf. I Have packed loads in excess of 100 pounds and the packs preformed flawlessly on each occasion and continue to.Yes MR is a "heavy" pack but realistically a few pounds is nothing. the frame is solid and to me extremely comfortable.

I 100% agree. I use the NICE frame with the crew cab, and have packed many loads in excess of 100 lbs. It is heavy on it's own, but when you can pack extremely heavy loads in complete comfort, it is worth it. Nothing digs into places it shouldn't, the load is placed on my body exactly where it should be, and honestly, the way the NICE frame is built, it makes loads feel 30 lbs lighter than they are.

Travco1 · #22 06-22-2016, 07:23 AM

just ordered sky 5100 Stone glacier

BackPackHunter · #23 06-22-2016, 08:06 AM

Any stone glacier packs in red deer that someone would let me try on?

klondiker · #24 06-22-2016, 05:22 PM

I'm in Airdrie and I have the Stone Glacier Sky Archer if you'd like to try it out

jaked2ca · #25 09-28-2016, 01:54 PM

Has anyone tried one of latest generations (2016) of the pro icon 5200 or 7200? Looks like they have tried to stiffen the frame up with their new carbon fiber technology as well as some other little updates.

I really like the pocket and organization setup of the Kuiu for the weight. I keep looking at the Stone Glacier packs and find them to be utterly simple (good and bad) and can't seem to justify the $$ for basically a big bag you through gear into and compress with straps. The MR marshall looks decent, as well as Kifaru's prototype Reckoning Pack which is coming out in Ranger Green sometime in November.

I'm coming off an Osprey Atmos 65 AG and hated it for hunting, squeeky and too light of a frame to carry any heavy load. I'm sure any of these big name packs will be better than my Osprey.

Code_Red18 · #26 09-28-2016, 02:13 PM

Check into the eberlestock packs. They are great packs never had any issues with mine and lots of accessories with the molle system.

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Coiloil37 · #27 09-28-2016, 02:32 PM

I personally don't like the way the mystery ranch nice frame fits me or its weight. At 6' I get no shoulder lift from the factory pack. I put the aftermarket load lifter, power pulls and belt pad on it and it was better but HEAVY. Next I bought a Kifaru timberline 2 with the internal frame and it was night and day difference to the MR and very comfortable but eventually I wanted to try the modular frame. I then bought the gen 2 bikini frame and didn't like that at all for a multitude of reasons. The bikini flat out didn't work for me and if I had started with that frame I probably would of moved on from Kifaru right then and there. This fall after a few years with them I sold both packs and will be buying the new duplex frame to give it another try before I consider another manufacturer. I suspect the new frame will fix what I didn't like about the bikini but give me the modular options I missed with the internal frame T2.

For day packs after moving out of the crap badlands, eberlestock etc I tried the mystery ranch bighorn and it was quite nice but after I got into larger Kifaru packs I sold it to another member in this thread for his wife and bought the Kifaru spike camp. I can't see me ever selling the spike camp, it's been a fantastic day pack hunting and hiking, carries up to about 50lbs very comfortably for me with its short frame length and my height but will handle a 70-80 lb load of meat if needed without much discomfort. It gives up a few internal pockets and "built in" organization to the bighorn but I find it more comfortable.

Deer Hunter · #28 09-28-2016, 04:08 PM

I'm 6'2, have a MR nice 6500 and a exo 5500
The exo is a better pack for me. Much more comfortable. Very innovative and versatile.

Solohunt · #29 09-28-2016, 04:12 PM

This is a great read. I am a newer hunter and have been slowly building up all gear. I have a badlands day pack now but have been searching for a better pack also now being a bit more familiar with what I need and want.
This thread has helped move me to a much smaller selection. I really liked the MR and Kifaru bags.

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Esox · #30 09-28-2016, 04:57 PM

Im new to this whoel backpacking hunts thing to. Being 6'3" it has been extremely hard finding a pack that fits me properly. The search continues, I have 11 months to find one before my first foray into the mountains.