Looking for the right elk hunting pack. Suggestions

[JeremyA]

Ok everyone. I am starting into elk backpack hunting. Little back ground, I'm 43, 5'6, 160lbs. I have gotten into elk hunting in Colorado and done 2 hunts, all from horseback. I am going in on foot this year. Looking for a pack. I am torn between the Kuiu 7200, Kifaru Nomad2 w/ native, and Mystery Ranch Marshall or Metcalf. I have no means of puts my hands on any of these packs. Any and all input welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

Odds are slim that many on here have tried more than one of the packs you listed, hopefully so. I had a Metcalf and Kifaru T1 for a while. I prefer Stone Glacier by a good margin, but the others were good packs too. Best of luck on your choice, it's really tough to isolate preference until you see how they fit your body. Have a great fall in the mountains!

 

[N2TRKYS]

I've only had a Blacks Creek Canadian and a Kifaru AMR. I love my Kifaru AMR. I more than doubled the space for about the same weight. I've never tried any other brand pack.

 

[JeremyA]

I'm an Army recruiter I live on stats. Lol. It's what know. Law of averages. Thanks for the input.

 

[TheNorthStar]

I'm about the same size as you, 5'7" 152#, and I ended up with a stone glacier xcurve with a 5900 bag after a couple months of poking around and asking questions. Hiking around, I've got it loaded at about 60# right now and it's pretty comfortable. I can recommend it, surely, but not over anything else. I don't have a lot of experience with packs.

I'm looking forward to stuffing a whole deer into their meat shelf this fall as the final and most important test.

 

[Clawsar]

I'm a big fan of my mystery ranch but usually stick with the longbow. It's great for up to 3 day trips and keeps me from overpacking. I've heard a great things about the other brands as well and was impressed with stone glacier when my father-in-law borrowed one last year.

 

[HighDesertSage]

Love my metcalf. Wouldn't want anything else.

 

[elkhnter]

None of the above.

 

[LandDiver]

The 7200 is a big pack. I have the 5200,3200, and 1850 from KUIU. If you look on the KUIU buy and sale page on Facebook you can pick up any of the bags they make for $100 almost anytime. That's how I got my packs. If you are planning to set up base camp and then leave for the day you can lay your 1850 in the 5200 and switch packs out once you have camp set up to use as your day pack, and leave the 5200 at camp. The 5200 is pretty big as well, but can easily compress down to nothing with the compression straps. You can also take off the load sling on the 5200 if you don't need as much space to make it even smaller.

 

[Greenbear]

I have (and therefore voted for) the Kifaru system; Duplex frame works great for me and my needs; it is certainly capable of carrying more weight than I... Very versatile as well. I don't have the Nomad 2, but with the Grab It and a few extra straps, I imagine you can lash any thing you want to the frame. My "daypack" is now a 3000 cubic inch duffle bag I purchased on sale for $20 and mated to the duplex frame. Works well.

 

[1_pointer]

I voted Kifaru even though I've never laid hands on that model. I have used a Gen 1 Longhunter Guide for over a decade and don't have much to complain about the pack.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

Go with the Kifaru. Their frame will be the most comfortable under heavy loads. I would also look at a Stone Glacier or Exo Mountain long before I would think about Mystery Ranch or Kuiu.

 

[MinnesotaHunter]

The 7000 range is an awefully big pack. How long do you plan on being out? I have a metcalf (4200 ci w/ a lid) and it is plent big for me to hunt out of for a week. Pack frames are kind of like boots, try as many as you can to find the right fit. Any of the frames you mentioned are goign to get the job done, but I would definately add Stone Glacier and Exo Mountain Gear to your list of possibles, and would probably look more to the 5000 ci range for week or less hunts. If you are going longer you might want to get into that 7k range.

 

[Baerman]

I've used Sitka, Mystery Ranch, Stone Glacier and Exo. I prefer the Exo for comfort, weight and organizational capabilities.

 

[JeremyA]

I'm looking to have a do it all pack. From day trip to 7 days in the high country. The crappy thing is there is no where close to where I live to try them on. I will be in the Denver area in September and was thinking about stopping at kifaru. They who are I keep finding myself looking at the most. They seem very interchangeable, and I like that. Thanks for the input. I am going to check out Exo.

 

[elkhnter]

Exo 3500 is my next pack. Going to make the Eberlestock work one more year.

 

[Muleyfanatic]

Stone Glacier

 

[OhBoneCollector]

I just went through this exercise and chose the Kifaru Reckoning pack with one pocket to secure rifle/bow to front-center of pack. Tough to beat this bag and the harness system.
However, of those you've listed, metcalf.

 

[RedRaider13]

I have an EXO 3500 and I highly recommend. But of the packs you listed Mystery ranch Metcalf.

 

[Anschutz]

I've never used the specific Kifaru pack you mentioned but bought the Timberline 2 and duplex frame this summer. I got it in MultiCam because it was cheap in "used" (never mounted to a frame). The frame is coyote. I will use the bag until the Army changes uniforms.... again. As a common point of reference, the DT2 is about a MOLLE II ruck plus Assault Pack. I have the guide lid on mine and it's great for storing rain gear, MREs, and such. One of the 1SGs in my old BN has the EMR with guide lid and that's all he took to NTC last go around as the Scout PSG. Comfort wise, it's like the difference between the backseat of a Humvee and a Cadillac. Our BN Chaplain, an avid backcountry hunter, has the Metcalf and loves it as well. The Kifaru CS is far above par as well if that helps.