Best Pack for Hauling Gear and Meat?

[Bowhunt.Elk]

I am looking into getting a new pack to haul my gear and hopefully when I get an elk, getting the meat out. I am pretty tight on money and am not sure which brand is best. Preferably Kifaru, ExoMountain, or Mystery Ranch. Which one should be the best for the price and comfort?

 

[byland]

Big question but you've done a great job of narrowing down the brands you like.  From here on out it's just about features and how well the pack fits you.  All 3 brands you mention are worth their weight in gold but I've found that the Exo pack has everything you need and nothing you don't while weighing very little.  I've worn the NICE Longbow from MR and though I loved the function of it, the pack just rode terribly for me.  I swooped up an Exo pack and haven't looked back. 


Also, a piece of advice.  Spend the money on a good pack and you'll be glad you did.  I'd imagine that anyone who's dropped the coin on a good pack will never say that it wasn't worth it.


I have no experience with a Kifaru set up but there are a lot of great reviews out there on their products.


If you'd like to see my review on the Exo pack, you can find it here..


http://byland.co/bylandgearreviews/2015/11/22/exo-mountain-gear-3500


Good luck,


Emory


www.byland.co

 

[Elk_Guy503]

I like my Kifaru Nomad. I also like my Mystery Ranch Longbow, but I gave it to my dad since he would never spend the money on a pack. He's more of a 'pack frame with stuff lashed all over' type of guy  : . My advice to you is to just make a list of all the stuff you want out of a pack. Then purchase the pack that checks the most boxes, you'll be happy. I'd be looking at all the brands and their reputability for good customer service.


So maybe we could make a list of packs for you to look at?


(In NO order and not complete)
Kifaru
Mystery Ranch
Stone Glacier
Kuiu
Outdoorsmans Pack System
EXO Mountain

 

[montanaelk31]

Backpacking means being lightweight and hardcore. The only ones that are both lightweight and heavy duty to my liking are

Stone Glacier Solo
Exo
Kuiu

To me the pack itself shouldn't weigh more than your day gear!

 

[bmart2622]

I have tried a ton of different packs but have no experience with the Exo but I do like the looks of it. In my opinion you cant go wrong with a Kifaru and Stone Glacier which are my 2 favorites.  Where are you located? Maybe someone near you has a pack you could check out to help you make a decision.

 

[IrishnId]

I've hauled out two rear elk quarters in and on a Kifaru Highcamp 7000, and for the stupid amount of weight I strapped to that pack it never lost a stitch and all things considered was still comfortable where it should have been. Tons of weight and would never pack that much again, but it was great.

 

[backcountry_hunter]

Packs are a very intimate and personal item. That said I currently have serious haulers from Kuiu, badlands, Kelty, Horn Hunter, & Mystery Ranch. Each have their purpose but if I was only going to have just 1 I'd probably sell all of these and buy into a kifaru. I never could get the stone glaciers to ride well for me. I don't own a kifaru but have hauled with them and literally EVERYONE that goes to them seem to never look back. That to me speaks volumes. I can't comment on the EXO. They look like great packs and have a price tag to reflect it but for $600 you could also get into a kifaru. Kuiu are  a little more $$ friendly and as near as I can tell have worked out their bugs. Their new packs seem great and comfortable (their older versions had some issues) but I'm not sure they belong in the same category as the other $550+ set ups. MR are bombproof but expect them to be on the heavier side than the others you mentioned. They tend to have nice cushy waist belts though  


If you were only hauling meat a kelty cache hauler would be tough to beat, unless you ponied up the $$$ for a barneys frontier pack frame


just my $.02

 

[buglelk]

I've personally used most of the packs listed so far, plus a handful more (Eberlestock, Tenzing, Sitka, etc.), and I'd be hard pressed to find a better pack for my style of hunting than the EXO. It is light and tough.....weighs 4 pounds and can haul more than I should ever carry on my back. It doesn't have a lot of extra bells and whistles, but it is super comfortable and carries a load as well as any pack I've used. I've used the EXO 3500 for 3 seasons, and just got the new EXO 2000. Both are AWESOME!


The price is $499 - $549....plus, if you sign up for the University of Elk Hunting ONLINE COURSE, there is a discount code to save 10% ($50-55) on an EXO pack....basically, that discount alone will pay for the course...


https://exomountaingear.com/product-category/packs/

 

[kessingm]

Corey - where can I find the EXO discount code? Thank you, Michael

 

[hank4elk]

E-stock J-104 & MR crewcab I have are both excellent.
Still take the Cabellas Alaska freighter frame pack for back up/heavy meat loads. If it's not too thick.

 

[ElwoodUT]

You asked out of the packs you listed which is the best price and most comfortable. 


This is entirely a question that you should ask yourself prior to narrowing down any type of brands.  The packs you listed might be cheap to some people but to a lot of us those are all very expensive packs.  Also the comfort of a pack is determined by your body shape, torso length and body heat regulatory system.


You should also make a list of the top 5 requirements you have for your pack.  Try to find a pack that will fill all or as many of those needs as possible.


I needed a pack that would allow me to spike camp for 5 days, work as a day pack as well as haul meat, pack meat and gear simultaneously, keep my back cool, and be as comfortable as possible while performing these tasks.  Therefore I went with the Horn Hunter Full Curl System.  It met all my requirements as well as being a great price, warranty and made in the USA.


Once you've made your list of requirements and determined your price range I recommend trying on the packs you've narrowed it down to and see how comfortable they are.  You will likely be only left with a couple packs to choose from.


Good luck!  Backpacks are an item that most hunters are very intimate with and spent a lot of time selecting.  You have to completely trust your pack and know exactly what it is capable of.

 

[enigmatic]

Kifaru has been, by far, the most comfortable frame/ pack I've found for hauling heavy loads.  Two hind elk quarters, rifle, other day gear and once you cinch it all down, nothing moves. 

I have the 26" hunting frame with a nomad and Grab It II.  Keeps the load up high, the waist belt doesn't move, load stays on your legs and the shoulder straps are stupid comfortable. 

Previous packs I've had and hauled less weight with more discomfort:

MR NICE Crewcab/ Cargo Panel
KUIU Icon (*Not PRO, but GEN I Icon)
Badlands 2200
Badlands Ox Freighter Frame

I did like the Stone Glacier KRUX frame, but never had an opportunity to haul anything over 40 pounds in it, but it was very nice with 40 pounds or less in it... but so was my KUIU...  Seems like once you hit the 65 pound mark, that is when you find out how well designed things are. 

The other huge benefit of the Kifaru is the modularity of the frame and all of the attachment points on their frame and bags.  For multi-day trips, I can clip in or on my Stone Glacier Approach and a slew of other pouches or bags for additional cubic inches and then remove them at base camp.  With KUIU and many other packs, you are very limited in the attachment points and systems.

Good luck!