Stone Glacier Terminus

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

may 21 i think, you?

April 22

[fillthefreezer]

nice, it took me awhile to cave in, as i like the pack i have now, the weight savings won me over

[JPhelps]

Here is my review of the pack.  I didn't receive anything for this review and the pack is now back in the hands of Stone Glacier.  I was simply asked to review the pack.

Other notes: At the time they didn't have the lumbar pad which may have been beneficial with the heavy load.  One other note is it did barrel just ever so slightly with the 115 lbs but it wasn't enough that it would throw me off balance.




When I first received the pack I was surprised by how lightweight it was.  My first impression was there is no way this thing can handle 120+ lb. loads while trying to navigate the rugged mountains that I traditionally hunt here in the Cascades of Washington.  When I weighed the pack it came in at 64 oz. (4 lbs) that is only 1-1/2 oz over advertised (3.9 lbs).

The next thing I looked at is the layout.  I have always liked packs with one large compartment.  It seems to make the packs volume more usable than being separated into a bunch of pockets.  On this pack the entire 6300 c.i. is in the main compartment besides the small pocket in the hood.  The pack that I tested also had a hip belt pocket attached.

How does it carry a load?  This may be the most critical aspect of selecting a pack and it varies from one individual to another.  Factors such as frame shape, hip belt, suspension adjustments, and functional load lifters all come into play.  I was somewhat concerned with how the pack would fit me since the frame is straight and I have an overly curved lumbar region.  When I first received the pack the first thing I did was put a 30 lb load on and adjust the packs suspension.  It only took a few adjustments and I had it setup for my 6’4” frame.  Next, I loaded the pack down with 60 lbs and took off up the hill behind my house.  I needed to be sure that this pack was going to work for me as I was leaving for my 10 day backpack hunt in 3 days.  The pack handled the 60 lbs great on the 3 mile trip.

Two days later I was loading all of my gear up and heading for the mountains to begin our 5 mile, 3500+ ft. hike to our mule deer hunting destination.  My entire camp and food for 5 days easily fit into the main compartment.  I did have a little issue with how I would carry my water bottles (multiple Gatorade bottles).  I ended up just putting them in the top of my pack (If you were running a hydration bladder there is space between the frame and the bag that could house a hydration bladder).

Up the trail we went.  It was a pretty grueling trek but the pack performed.  I had it loaded down with 46 lbs of gear and 12 lbs of rifle.  It was a comfortable, secure load.  I had no issues with the frame and the shape of my back.  Even though I did my best to offset the weight of the rifle with the gear inside I ended up with a somewhat lopsided pack.  The pack was able to absorb the difference and rode very well.  I used the weapon sling to hold the gun and it worked very well and kept the gun low enough so that it wasn’t hooking any branches and rode secure against my pack.

Opening day arrived and I got to test the pack in day hunting mode.  The pack compressed down to nothing and is so lightweight that it was very comfortable to carry all day.  With the pack now weighing less than 10 lbs the gun could no longer be carried in the weapon sling unless it was re-located to center on the pack. That isn’t an issue for me as I like to carry my gun in my hand or on my shoulder.  We spent the next few days climbing steep faces, dropping into basins and the pack worked great.  It didn't snag on overhead branches like my externals and it was lighter than other internals.

Unfortunately, with the weather that moved in we were forced off the mountain and I never did get to test out the load shelf in combination with the bag on this hunt.  I however did get the opportunity to carry a bone in hind quarter of a bull elk (92 lbs) later in the year and the load shelf worked slick and the pack was very comfortable throughout the 2 mile pack.

Before I could recommend this pack to anyone I wanted to give it a true long distance test with 100+ lbs in it.  After loading two sand bags in the pack the final tally was 115 lbs.  I went on a 4.5 mile hike and gained 2500’ of elevation then turned around and came back down after a short rest.  In total the pack was on my back for around 4 hours total and the pack passed the test.  In the last hour my shoulders did start to fatigue and after forcing more weight into my hips it became a little more comfortable.

Overall I think this pack is a great design and suited well for hunters wanting a lightweight no-frills pack that is capable of packing out 100+ lbs.  It may not have all the bells and whistles of other high-end packs, but it also avoids the weight penalty of doing so.  I would not hesitate to grab this pack for my next back country hunting excursion.

-Jason Phelps

[huntndad]

Thanks for taking the time to post this.  It's nice to hear opinions from people who have actually tried the pack. 

[7mag.]

Thanks Jason. Great review.

[JPhelps]

In all of my testing and conversations with others I wouldn't hesitate to head up in the mountains with a kifaru, mystery ranch or stone glacier pack.  Figure out which pack fits the best and has the features you value the most and move forward.

[pd]

Thank you for the honest review, Jason.  Well written.  PD

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

After you said it was back in the hands of Stone Glacier I was expecting a failure of some sort...why did it go back?  What did you get to replace it?

[JPhelps]

My review was over so I sent it back.

Right now, I think I am going to go with a Duplex T1 with aluminum stays to accommodate my curvy lumbar.  I like the way the MR Metcalf rides but I need more room.  I just feel that with heavy loads (130+) I will be better served by the Kifaru.

[7mag.]

My review was over so I sent it back.

Right now, I think I am going to go with a Duplex T1 with aluminum stays to accommodate my curvy lumbar.  I like the way the MR Metcalf rides but I need more room.  I just feel that with heavy loads (130+) I will be better served by the Kifaru.

Have you looked at the Bikini frame yet?

[JPhelps]

My review was over so I sent it back.

Right now, I think I am going to go with a Duplex T1 with aluminum stays to accommodate my curvy lumbar.  I like the way the MR Metcalf rides but I need more room.  I just feel that with heavy loads (130+) I will be better served by the Kifaru.

Have you looked at the Bikini frame yet?

I've looked at it a bunch.  I just don't know about the straight frame and my curvy back.  I like that I can get aluminum stays with the dt1 that will match my back.

[Ridgerunner]

Good review, I am currently testing out the
Mystery ranch metcalf and am really enjoying it so far, seems be the right combination for me of weight, layout and comfort.

[JPhelps]

I really liked how the Metcalf handled 100 lbs.  I would be more interested if there was more room.  I don't really want to add pods/accessory bags to bump up the volume (along with the weight).

[Ridgerunner]

I haven't had it that heavy yet but should soon hopefully.  I hear ya on more space but since the vast majority of my trips are early season less than five days it will be enough space.  Plus i won't be tempted to bring a bunch of extra stuff just because I have the room.  I really like the side zipper feature too.