Good, Bad, and the Ugly! 2014 Gear review!

[Bango skank]

so BLRMAN, ive been on the fence about which pack to buy,  i have narrowed i down to  a couple of ideas, but the price to risk thing is daunting.  its a big investment to make!  im sure you know this, so help me out here in your review...  obviously the guy packing the thing is in very good physical condition, but the height of a person alone can make a huge difference on how comfortable a pack is.  can you give a height / weight of the guy rocking the pack?  that would really mean a lot to a guy looking to make a purchase on a high end pack.  even a really fit guy (i personally am marginally fit) might not find a pack to work well if hes a few inches taller or shorter than the tester.  more info would be appreciated.  the guy packing out the heavy load looks to be well under 6 feet, unless im a bad judge of this?

[kentrek]

He said he's 5-8 @ 175

[Bango skank]

He said he's 5-8 @ 175

thanks, apparently im too drunk to read the whole thread.  any reviews from guys over 6 ft?

[Karl Blanchard]

He said he's 5-8 @ 175

thanks, apparently im too drunk to read the whole thread.  any reviews from guys over 6 ft?

that's me in the pic and as stated, I'm 5'8" 175lbs.  Kifaru builds their frames custom to your specs.  26" stays would give you plenty of lift.  I think JPhelps is a non midget, he could probably my answer better than me. Lol.  And I feel ya, its a big investment but like all high end gear I own, the buyers remorse goes away quickly once you start to use it.

[Karl Blanchard]

Look at the new "guide" lid. I just ordered one and I think it will be the ticket on longer trips. It is 800ci and can be used as a ruck.

  I'll check it out!  Larger lid is def on my hit list for this spring.  Got some brutal backpack hunts planned next year.  Did you order a new bag?

Yeah I ordered the new AMR, a custom 28" duplex, guide lid and a few more belt pouches.

Rolling on 28's!!!! DANG!  Big pimpin!

[Karl Blanchard]

Always nice to find a good system 

 Just curious, how much water does the Kifaru packs soak up ??

I was lucky this year, no heavy rain on any of my hunts.  Did get some pretty heavy snow fall a few times that left me soaked but all my gear was dry.  Few light rain storms I got stuck in didn't amount to much.  I'm a dry side guy though

You mean you haven't ran a before an after weight test under the sprinkler  

Always wondered how that fabric did after a few solid days of rain...nothing worse than carrying around water ya can't drink

Haha!  That I have not done.  I'm made of sugar, I melt! 
I did actually wash the bag for the first time this evening and it did not feel overly heavy when I took it out to hang up.  Now you've got me curious.  Gonna have to anger my wife with another "test" in the house.

[JPhelps]

so BLRMAN, ive been on the fence about which pack to buy,  i have narrowed i down to  a couple of ideas, but the price to risk thing is daunting.  its a big investment to make!  im sure you know this, so help me out here in your review...  obviously the guy packing the thing is in very good physical condition, but the height of a person alone can make a huge difference on how comfortable a pack is.  can you give a height / weight of the guy rocking the pack?  that would really mean a lot to a guy looking to make a purchase on a high end pack.  even a really fit guy (i personally am marginally fit) might not find a pack to work well if hes a few inches taller or shorter than the tester.  more info would be appreciated.  the guy packing out the heavy load looks to be well under 6 feet, unless im a bad judge of this?

I'm 6'4" and ALL torso. The past two years I've ran the 26" bikini frame and it has been an amazing pack.  BUT like Karl I always end up packing some monster loads, so I've decided to sacrifice a pound and go with the duplex for the load hauling comfort.

The kifaru suspension is one of the few made with "real" load lifters and not just load stabilizers.  I was also able to call up Aron and order custom 28" stays (too my knowledge no other pack company tailors to big guys like Kifaru).  The 26" should work great for a normal build guy up to about 6'6".

These packs are all they are cracked up to be. It is a big investment but at least it is an investment and not an expense. You will be able to use this pack for the next 20+ years.

[Elkohol]

Great review on great products. Pick up some of their web dominators to throw on your shoulder strap to hold your hydration hose, that will solve the small D-ring problem quick.

[MooseZ25]

Just curious how are you guys packing your rifles on these packs?  I am starting my research on a new pack and Kifaru is on the list.

[Karl Blanchard]

Just curious how are you guys packing your rifles on these packs?  I am starting my research on a new pack and Kifaru is on the list.

Funny you ask, since I was going to talk about that next.  Slings and big packs don't play well together, its no secret.  So in my quest to be hands free I purchased Kifaru's gun bearer system.  There is a pocket that attaches to your waist belt and then a strap with a quick release buckle that attaches to your shoulder strap.  Butt stock goes in the pocket, strap wraps around the fore grip and with the flip of your thumb or the yank of the strap, you can shoulder your rifle. 

Only downfall to this is that it puts a little added pressure on the hip that has the gun on it.  Small price to pay for not having to battle a rifle slipping off your shoulder.  Also allows you to be completely hands free to use tracking poles, glass, mess with gps, whatever. 

[JPhelps]

http://store.kifaru.net/gun-bearers-p30.aspx?noredirect

I personally don't like it under my arm so I usually attach the gun to the right side of the pack.

[coachcw]

Karl is such a little gear whore ! 

[DIYARCHERYJUNKIE]

Nice review .  The cost seems high but twenty extra lbs every trip sounds good.

[Karl Blanchard]

Nice review .  The cost seems high but twenty extra lbs every trip sounds good.

. It def is a big expense but I could have bought two of these packs for the amount I have spent on packs in the last decade.  Def not a pack for everyone but if you spend a large amount of time with a pack on and carry big loads often,  its priceless.

[Karl Blanchard]

Karl is such a little gear *censored* ! 

. I can't even argue this fact