New pack, opinions

[jtw]

Damn it! I thought the the sale was next thursday!? Someone please tell me that there's another next week!!!

Yes, there is another sale November 19th-22nd. It will be 30% off IN STOCK items only.

   their stock is pretty low this time of year. I love Kuiu clothing, but that company sucks.

Can you really blame a company for wanting to offload end of season stock? It's a clearance sale...

[Deathgrip]

Western Hunter Optics pack. A good friend of mine guides full time. He has had his for four seasons now and has packed upwards of a hundred elk with his. I bought one three years ago and it is absolutely the nicest pack i have worn. I was fortunate enough to try most of the packs mentioned in this thread and still feel that the optics pack is the way to go. Look into it before making your decision.
Dave

[Todd_ID]

I've got a bit of input on this. I've got the Kuiu Ultra 6000 and 1850 bag. The 1850 is the right size for day hunts. The 6000 is a good size for week hunts. I got mine last year. I packed 3 elk, 2 deer, and 1 bear then. I packed 2 elk this year. Some of those packs were a long dang ways. The frame is super light and tough. The bags are noisy. The pockets are designed for light weight and not usability. Putting meat on is easy. Plus, the second and third trip needs no bag and weighs nothing. My hunting buddy has the newer Icon Pro 7200 and smaller bag. His is much better for usability but heavier. Comfort is as good as I've felt, even with 100# over several miles.

[MtnMuley]

I've got a bit of input on this. I've got the Kuiu Ultra 6000 and 1850 bag. The 1850 is the right size for day hunts. The 6000 is a good size for week hunts. I got mine last year. I packed 3 elk, 2 deer, and 1 bear then. I packed 2 elk this year. Some of those packs were a long dang ways. The frame is super light and tough. The bags are noisy. The pockets are designed for light weight and not usability. Putting meat on is easy. Plus, the second and third trip needs no bag and weighs nothing. My hunting buddy has the newer Icon Pro 7200 and smaller bag. His is much better for usability but heavier. Comfort is as good as I've felt, even with 100# over several miles.

  I could have literally wrote the exact same paragraph word for word........minus the bear and add a couple more deer.

[7mmfan]

I've made up my mind that I'm going with the Exo-Mtn Gear pack, but am struggling with the size. My friend has the 3500, he feels its big enough for a 3-5 day hunt. I'm working hard at putting together a very minimalist backpacking setup, but I worry about space.

On their website, they say if you plan to hunt under 5 days, the 3500 should be fine unless its a late season hunt where you need to bring more clothing.

Does anyone have any experience specifically with these bags (Exo-Mountain Gear 3500 or 5500) and can give me some input as to the gear hauled and why it did or did not meet your needs.

My wife wants to order this for Christmas, I can hear her foot tapping from Seattle right now...

[buglebuster]

I'd just go ahead and buy the bigger bag. They compress so small either way you'll be glad you did! You can't add the inches when you need them!

[whacker1]

I've made up my mind that I'm going with the Exo-Mtn Gear pack, but am struggling with the size. My friend has the 3500, he feels its big enough for a 3-5 day hunt. I'm working hard at putting together a very minimalist backpacking setup, but I worry about space.

On their website, they say if you plan to hunt under 5 days, the 3500 should be fine unless its a late season hunt where you need to bring more clothing.

Does anyone have any experience specifically with these bags (Exo-Mountain Gear 3500 or 5500) and can give me some input as to the gear hauled and why it did or did not meet your needs.

My wife wants to order this for Christmas, I can hear her foot tapping from Seattle right now...

My buddy brought his 3500 on a planned 7 day hunt.  We ended up cutting out after 4 days, but I packed the tipi tent and stove.  He did not have enough room inside the pack for a tent or stove.  He had a spotting scope and that would have been the difference maker deciding between tent and spotting scope. or tent on the outside of the pack.

If you were in a 5 day early season hunt, with less in the way of gear, then it would be possible, but I think a stretch for a late season hunt.  We were in Montana at 8000 feet in the last week of October. 

I would lean toward the 5500 as it doesn't cost you much in the way of weight.  He is inclined to buy a second bag for his frame for this reason.

[7mag.]

3500 ci is not big enough for a backpack hunt, unless you don't plan on hauling any meat out. You don't have to use all of a bigger pack, but, with a smaller pack, once it's full, it's full.

[jackelope]

3500 ci is not big enough for a backpack hunt, unless you don't plan on hauling any meat out. You don't have to use all of a bigger pack, but, with a smaller pack, once it's full, it's full.

This.
I've seen a fully corked 3500 EXO on a 4 day hunt. The guy carrying it had pretty good gear and it was full. I couldn't figure out where he was going to put meat if he killed. I wouldn't consider anything but the 5500.
My .02

[coop2424]

Go with the 5500..  I have the 3500 and probably am going to be going to a bigger bag or something different in the offseason..  Probably will be the 5500 on kifaru frame but have not made my mind up yet.. 

[7mmfan]

I just placed my order for the 5500, got the beavertail, and weapon hauler attachment. Looking forward to trying this guy out!

[fair-chase]

I know I'm a little late chiming in on this, but I think you made the right choice with the Exo 5500. I only have one season on the Exo 3500, but so far it has exceeded my expectations.

First, I would like to address the comments about cubic inches and meat hauling. One of the advantages to having an external frame pack, is that the meat is able to be "sandwiched" between the frame and the bag. It does not take away your from your bags storage capacity to haul meat, as the bag itself is simply moved outward to accommodate the additional load between the frame and bag. I can see no good reason for hauling meat inside the bag itself unless your game bags failed or ripped. Why would you intentionally cut off air circulation to the meat by placing it inside the main compartment???

Regarding capacity, I feel the 3500 cu. in. rating to be extremely conservative. I'm not sure how Exo came up with that figure, but it must be for the main compartment only. With a lid and the external side pockets, this pack loads out to what feels like a 4500. The external side pockets are quite large and stretchable, and the lid is almost too big for what I pack in it. Even so, I would not recommend the 3500 for extended trips. Realizing that everyone's gear list and comfort levels are different. And that without a truly dialed in minimalist kit, you would be short on space. I've used the 3500 for a 10 day trip, but the stars were aligned. I had good water sources, and it was mid season with great weather. Your not loosing anything by going with the 5500 as the weight penalty is fairly insignificant. If the 5500 is anything like the 3500 it should compress down nicely for day use.

I'm currently using the beavertail to haul 65lbs of sand for training. I'm close to logging 500 miles with this setup and it is still functioning flawlessly. Although completely subjective, the frame and waistbelt are the most comfortable I've ever used. The lumbar pad is a little sticky/grippy, so getting it set in the right place without your clothes wrinkled underneath is important when first donning the pack.

The metal webbing loops used for changing out the bag and beavertail are a little tricky (pain in the...) at first. I thought they might be an issue; but after some use and changing it out a few times, either I got better, or the webbing softened up to make it easier. Either way it's a non issue for me now.

I haven't really torture tested this pack yet; I've had fairly mild conditions this year and less dense terrain. However, by the feel of the fabric and overall construction, I am expecting this pack to be fairly durable. Less durable than Mystery Ranch, but more durable than Kuiu Icon. Hopefully that gives you an idea of where this pack lands.

At this point the only thing I would change on the bag is the side access and top closer. I much preferred the roll top style of Kuiu Icon, and the ability to completely unfold the main bag compartment. I may consider having it altered in the future, if I can find a qualified seamstress that can install the welded zippers.

[7mmfan]

That's a good breakdown, thanks fair-chase. I will mainly be using this bag as a daypack with the ability to haul a large amount of meat from the kill site without having to go back to the truck/camp first. I often hunt 4-5 miles behind gates or off trail, so its just not feasible. That was my holdup with going with the bigger pack, was whether it would function well as a daypack when it was fully compressed. After seeing my friends 3500 compressed and being told they both compress to basically the same size, I feel good about my purchase. I talked with Steve, the owner this morning for a while, and he answered some of my questions, and made me feel that much better about it. We'll see when it gets here!

[7mmfan]

Wife says I can't open it until Christmas 

[jtw]

Thats a cruel woman! I stuck with the exo and even got to pack a deer out with it. Great pack Im sure youll love it.