What hunting pack is better and why?

I'm a big fan of EXO 3500 ... I'm partial to packs that allow you to strap elk quarters bet eww no pack and frame. Keeps the mess out of your pack.

for me, the kifaru wins every time. I have yet to use or play with a stone glacier or an exo but hear great things about them.
ive used quite a few packs over the years and the kifaru is better in every way.
ive used the eberlestock just one, and blue widow, badlands superday, and 2200, kuiu icon 7200 and a few others.

I would go with kifaru over any of the others. I run a hunter frame with the Reckoning pack. Seems like everyone is making a pack these days, kifaru has been making them for decades and imho has figured out what works and what doesn't.
Several buddies who have other big name packs have sold them to buy Kifaru after trying mine with a heavy load.

I've used Kuiu's 7200 and felt if i had to pack a sheep out with it, it would have failed(literally exploded). Also didn't like how shift side to side it was. I am on to Stone Glacier now, feels very secure and stays on top of my hips.

Honestly, you probably won't notice a huge difference between the packs you listed. With a 3-4000 cu inch pack you likely won't be hauling enough weight for one to stand out over another.

The other thing is to learn how to properly fit/adjust your pack. If you fail to do this, it doesn't matter what you get.

Before purchasing, I would suggest reasearching various adjustments and functions of a pack so you can spot design flaws. Eberlestock might be tough as nails, but throw some weight in them and go a mile or two and your arms will be numb and shoulders will be sore (they don't have a tall enough frame to make use of the load lifter straps)

Kuiu Ultra. if you need to change it to fit you need you can.

You'll be very happy with your choice, Exo Mtn Gear is a very well made lightweight/comfortable pack, for lightweight packs you can't go wrong with SG or Exo MG, SG having larger bag options but I think EMG bags are laid out better.

I have owned both and once on hard to tell them apart, for me I would give Exo MG the edge.

Still the most comfortable pack for me is the MR Nice Frame, about 2.5lbs heavier than the SG or EMG but I could lose 60lbs so the weight is no issue !

Im a stocky sort and find the Kuiu line of packs doesn't fit me very well but my brother is a skinny little runt and loves it !

My 280AI resting on my Exo MG 5500 last fall hunting Mule Deer, the pack didn't disappoint.

I use a Kuiu Ultra 6000 bag on an Icon suspension. I like the padding of the Icon suspension for packing out with heavy weight (if all goes right) and the weight and simplicity of the ultra bags. This combo has been working out great for me. On extended hunting I will also carry an ultra 1800 bag as a day pack, leaving the 6000 at camp still organized. A couple of my buddies has SG and Exo packs and they seem awesome. The SG in particular seems to handle heavy loads extremely well and will like be my next pack.

We've used the kuiu packs for several years. They are lightweight and easy to use. From elk to back country mountain goat they haven't let us down. An 1850 or 3200 make a good day pack. The 5200s are enough for a week in the back country. This is an elk quarter on the 3200.

I have had an eberlestock J107 dragonfly for at least 7 years. Packed out at least 10 bulls and a few deer,sheep and antelope in it and I love it. I use it as my day pack and I mainly hunt central Idaho(very steep) and I have never thought it was heavy. Has held up well, can haul extremely heavy loads, has a huge main area, fits like a glove and gets my gun out of my hands when I'm hauling loads which I think is imperative. Good luck on your search for a pack. I think all of the "high end" packs are a lot better than anything made 20 years ago. Just adding my 2 cents.

I've used Kifaru, Kuiu, and Stone Glacier (currently running a Sky Archer 6200) out of the packs listed. I hated the Kuiu that I had. It was terribly uncomfortable and flimsy. Kifaru and Stone Glacier are both great packs but I just preferred the simple, clean design of the Stone Glacier. My wife uses my EMR now

Here is a review I did on the Exo and Kifaru I have. I like things about both. I think rigging up the Kifaru hip belt on the Exo might be perfect for 90% of what I do. I originally posted this on Rokslide.

After using both packs for a while now I thought I'd share a few thoughts about them and how they work for me. I'm no expert and certainly haven't done the trips or put the miles on a lot of you have with them so take it for what it's worth. I have had the opportunity to switch back and forth between them all summer training so I just figured I'd share my thoughts.

Both have worked well and are very well built. I won't be bashing either here, I really like them both.

I have an Exo 3500 with the Crib attachment I bought last year and used last season. This year I also bought a Kifaru 26" tactical frame with the Nomad 2 bag, Grab It 2, and Guide Lid.

The Exo worked great and I really like the pack. I love the lay-out on the 3500 bag for even day hunting with my gear and optics. I was unsuccessful on my muley hunt so I didn't get to pack meat with it yet, but packed loads up to 80lbs training with it last year and this year. The Kifaru I purchased for my moose hunt this year. I'm hunting a unit where quarters are required to be carried bone-in. Others who have done this hunt also ended up carrying bulky loads like boat motors and inflatable boats. I thought the Nomad 2 on the bigger frame would be easier to secure such loads to.

I have a lot of muscle but also pack to much weight around my middle at 5'11" and 250lbs. Ranch work plus my training provides lots of opportunity to build muscle, but home cooked meals and my love for them keep me from dropping the extra weight. My experience with the loaded packs is from walking 2-4 miles through the worst hills and rocks near home with 25-80lbs 3 to 4x per week depending on the day and goals.

I'll start with the Exo. I love the way this pack moves with me as I hunt. The lateral flex this pack has makes it feel like I'm not wearing a frame pack when just hunting. Our hunt last fall we hunted from a base camp due to a 15" snow so I didn't put a full camp load in it. I also really like the bag layout. It's simple but really effective, it has the pockets I need without a bunch of extra I don't. The long side pockets are quick and convenient for my tripod and spotter, but will also hold my rifle if I want to get it out of my hands for a long hike. The stretch pocket holds my rifle rest for my tripod, wind meter, and drift chart, the items I might want quick if a shot presents itself. The main pocket holds food, puffy jacket and pants, possibles bag, whatever else is needed. I sometimes use the lid and sometimes don't depending on the day. It works well but is extra straps for some stuff that I don't need. I even use the pack whitetail hunting so I can carry my warm stuff into the spot I'll hunt without overheating.

Loaded the pack is comfortable for me with up to 80lbs. I have not loaded this pack heavier than 80lbs that I can recall right now. The hip belt doesn't let me transfer as much weight off my shoulders as the Kifaru version does. The shoulder straps are comfortable enough and it transfers enough weight though that I really haven't ever been bothered by it. I think if I was slimmer around the middle the belt would work better. I like that the shoulder straps don't really bother me shooting, and that the slimmer frame makes carrying a rifle on a sling more comfortable and stable. The lateral flex hasn't bothered me with a load. Also the design gets a lot more airflow between my back and the pack than the Kifaru does. This is especially nice for me training on days where the heat index is over 100 degrees.

The Kifaru pack is stout. I went with the tactical frame instead of the hunting frame primarily because I was buying it for the moose trip. My plan for this pack is to use it when loads will be very bulky or just plain heavy. It isn't uncomfortable at all but you also won't forget you are wearing a frame with this pack. I haven't got to use this pack hunting yet, so I can't say as much about the layout of this one. It holds the gear I'll want for day hunting moose fine. Gear I want access to goes in the pockets of the Nomad and my clothing layers will go in an Outdoor Research 35L dry bag held between the wings in the Grab It. I don't think I'll use the Guide lid for this hunt, I just don't see needing the extra capacity. The pockets inside the wings hold my tripod and Kowa 55mm spotter well. One disadvantage I've seen is that the load lifters want to push the sling of my rifle off my shoulder. I plan to add a sling keeper to the strap before my hunt to help with this. When the pack isn't loaded heavy I just leave my right load lifter a bit looser and it stops being an issue. The Exo I don't notice this as much.

One advantage to this pack set up is how modular it is. It took a while to get all the straps moved to where they work best for me, and I added a few compression straps to the open loops. I can really lock a load in place now. The hipbelt on this pack is awesome even for a fat guy like me. I can cinch it down centered on my hip bones and get it tight enough to get the weight off my shoulders. It's comfortable with the heaviest weight I've tried so far of 90lbs. The Grab It 2 lets me put the weight as high as I want it and keep it there, really similar to the Crib on the Exo when I use it. I'm becoming a fan of having an attachment like that to be able to keep a load from sagging for the little bit they weigh.

I guess the bottom line is that both have their place for me. Both are well built and handle the weights I'd normally carry well. The way I chose to set them up for most of my hunts for game up to elk size I'll use the Exo. The simple bag layout works really well for me and I like the lateral flex of the frame for crawling over rocks and fallen trees. It cinches down for day hunts and still lets me take a load out to the truck, after which I can either grab the Kifaru frame or take the bag off and use the Crib for following loads. I like that it's easier to carry my rifle slung with the Exo also. If I knew I was going to be going a lot of miles without stopping with the pack loaded really heavy, as in 70 plus pounds, I'd choose the Kifaru for that hunt. The way the hip belt fits lets me transfer the weight on or off my shoulders better so I could give different parts of my body a break. The way the Exo fits me it's probably a 60/40 hip to shoulder weight split, the Kifaru I can make it 80/20 or more if I want. At least that's the way it feels to me, again I'm no expert.

The Kifaru the way I set it up has more straps to mess with to access gear quickly. This isn't a negative on Kifaru, they have bags that are much more comparable to the Exo, but I specifically wanted this pack to handle bulky load that the Exo wouldn't handle as well. I think it will do an excellent job of what I need it to after using it for a while. The extra straps really let me lock a load in place. I hope to test that theory next month in Alaska. I can also see myself keeping this locked and concealed in the vehicle on elk hunts to take meat out after the first trip. I could put water bottles and the minimal gear I'd need in the wings of the Nomad 2 and put the meat load between them. It would be simpler than taking the bag off the Exo and using just the Crib, then figuring out where to carry extra water.

Both packs have a Nalgene holder from Pods8 on here on the LH side of the hip belt, back as far as I can put it to be out of my way. Those work really well for easily accessible water. I'm not huge on water bladders unless I'm somewhere really hot and dry. I'll pack a smart water bottle or two if I need extra water capacity.

Anyway that's my thoughts and I hope they help.

Face it, we're spoiled by so many good packs.
As in backpacking it all boils down to what feels best with a load for you.

Weatherby Fan said it well when he related the difference between he and his brother's build and pack preferences to suit each one.

Eric B.

I use a Kuiu 3200 Icon. I like it a lot.