Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting what makes a kifaru better??

Thats kinda the issue on adding pockets... other packs have it done without excess weight.... and the pullouts are fine, but you've already dumped 500 bucks and now have to dump some more. And then get into the pack to get to something..

Just different takes on what is a PITA to others I suspect.

Kifaruites can crow that their grand poobah taj mahal of hunting packs, the longhunter, is finally worth buying.

For a company marketing hunting packs, to run with Henry Ford Black for so long as a primary pack color is a bit of a joke. Your quarry sees shades of gray (for the most part), and you make your flagship hunting pack in one of two highest contrasting colors (is white a color? I'll leave that to the physicists.). Then, to ease concerns about either safety or contrast, you can attach a camo/orange reversible fleece panel. Novel.

Black isn't the end of the world, but I can think of no situation where a black pack would be preferable over a medium earth tone. If I'm not gravely mistaken, cordura comes in a variety of colors. Looks like they finally caught on.

Other than that, seeing modern packs, hunting or otherwise, festooned with myriad pockets drives me nuts. Good on Kifaru for sticking with the tube. Keep it simple and snagless. Older dana packs with the two long pockets on the back are awful handy as well, yet not overdone.

It ain't hard to pick off an older Dana from ebay or craigslist. Many available in a decent green, some in nice shades of earth. Many times for less than $200. Pockets included.

If I ever tire of the danas, I'll be taking a hard look at the longhunter in the gray/green.

Nobody mentioned wanting a gazillion pockets on here like the yuppie packs. Just a couple external pockets would come in handy for those quick access items.

Geez, don't ever critique a Kifaru product on here!

MtnHtr

I checked out the sacrifice at badlands yesterday, I must have it. back to the pockets, I got out the pack I have to weigh it and look it over again, I store just a few things in it that I only use for backpack hunting, good lord the items add up quickly, YOU HAVE TO HAVE POCKETS IF YOU KNOW ANY THING ABOUT HUNTING. there are so many little items to must be grabbed and used throughout the day. just some of what I carry, headlamp, snacks, a coyote call very small, hoochie momma, gloves, stocking hat, knife, lighter, radio, I can't tell you how many times I am coyoting out overlooking a rockslide where bucks are bedded 200 yards away, I can't unpack my entire pack to get out a granola bar, I don't wanna dig through my other crap to find my headlamp when it gets dark, a real hunting pack is made out of camo, why not just have a suitcase with a frame on it. a real hunting pack has pockets end of story.

Top pack on The Longhunter works great for me. Tim

Radio??? Never used one. Does that mean I don't KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HUNTING????

As for the other stuff, I do use pockets, on my shirt and pants. You should try those, they're the best thing since sliced bread.

"If you know anything about hunting," (your words) you'd know that if you have your game calls stashed in a pocket of a backpack, you're screwed. They need to be accessible, on a lanyard or front shirt pocket. Same with anything you need to have immediately accessible, like binos--a backpack pocket does you no good.

I use all the above and IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HUNTING you know that having them accessible when you need them does not require pockets on a backpack. Almost everything you mentioned, and more that you didn't, like a little squeeze bottle with talc for wind direction, binoculars, range-finder, etc. can fit on a neck strap or in a pants/shirt pocket. Bulky stuff like gloves and hat can go in a top pocket.

It ain't rocket science.

What Smoke said plus I use my jacket pockets. If you have a Kifaru pack with a possibles pouch, it will hold a lot more than I need quick access to---Oh and I figure that in the past 40 years of hunting "I know a few things," at least thats whah the 25-30 dead elk figure.

I think price is what it comes down to for most! Just like those who will almost beat you if you bad-mouth MR CC, etc. My only regret with Kifaru is not buying them sooner!

Maybe that is why I did not kill an elk last year, my calls were out where I needed them. This year I will leave them packed and dig for them.........

Good huntn!

Wow. you ask for advice and then insult those whose opinion differs from yours. Life must be tough with an attitude like that!

Not only do Smokepole and Ed T NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HUNTING, they're both clearly old, crotchety, and opinionated as well.

no one has said, why a kifaru is better, which I genuinely wanted to know in the beginning. an example would be the zippers are better, the stitching is better, it offers this or that, so far all I am getting is its expensive, it bascially packs like a suit case, and carries a load good.

I have never seen one, but from the looks of it, its not camo, I know camo is bogus for the most part(except for predator brand camo), but why not because it doesn't ad to the cost any, you have to buy extra attachments for pockets, its fairly heavy. and worse yet has no to little built in pockets. I am not seeing how this is even a pack anyone would consider for serious hunting, people say put stuff in your coat, shirt whatever, so when I take my coat off mid morning do I have to unpack my coat?? take my headlamp out of it, take out my jerky and granola bar and put it in the pack, as for game calls the best setup for me is, having the lanyard tied to my pack and the call slipped in slot on the shoulder strap. that way its there, if I have my shirt on, or my hoodie or even my coat.

it looks to me like the kifaru is better suited for a backpacking tree hugger person, it probably works great in that fashion as you don't need access to so many different things like you do in a hunting situation. maybe you guys are ok with compromises, I like to concentrate on hunting, not rearranging gear, not making excess noise, everything is in the same place, I know where its at, its easy that way, just like the day I finally broke down and spend a 1000 bucks on a giant tool box, there is a special place for everything, I can't tell you how much grief this has saved me.

pockets

http://cgi.ebay.ca/40mm-M203-M79-Grenadier-Vest-/300389765457

Better? Well, I guess that can get pretty subjective but here's a few observations.

Zippers: I was at Bass Pro Shops a month or so ago with a friend who used to rep what some derisevely call "tree-hugger" backpacks (along with other gear). Osprey was one of the brands, FWIW. He saw some Badlands packs and the first thing out of his mouth was "yuk, those zippers suck." Later, I showed him my 10 year old Kifaru Day Stalker. "Now those are zippers!" he remarked. And we weren't just bored and looking to slag on Badlands. (I have a Badlands Monster fanny pack too!)

Pockets: Coming from what is now becoming an old-school "rock-hugging" background, we avoided lots of zippers and pockets. We liked "tube" packs. If zippers fail your pack can become useless. Maybe Patrick's former life with Mountainsmith influences that. Nevertheless, back in the day, I wanted my alpine packs to be designed lean and clean...no junk sticking out the sides.

Load Carrying: Like many here, I've carried a lot of packs over the years. I was impressed how I could load 50-60 lbs in a Kifaru Spike Camp, bend over to tie my shoes, move around in awkward or imbalanced positions, and the pack stuck to me. I also have a Gregory Palisade that isn't worth a dmn when it has 60 or more pounds in it! Guess it's made for tree hugging. Point is, the Kifarus are designed to carry dense weight.

Made in USA: I am by NO MEANS a buy USA fan boy but there is no cheap overseas labor used in making Kifaru packs. That costs a bit more. Instead you get great customer service and the employees like working there (I've stopped in more than once).

Does that make them better? Maybe...maybe not. I also have an old Dana Design Bomb Pack (in red) from the mid '80s. One of my old climbing packs. It carries a moderate load quite well. My point...a well made pack that does its job lasts a long time and is worth the money.

Come again?? You can't be serious.....It's the load-carrying capacity.

To say the packs are not built for hunting is just ignorance, plain and simple.

You asked the question, and several people (below) answered. If you didn't really want the answers, why even ask? Just buy what you wanted and be done with it.

Wow, this guy is an idiot. I find it funny how people start a thread like this but they already have there mind set on bashing the product and telling people they are tree huggers cause they don't have a fetish for lots of pockets.

Reasons i don't like lots of pockets:

1. They add extra weight

2.They can be hard to fill out with gear and are a waste of space when hauling large items

3. I had a pack with lots of pockets, i couldn't remember where i put stuff, so i had to waste time digging through all of the pockets.

Well at least I know why I have so much trouble killing elk. It's the lack of pockets.

You nailed it! See it time and time again.

I think Kifaru is better for a lot of reasons some of which are. The gun bearer, great zippers, on the longhunter a stiff yet comfortable frame that gets the weight off your shoulders, and great customer service. The lack of pockets has never been a problem and I have used it for many different types of western hunts. The top pocket is pretty big. If you put your headlight, fire starter... in one pullout and knives, sharpener... in another pullout and daytime snacks in another all you have to do is zip open the lid and grab your pullout. Works for me.If they were to add a pocket I would likr it to be for a tripod and optics. I like some others dont like attaching extra pockets. Dean

Which are basically "pockets," just not on the outside. You can even take a piece of ribbon and color code/directly label the pullouts as to the category of contents. Fairly neat idea.