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Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 14,463
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 14,463 |
I think I'll refrain from drinking the Kif UL kool-aid for awhile.
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 208
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 208 |
It's nice to see Kifaru making an ultralight pack for the people that want one. I have to agree with SU35 I'm content with my Cordura. I don't want to have to worry about rips and tears or babying my pack. I know Elk Reaper took a good fall with one on but for a pack that fabric just doesn't give me the warm and fuzzies.
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 834
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 834 |
if you happen to read thru the kifaru forum thread it sounds like patrick & a few others have been using this pack just like the other packs for the last 3 or 4 yrs testing it out with no ill effects. it's also something that took about 10 yrs to get to market. like anything u.l. they all have there limitations & there may not be a do all u.l. out there.......
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 767
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 767 |
I'm still trying to wrap my mind around Cuben. From what I've read, it can be somewhat difficult to work with. Now that I have a pack with some Spectra/Dyneema on it, I can see why people like it - the fabric is very strong and durable and has a good texture to it.
Russ, Cuben is pretty interesting stuff. I've heard the same about it being hard to work with. If you want a sample cheap go to zpacks and order a large tent stake bag. I've got a couple of them. They're 3" wide by 10" tall, weigh 0.1 oz each and will hold 12 MSR Groundhogs. Cuben seems pretty tough too. I've thought about a Cuben tarp, but dang they're expensive.
Last edited by RockChucker30; 12/16/10.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
Its tipi material.. more or less I"m assuming the pack is fairly waterproof then?
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,022
Campfire 'Bwana
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Campfire 'Bwana
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 46,022 |
if you happen to read thru the kifaru forum thread it sounds like patrick & a few others have been using this pack just like the other packs for the last 3 or 4 yrs testing it out with no ill effects. ....... That's a fact, I've seen it in action, I think dating back 2 years IIRC. He beats the crap out of all his gear before it hits the shelves.
A wise man is frequently humbled.
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Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 767
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 767 |
Its tipi material.. more or less I"m assuming the pack is fairly waterproof then? Patrick confirmed that if the pack is seam sealed it should be more or less waterproof. By his choice of words I got the impression that he thought it would be waterproof if sealed, but that he didn't want to guarantee it. I can understand that.
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Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 801
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 801 |
Congrats to Patrick and the Kifaru crew. It doesn't look quite like a set up that suits me and I think it is gonna be hard to get me to give up my MR, but I love seeing a good old USA company doing well! I am sure many hours went into the design and testing of the pack and they have to feel great being able to unvail it and offer it up to us hunters. Best of luck to them. Casey
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Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,711
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,711 |
Dave Page in Seattle resoled my boots this year due to something along these lines...the soles on my norwegian welt wafflestompers wore through to the midsole, so that got replaced too. Loaded on that stuff: 1mph tops, and that's two-tripping something that can easily be one-tripped on better footing. All uphill, too, even when going downhill. Looks like they got cordura on the pack bottom. But, will the light fabric hold together when you do your half-gainer off a large loose rock and land pack-first on something sharp? Maybe the rip will stop... I don't think that Alaskans are snobs when it comes to durability but we don't want to second guess whether or not our gear will survive.
This pict is from a glacial moraine on barnard glacier.
Basically you have to travel on a river of rock over a river of ice for miles. It wears the living daylights out of everything.
More than 5 different hunters have died there due to rock slides avalanches, crevasses, and just nasty country in the last 100 years. This picture is 15 miles from the take out landing strip and about 12 miles from either good goat hunting or sheep hunting in two different directions. It is a roughly 35 mile tramp. In general when you see this stuff and alders, you choose the alders.
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Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 429
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 429 |
IME, Some common sense is required with this UL gear. Will it be as bulletproof as the heavy packs- heck no. Is it durable and UL at the same time as long as you don't abuse it- Aron says it is and I believe him.
UL gear always comes with some kind of a tradeoff. No doubt this pack isn't for everyone but it sounds like Kifaru made on heck of an effort.
"Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win."
Things turn out best for people who make the best of the way things turn out-Art Linkletter
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 399
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 399 |
IME, Some common sense is required with this UL gear.
UL gear always comes with some kind of a tradeoff. No doubt this pack isn't for everyone but it sounds like Kifaru made on heck of an effort. +1. I hope all you guys with packs on the way will keep us posted.
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 17,390
Campfire Ranger
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Campfire Ranger
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 17,390 |
Big,
Where in central WA?
I'm in Richland
“Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils.” - General
John Stark.
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474
Campfire Kahuna
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Campfire Kahuna
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,474 |
Its tipi material.. more or less I"m assuming the pack is fairly waterproof then? Patrick confirmed that if the pack is seam sealed it should be more or less waterproof. By his choice of words I got the impression that he thought it would be waterproof if sealed, but that he didn't want to guarantee it. I can understand that. I don't know that anything but the pack I saw a guy in AK on our deer hunt had.... is waterproof... it was actually basically a heavy dry bag with straps.... I'd think that you could sweat stuff in it to damp, and that it could leak even if seam sealed.. not sure how the seam sealing will go with a heavy load in it, IE stretching some... but basically the pack will probably stay fairly dry is my guess.
We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
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Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 399
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 399 |
An option to trying to seam seal the pack would be to use a dedicated waterproof pack liner. I can only imagine how tuff it would be to do a good job of sealing a pack. And with the stretch of the fabric, I would think it would be tough to achieve 100% waterproofing when it is loaded up. The tarps, tents, gloves and stuff sacks I have seam sealed have all be less than perfect jobs, even with my best efforts.
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Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,228
Campfire Tracker
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Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 3,228 |
It has been interesting to watch all the debate on wether these packs will work, will last, what the tear strength etc are, especially at BPL. This post today by a BPl regular kind of cut to the basics.
"guys ... you can comment and dice all you want
i invite you to stuff a goat in your pack and carry it a decent distance
and no i dont hunt or have anything to do with the funky named pack in any way
IMO ... if it works and it doesnt fail ... that what matters"
Ed T
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Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,604
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 1,604 |
I saw that extremely long thread  It's funny how people take offense sometimes to load haulers at BPL. I like to pack light, I often end up carrying other people stuff.
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 98
Campfire Greenhorn
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OP
Campfire Greenhorn
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 98 |
I agree. It started out as just a fyi thread but turned into a real debate. I think there's a lot of not seeing the forest though the trees going on. The question of tear strength seems to be a big issue but if the stuff lasts who cares. Some get caught up in numbers and as an Engineer I'm certainly one of those sometimes.
We'll see how it turns out. The question has been raised before so perhaps it time it gets answered. I just hope it's done right.
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Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 792
Campfire Regular
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Campfire Regular
Joined: Nov 2008
Posts: 792 |
That Backpacking light thread is getting ridiculous. It looks to me like some people are really jealous and threaten by the awesome packs Kifaru is putting out. I don't care about a stupid fabric test. If it works, it works.
David, i am in Cle Elum but I go down to Yakima about once or twice a mounth.
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Joined: May 2010
Posts: 103
Campfire Member
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Campfire Member
Joined: May 2010
Posts: 103 |
I should have never got on BPL in the first place.
When I want to test out the strength of a pack, I go jamb a ton of weight into it and hike for several miles! I guess "in field" testing is not the correct way, you need to know the: Tear, Grab, Rip and something else strength of the material. Packing out big animals just is not enough proof.
I'm done on BPL:) I'm not a light weight guy anyway. Thanks to the guys the defended me on that thread, I appreciate it!
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Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 13,649
Campfire Outfitter
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Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 13,649 |
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