Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Stone Glacier packs

It's nice to see another American pack maker give it a go, especially one who builds for the hunting crowd. I wish the new company the best of luck and hope it succeeds.

Kurt, thanks for clearly spelling out your goals for this pack... I think I completely understand what you're after.

What you've found with aluminum stays is true of course. That's why over 20 years ago Dana (and later Osprey and Arcteryx) went with an additional HDPE sheet and twin "outrigger stays" of Fiberglass, Delrin, Aluminum, Titanium and the like, in addition to the twin primary stays. Those packs would/do handle 100+ lb loads. They also used a lumbar with belt passing behind it as that arrangement, I believe, typically fits a wider variety of bodies and offers the ability to "lock" the pack to ones back in a more effective way than a full wrap-around belt (while additionally utilizing the outrigger stays).

For me I'd rather carry a bit more additional weight of a tunable suspension than one without the ability to be articulated (or a static frame with no articulation)... I just think it's a move backwards to the packframe's of the 1970's rather than forwards, building on what has already been established beyond dispute.

Your hibelt with its Arcteryx Altra rise (hump) is what works fine with what I call "factory original" backs. For those of use with more curve in the lumbar area, they're a painful thing... the upper digs into the back above the lumbar. And there are more than a few of us around with this sort of back... from his description I'd say Vek is one of the clan. The Arcteryx Altra was the most painful pack I've worn in over 30 years because of the belt design with hump. It literally rubbed a hole in my back on a short pack to Sheep Lake two summers ago in the Madison's.

That's why my visceral and frustrated response on this thread. I'm a pack nut and am always looking for the holy grail. It's hard to see what is an obviously beautifully built, US Made pack that really isn't much more than a packboard with padding.

Of course, as you point out, this is a VERY specific tool for one thing. It's not a backpackers pack obviously. And if that's what you were after, than who am I to criticize. After all, you're doing it, not me.

Thanks for your kind response and offer of the use of one of your packs. If that offer still stands this fall come elk rifle season I'll gladly take you up on it. I think you'll find me more reasonable in person that I likely came off on this thread, and certainly would love to cuss and discuss the finer points of pack building!

Very sound post, my experience tends to support Brad's comments and I also have a quite curved lumbar region. To date, I have never found more comfortable packs than the Dana Design series and the subsequent Mystery Ranch models.

I can carry my original NICE "Gen. 1" frame with Load Sling, with a 75 lb. bag of sand on it quite comfortably and am short enough, that the lifters will-barely-work for me. With the 6500 and Wolf Alpha bags, this NICE and my later NICE "Overkill" work almost perfectly for me and are very comfortable. "Horses for Courses".

I will be most interested to read any reports Brad may make here should he "test drive" one of these packs by Kurt, the more activity the better in developing new gear, IMHO.

That said, and while I have mine, I wish that Dana, would bring back the Terraframe, especially in the "Shortbed" configuration as this solid external suits me perfectly and quite a few others also seem very happy with it.

Brad,
You are always welcome to swing by and grab a pack for the weekend. I would enjoy discussing the finer points of pack making as well. My contact info is on the website.
Thanks to those with supportive comments, very much appreciated. If there are any specific questions I would be happy to answer them via email or PM.
Kurt Racicot
Stone Glacier

Just curious - is this a good fit?

If you have a Franken-Back (no curve in your spine) then it probably is a great fit. A few of us quit rigid pack-frames years ago for a reason. But it's obviously a compromise frame, designed for light weight to carry heavy loads, not for ultimate fit or comfort.

I'm willing to try one in that context.

Brad, just curious, what would be your recommended pack for me to use for frequent 2-4 day trips, 50lbs worth on avg in the pack, and the occassional 100+ trip, and convenient to use? I'll try anything, but I must admit that I've been pretty happy with the MR NICE bags I've used since 2004, which are always improving. I also really like the Solo that Kurt loaned me to try.. ultra lightweight and very slick. I've yet to load down either of the packs that I've been using this summer with more than 50lbs though. MR has made some tweaks to the prototype I've been using this summer, and aside from being a little on the heavy side, it should be a terrific pack for what I like to use them for..

Kurt, I thought that was a Stone Glacier Pack in the picture... yes? Or MR prototype? It's kinda hard to tell from the distance the shot is taken. Sure looks like an awfully straight pack like the Stone Glacier.

If the Stone Glacier used a lumbar and pass-behind belt, I'd be more interested in it. Having used a nearly identical system (Arcteryx Altra series) I'm about positive that full wrap-around belt with its high back will rub a hole in my back. That's what the Altra 75 did to my quite curvy back.

For me, a pack needs to get bent forward and around/above the shoulders more than the way the pack in your picture and the Stone Glacier web pic on the previous page shows. That's why I was (overly) harsh commenting about it. It can't ride over/above the shoulders because it's a rigid frame and can't be shaped. Really, no different than an external. But at least, unlike the MR NICE packs, the load lifters ride nice and high an that's an improvement. A pack that's over you shoulders, rather than well behind them (like the Stone Glacier), will ride closer to your spinal column/center of gravity, and if packed properly, won't feel like it's pulling you backwards. It will carry far better and be far less fatiguing.

I'd stick with what's working for you and makes you happy. You likely are one of those blessed with a factory original back, that won't be bothered by the high-backed Stone Glacier belt.

For me, I've got too curvy a spine to be happy with something so straight. I like the Arcteryx Bora 80 myself, despite its packbag which I'm not a big fan of... but it's got stout stays that are FL and can be bent to my back, while using the old Dana Design fiberglass wands or out-riggers. 100 lbs is very doable with that pack.

The MR G-series (not the NICE stuff) have an overly complex, fits-all frame system (lacking FL vertical stays) with it's X frame and small stays in lumbar and shoulder harness that I couldn't get a good fit with. For me the shoulder harness design is overly dependent on the load lifters as it's attached pretty far down the back-panel which I don't like. It's a pity, as I'd love to own a locally made pack.

But I haven't tried an MR in around 4 or 5 years.

PS, assume you've got "your" goat picked out and are waiting for its coat to get full?

Here's a crude visual of what I mean when I wrote the above, and essentially how an internal should look if properly fitted to one's back... load lifters in red:

Brad, That's a Stone Glacier Solo in the photo, and I must admit I really enjoyed carrying it, as well as my visits with Kurt Roscoe on his ideas/interests in backpack hunting and gear. Also, the 2nd version of the Mystery Ranch NICE lightweight 3600 bag has load lifters incorpoarated to pull the weight forward and higher. I'll be using one as soon as I can, as well as the Stone Glacier, depending on what I'm doing. I've used a few different backbacks over the years, but never an Arc Teryx Bora, might have to check it out. With years of using the Mystery Ranch NICE, I've yet to experience problems with fit/function - maybe I do have a "factory original" or frankenback. I do fair bit of backpacking and occasionally with heavy "weird loads" and I don't remember ever getting a sore back, it's usually sore knees, legs, and hips - par for the course. I've been belt rubbed a few times though.

I feel lucky to live in Bozeman Montana, for a lot of reasons, and also for the fact that we have some great backpack designers with experience in the use of innovative products and no shortage of extreme customer service all through the design, feedback, and abuse of their products. Mystery Ranch is great, Kurt Roscoe is onto something for the hunting niche also!

You should take the Solo for a test drive and visit with Kurt in person about his ideas.

I really like what I'm seeing with these packs. Seem to be well thought out by someone who has BT/DT.

I've heard they are shipping...

Brad, did you ever go check one out?

I have one on the way, should arrive early next week.

I received my Solo pack today. Finished getting it fitted and have messed around with about 30lbs in it so far. The real test will be Sunday as I am gonna go bag a 13,000ft summit in Colorado. Should have a pretty good idea after that trip, and will post a quick review when I get home.

Got a surprise from UPS yesterday afternoon.

Took the pack out for a 8 mile hike this morning.

It's light, easy to adjust, fits real nice and easy to carry.

Not hot spots or anything to complain about.

The only thing I would change would be to add mesh pockets on the sides to hold water bottles.

Did I mention it's light?

Not really, 'cause I still don't know what it weighs.

http://www.stoneglacier.com/products.html
Here ya go.
Solo 3.5lbs
Terminus 3.9lbs

@Huntr - how did the pack work out for you this weekend?

Loved it actually. Spent 5 hours packing about 30lbs yesterday. Stopped just short of the Engineer Mountain summit (13,000ft) due to weather, but had a GREAT day. The pack is very comfortable to me, rode well and felt great the whole time. FAR better than my Mystery Ranch Longbow. I will be loading it with 50, 60 and 80lbs soon to see how it handles more weight as that is the true test.

Thanks. Are you concerned with durability? Is the mesh on the shoulder straps, belt, and back panel the same as that used by Mystery Ranch? If I understand correctly, all three parts use nitrogen foam for cushioning and then a mesh fabric over top.