Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting Kifaru Late Season

I am looking for some opinions on this model, or at least the quality of this companies packs. I am looking for 2-3 days trips, then back to my main camp for resuplying.

This pack must also be used for my carry-on bag durring trips that I must fly(overhead) storage.

I have tried external frame packs and they are great for meat hauling. But I certainly cant use these for carry-on.

All help on this one will be appreciated, good or bad I will gladely liseten, just keep it civil.

Tks
Jason

Quality is top notch imo. I just used mine as a carry on to sweden and back without issue. Also made in the USA!

I have the Siwash which is the model slightly larger than this one and it is my favourite light hunting pack. I would suggest Mystery Ranch's Futura Deluxe as well, i have one and it is just superb.

I sold off and gave away all of my packs except my monster Bullpac frame to buy Mystery Ranch and Kifaru packs,, nothing else I have ever used is equal and I am certain that you will be happy with one, good people, good gear!

I kinda like the looks of the little Spike camp but would go with a MC Express for to use PODS etc. Yea the pack is only 2300cc but add a pod and some side pockets it could top 4000cc.

Kute.

I like the looks of that Siwash seems like a Navigator from the Mil side. How is a panel loader with a larger pack? Seems like it would be harder to over stuff like a top loader but easier to access your gear?

I have a SpikeCamp...I really like it. It's my day pack for hunting in the BC Coastal mountains west of Vancouver. I add a couple of pouches to the sides of it in colder weather. That combined bumps it up to 3200cc. It's a great pack, small enough to carry comfortably all day. Next up will be a Siwash for longer trips.

paul.

The Express and Spike camp are nearly the same but the POD attachments on the bottom of the Mil packs are a nice place to store a sleeping bag etc. I don't think the hunting packs have pod attachment lops on the bottom? But don't know. Still I want one or the other for larger daypack and a hike in fishing camp pack. Most of my deer hunting is from a tree stand within a mile from my car but still a larger daypack would be nice to carry in lunch etc.

I like my late season a lot. It does have a lot of external straps for a carry on piece of lugage. The quality is great.

To me, the Siwash is a small pack and I find a panel loader much better for hunting where you frequently want to access your gear than a toploader is; this is, after a great deal of consideration, why I chose this model. I seriously considered the Navigator, but, decided on the Siwash and it is my choice for most hunting, often combined with my Bullpac left in the vehicle for large game. ( Like the Moose I could have shot about 75 mi. west of Goldbridge, BC on my screwed-up RMGoat trip last Sept., EXCEPT, he had ONE point more than the legal TWO allowed in that area!!!! )

I prefer a somewhat larger pack, only partially filled with gear as this seems to scrunch down flatter and closer to my back-center of gravity than smaller packs do. I chose my Kifaru LHRondy for this same reason and this is a feature of Patrick's pack designs that really works for me.

I have thought, long and hard, about buying a Spikecamp for deer hunting here on the Coast where you are hunting farm/logging country and only carry minimal survival gear. But, they are a lot of $$$$$ for the 2-3 times per year I would use it, so, I am probably going to get a Black's Creek for this, the Siwash is a tad larger than needed,,but, for most BC deer-grouse hunting, it is about perfect, IMO.

When I spoke with Patrick about what I was looking for in a pack and what type of hunting that I do, he felt the late season was going to be the best bet. Plus the spike camp and late season packs that will work as carry-on.

Patrick informed me that the PODS will work with all of the hunting packs as well. That will really open up my pack being able to wrap my Jetboil inside by sleeping bag then place them inside of a POD, that extra space savings is going to be nice.

Has anyone used the cargo chair yet for hauling meat? How well did it work?

I use my CC for carrying my emerg. camp, all in a specific orange coloured stuff sack kept for this task and useful as a signaling device on the end of a trekking pole, as well. I prefer to carry the dense, heavy meat inside the Siwash wrapped first in a gamebag and then in a "ricesack"; this works better for balance, etc.

But, this year, after all the time and money spent in fine-tuning my Siwash and adding all the accessories I feel useful for me, I STILL just dragged out my deer with my same, old rope, as last year just after I bought the pack.......however, this pack is a real winner and only my Mystery Ranch Nice combo suits me better and then only for the heavier loads and longer trips.

I would go with what Patrick suggests, he is a good guy AND does not try to "hardsell" you a larger, pricier pack than you actually need; MR has the same kind of integrity and so does Janice at Bullpacs.....this is REAL important to me.

Kute:

I appreciate your replys, when looking at a pack in this price range it is nice to talk with people who have put them through their paces.

In regards to carrying meat I was thinking the same as you, and place my equipment in the CC and meat in the main compartment (center of gravity).

This season I used the external frame Adventure Pack from Jannesens Outdoors in Portland. The pack held my elk quarters very well and rode very comfortable, but trying to still hunt with this pack I was disapointed. Thus my search for this new pack.

Tks again
Jason

I had a late season for a while great pack but just a little too small especially if any cool/cold weather is about. I ended up with the Siwash which is a little bigger. Between it and the mystery ranch crew cab I am all set.

Lefty

Why not toss the meat into a large Kifaru POD. Have one for my MC EMR and it looks very big. Plus it attaches to the bottom so any blood etc will not run though the pack.

WW, you can't mount a pod on the bottom of the SpikeCamp easily, but it's no problem to mount it on top. If I use it with a medium pod, the pod rides on top, along with a blue cell foam pad rolled around a Thermarest. In that config, along with the side pouches, it's somewhere around 4500cc. I think that about maxes out the capability of the suspension. I keep it around 40lbs for summer backpacking. It's comfortable as can be, so I can only imagine how much better a Siwash would be.
If I could do it over again, I'd buy the Siwash instead. Kute told me to when I first started looking at Kifaru gear, but I didn't listen to him...not that I'm complaining, I love my Spike and it gets a lot of use.

I can't look at a Kifaru Express without getting an itchy trigger finger and I already have 4 packs I like in between 2000-3000 cu/i.

I'm such a packslut.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Here ya go Taverner. This is my Spike camp with over 100 lbs in it, internal and external. It is the ultimate deer pack, but handled this elk just fine. If I wasn't too concerned with stealth, I'd have a Marauder too, since it's also a panel loader. I have since upgraded to the Siwash for elk, and am extremely happy with the panel load design, since I really hate doing the rucksack dump just to reach something I forgot to put on top. You can add pockets to your hearts content, and really boost the cubic inches. The cargo chair works just as advertised, as has been my experience with all my Kifaru gear. For what you describe, the late season sounds like the one for you. I really like the suspension upgrade on the Siwash, which is the same as the Lateseason.

Spence:

Nice looking bull you got there. That last load out is the best feeling there is!

I have been giving serious thought to the Siwash, but I am affraid that it wouldnt fit into airplanes like I need it to. But with the addition of the PODS I think I could get my pack upwards of 4500cc.

Jason

Jason,
Yup, Lateseason is better fit for airline travel for sure. Look at the long pockets,side pockets, E+E or back pouch, claymore, etc and others to increase volume as well. You won't likley ever regret a Kifaru pack purchase, and if you do, the resale market is extremely high.

Why not just say screw it and do what I did. An EMR, Large Pod and some side pockets. I could carry anything and everything. For me it fits like a glove. Now get 10 people in a room and have them all try on the same pack (adjusted for each) and they will all come away with different view. As for me the EMR is the best pack I own. I think it could carry 12000 cc if you add in the large pod. Compresses down nice too. Still big for an overnighter however for what Spence had going on seems like it would be better.

Nice camp. Looks like the hunt went well too.


edit.

But it would never fit as a carry on for air travel.

I have used a Late Season on maybe half a doz. trips including humping a 10 gals water cache along with my gear to a dry camp. If you have light and compact main gear, the LS is a great pack with solid suspension and the ability to carry some serious weight. If you don't have really state of the art stuff, you will probably have to pack either your clothes bag, or maybe your slp. bag stuffer on the outside. I don't have serious weather to deal with so my load outs are fairly compact. If I hunted much in rougher weather, (meaning more bulk) I'd consider the Siwash.