Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Backpack Hunting MR 6500 or Kuiu Icon pack

Many (most) backs need custom bent stays... preformed, fit's-all stays are great if you're building packs (less hassle)... not so great if you fall outside their pre-bent range.

Big W, looks like you and I are thinking alike and writing at the exact same time... your post wasn't even showing when I wrote the above.

Would also add, laminated stays aren't something new. Back in the 80's Wayne Gregory offered them as an upgrade. But he did it right. You got aluminum stays with your pack, got them shaped to your back. Lived with them to make sure they were right, then you'd send them to Gregory and they'd shape the carbon/laminated stays in an exact duplication of the aluminum ones.

The way Kifaru is doing their stays is a joke.

Ummm.

Okay, I know I'm a hillbilly. But if your stay bends easily, what keeps the load stable North and South?

Big W.

I will say that Patricks stays suck the least of all that I've met so far.

Quality stays are not so easily bent, and typically they're part of a "stay system" that incorporates a plastic backboard arrangement of some sort. Back in the day no one had such a system, but my packs of that era never didn't handle any heavy load I put in them.

The truth of the matter is, the right aircraft grade aluminum will handle any load you can think of... and a little "give" is a comfortable thing with a heavy load.

Depends on what weight your pack is "rated" for. Like my ULA pack I could use my hands, my old Kifaru Longhunter a vise. Its a lot different once the stays are in the pack though. I dont have an engineering degree so I cant explain it. Different type of applied forse than when trying to bend them compared to when carrying a load.

Part of this thread at HPG talks about what I am trying to explain. Like Brad said, a little give might be good. http://www.hillpeoplegear.com/Forum/tabid/679/forumid/22/threadid/1838/scope/posts/Default.aspx

It's true that packs have varying stays... the sad reality of packs these days is most are so dumbed-down that the stays aren't even removable.

My stubborn Irish side says you two are idiots...


But you might be onto something and I'll try it before I officially call you two idiots.

Whoa, [bleep] Brad. Did Larry go full blown Jedi on your ass?

Huh?

I'm suprised you didn't say "them don't not never impress..."



Odd grammar for a guy from the part of Montana that sips their latte's with their pinkies out.

You did watch Star Wars, didn't you?


My favorite version...

The old hippy version...

Dan, you're an azzhole pure and simple.

Trying to help you is an utter waste of time.

Some people can be helped... you're the other.

And the one that made me laugh my ass off...

This is why we're not friends.

Seriously, you're going to get butthurt over that?

I'm an idiot when it comes to pack specifics, but I think the first gen Kifaru Longhunters had aluminum stays with a plastic backsheet. While helping a friend with a sheep tag in the Frank Church my fully loaded pack went for about a 20yd roll then off a 8' ledge then another 30yd roll. Luckily I was not attached. Once I made my way to the pack and gathered up my gear (it broke 1 strap and tore a few holes at strap attachment points) I tried to put the pack on and couldn't get the waist belt fastened! The stays had about a 90� bend in them about 15" up from the bottom of the pack! Must've landed butt first after the cliff dive. I've been able to bend them back to close to what they were, but still haven't gotten it right. Bending them back was not easy. I had to really lean on them to get them to budge and I'm fat! Someday I'll send it to CO to have them do so or possibly put in new stays.

Long way of saying, I can see the benefit of having stays than bend instead of break.

Thanks for the info on the KUIU packs it sums up kind what I was thinking...Its funny how opinionated some people are about packs...I don't think there is one pack(company)that will work for everyone so its good to hear every ones experiences with different packs.