Qeustion for patrick

[BB]

I have wondered for a long time now why Eastmans hunting journal never reviews Kifaru equipment. Is it because they tend to only review stuuf they are given to use? Does it have to do with how much is spent on ads? I have seen this asked of Eastmans & the answer has been " we have not tried Kifaru products as yet " Eastmans seems a very logical choice for the Kifaru name to pop up as they promote backcountry hunts so much.

[Patrick]

Hello BB.

I don't know. Perhaps the magazine does have long and friendly relations with other brands, advertizers. That's probably a pretty normal thing, really.

[GJZ]

Every now and then I'll recognize a Kifaru pack on the Outdoor Channel on some high country adventure where Patrick's equipment is right at home but there are way too many shows that focus only on the kill or something they feel is important and leave out all the good details like what gear they are using, insight and other valuable/interesting information pertinent to the area and game they are pursuing. Not saying this is the case with Eastman but see it quite often.

[Ermine]

I think you dont see Kifaru or mystery ranch packs in magazines is because they are higher priced. You mostly see the lower priced packs. Some guys from out east dont realize why a good pack is so essential because of their style of hunting. I guess majority of the population doesnt want to spend their money on the best pack they can get. They are missing out thou. But oh well. I guess there are just fewer people in the kifaru club and that makes us just more elite.

[redstarcluster]

Yeah, to be honest, I like the fact that Kifaru isn't the rage in big magazines and stuff. It makes me feel more special, like I'm in on some kind of secret.

[GJZ]

I think you dont see Kifaru or mystery ranch packs in magazines is because they are higher priced. Some guys from out east dont realize why a good pack is so essential because of their style of hunting.

I bought all my pack(s) for use both in the east and the northwest and anywhere else I can hunt and fish in between. Not sure if this is a primary factor but most people back east don't have to bone-out their game to pack it out of a remote area. Regardless, personally I appreciate quality equipment and all my packs and shelters have worked great for me and my personal experience with Kifaru has proved more than one they are a first class operation with top shelf hunting gear that works as expected!

[shumaker250]

Most of my hunting is in Virginia with a hunt club. We can get to all our deer with a 4wheeler. When I go back to Pennsylvania to hunt I use a backpack. I'm hunting the Nat Forest, so no 4wheelers. It's usually not a very deep hunt as the further in you go ,the closer you come to the next road. Therefore the pack I use is a WalMart brand. It is sufficient for what I do. When I bone out a whitetail I can put all the meat in a couple of WalMart bags. Freind of mine has a Kifaru pack. Nice. He has used it in Pa. But, just by way of explanation a higher price pack is just not needed. If we were coming out west more often then........... Just my 2 cents worth

[GJZ]

Kifaru quality speaks for itself....

If your packing some weight quite a distance the Kifaru will make the trip much easier and designed well!

The kifaru gun bearer is priceless!!

[BuckarooMedic]

I know this is a little bit of a necro-post, sorry. It's funny that BB mentions this. I first became aware of Kifaru while thumbing through a Backpacker Magazine's annual gear in review edition. I want to say it was either 2001 or the 2002 copy. In the "tent" section there was a short review of a couple of Kifaru's original teepees (I forget which ones) along with specifications. They also listed a web-site, to which I went to and to my amazement realized that Kifaru was started by Patrick Smith of Mountainsmith fame. I had used an all black MS Tour Pack while in the Army (my son still uses it BTW) and had always said; "I wish Mountainsmith made military packs, cuz I would buy one in a heartbeat". Well, the rest is history.

It's still a very valid question, why do we never see Kifaru gear in mainstream publications? Mr. Smith, maybe with the introduction of your Ultralight packs, you could get into the Backpacker or Outdoor magazine's gear review editions this year or next?

Take care,

[moa_shooter]

...I first became aware of Kifaru while thumbing through a Backpacker Magazine's annual gear in review edition...

I have a subscription to Backpacker Magazine and was a bit dissapointed not to find any Kifaru gear mentioned anywhere in the April 2011 edition's Gear Guide.