KU Owners - Some questions and feedback requested on Pockets/pouches/accessories

[Dan_Smith]

All,

Just picked up a KU3700 virtually new from another member who is going to a bigger pack. This pack is great! However, I'm now trying to decide what additional pockets to purchase for the Pack. I completely understand this is very subjective, thus the reason why I'm asking questions here in the Kifaru forums.

For those of you who purchased the KU series packs, what pouches/pockets/accessories did you purchase with your pack? In addition, for the options you chose, which accessories in your opinion are a "must have" and which options did you choose that you potentially wouldn't purchase again and won't use?

Not only will this help me, but can help other future owners as well. What did accessories did you purchase, what do you like/dislike and what do you use the pockets for?

Thanks in advance for your time and efforts. Great forums!

Dan

[mgutman]

Dan,

I can only speak from personal experience - and I don't have a KU pack but a couple of the standard hunting packs. When I bought them I bought all sorts of pockets and accessories I didn't really end up needing and using. Then, I ended up figuring out specific needs and bought some different pockets, pods, etc.

My final pack config for my long hunter has a grab-it - super versitale. It's hauled hides, throw my sawtooth in there sometimes, or even a box of wine!, a stash-it on the belt (used for either my camera or rangfinder), I carry a KU POD when hunting to add volume for food on the way in and to put all my pack contents in when packing out, and I just got a large KU Pocket for the side for my spotter. But all this is very specific to my needs.

My point to all of this is really think about how you pack and the things YOU need to carry and that will be a good starting point. The beauty of the Kifaru system is it is customizeable to your application so take advantage of that.

Good Luck.

[larryschwartz]

What are you going to use it for; just backpacking, hunting, hunting AND hauling out your game after it is on the ground, other?

As mgutman said, the grab-it is a great piece of gear and an option that most pack makers put on their bigger bags as it is a great way to hold "extra" stuff on the outside of the pack like the jacket you took off after the day warmed up, wet gear, or your sleeping pad or other oversized gear. If you plan to haul out your game then a pod is an effective way to handle everything you will need to take out of the pack to make room for the meat or hide; just use a trashbag as a liner in the pack and then pull it out and secure it to the pack using the pod when you pack out. As for what other pockets and such you will need it really depends on how you want to organize your gear and what you want to get to quickly. Some folks just dump eveything in the main pack body/bag while others like to have pockets (either inside or outside of the pack body) for each major group of equipment (one for cooking, one for sleeping, one for tools, etc.).

So, instead of looking at what others used to meet their needs give some more thought to what your needs are and then look at how others met those same needs.

Larry

[sab]

Dan:

I third mgutman's and larryschwartz's comments regarding it being a very personal choice. As for me, I prefer to use as few pouches as possible, as that adds a lot of unnecessary weight. I prefer to use a pack sized so that everything fits into it, and I use a Grab-It for the first load of game (usually a lighter load of meat or the cape/skull/antlers) if necessary. Of course, I also have multiple packs of various sizes so that I can do this effectively no matter how long my hunt is. I'll be buying my first KU pack, a 5200, later this spring. I'll probably use a KU Possibles Pouch or something else on the lid, as I like having lid storage for frequently-used items.

Regards,
Scott

[sreekers]

I am kind of in the same process as you, be it a little further along. After this season I decided it was time to move up in the world because the Black's Creek Bounty Hunter wasn't cutting it anymore. The thing has hauled some big loads and never failed from a construction point of view, but I needed a bigger pack to fit ME and a bigger pack to effectively haul heavy loads.

I added up the volume on my BCBH and started looking at Mystery Ranch and eventually Kifaru. I settled on the Long Hunter Guide because it was lighter, has many different ways that I can turn it into what I want, and meet MY needs.

Another piece that I have done is to take separate pieces of gear, measure and compare that to the dimensions online. My spotter will fit in a long pocket, and to save weight over the standard I think I will be buying the 500D option. I bought the Guide Bag separately, and just ordered the EMR frame to go with it. I may end up with an EMR bag at some point too, but that will be after a few seasons. I didn't buy a lid with the frame yet because I want to play around a bit with what I already have this spring.

A grab it is on my list, as well as a few internal pull outs, but have to get the frame, etc. all put together. Put all of my gear in it, then evaluate from there. Like the guys all said above, its a pretty personal thing.

[Dan_Smith]

Thanks gentlemen. I fully understand pouch/pocket/accessory choices are personal depending on what the pack is to be used for. My purpose was to hear about your experiences and what accessories/options you liked the most/least for what you use the pack for.

For me, the pack will be used for both Hunting trips, backpacking trips and Scout excursions, and I need it be be modular. Most of my gear would be considered Ultralight, including bag, tent, etc, and I wanted to go with one of the KU3700 packs so it could meet all of my needs and not be an anchor. Anywhere from 15-35 pounds, depending on the trip.

My biggest debate here is if I need the additional volume of long pockets, pods, etc. with the gear I have. However, at this point, I'm interested in your experiences to help me cultivate some conclusions I'm already in the process of making.

At minimum, I'd like to get the water bottle carrier, and the grabit, but the rest is up on the air. That's why I like to hear other's views on these topics. Nothing beats real-word experience.

Keep the information coming.

Thanks!

Dan

[larryschwartz]

Dan,

So, what do you see as your needs, and we will tell you how we have addressed them in our experiences.

Larry

[Sawtooth]

I've always liked having some modularity to my packs. I like being able to to drop a pouch off the pack that contains my shelter so I don't have to dig around in my pack for it. This is especially handy when bad weather is coming in and you need to get your shelter put up in a hurry. I also like having the stove on the outside of the pack for the same reason. My KU3700 has had two long pockets, and grab it, and a medium pod attached for longer trips when I have a bigger load of food inside the pack. My shelter, pegs, etc., go in the pod and the grab it holds the stove.

[robcollins]

I really like being able to put the bulk of gear INSIDE my pack. I also like being able to keep food, stoves, fuel, OUTSIDE of my pack in a pod, along with anything else stinky that rats, bears or other varmints mike like to chew on. If a fuel bottle leaks (has never happened) I'd rather not have all of my stuff doused in fuel. This wouldn't HAVE to be a pod, could be a stuff sack. The question becomes how is it isolated from everything inside that might draw critters, and, with the nature of rodents, they could just tear into your stuff just because it's there. Don't leave it THERE if that's an issue..

Generally, keep stuff related to navigating where I can get it without having to dump my pack. Admin pouches work well for compasses, radios, gps units, etc. that you could need frequently.

Other ideas are smaller subload type gadget packs. This is for a few hours worth of necessities. Once you get to a basecamp and hang food, these are for things like fishing tackle, water, and a little bit of food. You can just carry your whole rig once you establish a base, but do you want to? My opinion is that something in the neighborhood of a Tailgunner I (I thinnk the UL E&E is on the big side) or even a Mountainsmith Tour would work fine. This could replace an admin pouch, depending on what size you chose & how it's attached.

Once in the woods, I suggest forcing the scouts to carry gear utilizing a Field Expediently Constructed Ultimate Pack (FECkUP) such as this:

http://www.indiandogs4u.com/images/N...ana_c.1906.jpg

But, I love paracord.....