OK, now that the excitement on the KU packs has settled down

[Take-a-knee]

I haven't had the chance to use my KU3700 pack as much as Saw but I am quite satisfied with it as a hiking pack. I'm running a KU E&E on the back/front. I'm still leary of the fabric holding up as a hunting pack. A KU5200 in a more robust fabric is a pack I hope to see one day.

[HFlier]

I thought they both used the same fabric.

[Take-a-knee]

I thought they both used the same fabric.

They do. I just wish I could get the same pack in something other than the Paraglider fabric. BTW, 24in stays on a KU 3700 work great for me.

[oldpinecricker]

I thought the material in the KU line was susposed to hold up just fine for hunting use, and everyday tripage use? Didn't Patrick test this product out for something like 11 years?

[karlk]

I replaced my ancient Kelty with a KU3700 and a KU E and E. I have only had a chance to get out once with the 3700 since I got it, but I have been using my E and E for my jobsite bag. I work in construction and mine is filled with tools, files, it gets thrown down on the jobsite, etc., etc. After seeing how it holds up, I have no worries about the fabric. It is a bit crinkly, so during hunting season I wonder how it will do? Once the 3700 is packed full I don't notice it. When the pack or e and e is "loose" or not filled completedly is when I notice it.

Any thoughts on the fabric noise or am I being paranoid?

Thanks

[BuckarooMedic]

I just received my KU3700, KU Koala and a few other miscellaneous items yesterday. I am very impressed with the pack, especially how light it is. I sold all my Kifaru military line packs to get the KU. I was very hesitant about doing so (retrospectively; it was due to the fact that selling all my military gear was the "final" act of closing that part of my life). Now, I'm very glad I did.

I plan on taking it out for a quick hike this AM. The fabric is a little crinkly here in the house. It will be interesting to see how "noisy" it is on the trail.

Thank you Patrick/Kifaru for another quality product!

Take care

[Dan_Smith]

I purchased a KU3700 4 months ago slightly used with the 22" stays and I'm 5-10 and 170lbs. If I had not been cheap and bought new, I would have gone with the 24" stays, but the website mentioned people under 6' should be fine with the shorter stays. I'm on the cusp of being too tall for the 22" stays and now realize I have a freakishly long torso with a 30" inseam on my pants. If my legs were normal length, I would be over 6' tall.

With that said, I love the pack. However, unless the pack is full, the long pockets can't be tightened down enough and flop around. Not a big deal, as if you have room in the pack, you don't necessarily need to take the long pockets on the trip.

Here's the other items I purchased for use with the pack and my thoughts on each item.

2 long pockets - See notes above. Great when the pack is chuck full, not so good when the pack isn't stuffed to the brim.
2 hip belt pockets - Love these. Best and most useful purchase for these packs. House flash light, fire steel and other small items I need to grab quickly.
1 Grab It - Another must-have item used to carry bulky items on the outside of the pack
1 water bottle carrier - I could go without this the next go around, but does house my Snow Peak 700 ti mug with my 1L Nalgene nested inside. However, be careful on how you configure your pack. If you put the water bottle on the side where it's supposed to go, You can't lash a long pocket on that side of the pack where they balance out nicely. You have to get creative on how you lash the long pockets on the pack since the water bottle carrier gets in the way. If the pack isn't full, it flops around with the velcro lashing point. Be aware of how you want to configure the pack before you purchase a ton of the pockets, as not all are compatible with each other, especially if you want to hang long pockets on the sides of the pack with the water bottle carrier.
1 Inner pocket that I hang inside the bag to hold small items and toiletries.

Most of my gear including my tent I would consider ultralight, including a 1lb - 40 deg quilt or 2 lb Western Mountaineering sleeping bag, 1 lb Nemo Air Pad that rolls up to the size of a nalgene, 2lb tarptent rainbow and all the rest of my lightweight backpacking/hunting gear. I have to work pretty hard to fill the KU3700 up to the brim unless I'm going on a very long trip with the kids and carry their loads, so I have to be mindful on how I pack when I use the pockets so they don't flop around.

With that said, this is an outstanding pack that I would recommend to others who aren't on a budget and want a great piece of multi-use and modular gear. Time will tell if I end up punching holes in the bag, but that's the trade-off of owning an ultralight pack that has the ability to carry very heavy loads comfortably.

I would ask Kifaru to make the information on the stays more clear and recommend the 24" stays to all except those who are vertically challenged under 5'-8", as the web page isn't very clear. I'll most likely purchase the longer stays.

If anyone has the longer stays and wants shorter ones, hit me up and I'll happily swap. I need the longer ones. That's my 2 cents on the topic.

For the record, Kifaru gear is like crack and is hard to stop purchasing... Good for Patrick and the crew, bad for my pocketbook