Need help with day pack sizes!

[Horitexan]

Thinking about getting a new day pack but I'm pretty clueless about the sizes in "cubic inches." Is a 1800ci pack a good size for a day pack? Or is 3000ci a more appropriate size?

How does 1800ci compare, say, to a typical day pack that a college kid would use for his books and other stuff? Trying to find something to compare the cubic inch measurement to - something I'm somewhat familiar with.

The impetus for getting a new one right now is my upcoming elk hunt in NM but mainly I'll use it guiding and hunting here in TX. So I don't want something huge. I need to be able to put (typically) these items in it:

Kuiu Guide DCS jacket
Long underwear
Spare t-shirt
Water bladder
GPS
Flashlight
Knife
Sack lunch
A little spare room for odds and ends.

What's your suggestion on size?

[txdukklr]

I'd go with 2000 ish.

I just bought a sitka but have two badlands and an eberlestock (brand new never used)

if you pay shipping I'll send one out to you so you can see if thats the size you want. All my day packs are in the 2000 range . . . .

[Horitexan]

I'd go with 2000 ish.

I just bought a sitka but have two badlands and an eberlestock (brand new never used)

if you pay shipping I'll send one out to you so you can see if thats the size you want. All my day packs are in the 2000 range . . . .

Thanks for the offer!! Let me do a little thinking on it. I'm going to get a Kuiu pack because they give me a deal on them; but they only offer a 1800ci and a 3000ci. So, I've got to choose one of them. I'm going to call the pro desk later today but, before I do, I just wanted to get some advice from my GS brethren - who's advice/experience has always been a big help.

[txdukklr]

for a day pay 1800 is what i'd choose.

3000 is a bit big for me, is this to go to a tree or walk around with

[TxSpinner]

http://www.slumberjack.com/p-630-rail-hauler-2500.aspx?category=backpacks

Last pack you will ever need.

[Horitexan]

Need help with day pack sizes!

for a day pay 1800 is what i'd choose.

3000 is a bit big for me, is this to go to a tree or walk around with

Right now it's going to be for hunting elk in NM - hiking around the hills on day trips. Staying at a lodge at night, driving to different ranches and hiking around all day. The rest if the season, it'll just be used for carrying my regular gear to and from ground blinds. But it may just stay in storage until next elk season because I have some other day packs I can use for that.

I talked to my contact at Kuiu and I'm taking a hard look at the new Icon 1850. With that one I can convert it into a large backpack simply by buying one of the larger bags and switching it out on the same Icon frame.

[brent.westbrook]

The 1850 is what I would go with since I see you have KUIU gear. If your clothes are bulky then go with larger. With KUIU packs like the icon pro 1850 the bag expands from the frame to give an extra 2500cu in or so as well. I plan on using the 7200 icon pro to get me the 5 or so miles to camp with ten days of food/gear for me and my wife. Then putting the 1850 icon pro bag on my frame for daily use.

[JES]

Right now it's going to be for hunting elk in NM - hiking around the hills on day trips. Staying at a lodge at night, driving to different ranches and hiking around all day. The rest if the season, it'll just be used for carrying my regular gear to and from ground blinds. But it may just stay in storage until next elk season because I have some other day packs I can use for that.

I talked to my contact at Kuiu and I'm taking a hard look at the new Icon 1850. With that one I can convert it into a large backpack simply by buying one of the larger bags and switching it out on the same Icon frame.

So did you go with the 1850? Curious to hear your thoughts after your hunt, are you happy with the size or would you go bigger?

[CWKATTNER]

I just bought one of these. I really like it so far.

[JES]

[ATTACH]654739[/ATTACH]
I just bought one of these. I really like it so far.

That's a great pack for walking to and from your stand in Texas. I'll be using this pack on a moose hunt in Norway next Fall and then hopefully a reindeer or Caribou hunt the following year.

[Pkripper]

Right now it's going to be for hunting elk in NM - hiking around the hills on day trips. Staying at a lodge at night, driving to different ranches and hiking around all day. The rest if the season, it'll just be used for carrying my regular gear to and from ground blinds. But it may just stay in storage until next elk season because I have some other day packs I can use for that.

I talked to my contact at Kuiu and I'm taking a hard look at the new Icon 1850. With that one I can convert it into a large backpack simply by buying one of the larger bags and switching it out on the same Icon frame.

3000 no question. All your gear for those long elk days and the hiking it will give you more comfort and easier to carry heavier weight. Sucks having one too small if you're in for a long day or unplanned overnight.

[ShockValue]

Right now it's going to be for hunting elk in NM - hiking around the hills on day trips. Staying at a lodge at night, driving to different ranches and hiking around all day. The rest if the season, it'll just be used for carrying my regular gear to and from ground blinds. But it may just stay in storage until next elk season because I have some other day packs I can use for that.

I talked to my contact at Kuiu and I'm taking a hard look at the new Icon 1850. With that one I can convert it into a large backpack simply by buying one of the larger bags and switching it out on the same Icon frame.

I'd go smaller if not for what you said about elk hunting. If you're hauling meat, I go with the larger that probably has a meat shelf. You don't want to get an elk down and have to make a trip out just to get a pack.

[Horitexan]

I said I'd come back and review the Kuiu 1850 Icon Pro pack I used on my elk hunt; so, here it is:

Bottom line: I loved it! (it wasn't perfect, but what is?)

I actually had a chance to compare it to the Sitka Flash 20 pack, that I took along as well. As for comfort, the Sitka had a slight edge in terms of carrying a spare jacket, some rain gear and a few other odds and ends. It's a little lighter with a thin and comfortable belt that made for an over-all higher comfort rating when walking around. BUT......it has a serious shortcoming: After you kill something, it's all but useless. You are NOT going to pack out much more than 1 backstrap with it. So, if you're going on a fully guided hunt with ZERO intention of getting your hands dirty, this is a better pack. If you are doing anything other guide-holding-your-hand hunt, you will want a Kuiu pack.

Because I wasn't 100% sure what to expect (and because jodell said, "oh, they have 4 wheelers and trucks to recover animals) I actually removed the carbon fiber frame from m Icon Pro 1850 before we left for NM. Don't ask me why - it didn't make the pack any different feeling. I just felt like doing it. Anyway, the 2nd day I ended up helping another client and some of the guides to pack an elk down off a 600 foot high mesa - through the rimrock and down a very steep and often unstable slope. Because I didn't have my frame in, I had to use one of the outfitter's older frame packs; and, let me tell you, that was not fun! I had a full hind quarter and a backstrap in that pack! So, the next day that frame went back in!

The next elk we packed off a mesa (they seem to love to run up those things so they can die on top!) was a LOT easier on my back and shoulders! It was SO easy to use the load sling. The pack pulls away from the frame so that the quarters slip BETWEEN the pack and the frame. It turns a very compact day pack into a elk-hind-quarter-capable backpack. Not only does this keep the weight of the load (elk quarter) right against your back, where it's the most comfortable and stable to carry, it keeps all your pack contents exactly where you had them. No unpacking and reorganizing to make room for the meat. Simply loosen the load straps, pull the entire bag away from the frame and dump your quarter into the void between the two - there are a few straps at the bottom to keep it from falling out the bottom.

Fit: This pack has an infinite amount of adjustment within the range of the frame size you get. It uses a very tough velcro and straps to allow you to secure the position once you fit the pack to yourself; and the adjustment is ingeniously simple. So, if you need to adjust it for someone else, you can do it quickly and easily without the need for any tools. As a bowhunter, I have a natural aversion to velcro but, in this case, it's awesome and there's nothing to make noise once you are done adjusting it. I think the velcro based adjustment system is what made this pack squeak-free for me- even under load. I have read a few reviews that mentioned that some guys' packs squeaked but I'm suspecting that they had some adjustment of; because I didn't have ANY issues. In fact, I mistakenly ordered the incorrect belt size and (at the last minute, when I realized it) Kuiu sent me out a new belt and I removed the original and installed the replacement. SO, I actually broke down the pack further than anyone normally would. If, during all this tinkering, I couldn't get it to squeak, someone must have really done something horribly wrong to get it to squeak! LOL!

The single complaint, and it's not really a "complaint," is that the hip belt was a little stiff and it was overkill for a day pack. However, when you load 100 pounds of meat into the sling it ABSOLUTELY PERFECT! I'm torn whether or not I would rather have had a SLIGHTLY thinner and more forgiving belt on the pack (only for the 1850 size) for those times when it was simply doing duty as a "day pack." I could probably have dealt with the reduction in comfort during the 'pack out' of an elk, in trade for more comfort the rest of the time; but I'm on the fence on that. I will probably recommend (yes, I'm a product tester) that they look at an optional belt configuration for the Icon Pro 1850 (only) if an appropriate middle ground can be found. But this is SUCH a minor thing! I certainly understand why it is the way it is - This same frame and belt can be used with ALL of their bag sizes, converting it into a full size mountaineering/backing pack, with nothing more than a quick (and inexpensive) bag swap! On a full size pack, this belt would be perfectly acceptable and as comfortable as any I've ever worn. It's also possible, and probable highly likely, that the belt will 'break in' as I wear it more.

Size: I really liked the 1850cu.in bag capacity. After considering other people's posts, and doing plenty of research, I was a little concerned that the bag might be too small. It was not. Now, I use mostly this kind of high-tech and lightweight mountain hunting type clothing that's very "packable." In part, because it's so packable. I had NO problem carrying my rain gear, a spare shirt, my jacket and my down shirt and a spare pair of pants; on top of my 3L water bladder, a camera, GPS, 2 knives, my e-cigarette (yep, I "vaped" my way up and down those mountains, LOL!) and some other minor items. I didn't even use the full capacity because both of the cinchable outside pockets were empty and I didn't have anything but some chapstick and a wind indicator in the 2 pockets on the belt. I had more than enough room what I wanted to carry. I did not use the optional bow carrier (I have it but never bothered with it) because I found it easy to strap my bot securely to the back of the pack using two of the compression straps with quick release buckles.

If you have very bulky clothing (like fleece) this pack might be a bit small, depending on what the weather is and what size of clothing you wear. However, if you do a lot of mobile hunting I'll hazard a guess that you're working on converting to some brand of high-tech and light weight clothing. The Icon Pro 1850 was definitely designed with a more high-tech hunter in mind; and not someone wearing Carhartt and Walls. Not that there's ANYTHING wrong with that stuff!

Material/craftsmanship: It's Jason Hairston and Kuiu, for God's sake - of course it's top notch! I'll be honest, when I first got the pack I was a little concerned that the heavy denier fabric that the bag is made of would be ungodly loud; and it's definitely not as quiet as some fabrics like one that Sitka used on the Flash 20, which is deadly silent. However, it really wasn't any issue. I didn't feel like I was making any more noise with it than with the Sitka pack. I think that worrying about how "quiet" your backpack material is, is ridiculous - overkill. I mean, when you have a bull responding and you're moving into position to setup, you take your pack off anyway! If you have an animal THAT close while you're wearing your pack, you're going to be busted NO MATTER WHAT! LOL! As far as I'm concerned, that tough denier was an asset. When you're scrambling over rimrock or clawing your way through some dense brush, you don't want to worry that your expensive, but "very quiet," pack is going to rip! Lol! This pack was made to last, as anything worth investing in should be! Even though these bags are not terribly expensive, I want mine to last; and I have NO doubt that I'll be using this pack for years to come.

There were several different brands of pack represented in camp, including some big names like Eberlestock and Sitka, especially among the guides and the outfitter. EVERYONE was impressed with the Kuiu pack and several of the guides are ditching their packs and replacing them with this or other sized Icon Pro packs. That's a pretty good testament! There's NO pack that's perfect for everyone or every scenario; but anyone that's shopping for a serious hunting pack would be foolish not to take a serious look at the Kuiu Icon Pro line, in my opinion. If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me - I get bad about checking back in on threads like this and I'm pretty busy on the ranch now that the season has started.

I hope this helps someone.

Note: I will be using this pack for whitetail this season, without the frame. It has a loop for hanging it in a tree and the design makes it easy to access the pack in lots of ways with several storage compartments. I think it'll make a terrific blind/treestand hunting pack as well. But, if I find any issues, I'll be sure to post them.

[EdO]

Thinking about getting a new day pack but I'm pretty clueless about the sizes in "cubic inches." Is a 1800ci pack a good size for a day pack? Or is 3000ci a more appropriate size?

How does 1800ci compare, say, to a typical day pack that a college kid would use for his books and other stuff? Trying to find something to compare the cubic inch measurement to - something I'm somewhat familiar with.

The impetus for getting a new one right now is my upcoming elk hunt in NM but mainly I'll use it guiding and hunting here in TX. So I don't want something huge. I need to be able to put (typically) these items in it:

Kuiu Guide DCS jacket
Long underwear
Spare t-shirt
Water bladder
GPS
Flashlight
Knife
Sack lunch
A little spare room for odds and ends.

What's your suggestion on size?

Excuse me for being an old fart, but; what forever are you taling about? Have things gotten than complicated? Not trying to be a smart butt, just curious. Have we gotten that far from our origins? I think I've grown up in a different world. I really do.

[Horitexan]

I'd go smaller if not for what you said about elk hunting. If you're hauling meat, I go with the larger that probably has a meat shelf. You don't want to get an elk down and have to make a trip out just to get a pack.

This pack gave me the best of BOTH those worlds - I got the smaller pack that converted into a huge meat hauler. You were exactly right, too. Every time an elk was killed, the call went out on the radio for help; along with requests for someone to bring packs. Lol! My pack was the only day pack capable of hauling any substantial quantity of meat and it could carry as much as any pack they had, maybe even more.

Those Eberlstock packs had "meat shelfs' and they were a joke, IMO. The guys that had them couldn't fit NEARLY as much meat on their (bigger) packs than I could. Even the old-skool metal frame packs (of my youth) were fitting more meat than those things. I was pretty surprised. I'd never seen one before and I had heard about them - I was expecting more from them. I know Eberlestock is a huge name in the military and militia scene, and I only saw 2 of their packs, but I wasn't real impressed with their ability on the pack out. I REALLY like this load sling deal on the Kuiu.