Ok, I'll admit...I made several mistakes prior to just biting the bullet and paying a little extra for a true quality pack like my new Exo K4. It was my ignorant comments like "Chevy, Ford, Toyota, Ram, they're all still in business because they are all equal quality." With backcountry backpacks, this is not the case.
The pack I had prior to the K4 was one of those rigid, exposed aluminum frame modular packs that starts with EB (I won't say the full name cuz I'm not a guy who throws mud). The EB pack I had was the most expensive pack I'd purchased but was still less expensive the the K4 even after purchasing a few of their accessories. At first glance, the pack frame seemed extremely solid, the pack and accessories seemed quality and I was convinced that I'd be the most comfortable guy in my hunting group once we started packing heavy weight....again, I was wrong. To keep this review somewhat short, the EB pack lacked the adjustability I needed, the shoulder straps and hip belt material felt like razorblades after just minutes with a 85lb load and when I called the company in the off-season to get some general fitment questions answered, the guy on the other end of the line made me feel like a jack-ass and like I was wasting his time. After this happened, I purchased an EXO hip belt and modified it to work with my EB frame, the hip belt solved a few fitment questions, was no doubt more comfortable but it was clear that anything over 40#'s wasn't going to work.
Long story short, 5 out of 5 guys in our backcountry group are not rocking the EXO K3 or K4 and we no longer get aggravated at mile 6 or 7 with the need for pack adjustments or long breaks. For most guys in my group, money isn't really a question when they buy hunting gear, for me, I've got a couple young kids who like name brand shoes and play every damn sport available to them and my wife likes to get her hair, nails and shopping taken care of. This leaves me with whatever is left over after making them my priority haha. I finally bit the bullet, sold my old pack and splurged a little to INVEST in the K4 pack and I do not regret it at all.
IF you're in the market for an amazing pack system and appreciate quality products AND customer service, give these guys a call, check out their youtube videos or shoot them an email, you won't be disappointed! (P.S. I recommend giving them a call...It was the experience I had on the phone with one of their techs that solidified my decision to buy from EXO.)
Any thoughts about building panniers for pack goats?....I'd be the first to buy them haha.
