Contributors to this thread:
Stone Glacier Evo 3300 or Exo Mountain Gear 3500?
I will be using the pack to hunt the west 1-2 weeks a year, hang and hunt for whitetails 25 times a year and carry my arsenal of camera gear through the woods and marsh for the rest of the year. Ive done quite a bit of searching and think that one of these might be THE pack for me. Thanks!
Both are nice packs. I own the Exo and I think the long side pockets might be handy for your camera gear (tripod?). I know the Exo works well for elk hunting and it holds much more than 3500 cu in.
Kifaru just came out with something new that sounds like what you are looking for. Can't remember what it's called right now, but just saw a video demo somewhere. it might be worth a look.
Can’t help with the SG but the exo is real nice
Construction is top notch, Overall quality is superb, Fit is good, Structurally sound and plenty of compartments, and available accessories
Good luck in your search man if you have any questions I’ll help as much as possible but you’ll probably get a ton of responses..
I have an EXO 3500 and really like it. I’m in the same boat as you as far as use for the pack. My only dislike of the EXO is that the material is kind of noisy in cold weather going through the thick stuff. I’m not familiar with other high en packs enough to say if there’s better fabrics out there. Great for packing heavy loads and nice amount of pockets.
Josh
i use the SG like you state except for the camera gear and it has been great. i train with with weight extensively year round and it handles all sorts of weight great and is easy to load up with treestand when whitetail hunting or use as a daypack out west or for meat hauling. i have held an EXO and strapped on an empty one and it seemed really nice but i'm bias to the bag design on the SG. probably will be very very happy with either, go with you gut and pull the trigger.
Based on the research you've done, can't go wrong with the SG Evo.
I chose SG after a lot of research myself...
Another satisfied EXO 3500 user here.
I've used 5-6 packs but haven't used either of these two. I was impressed with a SG Krux but I'm sure the EXO is great also. The choice of pack is very important. It is so important that I would strongly consider ordering both and planning on returning one. You'll want to get a 50# bag of sand, wrap it in a contractor bag with duct tape in order to test the pack. Then mow the lawn, take out the trash, shoot your bow, etc. One will stand out. Then you'll no longer wonder.
I’ve got the R35900. I have no need in another bag now; it’ll cinch up streamline and small as a day tripper or expand and hunt a week out of it.
You’ll spend more for the SG but you won’t get any more that’s for sure. The EXO is a phenomenal pack. I have the 3500 and it will handle anything you need it for and then some.
One pack for those two animals? If you are under 6' 1", go with the Exo imho. That pack is unbelievable and works great as a hauler for elk, and as a whitetail setup. It is my go-to whitetail pack.
I went with the Stone Glacier 3300. I was fortunate enough to go to their warehouse and put the different frames on. The 3300 is prolly more bag than Ill need but the fact that you can use any bag with thier frames. Their customer service is also top notch. Had a fitting question and they were able to walk me through what I needed to adjust with many details over the phone. Like said above if you choose this route put the sand bag on while mowing the lawn, one will stand out.
Had to go back and reread the opening post, didn't see Kifaru as a choice...
ChasingFAHL - given any thought to SG Avail? My choice was the Solo 3300 about 4 years ago and fits what I do very well.