Lightweight

I can highly recommend the vortex guide pack (USA made by AGC). No magnets, super quiet heaps of room. Have had the eberlestock scout harness, it’s super comfy but never sat really well. Friends have outdoor vision and marsupial gear, all really great, but have magnetic closure which I’m not a massive fan of

I would buy direct from te USA wherever possible. No offence to aussie small business, but until they work out a way to be comparable to the USA in this market there is no point in using them. remember that these brands are direct to public in the USA, so you are using the "correct" method to purchase as there is no intermediary in the USA like here. You get a quicker delivery for going through Kifaru AU or Boulder creek (but even then not always), but you also get a couple of extra green tickets lifted out of your wallet- with no extra support after as these guys all honour their warranties the same.

I can comment on this HD as I have experience with Tatonka and most of the major US made and US brand packs- Tatonka is a sleeper of a brand- they manfacture all their gear at their own factory in Vietnam (no outsourcing which is where most QC issues come from). This factory is open to the public, which is massive also as it's an open invitation for anyone to see their manufacturing practices. I've tried on the bison and their external frames, they are made really really well made for the tramping/trekking community, but there are better options out there, which is where the big 3 come in. Exo- I know 3 people with Exo packs, from K2 to the current K3. These packs are really well made, really well thought out and lightweight. They have had frame stay issues, but exo put their money where there mouth was and upgraded everyones packs to carbon stays (the alloy was cracking) in the K3 (was an imported part). A top buy from Exo would be a second hand K2 with a pack if you can get one. Really great to deal with on purchasing- just go direct to the USA, my mate got his K3 4800 for under a tonne delivered from memory. Stone glacier- Seb has one of these and I really really like his. definately would suit someone who wants a daypack/multi day pack. Seb has the good oil on his gear and if he recommends his SG I'd take it as gospel. I really like the horshoe zipper on Sebs pack for access to the contents. Kifaru- I have a Duplex Lite in 26" with a woodsman bag and the organiser lid. I absolutely freaking love it. It's not branded as a lightweight back, more of a bomb proof pack and is really well made throughout but still in the same weight bracket as the other 2 main competitors. It's 50-65L and with the lid it comes to 70L, which is plenty. The thing I like most about Kifaru and what made me choose them is similar to Tatonka- every single component they can make, they make in house. Every other component like buckles and straps- Aron Snyer knows the company owner on a first name basis and it's an american made product. Only drawback on the woodsman- no hydration sleeve, thats my only nitpick, but i just hang it between the fram and the pack. I can't comment on the Kifaru Australia factor as I bought mine before that started up, but I paid under 1K for my full pack and it got delivered to my door within 2 weeks. As for Kuiu, Eberlestock (I've had 3 EB packs), Mystery ranch, KUIU horn hunter etc. all probably well made, and probably all made in the same factory in chyna, but don't hold a candle to the big 3. Until you gt to see INSIDE the factory and see HOW these guys are making the products that you are spending your hard earned on, you are gambling. A high end chinese pack like a KUIU or EB is not much cheaper than an Exo pack, but there are a lot of unknowns from one maker, wheras the other wants you to know all about their company and that's the difference. Exo- Lightest, probably highest tech, but has had a frame issue although this was fixed SG- Well thought out, really light, a bit different from the other 2 Kifaru- Bombproof, 'merica, good support in AU now. Would love to try outdoorsman- they look great, but i can't comment on them I dug up my excel file form when I lashed out and upgraded form my Eberlestock F1, I just waited untill the conversion rate got me below 1000, but as you can see they were all the same price give or take (I had MR in there for a wild card). make Exo 3500 K2 price 599.99 postage 122.35 forex 1.45 total 1047.393 Mystery ranch Pintler 399.88 72 1.45 684.226 Stone Glacier R3 3300 (with lid) 616 78.05 1.45 1006.373 Kifaru woodsman (with lid) 678 81.3 1.45 1100.985 F*ckin rambling, sorry for all the sh*t

I think the main thing is that 10x50s start to get bulky, wheras 10x42's are very efficient when taking FOV vs magnification, and exit pupil into account. I'm in 8x42 land, but hoping to move to 10x42s in the next month or so....

I'm getting a new pair of boots this weekend and can't wait- I've been running Asolo TPS's (unlined) for about 4 years (I think), and have gotten a sh1t tonne of miles out of them- they have finally crapped out and the right boot's sole is delaminated. They will be very high on the list when I go to Bogong in the citeee that's for sure. The unlined Asolo's come very highly recomended from local hiking clubs due to their comfort and build quality, so they are 100% worth a look. My only grpe is the weight of them, so I will try on some lighter boots when I get fitted, but it certainly wouldn't stop me from buying them again as they are bullet proof. Been there done that with multiple pairs of hi-techs and cheapo-but-highend-branded synthetc hiking boots and NOTHING compaares in the long run to a ONE piece leather upper with only a join at the heel. The only reason boot makers put those joins in under the arches is cost, as it's harder to make a boot out of a single piece of leather.

i absolutely rate bino chest rig pack thingos' as well compared to a bino bra which I used for a long time previously. They keep your glass super protected/clean, stop the binos moving while walking, they are quieter (sometime the binos would click a little on anything on your pack or shirt zippers etc, give really quick, quiet access, there's no tension from the elastic while using them and when you are taking a pack on and off there's no need to thread chest straps around elastic. The magnet is a little annoying sometimes when using a compass (mine has 2 magnets that affect a magnet out at to least 300mm, but other than that, the advantages far outweigh the negatives IMO. Highly rate the eberlestock scout bino holder rig thing, it' been great and a few of my mates with other brands really like it because of it's low profile and simple design (no extra pouches, just a little PALS webbing on the back and sides that i hook a micro compass, pocket knife and sometimes my rangefinder when in full stalk mode....

Sebs's pack is awesome, I got a good look at it last year and was very impressed, the stitching, light weight (carbon fibre if i remember correctly?) and overall jizz factor was top notch.... If you are a tight arse like me, a cheaper alternative is the eberlestock F1, which is tough as nails (I went with this because I already had a Dragonfly for a long time with all the eberlestock accessories) It's a bit lower tech than the stone glacier, but the frame is super strong, has a very comfy harness and its covered in molle webbing stuff. I use mine with a super spike duffel zipped up to it, then ditch the duffel when hunting during the day so I've got something to sit on, lean against, shoot over, haul stuff with etc. Good Luck!

Do you wear them on their own or with boots over the top? I've heard of people using them for stalking, but never seen them myself

To elaborate on WL's comment there isn't much between the synmat and downmat. I have a downmat and a mate couldn't get one at the time, so he went with the synmat. As far as we can tell the only difference is the synmat just doesn't pack down as tight as the downmat. They are both very comparable in the same model (we have the sevens). My main hunting buddy has the downmat 9 and we give him heaps for being a glamper , but jeez it looks comfy. Keep in mind the 9 won't fit in pretty much any reaosnably priced bivvy bag on the market, but the 7 will fit perfectly into an army issue goretex bag. My only advice is to have a tent for winter when you know there is going to be rain and have another setup for warmer weather consisting of a tarp and ground sheet. There is nothing like laying under the stars in the mountains. If the weather comes in a decent tarp and ground sheet can be rigged up as well as a tent, i.e plough blade style into weather. Tents take up the most room in your pack, whereas a grabber blanket, decent lightweight tarp & some parachord fold up flat and weigh next to nothing. I haven't used my tent in about 4 years since moving to a tarp with a sheet or bivvy setup and that includes a few nights in snow and plenty of feral weather.

Hello from grippy, been shooting most of my life, love hiking and backpacking in the boonies. Look forward to contributing where possible