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Need help, where is everyone getting there MTN EXO, Stone Glacier, Kuiu Tatonka  Bakc Packs from??

is there Aussie distrib?     somewhere with Aussie prices?    

im well and truely in the market for a proper one,   @Seb   will need your opinions here aswell.   on which ones to look at?!   (wat was urs again)

Do the tatonkas have a sturdy frame? must be internal?    whats thoughts on these external lookin ones, kuiu /stone etc  ?

sing out

cheers

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Per other reply. Then saw here.

I have been looking lately at Exo and stone glacier. Buy once cry once attitude and I sure will use it.

Haven't been able to find aussie suppliers. There are a tonne of guys of fb backpacking groups buying said brands so I thought that woulda been a given, but apparently not.

I saw Boulder Creek outdoors (Willow Tree, NSW)  has Exo in their online shop but I dare say (I'm guessing) he is paying the same as you and me for his supply then adding markup; given pricing.

At the moment I am looking at direct supply Exo 4800. Just a few more weeks as I have the final stages of my renos to cover off first unfortunately. If I have the cash then, I will also be getting an 1800 pack only so I can change them out on the frame for my state forest day trips.

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yeh 10-4 on boulder creek , i just seen that but actually wrote it off for American / Canadian ........    the pricing.


yeahhhhh shit, ay, i notice alot of aussies buying, are they just dealing with shipping and converstion?  makes for a in expensive backpack tho..

 

 

tatonka in the $500 range...  just wondering how the internal frame is,   must be alright,   the Duleys do use them

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Per my convo with usual hunting mate late last week.

$1080 for the 4800 (85L) + frame, $1400 total in adding the 1800 (30L) bag aswell. That is per the days conversion rate, as delivered.

Yes it is a shit tonne of money. But I have read enough good words to trust that it is worth it. The ability to have the 85L and 30L interchangeable on the external frame, with external load shelf, is a huuuuge seller for me. Also is the larger pack having a full length back flap so it opens like a suitcase and you are not fishing down from the top or bottom. A tonne easier to unpack and pack at the end of the day. Gone are the days of 'packing in order'.

Doing my reno now is putting the $$ into perspective. Having to spend as much (seperately) on a table or tv or sofa lounge, fridge, etc. It makes the $1400 for this most important piece of kit, which I will use pretty well every fortnight (at least smaller bag) seem easily worthwhile.

I'd love the chance to try them all. But there is nowhere I can do this that I am aware of. I do not know anyone personally with any of these so am reliant on the words I read online.

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?

$2400 can buy a lot of separate packs that’ll also do the different jobs very well. 

Short of the pack doing the carrying for you, that’s insane pricing!

Go to somewhere with a range of packs and where the sales guy knows how to fit them to you properly - you’ll save a lot of coin and still be happy

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8 minutes ago, Duncs said:

?

$2400 can buy a lot of separate packs that’ll also do the different jobs very well. 

Short of the pack doing the carrying for you, that’s insane pricing!

Go to somewhere with a range of packs and where the sales guy knows how to fit them to you properly - you’ll save a lot of coin and still be happy

Not $2400. It is $1400 for both. (1080 + 320).

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Having looked into it for a while. I don't understand why we seem to be so apprehensive to spend money on arguably the most important piece of gear for extended days out.

Don't take that personally please. It is a generalised observation from this chat I've had a few times now.

We are talking about the piece of kit that will carry us thru ~5 day backcountry trips, miles from anywhere. The bit that holds our shelter, our food, our water, our wet weather gear, our lighting, our first aid, everything. Having a bad back too, means I need something with a frame that will load me evenly and correctly.

Originally I was like 'get f&^$ed" about it too. Then something in me twigged and I don't consider $1000 for such a piece of kit to be all that bad really. That extra $500 alone means I am able to strap a heavy meat load between my body and pack (center mass close and tight, unswaying) rather than have to cram in into the pack along with all my gear or even worse have it hanging off the pack on cords 400mm from my body. It means I have a single rigid and strong support system rigged perfectly to fit me and interchangeable bags rather than a couple of different packs for different days out, etc.

I've tonnes of mates into mtb who readily spend $5000 on the bike cos it is their primary hobby, that's before the rest of the gear. And I looked at myself whingeing over $1000 for this most important piece of kit. I am not into flinging off money for no reason and I wouldn't spend it if I was restricting my hunting to state forest day trips. But it really does seem worthwile to me.

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2 minutes ago, Camoman said:

Don't take that personally please

Nah cool mate - your money: your decision. We’re all just sharing ideas and opinions here ?

I’m looking at it from a cost-to-produce perspective. I get your point about how important it is but is a $5k Blaser any better performing than a $1k Remington, for example?

If you do get one, I’d love to get a look at it - maybe I’ll change my mind

 

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@Camoman  im typically the tighter assed type that looks for the , similiar but not quite and wayyyy less $$$.....  for example ,  my highest end scope is a zeiss terra 3-9.......  me tent isnt macpac but isnt Target ,  me guns are not remingtons but they arnt blasers...   

me backs Phrucked though and i needa proper frame or very sturdy internal an one that does its job down on the hips nd not on the shoulders ,  im using a black wolf mtn ash 85 at present an its not adjustable small enough perhaps or something about the shoulder straps arnt in the right place i rekon.....  an like realistically after a day hunt me shoulders r shagged,  i plan on walkin some 100k through the bush and theres no way i see this pack being the one.
but fuaaarkme, $1000 for a bag is getting gnarly..... buttt like youve touched on in above posts..... its possibly going to be my most important item bar none....( il wait up a tree with a rope an noose a stag over a wallow if i have to)  and feel i might actually need to spend One thousand Dollars... on a ing back pack.

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Mine is the Stone Glacier R3 3300 with an xcurve Frame. 

I think the closest dealer is in NZ but the price is no better. I bought mine when the Us dollar was near parity so I think all in it was about 800 Aussie. 

@Lightweight has a kifaru which is good gear too and there is now a bloke distributing them in Australia. Zac also has a tatonka tent which I've slept in and looks like high quality gear, so I'm sure the packs are the same. Rogee.productions from NZ on YouTube has the tatonka packs and rates them highly.

If I were you I'd try to try a few on if you can, you're welcome to try mine next time I see ya, I reckon with your build and snakehips you will have to do a bit of fine tuning to get the belt to do it's job. 

I did see a moroka pack on Facebook for 400 the other day if that tickles you

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Yer I'm a fair tight arse myself to be honest. Only just bought my first tent in a few years cos I'd been arguing that my hootchie was fine for any conditions..

But I wanna kit up now with gear that I know will last me through those bigger walks and not leave me wishing.

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I am not a hardcore back pack hunter, so not an area I am strong on. Take my input on the subject in that context.

NZ has a lot of options, there is the Tatonka and others. Bushbuck in NZ have been pushing hard the last few years to market a few back packs - they had them on display at the SSAA shot show in Melbourne last year.. The NZ guys have been doing this more / longer than the Aussies, and they seem good at catering to a niche market in NZ. But this is such a growth area in Aus now, I expect we will see more hitting the market. 

There is Kifaru Australia now, so there may be some options there. They only started earlier this year, or late last year.  They did have some stock on display earlier in the year at the Bendigo Deer Expo. They dont have a web site set up yet, but they can be contacted through their face book page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Outdoor-Equipment-Store/Kifaru-Australia-104747010997919/

Most of the other makers in the USA rely on shipping internationally from the USA. Its not a great option, since even the best made pack is a problem if it cant be properly fitted the person wearing it. You can only do so much Q&A before you buy sight unseen, so still plenty of risk with this option. Same reason I dont by boots online unless its one I have owned before.

If you are prepared to risk being called a hunting Pooftaaah, there is always Moroka 30. They do fit you, and he recently posted on his facebook about a custom fitting he did for a very short person, so he does have more ability to fit & tailor than the international guys.

 

 

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I want a SG 40/56 but it's over $1200 with conversion, shipping and tax. 

Thought about MR metcalf but they are about the same money now and made in Asia.

I'm mostly a meat hunter and want something with an external meat carrier. Most don't have that ability.

The buy once, cry once mentality is great for rifles, scopes, binos etc. But an expensive pack still isn't going to last a lifetime.

Edited by GSPhunter
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38 minutes ago, Rifletuner said:

 

If you are prepared to risk being called a hunting Pooftaaah, there is always Moroka 30. They do fit you, and he recently posted on his facebook about a custom fitting he did for a very short person, so he does have more ability to fit & tailor than the international guys.

 

 

heard neg things there to be honest.

Edited by Dingo.375
not Bad, just nothing much good, mostly negatives reported back.
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I whole heartedly agree packs are more akin to boots, tents, etc rather than rifles or optics; with regard to lasting a lifetime.

Except the external titanium frame of the exos has me thinking perhaps there is some possible exception in such a design.

They also carry a lifetime gaurentee on worksmanship.

And importantly a 30 day money back gaurentee simply if you are not happy with the fit. Year sure ya lose on postage but thats a pretty good deal, to be able to load up and fit it to check.

Edited by Camoman
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3 minutes ago, Camoman said:

I whole heartedly agree packs are more akin to boots, tents, etc rather than rifles or optics; with regard to lasting a lifetime.

Except the external titanium frame of the exos has me thinking perhaps there is some possible exception in such a design.

They also carry a lifetime gaurentee on worksmanship.

And importantly a 30 day money back gaurentee simply if you are not happy with the fit. Year sure ya lose on postage but thats a pretty good deal, to be able to load up and fit it to check.

there is the frame option itself, see many aluminium ones an such last almost a lifetime it seems in alaska, lookin at stone gl an others, they have  fairly good frame in them, material is material but you have those bag options,  maybe someone will start carrying it in aus , then it may help the pricing an sales would boom.

 

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