Is Kifaru as good as they used to be?

[PistolPete]

Since Mel is no longer in charge, the product offerings have changed at Kifaru.  Are they just as good as they were 10 years ago? 

Back in the day I could recommend their products for my friends with deep pockets, but today I'm not sure if they are still a top choice.  They certainly aren't as modular as they once where and their pocket and other attachment offerings are less now than they were.  But they do have some really interesting new models available now.  What do you think?

[the_alias]

RonnyRonin might have to offer more insight but I think they are still pretty great - I think they just changed and evolved a bit. Also there is more competition coming out for the hunting space they are most dominant in. I really was impressed with the Stone Glacier pack I tried on a few years back.

[RonnyRonin]

Mel hasn't been involved for years, and patrick smith has been fairly hands off for quite some time. Aaron has been running the show for a good while but now has official ownership. They have certainly refocused on the exploding backpack hunting market, so if you are following the popular packing in and glassing style of hunting I'm sure a lot of the new features (giant spotting scope and tripod pockets) are welcome, if you are doing something else they may be annoying.

I'm quite sure the sewing quality is as good as it's ever been, and the materials are largely unchanged; they have moved more toward 500d and away from the 1000d of yesteryear which is wise in my opinion. They have moved away from internal frame packs and doubled down on their removable frame system which makes a ton of sense from a business perspective but I'm slightly bummed about.

More than anything I miss the Kifaru forums and its associated culture of well-rounded outdoorsman with a propensity for prepping, now its more rokslide meatheads bordering on the crossfit crowd.

The new duplex frame is likely slightly better than the 1.5 gen one I own, and the bag selection is quite different today. I'm certainly nostalgic about the old PALS covered tubes of the gold old days, but the newer bags are slicker and more nuanced to a degree so I can't really say they've gotten worse in any major way.

They have settled down a bit lately, I was getting annoyed with them when they would introduce a new bag and discontinue an old one on a seeming monthly basis. Part of what I liked about the old kifaru was the consistency in the line and the fact that you could pull from a decade of reviews and experiences to make a purchase decision.


Nowadays I recommend several brands over kifaru for most people (Seek Outside, Mystery Ranch, Stone Glacier, Hill People Gear...) but nearly all of them owe a good bit to kifaru, and get the nod for improving on them in some way not because kifaru is any worse than it used to be.

[PistolPete]

More than anything I miss the Kifaru forums and its associated culture of well-rounded outdoorsman with a propensity for prepping, now its more rokslide meatheads bordering on the crossfit crowd.
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Nowadays I recommend several brands over kifaru for most people (Seek Outside, Mystery Ranch, Stone Glacier, Hill People Gear...) but nearly all of them owe a good bit to kifaru, and get the nod for improving on them in some way not because kifaru is any worse than it used to be.

Agreed on the forums, that's the perfect way to describe it.

Also agree on the other brands, especially Hill People Gear.  I am really impressed with the one pack of theirs I have, just what you need with no extra fluff.