Oh, I know TT. And if I had a better frame and the money, my ALICE would have already gone to them or HSGI to be totally "pimped".

Hi, I'm new here but a regular over at the Kifaru website so you can guess that my answer will be a very positive one as far as Kifaru quality goes. I have two Kifaru packs and they are truly excellent pieces of gear. There are many packs that will also do a good job for you at a lower price point (something to do with being made outside the U.S.A. that allows that) however for hunting and military use, Kifarus offer some features that other packs don't. They are also bombproof but designed to work. Their maker tests all the gear himself. He has the "difficult" task of taking Kifaru gear out on extended hikes in the high country to make sure it passes his standards. Great stuff sold by great people and a worthwhile investment. Again, you can certainly get good gear for less that may suit you just fine but if prefer something American made and of the highest quality, Kifaru is tough to beat.

Nice ad. Here's the catch- I can get gear that will take more abuse than I can for less money. That is made in the USA, by the way.

Nylon makers are getting to be as bad as knife makers. Or teenagers' sneakers. Or women's fashion. Listening to Gear Snobs is like listening to rich society "ladies" harpying on eachother's backs about what they are wearing.

Zulu or Vulture II. This will be an interesting decision. And don't anyone say "get both". <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Hey Raven, does that mean I'm a gear snob dude?
Does that mean that when I walk around with my ruck on, I have to stick out my pinkie finger? LOL!
<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
I agree that it get's a bit silly, but when all I'm paying for are the upgrades to the pack, and the rest gets paid for by "ALL OF US" (read also the tax payers). I would say it's an investment in national security. We were given a pot of money to work from, and when we asked for these systems the boss said he would meet us halfway. We worked it out and the government get's a lot of good mileage out of this gear, when I retire, it goes with me. It's already paid for itself with a lot of rough ground.
Would I buy this out of my own pocket? Heck No! What do you think they pay G.I.'s these days?
I had a hard enough time convincing my wife to give me a four month advance on my allowance to get this far! <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Have a nice quiet day everyone.
Keep your feet and powder dry, and your heads down.

Mike

Ads are paid for. In this case, I had to pay for my gear. It's worth it for me. I do a lot of backpack hunting and haven't found another pack that will work as well for more or less money. My first Kifaru packed out a whole deer carcass (sans skin, head, legs and innards) along with my gear. I just haven't run into many internal frame packs that would have done that.YMMV

I've been enjoying a lot of these survival type forums and there seem to be some that love their Moras and all they will do for such little money and there are others who will settle for nothing less than a $300 knife. I don't think either philosophy is wrong, but the analogy to packs is valid. Glad you like what you have. I'm real happy with mine as well and I've yet to hear of someone who made the investment and regretted it. I don't consider myself a gear snob but do prefer to get good stuff when I can and when it makes sense (no custom knives for me). I don't look down on people who have different gear and have to wonder why one would have an issue with what someone else chooses to use, expensive, cheap or in between.

I'm always amused by people who like to bash gear they've never used. There are lots of good choices out there. Try them out and make up your own mind, but I'm pretty sure buying good gear that works for you doesn't make you a gear snob. Now back to lurking and learning.

No, it means that seem to have a blindspot.

I trust SpecOps Brand- thier gear will outlast me, and it's affordable. But I think thier Super Sheath sucks. I love HSGI, but I have some reservations about the sniper butt pack's design. The Emdom Wideload, SUV and Utili-shingle all rock, but thier mag pouches are cut too low for my taste.

When you shop by name brand, you loose. No one, no organization, will get it right every time. And what I see a lot of the people I call "gear snobs" doing is putting total faith in one brand. That, and they spit on other people's gear when it isn't the "holy brand"- screw that.

And you don't have to walk around with your pinky sticking out. But if it is in arm reach, and you are drinking, pinky should be out. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

"Again, you can certainly get good gear for less that may suit you just fine but if prefer something American made and of the highest quality, Kifaru is tough to beat. "

I read that, and I hear you saying that other gear is either (a) no(t as) good, or (b) not made in America. Both of which are blatently false. Paraclete, HSGI (my personal fave for Gucci-gear), Emdom, SOE, TAG, Eagle, SpecOps, they all make equally worthy gear, and last I looked, in America. Even Blackhawk is moving thier prod back to the US, becuase they want to get the contracts and the GSA has thier rules, which means that thier QC is going to go up. The only one I know of that is priced like Kifaru is is LBT, and they just aren't worth it.

I think you can make your point without denigrating others with a different point of view by name calling. We don't need to abuse others to make a point. You're entitled to your opinion and are welcome to express your opinion here in a civil manner, but you can do that without attacking others. Keep it civil and make your point without name calling!

I said tough to beat, not the only game in town. Remember the original question was about Kifaru. I did not say that other gear is not good ("you can certainly get good gear for less") or that there is no other American made gear. My statement still stands but I disagree with your interpretation of it.

For my uses those other brands don't have the same features, although they may be perfectly suitable for you. I'm glad you love your stuff but no need to take offense because someone else prefers something different that happens to be expensive.