Me and Kifaru

Well here’s the review of Kifaru Marauder.. As some of you may remember it was a nightmare trying to get the pack set up with things showing up late and parts missing so basically I went on a 30 day trek/climb with untested pack. During my trip I learned both to hate and love Marauder and now I have a dilemma if I should keep it. Also since we've talked about Kifaru in general I'm trying to show that sometimes the best money could buy item in the business may not be the best item for the task. Think about it when assembling a BOB or PSK. Weight and comfort of the container is very important. Just becasue it is rated as top of the line doesn't mean it is right for you. And here’s my story…



I was planning on 30 days in Nepal. I had two packs. One big 60 liter external frame pack that held all the spare clothes and equipment. The big pack was either carried by porters or yaks. My Kifaru pack was either my day pack or 2/3 day pack if I yaks were taking a different route. On average weight of my Kifaru loaded with water was 30 lbs.



My pack is a basic configuration Marauder with waist belt. Originally I was planning on two side pockets and claymore pouch in the center with misc pouches mounted on the waist belt. I received a Back Pack pouch that was way to big for the pack and after rushing order in I got a claymore pouch but in a wrong zipper configuration. So pre trip outside configuration looked as follows:

Marauder with Waist Belt
Side pockets on both sides (vertical load)
Back pouch on the front (vertical load) w/ Velcro panel from supp capt
Claymore pouch under the bottom of the pack (horizontal load)
Stash it pocket on the right side of the waist belt
GPS pouch on the left side of the waist belt

Problem with above configuration? Heavy. Carry on baggage maximum weight is about 12 lbs and my carry on with camera gear and basic stuff was close to 24 lbs. Right away I got rid of books, batteries and side pockets (which were not used for the rest of the trip) but still pack was way to heavy. For the hell of it I took everything out except a camera and two lenses and pack was around 15 lbs. If it wasn’t for a fact that I work at JFK I would have to check in my camera gear. For the rest of my trip my packs configuration was as follows (pictured below):

Marauder with Waist Belt
Back pouch on the front (vertical load) w/ Velcro panel from supp capt
Claymore pouch under the bottom of the pack (horizontal load)
Stash it pocket on the right side of the waist belt
GPS pouch on the left side of the waist belt





Still pack was very heavy and that’s pack itself not counting my gear. I have to give Kifaru credit for making straps wide but little padding made it very miserable for me especially since I’m used to better straps on my other gear. Also chest strap was way to high. No matter what I did it was high which constricted my movements and with layers of clothes (fleece, windstoper, down and shell) it pushed it up choking me (not a good thing at 6500 meters). Waist belt was fine except that placement of the stash it and gps pouches (as per where the webbing was) made my arms get snagged on them. Since I had to leave my pack sometimes in different places I needed to lock it but it was impossible with Kifaru since pull tabs are made out of cord and not metal so a small padlock was useless. It created a small inconvenience since I carried some valuable stuff that I needed to keep my eyes on. I have a normal build with 5’10’’ and 180 lbs frame. I got a regular harness configuration. Pack was riding way to low for me and I hated it especially during climbs since it changed my center of gravity. I think I spent first 3 days trying to configure it right and than got used to it and gave up. Zippers were great but storm flap made it weird to open it up and when pack was on lock down (all the straps buckled and secured) it took forever to get inside it especially if my hands were cold (most of the time). And last thing: extra length of straps drove me insane. Pack got also really heavy with moisture so I ended up buying a cheap rain cover.

And now the good thing. Inside of my pack using Kifaru internal pockets I created a wet dream for obsessive compulsive maniac that I become. Utilizing 1 pullout pocket and 4 lock and load pockets I organized my pack so it was perfect. I was able to keep all the stuff separate and not dig thru my pack to find something. I was able to carry 2 lenses, big slr camera with a lens, point and shoot, rain shell, extra fleece, FAK, food, whatever else I needed for a day, storage hardrive, two neglene bottles, sleeping bag. All of that organized and put away neatly.



Quality of work on the pack is amazing. I think there are few products out there that match Kifaru’s level of marksmanship. Everything was perfectly finished and no loose ends were left. I regret not buying Naglene pockets to hold water. It would have made some stuff much easier.

It is both my fault and Kifaru fault that I didn’t have time try out the pack before I left. My three days off during which I was trying my equipment were fri, sat and sun and I didn’t get the pack until Monday night. Most likely if I took it on few hikes as planned I would have returned it to the company. I guess elite and premium equipment is not for everyone. I can see how it can be a great pack but not for everyone. Maybe my application was just wrong. Reason I’m still considering keeping it is because of the internal organization which I came to love.

Hi Matt, welcome back, hope your trip was all you hoped it would be.

Great, informative review. I have put together a similar setup, and can see where you ran into difficulty. For quite some time, I was wavering between a Zulu or Marauder, or a Camelbak BFM. The three packs are simliar size and configuration, although far different in price. I bought a BFM only because I snagged one on ebay for $100. I added a Kifaru Liter Plus pouch, Claymore Pouch and GPS Pouch.

I came to a similar conclusion as you did, size issues. A pack that size (with or without add on pouches) seems to fit in between needs. For EMS situations, it's too small for a week and too big for a couple days. This may be different for military applications, as the LF crew seem to say these packs are perfect for three day packs. I had planned on using it as a carry on. but am skeptical now based on your experience. It will be great when we deploy on military aircraft, but might pose a problem on commercial flights.

I'm going to look at the PullOut and Lock'n Load pouches based on your review.

Hi Matt,

Congratulations on your new setup and thanks for the review.

I am looking into buying a marauder myself and spend quite a bit of time on their forums.

As you mentioned in your review the gear is heavy, the comfort however, should be very good. Discomfort seems to be a more common initial complaint. The general advice is to give Mel a call at 1-866-308-1911. Usually after the call most people were raving about the comfort.

Most of the details on the bags have been thought trough very thoroughly and I suspect that the zipper pulls might have undergone a similar process. Since it is a military bag, one of the reasons for the zipper pulls to be made out of cord might be to minimize sound. But that is just me speculating. <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

There are several threads on the Kifaru Forums about strap management. In general most people advice against cutting and recommend either ranger bands (rubber bands cut from bicycle inner tubes) or Velcro straps to keep everything tidy.

For your water you might want to consider a camelbak type of reservoir instead of the Nalgene pockets with bottle.

Best regards,

B.

P.s. What is the empty weight of your setup?

Not the first time I've heard these kinds of grumbles about Kifaru. I haven't worked with thier gear yet, first hand, but it sounds like they overengineered for the problem at hand.

It is about 8 lbs minimum... I personally don't think that pack is right for me. I grabed my old kelty Map3500 and Marauder for comparison than after packing them up with the same gear Kelty did much better. I will still utilize the claymore pouch and their internal pockets for organization but my quest for nice pack is still on. I'm currently looking at TAD FAST 2 gen.

Thanks for the well thought out review and the great photos!

Awsome trip, I'm definitely jealous.

I'm waiting for an Express pack, two water bottle sized side pockets, GPS pouch, the E&E, and various internal pockets. The wait is driving me crazy, but it's taken a little longer because I'm having some PALS sewn inside the top and bottom zipper flaps so when I open it - voila - organized pockets. The E&E will be used as a piggybacked back pouch to carry minimum essentials, and can pop it off for day hike use (or to lighten the load in case I have to run full bore through a forest at night from a bear that might or might not be chasing me, and it should be water resistant enough so I can jump off a freaking high cliff into hypothermic inducing snow melt river like I learned on "Secrets to Survival", but I digress).

Even though it's a smaller pack, you've got me a bit concerned about the weight. I'm planning on compressing it down and using as carry on luggage so as to not be totally screwed if check-in goes missing. Guess I'll have to figure that out when it gets here. Should be any day now, Express packs were sewn last week. I'll give a review after I've had a chance to try it out.

FWIW, I'm starting to think this (weight + comfort) is a problem with most military style packs. Take the Maxedition line for example. No internal frame. Even cheezy day packs have at least some supports to transfer weight to your hips.

For my part, small internal frame packs from someone like Arc'Teryx or Dana are looking attractive, even tho you lose the heavy duty materials and the attachment points.

Thanks for the report Matt!

-john

8 lbs minimum? <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Btw: Tad Gear Fast Pack Gen 2

Just as a point: Most climbing sacks from the top end of the market are as strong as the Mil-Spec stuff. They are also better designed in terms of their ergomomics. Most people in the lightweight community would look horrified at the prospect of a pack that weighs 8lb before you load it.

Great info & pics Matt.

I have always had the same reservations about the military-oriented gear: weight. I know, they need durability. But there is a flippin' limit, people. A pack that size weighing 8 lbs empty? Insane.

I think the military mindset is "I'm carrying 85lbs of stuff plus ammo, what's another couple pounds?". They don't seem to understand the SERIOUS performance penalty that extra weight invokes.

Am I saying they should carry their gear in a 3.2 ounce sil-nylon totebag? Of course not. But the heavy-as-hell trend set by Kifaru and Maxpedition is ridiculous IMO.

It's not the weight that bugs me. It's what you get for the weight. My old ALICE with the USGI frame was about that heavy, and it could have eatten this Kifaru with room left over. The bigger version of their Becker knock off that Blackhawk makes (the Sortie?) looks to be about this size, and IIRC it's lighter. OK, so it IS BHI, not Eagle, but if Eagle was to make a copy it wouldn't be any heavier.

The problem with sport packs is that a lot of are just one big "dump" pocket with a little pouch for your sunglasses and one or two nalgene pouches that rely on elastic and/or neoprene in the walls to keep the bottle in.. All the little stuff ends up at the bottom ten minutes after you start, and if you slip and land funny, when you get the wind back in you, you get to go looking for your water supply.

Give me pockets, any day. Just not built this heavy.

Matt,
I purchased a Tactical Tailor 3 day pack, since it was lighter. It is tough, but with such a big main compartment, everything can move to the bottom while hiking. I use stuff sacks of different colors to keep things sorted, and then tighten the pack compression straps to keep the stuff sacks from moving to the bottom. I do like the flexibility of changing outside pockets to modify the bag for the intended hike, commute, travel, etc.

Could you comment on how you obtained and purified your water while on your trek? I occasionally travel to less developed countries, so I am always trying to learn better ways to deal with the need for drinking water.

Spud

Minimum with all of the internal organizers he had in it, I think.

Stats for the Marauder 2,500. c.i. 4 lbs. 7 oz. 2.13 kg.
For the base unit... Still double that of the TAD GEAR F.A.S.T. PACK ALPHA but it IS nearly a third bigger.
And I wonder which one will last longer <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Plus, you do get that warranty <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />
Kifaru does not seem to have ANYTHING in the 1,800 c.i. range... They go right from the Scout at 1,300 to the Express at 2,300...

I'm a big fan of the kelty packs. Between the pair of zippered side pockets, the huge top pocket, and the multi-compartment front pocket, you can keep things fairly organized. The internal hydration pocket is also useful if you're not using a hydration pack. There's also a pair of side mesh pockets that are good for holding energy bars and such. They can also hold nalgenes, but as you mentioned they can pop out when running or other sudden movement.

If you're looking for something the size of a daypack, the Serac is basically a mini version of the larger packs like RedCloud, with all the same features except the sleeping bag compartment, with the addition of small pockets in the stowable waistbelt( just the right size to hold a cell phone, leatherman, etc.). Kelty doesn't make the Serac anymore, but you can find it online.

I have the Serac, which I use for most everyday stuff, and the Redcloud 5000, which I use when backpacking or whenever I need to carry a lot of stuff. I actually find the Redcloud much more comfortable, because it has more support and a stiff waistbelt (the Serac has an internal frame, but the waistbelt is just fabric and can provide some stabilization, but not support.

The Kelty Serac:

Actually, I was looking to move to an Eagle Becker by the end of the year. I have a knock off the BHI knock off of it, and I like the size and organization but I'm afriad to fully load it. Either that or an SO THE.

I respectfully disagree. For basic backpacking/hiking, sure, but not if your pack is dumped on a pallet with 50 other packs and loaded into a cargo plane. Then dragged/humped from here to gone. Not every person here (or anywhere) has the same uses as the next. Hence, the range of gear available.

How is your mt climbing pack going to do strapped to the outside of an amphibious armored personnel carrier & driven through the brush & pine trees?

A lot better than you might think. They get a lot of abuse being dragged up cliff faces. Of course, having an APC means that you don't have to carry the damn thing anyway. I simply make the point that in a treking environment, the ultra-light ethos has a lot to commend it. And speaking as an ex-light infantry man, Light is nice.

Thanks for the review and the great pics making me very envious of your adventure. Your review makes us realise that our choice of pack & testing the gear before needing it is very important. Much of the oudoor gear sold today will do a great job for the next 10-20 years. By then, you'll want to upgrade and benefit from the new materials & techology.


Good point - fact is most of us don't ride up to Everest Base Camp aboard an APC <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />



My point exactly, but if you're gonna carry it - light weight becomes a priority for me .

Kifaru Pack Setup/Wearing Tips

I think that the most important thing is to pay attention to the specs... If I did some math prior to ordering I would know what I'm getting into. I didn't pay attention, wanted something strong, durable and I got it. Didn;t expect to pay the price in weight thou.

I'm getting TADs FAST 2nd Gen pack so will see... I still have two long pockets from kifaru so I will find the way to attach them.

I thought I'd point out that unlike most military packs, the Kifaru Marauder does indeed have an internal frame (I only found out about this recently). While it doesn't negate Matt's comments, I think it is a very importaint distinction because it makes the Marauder much more approprate for carrying heavy loads than most military style packs.

-john

I've been out of the serious backpacking business ever since my second back operation and resultant nerve damage in my left leg/foot, but a little known company based in Fresno, CA (or at least they used to be) made some really good stuff at really great prices. I just did a google search and found this list of their current stuff...

http://gearworld.com/Companies/MEI/Backpacks/index.html

Interesting company but they need to send one of their reps to a marketing seminar. Cant seem to find pics, website or anything on them. Will keep on searching.

Agreed. I don't know why they would expect anyone to buy something without even a picture.

-john

Sorry about that. I didn't click far enough into that website to discover for myself that there are no pics. How stupid...