Tips for K3 to K4 transition

The K4 5000 is more amazing than the K3 4800. I considered the K3 my most valuable piece of gear. Quick tips if you’re a K3 guy. I bought this for my 15yr old’s AZ cous hunt b/c he hit 6’3” and couldn’t wear the kids packs. He ran my K3 which I’ve used to pack out cous, muley, elk and javalina. 3 days of steep terrain that ended with a 3 mile pack out. Observations. 1. The wide hip belt is the best upgrade. I’m 6’4” 190lb and my hips are super high, so the width gives me more range to keep it high enough. Also, just more comfortable. 2. WATCH VIDEOS, which I didn’t do. The way it comes apart for loads is better, but less intuitive. I chose to take the pack off from the bottom b/c I didn’t understand the Velcro up top in my state of exhaustion and adrenaline. I was afraid I was about to take out the stays when I looked at the small Velcro tabs and started to pull them off, so I stopped. I felt stupid after watching the videos a few days later. Also, they had better tips for loading tripods on the videos. 3. The frame is narrower, so I’d say the crib load panel is more of a necessity than it was with the K3. For small critters like cous and javalina, I use individual small bags. (mainly in case I mess up and get a stinky javalina quarter I want to quarantine) Anyway, for this cous, it took some time to arrange the bags to keep them from falling out the sides. 4. I run lid-less most of the time. This K4 has some special pack out straps for loading meat with no lid. If I had taken the pack apart correctly, I would have needed these. Sold separately. 5. This thing ventilates your back notably better… part of the narrow frame I guess. I needed an extra layer to stay warm on the morning sit because the sweat on my back after a few mile hike-in got chilly much more quickly .

Look No Further

I bought the K4 5000. For those of you wondering if this is worth the money compared to other high end pack brands, buy this one. I was a first time back country archery elk hunter and this packed in camp for 5 days with room to spare! Day hunts it compresses down so it's as if I had a day pack on. The customer service is second to none and you can tell they care about their customers. Plus, all of their videos are extremely helpful. Also, I felt organized and had quick access to everything I needed. Only thing I would say you would need to complete the system is to purchase a hip pouch for along the belt. Helps for those little odds and ends you want ready to grab. All that said, stop wondering and searching. Buy this pack.

Perfection!