Exo Mountain Gear

If you are like me, you like to scour the internet looking for new items to come hitting the market year after year.  I spend a lot of time and research into the new products hitting the market.  Just recently, I found Exo Mountain Gear.  They are a new pack company with a pack in the works set to come out in the spring of 2014.

After doing a little research and looking at what they have to offer, I believe that I have found the pack I have been waiting to find.  Currently, the pack being built is a 3500 cu. in. pack and the pack is attached to an external frame.  It also appears there is a larger pack in the works.  There is a poll on the website asking for consumer input on which larger size to go with.  It sounds like the majority are for a 5500 to 6000 cu. in. are in the lead.  The nice thing is that if you want to use either the 3500 or the larger bag, both simply connect to the frame.  This is very similar to the Mystery Ranch Nice Frame packs that are already out.  So once you get one bag all you need is the other and one frame.

These packs are made to be used as a day pack as well as a meat hauling pack in one.  You simply unbuckle the pack from the frame keeping the bottom of the pack attached.  There are then two compression straps connected to the external frame that you can strap around the meat to hold it against the frame.  After strapping the meat down you then place the pack over the top and tighten it down with more compression straps.  Leaving the bottom attached to the frame allows the meat to stay higher on the pack and keep the weight more in the center of your back. 

Another amazing feature, and what is said to be the main point of the pack is the titanium frame.  If you look at the website, it shows how this system works.  The frame is constructed on two principals. First, the great vertical strength, and second, the ability for the pack to pivot and move with you from side to side.  I have used frame packs in the past for hauling meat and they can be very rigid.  With the movement of the pack, this takes away the tension on your hip flexors.  There are a couple of videos on the website now that show exactly how this system works and it makes perfect sense.

In one video you can see just how much the pack can haul.  I can honestly say I will most likely never haul 150 lbs of meat, but it is nice to know the capability is there.  I have done 5 day trip in the past and 2500 cu. in. could get me by, but having an extra 1000 cu. in. would be nice for that extra stuff I like to have just to make camp a little more comfortable I usually leave behind.

I'm hoping to get my hands on one of these packs this year, but am prepared for the worst, as they might sell out quickly. Word has gotten out about this pack and guys are chomping at the bit to get their heads on it. I'm excited to see the outcome and finished product.


Rather than me explaining the features, here are the specs and features of the pack from the website:

Overall Weight:

• 4lbs 4oz

Exo Skeleton Frame Panel:

• Titanium Skeleton frame (the heart and soul of the pack!) 25″ tall
• Non-slip lumbar pad fabric to prevent lumbar pad shifting
• Micro adjustable torso (16″-22″)
• Open suspension design for maximum breath-ability
• Adjustable load lifter angle
• Locking ladder locks buckles to prevent critical webbing from moving
• Micro adjustable lumbar frame angle for custom fit
• Angled compression straps for better load hauling
• Meat hauling load shelf
• Closed cell cross-linked ethylene copolymer foam provides excellent load distribution

Exo 3500 ci bag:

• 3500 cubic inches (4800 will be available summer of 2014)
• Total of 14 different compression straps to secure items and loads to the pack
• Reverse lid for ease of top access to bag when pack is loaded
• Stretchy external pockets for room when pack is full and keeps items tight and quiet
• Three different pockets to carry a spotting scope
• 9 pockets total for organization
• 18″ Side zipper for quick main bag access
• 4 places to mount hydration bladder
• Main Fabric currently 500d Cordura (still testing other fabrics)
• water resistant #10 YKK zippers

Price:

• Starting at $449 for bag and frame (available spring 2014)
• Tentative color options; Coyote Brown, ASAT and Multicam
• Made right here in Boise, ID USA

Specs are for the current 3rd Generation pack, the final product may vary slightly


As you can see the specs are not finalized as the company is still in the testing process, but very close to a finished product.  The 4th gen. pack will be the final product and is looking like it will be on the market in the middle of April.

Every year there is something new that comes out and this pack is looking like the product I will be hoping to get for this year. I'm sometimes weary about new products as they have not been tested yet, but from the little research I have done so far this pack looks ready to go with little worry.

I have always had an issue of having some great packs that get me by in one way or another, but the prospect of having a day pack and meat hauler in one is exactly what I've been looking for. I know if I pick this pack up I'm sure there will be something else out there, but it appears this pack would fit all of my wants and needs in a pack.