I was headed out to Colorado for an Over the Counter 2nd Bull Elk Rifle Season at the end of October and was planning to use an older elk pack my brother gave me. But I had the opportunity for an upgrade and I was more than thrilled to put this Kobuk 42 pack from Alaska Guide Creations to the test for this review As fate would have it, I even got to pack out my buddy’s bull with it and it performed like a beast.
Alaska Guide has been making great bino harnesses for years now, but they have launched this line of backpacks for 2023. They have developed a standard carbon fiber Kobuk Frame with a detachable bag. It’s got a built in meat shelf that comes in 3 different sizes to attach to the frame – 2800, 4200, and 5700 cubic inch bag options. These are all the same design, but different sizes.
The frame is made from 4 solid carbon rods and 3D printed yoke supports. There are also a multitude of additional bags that you can add on the top, sides, back and waist belt. The pack used in this review was the Kobuk 42 with the Kobuk Lid, medium bag pouch, H2 pouch, and belt pouch. Alaska Guide says the 4200 pack is for 1-2 day hunts, but combined with the additional pouches I had just over 5,240ci and was able to stuff enough food and supplies for a 7 day hunt.
This was my first backpacking hunt, so I crammed in as many YouTube videos as I could watch to get myself ready and learn how to prep and pack. I’ll do my best to pass on what I learned.
Comfort
Alaska Guide has some great videos on how to properly set up your pack and adjust the straps to fit you well found here. https://alaskaguidecreations.com/pages/kobuk-backpack-videos
One thing is for sure, you want to know your pack well before you go out in the field. For the months leading up to heading out west from coastal Georgia, I was hiking up the only hill country I could find, which was about 20 foot berms around a local park. However, after adding 50 pounds to the pack, the ups and downs allowed me to adjust where the shoulder straps made contact with my body and lumbar pad to the best position where I felt confident and comfortable.
The load lifter straps that connect to the pack above the shoulder straps allows the weight of the pack to be shifted around. I found that when my hips were tired, I could tighten my shoulder straps easily and then when my shoulders hurt, I could tighten my belt over my hip bones and get relief as well.
I never realized how much a good pack can make such a difference in your overall experience. Before getting this Alaska Guide pack I was walking around with 50 pounds in a heavy duty tactical backpack made by Ruck. The comfort difference once switching to the Kobuk was drastic. The Alaska Guide pack literally felt like I was carrying half the weight and it dispersed weight off my shoulders really well.
The Kobuk Frame with the 4200 bag weighs just over 5 pounds and its 500D Nylon material should last a lifetime. Total dimensions expanded are 9x14x24inches.
Usability
Adjusting the pads and shoulder straps was extremely easy by the heavy use of Velcro adjustments. I am 6’3” and had no problems getting it to fit me. The Velcro is not noisy when hiking or hunting and designed for simple adjustment – even in the field if necessary.
At first glance, the pack just looks overwhelming like a whole mess of straps, but once you start using it, you realize how nice having all those straps actually is.
I found the cinch drawstring top and the (2) 22″ waterproof side zippers extremely helpful while packing and unpacking. One small feature they added that made a big difference was the zipper pulls are bright orange, which makes them super easy to find in low light conditions.
How I Packed It
I stuffed my backpack and sleeping mat first down to the bottom followed by extra clothes, random items like JetBoil, then food. I kept one of the exterior top pouches available for the meal for the day as well as food prep items / medical supplies, and water filters for easier daily access. Having the side pockets available to get into the back from either side was a huge advantage.
The tent rode nicely above the cinch pack and snug with the top lid strapped around it. One of the elastic side (water bottle) pouches served as a perfect holder for my gun and one of the four pack sides straps secured my gun for a snug ride. If I was carrying a bow, I could have easily strapped it to the back of the pack with one of the many straps.
I would have to say my favorite tool was the extra water bottle pouch that was attached to the waist belt that I added. The pack does have room for a bladder but I prefer a plastic bottle. I find it easier to clean and refill. No one else on my trip had easy access to their water and required them to take off their pack to get their water which was a huge inconvenience for them.
Meat Hauling
Luckily, my buddy Tim got his bull to stop at 287 yards and he made a great shot. We quartered the bull and with the 5 of us, we got it out in one trip. Unbuckling the straps to get access to the meat hauling shelf took only seconds. I found the hind quarter fit easily on the shelf as we tightened the 4 straps on each side to keep it as tight as possible. Having the ability to put the full quarter very close to the frame makes hauling out much easier. For packs that don’t have the meat shelf – you have to drop the meat down into the back or strap on the outside.
Need to Know
– Additional Water Bottle holder that straps to waist straps is a must have to access water without removing pack
– Adding or removing the additional bags requires the use of a small buckle called a gatekeeper – they take some getting used to get on and off.
– Bag can be removed from frame to wash
– Pro Tip – if checking the bag on the airline – even packed full it fits perfectly in a kids car seat check bag.
Pricing and Specs
– 2-22″ waterproof zippers for quick access, even when loaded
– Integrated load shelf with laser panels to maintain webbing route
– (4) lash points on each side for securing loads
– Nearly unlimited lashing combinations with laser cut panels and provided nylon webbing loops
– (4) 24″ lash straps with 25mm gatekeepers and 1″ auto-lock buckles included
– 3L vertical bladder compatible
– 26″ frame composed of 4 solid carbon rods, 3D printed yoke supports, and 500D nylon enclosure
– 2 piece waist belt with 22″ of total adjustability (28″ to 50″)
– Harness includes chest strap and keepers for ambidextrous bladder hose retention
– Bag weight: 2 lbs 6 oz
– Frame Only weight: 2 lbs 12 oz
– Weight with Kobuk Frame – 5 lbs 2 oz
– Made in USA
Current price on https://alaskaguidecreations.com is $659.98
