Kifaru MMR or ZXR? Help please

[d.weglarz13]

Okay guys. So, i usually turn to this forum when I need advice, and this time is no different. I am looking at Kifaru now, and am trying to decide on the best setup for me.
The choices Im looking at are
1. MMR with duplex frame
2. ZXR
3. MMR with bikini frame

Now, just to clarify. I would prefer a lighter pack, but I do have some back problems and with very heavy loads, it really takes a toll on me. So, I was checking out the Bikini frame, since it is lighter. But, the most important factors, for me, in order are
1. COMFORT with loads over 40-50 lbs
2. Adjustable
3. Not too large, need to keep my balance with heavy loads on rocky cliffs where i hike.

So, again, I usually hike up mountains, for at least 3 or 4 days, with a few hour hike very steep, and need to keep my balance in places that if i loose a footing I could fall a pretty bad one. Now, if I am at the edge of a real cliff, i usually don't have on my pack. But, the trails that I hike are completely covered in rocks and boulders, and my ankles are killing me every time even with boots. So, it seems both these packs are roughly the same size, and can be cinched up tight to the body, which is good for me. But, i can't decide on the MMR or ZXR.

I love the fact that the MMR can be removed from the frame. You see, I usually need to walk a good distance from camp to get my firewood, as I have been up there so many times that I almost used all the wood!! Seriously though, i need to climb down the mountain a bit to get my wood, and I burn a lot of wood so the idea of taking the pack off the frame, tying wood to it for the walk back, is very alluring for me. But, i only hear great things about the ZXR, so I need your help. I am spending a lot of hard earned cash for this pack, so I don't want to have to sell it down the road for a different one, or whatever. I want the best pack that money can buy honestly, and it seems Kifaru is the winner. Now, the packs themselves seem very heavy, so thats why I was thinking the bikini frame, but if i need to carry the extra 2 lbs for the comfort factor on my hips and shoulders(I'm a skinny guy that carries very heavy loads usually), then I will deal with it happily.

So, fellow BF members and friends, please tell me which you would go with and why, or even better if you have experience with one or both of these packs. Please tell me any and all opinions or advice, as Im really hiking a lot lately, and loving longer and longer trips, and want the best one I can get.

I also plan on extending my hiking to some real backpacking trips, where I will be hiking hundreds of miles, and needing to really rely on a pack that can comfortably carry everything I need for long trips like that. I looked at Mystery Ranch and a few others also, but i prefer the modular factor more, plus i like the looks of them better. I will be adding a few pockets on this pack too, but nothing too crazy. Probably just a long pocket on each side and another possibly if i even need it.

So again, thanks for any and all advice. It is very much appreciated before i drop the money on one of these. I like the camo green too, and the multi cam. The highlander is interesting too, but im not sure it matches my woods in upstate NY catskills and the like. Can't wait to hear your responses!

dave

 

[JV3]

for hauling firewood and other stuff the duplex frame is much better suited for it rather than the bikini frame. get the cargo panel to go with it. odd-shaped stuff or bumps big enough might poke you in the back between the stays of the bikini frame.

the duplex frame is nice if there's a chance in the future you'd want another bag so you can save money that way by re-using the same frame. also, with the cargo panel, you can just use a big roll-top dry bag as the main compartment when you're in/around water a lot.

mmr vs. zxr: i went with the zxr because of the 3 outside slots - perfect for my machete/axe/saw. i don't like using cord to strap things to the outside of my pack and the slots lets me use the machete quite quickly in and out with no fussing around. with 1000d material, you can just put the firewood directly inside too.

 

[d.weglarz13]

ok great. Thanks for that. To be honest, im not quite sure how well the frame would carry firewood at all. It seems the cargo hauler would work great for a lot of things, but maybe not a bunch of branches. I do like the 3 slots on the ZXR also, and seeming to be leaning that way a bit more than the MMR. Oh well, this is part of the fun....thanks again.

 

[Sid Post]

Have you talked to Kifaru directly? They know their packs well and won't steer you wrong.

 

[OwenM]

You're doing it backwards. For backpacking, you should be looking at backpacking gear first, and then backpacking packs that fit you properly, and are of adequate capacity to carry that gear.
By looking at the wrong gear for the wrong reasons, you're setting yourself up for a lot of unnecessary discomfort, and to spend a lot money in the wrong place.
If you want to help your back, try thinking in terms of how you could be carrying <30lbs instead of 50, not how you can get 50lbs to feel good when you're standing around, because no matter what kind of pack you've got, you're not going to enjoy that load on steep trails, much less "hundreds of miles".
Neither of those packs is a good, or even reasonable, choice for backpacking. Modularity and add-on pockets, those things just add weight to an already unnecessarily heavy pack. What matters is fit, fit, and fit.
Seriously, that MMR(just the pack) weighs more than my pack, shelter, sleeping pad, winter sleeping bag, and rain gear combined, and I could drop almost enough weight by upgrading my sleep system to say the same of the ZXR, because my stuff is not really "ultralight", just "lightweight".

 

[Sid Post]

I put up with some extra pack weight to avoid a blowout or other failure where I didn't have an easy way to repair the damage. Depending on where you are going and what you need to carry, the heavy duty pack can be a real lifesaver.

With a multi-month "adventure" many years ago, I found that the problem for me was that when my pack weight exceeded 62% of my body weight, my knees would give out. I routinely walked steep grades, stairs, etc. for 10 to 14 hours a day with limited rest periods (generally only to eat or drink). 100+ pound pack weights require a properly fitted and loaded pack to be safe and comfortable.