Tested Tough: Stone Glacier Solo 3600 Pack and Krux Frame

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The most honest reviews of hunting packs come at the bottom of a mountain after a long haul-out. Only when you’ve shot a bull elk, quartered the animal, and carried multiple loads of meat down steep, rocky slopes can you get an honest impression of how a pack really holds up.

Fortunately for me, I managed to punch my bull elk tag in northern New Mexico last year, and I’m thankful I was carrying Stone Glacier’s 3600 Pack fixed to their Krux frame. I wouldn’t say it made the work easy, but when I finished with my elk I didn’t have to deal with the aches and pains associated with ill-fitting, poorly made packs.

I chose the Stone Glacier Solo 3600 specifically for that hunt because it checked all the boxes for a backcountry elk pack. It offers 3,600 cubic inches of space in the main bag, yet the pack weighs only 22 ounces. That’s ample space for a day pack and offers enough room to carry assorted calls, knives, food and extra ammunition, as well as an extra set of clothes and the necessary gear needed for an extended stay in the backcountry.

Made from Cordura and Xpac fabric, the pack materials are extremely rugged and stand up well to abuse in the field. The heavy-duty Duraflex military-approved buckles and webbing keep everything balanced and secured, and the heavy-duty YKK zippers hold up to tough hunts. There’s a single external zippered pocket and the full top panel zip offers full access to the large main compartment. It’s also hydration compatible.

Comfortable Loads

With the durable Krux frame, my Stone Glacier pack weighed just 4 pounds, 2 ounces, but it is designed to haul up to 150 pounds. The load shelf and load cell bag easily hold a bull elk quarter, and the various straps allow you to secure the load under strenuous weight. Lots of things can go wrong with a pack, but two of the worst issues are the inability to quickly access items in the pack and instability caused by poorly designed frames. The Stone Glacier suffers from neither of these problems. The straps are durable and allow you to secure your load properly while the waist belt provides excellent support. Also, the full-zip main pocket makes it easy to reach items that are situated in the bottom of the pack. There’s just one exterior zippered pocket, but it’s large enough (roughly 9x12 inches) to offer quick-access storage, even for long items.

Having the right pack is essential for backcountry hunts, and the Stone Glacier Solo 3600 and Krux frame deserves high praise. It’s the pack you’ll like even at the end of a hard hunt.

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