Stone Glacier
Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900
The Sky Talus 6900 is Stone Glacier's best-selling, most fully-featured bag: a 6,400 ci main bag plus included 500 ci lid (113 L total) with four external side pockets and a full-length center zip. It converts from a 4,750 ci bivy-mode day pack to an 8,900+ ci expedition hauler with the 2,500+ ci load shelf deployed, all on a 150+ lb-rated Krux or Xcurve frame for $750 complete. It has become the default recommendation for Alaska and sheep-hunt duty on Rokslide.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓The consensus pick on Rokslide, Stone Glacier's home forum — 'every year I try something new (mostly Kifaru) but always come back to the 6900' is a recurring sentiment, and it carries a 4.9/5 across 220 reviews on stoneglacier.com, by far the most of any SG bag.
- ✓Unmatched range for one pack: 4,750 ci bivy-mode day pack to 113 L expedition rig, with the load shelf pushing total capacity past 8,900 ci — Rokslide's staff reviewer packed a bear out of the Idaho backcountry with it.
- ✓Best organization in the Stone Glacier line: four external side pockets, two with full-length dual-slider #10 zips, all offset from the frame so a strapped tripod or rifle never blocks pocket access.
- ✓Rokslide's long-term test found it comfortable from 20 lb day loads to 80+ lb hauls, with the frame keeping rifle-carrier weight on the hips rather than the shoulders.
- ✓Allen Outside's reviewer cross-shopped Mystery Ranch, Kifaru, Kuiu, and Eberlestock and reported Stone Glacier 'kept coming to the top' among experienced Western hunters before choosing the Talus.
- ✓X-Pac/500D Cordura build passed Rokslide's dedicated water-resistance test, and the same reviewer highlighted hook-and-loop harness adjustment that dials in both height and strap angle for a precision fit.
- ✓Swing-Out Pocket and Camp Pocket attachment points inside the main zip give Kifaru-style modular organization at a fraction of the weight.
- ✓Lifetime defect warranty, US construction, and legendary customer service — Allen Outside rated support 'extremely responsive' through multiple pre- and post-purchase walkthroughs.
Cons
- ✗The zippered side pockets run too short for full-size spotting scopes — Rokslide's staff reviewer wanted them longer and ended up stowing his spotter inside the center zip instead.
- ✗The rifle carrier's top quick-release strap sits above/behind the shoulder strap where it's genuinely hard to reach with the pack on, per Rokslide's field test.
- ✗The hip belt is hard to snug under load until you add power pulls, which reviewers argue should be standard at this price rather than an add-on.
- ✗The perforated foam lining on the belt and shoulder straps collects pine needles, burrs, and lichen — a small but universally-cited Stone Glacier annoyance.
- ✗Fussy for newcomers: Allen Outside (4/5 stars) needed Stone Glacier staff to walk through the strap configurations twice, calling it more complicated than his Osprey background prepared him for.
- ✗Real-world cost balloons past the $750 sticker — belt pockets, internal organizers, and a rifle sling took one reviewer's build to roughly $850.
- ✗The main compartment is intentionally thin to accommodate the load shelf, so it packs differently than a traditional backpacking bag and frustrates hunters expecting Osprey-style stowage.
- ✗The lower open-top side pockets are too shallow to hold Nalgene bottles securely, pushing you toward the extra-cost shoulder-strap bottle holster that Rokslide's reviewer found annoying under the arm.
Compare the Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900
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