Kifaru 22 Mag vs Kifaru Bedlam
Quick take: The Kifaru Bedlam carries more (80 vs 39 liters); the Kifaru Bedlam is lighter (5.9 vs 6.1 lbs).
Which one to buy
Twice the volume for 0.2 lb less: at the same $850 complete, the Bedlam's system weighs 5.9 lb against the 22 Mag's 6.1 and holds 80 L against 39. Owners call its layout the best in Kifaru's line: a near-full-length two-way side zipper that reaches gear without unpacking, an enclosed pocket that took a reviewer's spotting scope and tripod together, and an extra-wide padded belt one long-term reviewer rated the most comfortable he had used. It compresses small for day hunts, one long-term reviewer puts its sweet spot at 3-4 days, and owners report stretching it to 5-7 with an add-on lid. It also takes a bear canister.
The 22 Mag answers with two specific things. On the 22-inch ARK frame it is carry-on compliant for travel hunts, and its full-zip panel opening is what owners who cross-shopped top-loaders keep choosing for organization. It has a built-in bottom sleeve for a rifle or tripod and a load shelf that rides high to keep meat tight to your back; one owner hauled an elk rear quarter, backstrap and day gear on it and said it balanced well. It also has no roll top or collar for overflow, and canisters only squeeze in.
The Bedlam's complaints are smaller: the asymmetric layout takes learning, the interior Chamber pocket is too small to be useful, no lid comes with it, and the Autolock buckles fight cold or gloved hands. Meat rides in the gap between bag and frame rather than on a dedicated sling. Both share unventilated backs, add-on hipbelt pockets and DWR-coated 500D Cordura, though one Bedlam came through a full dunking in a river crossing with its contents dry. For anything beyond a day hunt, the Bedlam gives more pack for the same money at less weight.
Kifaru 22 Mag
Best if you fly to hunts and need a carry-on-legal hauler, or you hunt days only and want a full-zip panel bag with a built-in rifle sleeve.
Kifaru Bedlam
For 3-4 day backcountry hunts that may stretch longer, where side-zip access, an enclosed scope pocket and canister room matter, at less weight for the same price.
| Spec | Kifaru 22 Mag | Kifaru Bedlam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $850 | $850 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | External Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 39 L | 80 L |
| Weight | 6.1 lbs | 5.9 lbs |
| Max Load | Not published by the manufacturer | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Torso Fit | XS-XL belts: XS 22-27, SM 28-34, MD 35-39, LG 40-46 in | Two ARK frame heights: 22 in (14-18 in torsos) and 25 in (18 in+), with XS-L belts covering 22-46 in waists; three loops adjust load-lifter height on the bag |
| Material | 500D CORDURA with 500D/1000D Squadron laminate laser-cut panels, #8 and #10 YKK coil zippers, Duraflex buckles; made in USA | 500D CORDURA with 4-way stretch Tweave in high-stress pockets, #8 YKK zippers, Duraflex Autolock buckles, mil-spec webbing; made in USA |
| Back Panel | Carbon-fiber ARK frame sheet with high-density nitrogen-enriched foams; full-length load shelf rides high on the frame to keep meat weight tight to the back | Carbon-fiber ARK frame sheet with high-density nitrogen-enriched foams, extra-wide padded belt and oversized lumbar pad; meat stashes between bag and frame |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | Yes | No |
| Hydration sleeve | Yes | Yes |
| Fits BV500 bear can | No | Yes |
| Warranty | Kifaru lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship | Kifaru lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship |
Pros & cons
Kifaru 22 Mag
- ✓The full-zip clamshell panel opens the whole bag like a suitcase — owners who cross-shopped it against top-loaders consistently pick the 22 Mag for organization, with one calling it simply 'a great pack' for exactly this reason.
- ✓One owner packed an elk rear quarter, a backstrap, and full day gear — 105 lbs total — on his 22 Mag and frame and reported it 'balanced nicely,' then finished the whole bull in three more trips.
- ✓The current version adds a full-length load shelf positioned high on the frame, keeping meat weight tight to your back instead of sagging low like bolt-on shelf setups.
- ✓A bottom carry sleeve for rifles, tripods, or trekking poles is built in — dedicated weapon carry that the Stryker XL and Hellbender still need the Gun Bearer accessory for.
- ✓Carry-on compliant on the 22-inch ARK frame, which makes it one of very few real load-hauling systems you can take in an airline cabin for travel hunts.
- ✓Dual water-bottle pockets plus horizontal compression straps secure a tripod or spotting scope against the bag, and the included 150 ci lid with mesh organizer keeps small essentials out of the main bag.
- ✓Owners stretch it past day use — one runs full day gear plus one-night spike-out kit for solo elk hunts, processing at night and packing out in the morning.
- ✓500D Cordura with Squadron laminate reinforcement, made in the USA, with Kifaru's lifetime warranty — the same build quality as the flagship 44 Mag in a smaller envelope.
- ✗$850 complete ($350 bag + $500 ARK frame) buys a 39 L daypack — that's more than complete 75 L+ flagship systems from Exo, Stone Glacier, or Mystery Ranch cost.
- ✗There's almost no public review record: GOHUNT's 22 Mag Combo listing shows zero reviews and kifaru.net doesn't display a rating for it.
- ✗At roughly 6.1 lbs complete it's a heavy day rig — a Mystery Ranch Pop Up 28 does the treestand-and-load-shelf job at around 4.9 lbs, and simple 2 lb daypacks embarrass it when no meat is on the menu.
- ✗Some owners who owned both sold the 22 Mag and kept the Muskeg 2800, preferring the Muskeg's side zipper and expandable snow collar for the same day-hunt role.
- ✗The fixed panel-loader shape has no roll top or collar, so unlike the Muskeg or a compressed multiday bag there's zero overflow capacity when a hunt goes sideways.
- ✗Kifaru sized it around the 25-inch frame — on the carry-on-friendly 22-inch ARK the bag hangs 3 inches below the frame, and one owner noted the load shelf sits noticeably high on taller frames.
- ✗Hipbelt pockets, belt pouches, and the Sherman pocket are all paid add-ons, and the foam back panel has no ventilation for early-season heat.
- ✗The bear-canister question is a squeeze: the main bag is 25 x 11 x 8 inches, so a BV500 distorts the panel zip rather than dropping in the way it does in the 44 Mag or Bedlam.
Kifaru Bedlam
- ✓A long-term field reviewer, alternating it with his Seek Outside during 70 lb ruck training, concluded the Kifaru platform is 'the best load hauler of any pack I've used' — and noted nearly every Alaska sheep guide he saw ran Kifaru or Barneys for exactly that reason.
- ✓The near-full-length two-way side zipper reaches gear without unpacking half the bag — access that roll-top competitors like the Stone Glacier Sky 5900 and Seek Outside Divide simply don't offer.
- ✓The enclosed spotting-scope pocket swallowed the reviewer's Swarovski ATS 65 and its tripod together, while the opposite stretch pocket holds two 32 oz Nalgenes or doubles as rifle carry.
- ✓Owners praise the layout as the best in Kifaru's line — one who has 'run a ton of Kifaru packs' calls it his favorite, citing the side zip, enclosed scope pocket, and how small it collapses for day hunts.
- ✓The extra-wide, heavily padded belt with single inward-pull straps and an oversized lumbar pad drew specific praise as more comfortable than any belt one long-term reviewer had used.
- ✓It was designed in the open in a public owner thread with direct end-user input, and owners report getting 5-7 days out of it with a Guide Lid or Claymore added to the 4,900 ci base.
- ✓The DWR-treated 500D Cordura survived a full dunking during a river crossing on a Bob Marshall traverse with the contents bone dry, and shrugged off 30-mile, 14-hour days at race pace.
- ✓At 2 lb 12 oz the bag undercuts the 44 Mag by half a pound while carrying 180 ci more, making the $850 complete system Kifaru's best volume-per-pound and volume-per-dollar hauler.
- ✗Weight is the honest tradeoff: about 5.9-6 lbs complete versus roughly 4.5 lbs for a similar-volume Stone Glacier system and under 4 lbs for a Seek Outside — a long-term field reviewer flagged this as where 'the Kifaru doesn't shine as brightly.'
- ✗Even the positive forum review pegs the sweet spot at 3-4 days — the reviewer chose a different pack for his Brooks Range Dall sheep hunt, so expedition hunters may still outgrow it despite the 80 L rating.
- ✗The interior Chamber pocket is too small to be useful for first-aid and toiletries — the reviewer said doubling its size would fix it.
- ✗Kifaru's Autolock buckles can't slip, but they're genuinely hard to release in the cold or with gloves — a repeated forum gripe across the line that stings most on a strap-heavy bag like this.
- ✗It comes in exactly one color (Ranger Green) and one size of bag, with no lid included — the Guide Lid or Claymore that owners use to stretch trips are extra purchases.
- ✗500D Cordura bucks the industry trend toward lighter, near-waterproof ultra-weave fabrics, and its DWR coating wears off and needs refreshing.
- ✗Just 4 reviews on kifaru.net (albeit all 5-star) is a thin public record for an $850 direct-only purchase you likely can't try on first.
- ✗The asymmetrical layout takes learning — even one long-term reviewer joked about the 'front' pocket being in the back, and meat hauling uses the frame gap rather than a purpose-built X-Pac sling like the Hellbender's.
Kifaru 22 Mag vs Kifaru Bedlam: common questions
Is the Bedlam really lighter than the 22 Mag despite being twice the size?▾
Yes. Listed complete on the ARK frame, the Bedlam is 5.9 lb and the 22 Mag 6.1 lb. The Bedlam bag itself is lighter, and one owner cites how small it still collapses for day hunts.
Which one handles a rifle better?▾
The 22 Mag has a built-in bottom carry sleeve for a rifle or tripod. The Bedlam has no dedicated weapon carry, though its stretch side pocket holds two bottles or doubles as rifle carry.
How does meat hauling compare?▾
The 22 Mag uses a full-length load shelf that rides high on the frame, and one owner hauled an elk quarter plus extras on it. On the Bedlam, meat goes in the gap between bag and frame, which works but is not a dedicated sling.