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).
| Spec | Kifaru 22 Mag | Kifaru Bedlam |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $850 | $850 |
| Rating | 4.8★ (10) | 5★ (4) |
| 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 | 100+ lbs (owner-reported; no official rating) | 100+ lbs (owner-reported; no official rating) |
| Torso Fit | Built for the 25 in ARK frame (18 in+ torsos); runs on the 22 in ARK (14-18 in torsos) with 3 in of bag below the frame; S-L belts cover 28-46 in waists | 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 — Rokslide 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.
- ✓A Rokslide 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 on Rokslide 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, so the rating here is an estimate from scattered owner posts.
- ✗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 Roksliders 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
- ✓Rokslide's official 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 the Rokslide reviewer had used.
- ✓It was designed in the open on a famous Rokslide 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 — Rokslide's reviewer flagged this as where 'the Kifaru doesn't shine as brightly.'
- ✗Even the positive Rokslide 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 Rokslide 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 the Rokslide 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.