Kifaru The Maniml vs Exo Mtn Gear Teratorn 7400 Pack System
Quick take: The Exo Mtn Gear Teratorn 7400 Pack System carries more (121 vs 50 liters); the Exo Mtn Gear Teratorn 7400 Pack System is lighter (6.6 vs 6.69 lbs).
Which one to buy
Where does your hunt start: a tree stand an hour from the truck, or a trailhead a week from the nearest road? That question decides this pair, because the two packs barely overlap. The Kifaru The Maniml is a whitetail and saddle day pack on Kifaru's ARK frame. The Exo Mtn Gear Teratorn 7400 Pack System is a 121 L expedition bag on a frame Exo rates at 150+ lb, built for long elk and sheep hunts.
The Maniml's lid was designed with Levi Morgan for reaching gear while you hang in a saddle or stand, and it opens from inside or outside. Its full-length load shelf lets you pack a deer out on the frame. One owner describes the weight distribution as unbelievable, and a reviewer who fell 30 feet reports the pack and frame were fine. Its 50 L counts the included Cinch breakaway daypack, though. The main bag alone is 2,320 ci, and one buyer found it smaller than expected. It is also top-load only, and one buyer had zipper pull cords fray early.
The Teratorn wins on sizing and hauling. It comes in four frame heights from 22 to 26.5 in and five belt sizes, against the Maniml's two ARK heights, so fit is easier to get right if you are tall or between sizes. Its pocket list is thin, with no hydration sleeve or hipbelt pockets. Its 121 L is too much bag for a day sit, but it's the right size for hauling camp in and meat out over several days.
Kifaru The Maniml
Best if you hunt whitetails from a saddle or stand and want gear in reach while you're hanging, with a load shelf for dragging a deer out afterward.
Exo Mtn Gear Teratorn 7400 Pack System
For backcountry elk and sheep hunters who need expedition volume, a 150+ lb rating and four frame heights to dial in the fit.
| Spec | Kifaru The Maniml | Exo Mtn Gear Teratorn 7400 Pack System |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $749 | $749 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | External Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 50 L | 121 L |
| Weight | 6 lbs 11 oz (bag + Cinch + 25-in ARK frame) | 6.6 lbs |
| Max Load | Not published by the manufacturer | 150+ lbs |
| Torso Fit | Two ARK frame heights: 22 in (under 5 ft 8 in) and 25 in (5 ft 8 in+), with XS-XL belts covering 22-46 in waists and single-point shoulder-strap height adjustment | 4 frame heights (22, 23.5, 25, 26.5 in), 5 hipbelt sizes XS-XL |
| Material | 500D CORDURA with laser-cut MOLLE tracks and four-way stretch side pockets; made in USA | 500D CORDURA with YKK zippers, built in the USA |
| Back Panel | Carbon-fiber ARK frame sheet with high-density foams in the shoulder straps, belt, and lumbar pad; full-length pleated load shelf runs to the top of the frame | Carbon-stay frame (K4 family) with adjustable harness |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | No | Yes |
| Hydration sleeve | Yes | No |
| Fits BV500 bear can | No | Yes |
| Warranty | Kifaru lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship | Exo lifetime guarantee plus 30-day trial |
Pros & cons
Kifaru The Maniml
- ✓The full-length load shelf runs to the top of the frame with a pleated bottom — a kifaru.net owner says 'paired with the ARK frame packing out is no problem' and the weight distribution is 'unbelievable', hauling ability no Exo or Stone Glacier day bag matches.
- ✓Includes the 750 ci Cinch breakaway daypack and Chamber Pocket organizer — the Cinch compresses the main bag or pops off as a standalone bag with stowed shoulder straps.
- ✓The forward-opening dual-zip lid opens from inside or outside, closed or open — designed with Levi Morgan specifically for accessing gear while hanging in a saddle or tree stand.
- ✓Ships with a K-clip strap kit so the bag also mounts on Kifaru Duplex and Newplex frames, not just the ARK.
- ✓Sewn-in .75-in autolock compression straps carry a bow, rifle, tree stand, or climbing sticks stock — owners strap platform, sticks, and saddle on with room for layers inside.
- ✓Owner-proven toughness: one reviewer fell 30 feet — 'the Maniml pack and ARK frame were fine, I wasn't' — and another calls it 'tougher than nails'.
- ✓Serves the whitetail/saddle niche the western pack brands mostly ignore, with a perfect 5.0 on kifaru.net and 100% recommend rate.
- ✓Four-way stretch side pockets and laser-cut MOLLE take bottles, spotter, tripod, bugle tube, or full-size belt pouches for match-your-hunt customization.
- ✗Some owners were skeptical, finding it hard to justify against Kifaru's own Stryker XL, Hellbender, 22 Mag, and Minikeg — 'it looks like a 22 Mag without the full horseshoe'.
- ✗One owner's direct comparison: the Exo K4 3600 is over a pound lighter, has better access, roughly 1,700 more cubic inches, and costs less.
- ✗Top-loader only — no horseshoe, tri-zip, or panel access, a step backward from the 22 Mag and Hellbender for digging out gear.
- ✗At 6 lb 11 oz complete it outweighs the 77 L 44 Mag combo (6 lb 6 oz) while carrying far less — a lot of pack weight for a day system.
- ✗The main bag alone is only 2,320 ci; one verified buyer found it 'a bit smaller than I thought', and the 50 L figure depends on counting the Cinch.
- ✗Quality niggle from a verified buyer: the burned zipper pull cords fray — three came apart within the first few uses.
- ✗Only 4 reviews since its 2024 launch — the thinnest track record of any Kifaru ARK bag.
- ✗$749 all-in is serious money for a whitetail day pack, and the ARK frame is overkill unless you actually drag deer out on your back.
Exo Mtn Gear Teratorn 7400 Pack System
- ✓Expedition volume on a frame rated past 150 lb.
- ✓Four frame heights and five belts cover a wide range of bodies.
- ✓The lid detaches, and bag-and-lid sets sell alone for $364 to fit an existing frame.
- ✓500D CORDURA sewn in the USA.
- ✓Compression straps double as a rifle or bow carry.
- ✓The lifetime guarantee comes with a 30-day trial.
- ✗$749 is the most Exo charges for any system.
- ✗6.6 lb is a lot of pack for hunts that do not fill 121 L.
- ✗Exo does not say whether the frame differs from the K4.
- ✗No hydration sleeve or hipbelt pockets are listed.
- ✗No raincover.
Kifaru The Maniml vs Exo Mtn Gear Teratorn 7400 Pack System: common questions
Is the Maniml big enough for an overnight elk hunt instead of the Teratorn?▾
Not really. Its 50 L includes the detachable Cinch daypack, and the main bag alone is 2,320 ci, which makes it a large day bag. The Teratorn's 121 L and 150+ lb rating are built for multi-day hunts where camp goes in and meat comes out.
Which pack fits a tall hunter better, the Maniml or the Teratorn 7400?▾
The Teratorn offers four frame heights (22, 23.5, 25 and 26.5 in) and five belt sizes. The Maniml rides on a 22 in or 25 in ARK frame, the taller one for hunters 5 ft 8 in and up, so very long torsos have more room to fit on the Exo.
Does the Teratorn work as a tree-stand pack like the Maniml?▾
It can carry a stand, but it's far bigger than a stand hunt needs, and it lacks the Maniml's lid that opens from inside or outside while you hang in a saddle. For whitetail days close to the truck, the Maniml is built for the job.