Mystery Ranch Marshall 105 vs Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900
Quick take: The Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900 carries more (113 vs 103 liters); the Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900 is lighter (5.29 vs 6.7 lbs).
Which one to buy
Stone Glacier's best-selling bag earns loyalty. As one owner put it, every year he tries something new and still comes back to the 6900. At the same $750, the Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900 holds 10 L more than the Mystery Ranch Marshall 105, weighs about 1.4 lb less on the Krux frame, carries a 150+ lb rating that Mystery Ranch doesn't publish, and has a much longer owner record. For most expedition hunters, it's the better pack.
Its range is the main reason. It cinches to a 4,750 ci bivy-mode day pack and expands past 8,900 ci with the load shelf deployed. A long-term test found it comfortable from 20 lb day loads to hauls over 80 lb. Four external side pockets are offset so a strapped rifle or tripod doesn't block them. The downsides are small but real. The side pockets are too short for a full-size spotter, the rifle carrier's quick-release is hard to reach with the pack on, and the belt is hard to snug under load without power pulls bought separately. The foam picks up pine needles, and the strap setup confused at least one experienced reviewer. Once belt pockets and organizers are added, one reviewer's setup came to about $850.
The Marshall's advantages are access and features included. It has a bottom sleeping-bag compartment, two full-length side zips, a hydration sleeve, built-in rifle and bow carry, and four frame sizes plus a women's version. Testers report two elk quarters plus antlers with no slippage. Against it are the extra weight, a noisy history, a lid-to-daypack conversion that wasn't comfortable, and no stock at Mystery Ranch as of October 2026.
The Marshall is the right pack only if you want a sleeping bag reachable without unpacking and everything included out of the box. Otherwise, the Talus is the safer choice at the same price.
Mystery Ranch Marshall 105
For guides and expedition hunters who want a sleeping-bag compartment, side zips, a hydration sleeve and weapon carry all included, and don't mind the extra weight.
Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900
The default for most expedition and Alaska hunters: lighter, rated past 150 lb, and one pack that runs from a bivy-mode day pack to a full haul.
| Spec | Mystery Ranch Marshall 105 | Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $750 | $750 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | Internal Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 103 L | 113 L |
| Weight | 6.7 lbs | 5 lb 4.6 oz (Krux) / 5 lb 8.6 oz (Xcurve), complete with medium belt |
| Max Load | Not published by the manufacturer (reviewers report 60+ lb loads with no frame flex) | 150+ lbs |
| Torso Fit | S–XL frame sizes with adjustable yoke (S/M ~15–20 in, L/XL ~17–24 in torsos); women's version available | Hook-and-loop harness with continuous height and angle adjustment; S/M/L belts (28"-37"+); Krux Short frame option for shorter torsos |
| Material | 330 HT CORDURA 5PM and 330D Robic Kodra ripstop with YKK zippers and SJ Autolock buckles | 500D Cordura + X-Pac laminate, YKK #10 zippers, 1" Duraflex military-spec hardware, made in USA |
| Back Panel | MYSTERIUM frame (2025 successor to the Guide Light MT) with adjustable yoke and five-piece hipbelt | Foam-padded carbon-stay frame panel (Krux or Xcurve frame) with nitrogen-infused foam harness |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | Yes | Yes |
| Hydration sleeve | Yes | No |
| Fits BV500 bear can | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | Mystery Ranch Guarantee: defects in materials and craftsmanship for the practical lifetime of the product; wear-and-tear and misuse repairs at a reasonable charge | Lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship |
Pros & cons
Mystery Ranch Marshall 105
- ✓This is Mystery Ranch's biggest hunting pack by a wide margin — 103 liters swallows 10+ days of gear, and Outside Bozeman called the attention to detail on 'this 105-liter beast' evident the moment you strap it on.
- ✓Long-term testers load it brutally: Backwoods Pursuit packed two elk quarters plus antlers with 'no slippage' and found no noticeable vertical frame flex, with 60+ lb loads staying comfortable.
- ✓The Overload meat shelf is unusually easy to deploy for a pack this size — reviewers single out the ease of access for getting quarters between frame and bag.
- ✓The dedicated bottom speed compartment keeps a sleeping bag accessible without unpacking, and dual full-length side zippers reach the middle of the enormous main bag — access most expedition top-loaders can't match.
- ✓The removable lid converts to a daypack, so you can drop camp and stalk light from a spike camp without carrying a second pack.
- ✓Outside Bozeman raved about the carry: the five-point hipbelt 'hugs the hips with a secure firmness, while the back panel and load straps pull the weight off the shoulders' — even suggesting you add 15 lbs more than you think you can carry.
- ✓The 2025 MYSTERIUM rebuild cut roughly 0.8 lbs versus the old Guide Light MT Marshall while adding the new weatherproof CORDURA 5PM fabric.
- ✓Owner reviews are a perfect 5.0 at Scheels, with one guide-type user writing 'I trust my life with the Marshall' — and Mystery Ranch's lifetime guarantee backs it.
- ✗At $750 in either colorway it is Mystery Ranch's most expensive hunting pack, priced right against a Stone Glacier Terminus 7000 or Exo K4 7200 without their lighter weight or modular bag swaps.
- ✗At 6.7 lbs it runs about 1.5-2 lbs heavier than comparable Stone Glacier and Exo expedition systems — weight you carry on every mile of a long hunt.
- ✗Noise is the recurring Mystery Ranch gripe: the prior-generation Marshall tester reported squeaky shoulder straps and fabric that's loud brushing through branches on stalks.
- ✗The lid-to-daypack conversion is more clever than comfortable — the Backwoods Pursuit reviewer 'never really found it to be comfortable' as an actual stalking pack.
- ✗External storage is lean for a pack this size — two torpedo pockets and no stock hipbelt pockets, so quick-access items depend on add-on accessories.
- ✗Mystery Ranch publishes no official load rating, leaving buyers to forum anecdotes while Stone Glacier claims a 150 lb spec on its expedition frames.
- ✗As of October 2026 both colorways show out of stock direct from Mystery Ranch with no restock estimate and thin at retail (GOHUNT showing only a couple units), so finding your frame size can take patience.
- ✗Many owners say 103 liters is overkill for most lower-48 hunts — unless you routinely do 5+ day bivy hunts or fly-in trips, a Metcalf or Beartooth carries better and invites less overpacking.
Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900
- ✓A frequent owner pick — 'every year I try something new (mostly Kifaru) but always come back to the 6900' is how one owner put it, 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 — one owner 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.
- ✓One owner'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 one reviewer's dedicated water-resistance test, and that 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.
- ✗The zippered side pockets run too short for full-size spotting scopes — one owner 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 a long-term field reviewer.
- ✗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 commonly 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 a long-term field reviewer found annoying under the arm.
Mystery Ranch Marshall 105 vs Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900: common questions
Is the Sky Talus 6900 better than the Marshall 105 for an Alaska hunt?▾
For most hunters, yes. Many owners recommend the Talus for Alaska and sheep hunts. It's about 1.4 lb lighter, rated at 150+ lb and backed by years of owner reports. The Marshall's case is its sleeping-bag compartment and features included out of the box.
Will I spend more than $750 on either pack?▾
Likely, with the Talus. One reviewer's setup with belt pockets, organizers and a rifle sling came to about $850, and reviewers say power pulls for the belt should be added. The Marshall includes a hydration sleeve and weapon carry but also lacks hipbelt pockets.
Which pack is easier to set up and fit?▾
Fit is good on both. Stone Glacier's hook-and-loop harness adjusts height and angle continuously, and Mystery Ranch offers four frame sizes with an adjustable yoke. Setup is harder on the Talus, whose strap configuration took one reviewer two walkthroughs with Stone Glacier staff.