Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 vs Kifaru Shape Charge
Quick take: The Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 carries more (40 vs 32 liters); the Kifaru Shape Charge is lighter (4.56 vs 5.3 lbs).
Which one to buy
Both cost $475, and both are built for whitetail and stand hunters. Only one can carry the deer out. The Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40's telescoping frame extends in seconds to open an Overload sling between bag and frame, and it's rated to 80 lbs. The Kifaru Shape Charge has no load shelf, and one owner puts its comfortable range at 25-40 lb. One owner did haul a 100 lb doe and a climber a mile in it without anything breaking, but comfort is another matter.
The Pop Up's other advantages are fit and stands. It comes in S-XL yoke sizes with micro-adjustable torso length, while the Shape Charge has one fixed torso length and a tall lid that one 5 ft 8 in owner found hit the back of his head. Treestand hunters say the Pop Up carries hang-on stands and sticks better than anything in its class and rides low enough to look up while climbing. A 1/4-20 thumbscrew on the frame takes a camera arm or spotter. Its problems are weight, at 5.3 lbs, buckles and straps that one longtime Pop Up owner rates below the old Pop Up 38's, and a back that soaks through early in the season. Owners also note that hauling near 80 lb on a daypack belt is punishing.
The Shape Charge is better organized. Its clamshell zip, lid pockets and internal pouches set the standard in Kifaru's line, and its civilian colors work as a laptop or travel bag. It's built hard, and MOLLE and compression straps take a bow, rifle or sticks. What you give up for that organization is the Pop Up's ability to haul, and you can't add it back with accessories.
Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40
Made for stand hunters who want a frame that pops up to haul a boned-out deer the same day, with yoke sizes to match their torso.
Kifaru Shape Charge
Worth it for truck-based and saddle hunters who value organization and want one tough day pack that also works as an office or travel bag, and who are taller than about 5 ft 8 in.
| Spec | Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 | Kifaru Shape Charge |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $475 | $475 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | Internal Frame | Internal Frame |
| Capacity | 40 L | 32 L |
| Weight | 5.3 lbs | 4 lbs 9 oz (with medium belt) |
| Max Load | 80 lbs | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Torso Fit | S, M, L, XL yoke sizes with micro-adjustable Hunting Light Yoke torso length | One fixed torso length with SM (28-33 in), MD (34-38 in), and LG (39 in+) belt options; the tall lid can crowd the back of the head on hunters around 5 ft 8 in and under |
| Material | 330D Lite Plus CORDURA nylon | 500D CORDURA with MOLLE webbing, reinforced bartacked grab handle; made in USA |
| Back Panel | Telescoping aluminum Pop-Up Frame that expands from daypack mode into a load hauler, with Mystery Ranch's micro-adjustable yoke and foam back panel | Padded back panel with internal frame sheet; designed to run with or without the waistbelt for EDC duty |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | No |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | Yes | No |
| Hydration sleeve | Yes | Yes |
| Fits BV500 bear can | Yes | No |
| 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 | Kifaru lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship |
Pros & cons
Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40
- ✓The signature pop-up OVERLOAD shelf deploys in seconds, letting whitetail hunters haul a boned-out deer between bag and frame without ever owning a separate frame pack.
- ✓Treestand users say it carries hang-on stands and climbing sticks better than anything in its class, and its low profile lets you actually look up to climb a tree while wearing it.
- ✓An 80-lb load rating in a 40 L daypack footprint is unmatched by mainstream daypacks — some buyers cross-shop it against the far pricier Kifaru Stryker.
- ✓The Hunting Light Yoke micro-adjusts torso length across S-XL sizes, giving a dialed fit that whitetail packs like the Badlands 2200, which comes in two fixed frame sizes, can't match.
- ✓An integrated 1/4"-20 optics thumbscrew on the frame lets you mount a spotting scope, camera arm or rifle rest directly to the pack — a favorite detail among saddle and video-heavy hunters.
- ✓The updated 40 adds a removable, adjustable lid over the old 38 and tweaks the frame's upper attachment to reduce the load slop owners complained about.
- ✓Face compression straps carry a bow or rifle cleanly for hands-free stand hangs, and interior loops accept Mystery Ranch Quick Attach void bags for organization.
- ✓Mystery Ranch's build reputation and lifetime guarantee carry real weight with owners, and the Pop Up 38 it replaces stayed in demand after discontinuation.
- ✗At 5.3 lbs it's a heavy 40-liter pack — nearly the weight of Kuiu's complete 57 L ICON 6 3500 frame kit — and owners feel it on all-day hikes to the stand.
- ✗At least one longtime Pop Up owner calls the newest 40 'bulky, heavy, with poor buckles and straps' and says it doesn't carry weight as well as the outgoing 38.
- ✗The 4.2-star owner rating on Mystery Ranch's own site trails competitors, with strap and buckle complaints the recurring theme.
- ✗Price jumped to $475 from the Pop Up 38's roughly $325 street price, eroding the value story that made the 38 popular.
- ✗No hipbelt pockets, so rangefinder and calls go in shoulder or lid pockets unless you buy add-on pouches.
- ✗Hauling near the 80-lb ceiling on a daypack yoke and belt is punishing compared to a true external frame like a Kifaru or Seek Outside, per owner comparisons.
- ✗The pop-up frame hardware rides along on every sit even though most whitetail hunts never use it — dead weight the minimalist crowd resents.
- ✗The plain foam back panel has no ventilation channels, so early-season and mobile hunters report a soaked back by the time they reach the stand.
Kifaru Shape Charge
- ✓Kifaru's most-reviewed internal-frame bag by far: 4.8 from 23 kifaru.net reviews (22 five-star) versus single-digit counts for the Minikeg and Kutthroat.
- ✓Organization is the class benchmark — full clamshell zip, dual lid pockets with sleeve divider, and internal zippered pouches; even owners who prefer the Minikeg admit 'the lid access and organization is definitely a redeeming factor'.
- ✓Genuine crossover chops: Black and Coyote colorways, and owners run it as a laptop EDC bag, diaper bag, and saddle-hunting rig with an EWO one-stick in the Sherman pocket.
- ✓Structurally near-indestructible — a verified owner packed a 100 lb doe plus a 25 lb climber stand a full mile 'without any failure points'.
- ✓MOLLE webbing and compression straps secure a bow, rifle, tripod, or tree stand stock — no accessory needed for weapon carry, unlike the Minikeg.
- ✓Comfortable within its lane: a nine-month owner reports all-day hikes with weight and 'never got any hot spots' running the waistbelt.
- ✓Gen 2 fixed the small stuff — lid velcro, an eighth PALS row, open grab handle, and the included Shape Charge carry handle that Gen 1 buyers had to buy aftermarket.
- ✓500D Cordura with bartacked stress points and a reinforced grab handle — built to a duty-gear standard most 32 L day packs never see.
- ✗Heavy for 32 L — at 3 lb 15 oz bag-only it outweighs the 46 L Minikeg complete, and one owner's blunt verdict is 'it is heavy for what it is'.
- ✗Comfort ceiling arrives early: the same owner says it 'does not carry as much weight as comfortably as you might think (25-40ish pounds)' despite its structural strength.
- ✗One fixed torso length — a 5 ft 8 in owner found the lid 'would hit back of my head', another 'could not get it to fit comfortably' and sold it after a short run.
- ✗Multiple documented defections to Kifaru's own Minikeg, which is cheaper, lighter, and 14 L bigger for day-hunt duty.
- ✗The shoulder straps are a recurring gripe among long-time owners ('if they'd only modify the shoulder straps!').
- ✗The internal zippered pouches on the front flap only work well with the bag laid flat on the ground — awkward standing in the field.
- ✗No load shelf or meat-hauling provision — packouts are improvised strap-on affairs, unlike the Maniml or any frame bag.
- ✗$475 is steep for a 32 L day pack — Exo's K2 series and Stone Glacier's Avail undercut it, and belt pouches to match its organization cost extra.
Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 vs Kifaru Shape Charge: common questions
Can the Kifaru Shape Charge pack out a deer like the Pop Up 40?▾
Not comfortably. It has no load shelf, and one owner puts its comfortable range at 25-40 lb, even though another hauled a 100 lb doe and a climber a mile without failure. The Pop Up 40's frame extends to put meat in an Overload sling between bag and frame, rated to 80 lbs.
Which pack fits a shorter hunter better?▾
The Pop Up 40, in most cases. It comes in S-XL yoke sizes with micro-adjustable torso length. The Shape Charge has one fixed torso length, and one 5 ft 8 in owner found its tall lid hit the back of his head.
Is the Pop Up 40 too heavy for walking in to a stand every day?▾
Owners do feel its 5.3 lbs on long walks, and the pop-up frame comes along even on days you don't use it. Its foam back has no ventilation, so early-season hunters arrive sweaty. It's worth the weight if you'll use the frame to haul.