Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 vs Kifaru Shape Charge

Mystery Ranch

Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40

$475

4.2★ (42)

Kifaru

$475

4.8★ (23)

Quick take: The Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40 carries more (40 vs 32 liters); the Kifaru Shape Charge is lighter (4.6 vs 5.3 lbs).

Spec	Mystery Ranch Pop Up 40	Kifaru Shape Charge
Price	$475	$475
Rating	4.2★ (42)	4.8★ (23)
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	25-40 lbs comfortable; 125 lbs structural (owner-reported)
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 lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects	Kifaru lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship

✓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 on Rokslide 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 — Rokslide posters routinely 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 generic one-size whitetail packs like the Badlands 2200 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 on forums — the Pop Up 38 it replaces stayed a cult favorite for years 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 on Rokslide 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 a forum darling.
✗No hipbelt pockets — rangefinder and calls go in shoulder or lid pockets, a step behind Exo and Kuiu belts.
✗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 Rokslide 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'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 Rokslide 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 Rokslide's blunt consensus is 'it is heavy for what it is'.
✗Comfort ceiling arrives early: the same Rokslide 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.