Seek Outside Divide 4800 2.0 vs Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0
Quick take: The Seek Outside Divide 4800 2.0 costs $35 less; the Seek Outside Divide 4800 2.0 carries more (79 vs 57 liters); the Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0 is lighter (3.2 vs 3.4 lbs).
Which one to buy
Same frame, different bag, and the bigger one costs less. Both packs ride Seek Outside's Revolution external frame, both adjust to 24, 26 or 28 in in the field, and both take hipbelts from S to XXL. The Divide 4800 2.0 puts a 79 L roll-top on it for $505; the Gila 3500 2.0 puts a 57 L roll-top on it for $540. Paying $35 more for 22 L less only makes sense if you want a trimmer bag on the frame.
There are reasons to want that. A 57 L bag rides closer and stays tidier on day loads and overnight hunts. Seek Outside calls 30-50 lb the Gila's comfortable range and rates the frame for 200+ lb. Owners of both packs like the oversized side pockets, each of which holds a Nalgene plus a tripod or spotting scope. Neither is a natural meat hauler: there's no shelf on either, so quarters go inside the bag, and Gila owners say its modest opening makes that harder still.
The choice is also more final than a shared frame suggests. Both are integrated packs with the suspension sewn into the bag, so you can't swap a larger or smaller Seek Outside bag onto the same frame later. Buy the size you need now; on room per dollar, the Divide wins.
Expect to spend time on fit with either one. Gila owners report troubleshooting the harness fit, so budget an evening of adjustment before the first trip, and Divide owners say comfort comes from dialing the fit rather than plush padding. Neither comes with a rain cover; the laminate fabric on both handles weather well, and Gila owners run a liner for the sewn seams in sustained rain. Divide owners also report a frame-joint squeak under load, fixed with cleaning and wax.
Seek Outside Divide 4800 2.0
For most buyers choosing between the two: more bag for less money, with room for a long trip or a packrafting kit.
Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0
Worth the extra if your hunts and trips are mostly short and you want a smaller 57 L bag riding on the Revolution frame.
| Spec | Seek Outside Divide 4800 2.0 | Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $505 | $540 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | External Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 79 L | 57 L |
| Weight | 3.4 lbs | 3.2 lbs |
| Max Load | 200+ lbs | 200+ lbs |
| Torso Fit | Field-adjustable frame height (24", 26", or 28"); hipbelts from Small 27"-31" to XXL 42"-48" | Field-adjustable frame height 24 / 26 / 28 in; hipbelts S-XXL (27-48 in) |
| Material | UltraGrid 210D recycled nylon with 200D grid (1500 mm HH), or Ultra 200X UHMWPE laminate waterproof to 200+ PSI | Ultra 200X or UltraGrid laminate, roll-top closure |
| Back Panel | Patented 6061 T6 aluminum Revolution external frame with removable horizontal cross stay; minimal-contact back panel with padded yoked harness | Revolution external frame with interchangeable bag mounting |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | Yes | Yes |
| Hydration sleeve | No | No |
| Fits BV500 bear can | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty against defects; made and repairable in Grand Junction, Colorado | Seek Outside lifetime warranty on workmanship; 30-day return policy |
Pros & cons
Seek Outside Divide 4800 2.0
- ✓Unmatched strength-to-weight: the complete bag-and-frame system weighs 3 lb 7 oz yet is rated for 200+ lb loads — roughly half the weight of an Exo K4, Stone Glacier or Kifaru build with a similar haul rating.
- ✓A Trailspace reviewer who runs the same Revolution frame on 75+ lb meat hauls says a loaded Divide 'carried wonderfully and much better than any internal frame backpack' they'd owned.
- ✓The frame height is field-adjustable to 24", 26" or 28", so you can run it short and nimble for day loads or tall for heavy pack-outs and longer torsos — no other hunting frame adjusts like this.
- ✓One reviewer found 20-40 lb loads rode comfortably through off-trail desert scrambling, crediting the rigid frame and articulated hipbelt for keeping agility intact.
- ✓The Ultra 200X fabric option is waterproof to 200+ PSI, and even the older X-Pac version let in 'only minimal moisture' during an all-day rainstorm in one long-term field test — no rain cover needed for most hunts.
- ✓Two oversized side pockets each swallow two Nalgene bottles, tripod legs or a spotting scope, which ultralight hikers crossover users cite as the best external storage in the class.
- ✓It's the darling of the ultralight-hunting crossover crowd — one bag covers September elk, packrafting and shoulder-season backpacking instead of owning a dedicated pack for each.
- ✓Made and repaired in Grand Junction, Colorado.
- ✗No hipbelt pockets are included standard — a baseline feature on Exo, Stone Glacier and Kuiu — and one reviewer found the add-on hip pockets sit too far back to reach on the move.
- ✗There is no hydration port or dedicated bladder sleeve; One long-term reviewer had to run a bladder in a side pocket with the hose draped over a shoulder.
- ✗The cavernous 38-inch single-cavity roll-top has almost no internal organization, so reviewers say digging out small items mid-day is a genuine chore.
- ✗Owners describe the minimalist belt and shoulder padding as 'flimsy' next to Kifaru and Mystery Ranch foam — comfort depends on dialing the fit, not plushness.
- ✗Unlike the Goshawk or a Kifaru with a load shelf, meat rides inside the bag — owners note you have to 'wrestle a load of meat into the bag' rather than dropping it on a shelf.
- ✗The aluminum frame joints can develop a squeak under load; the usual owner fix is periodic cleaning and wax on the frame pockets and bottom joint.
- ✗Rifle and bow carry requires buying Seek Outside's gun-bearer or lashing accessories — nothing weapon-specific comes in the box at $505.
- ✗The price has crept from $359 for the original Divide 4500 to $505 for the 2.0, and adding hip pockets and a gun bearer pushes it toward mainstream hunting-pack money.
Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0
- ✓Strip the cross stay and gatekeepers and Seek Outside lists it at 2 lbs 11 oz — remarkably light for a pack that carries triple-digit loads.
- ✓It carries far past its size class; owners have watched friends with bad knees hike out over 100 lbs on one.
- ✓The hipbelt is bolted to the frame rather than floating, which is the structural reason it handles weight the similarly-priced Flight cannot.
- ✓Owners who also own Stone Glacier and Exo packs call its comfort every bit their equal.
- ✓The side pockets are large and reachable while wearing the pack — owners stow a Nalgene plus a tripod or spotting scope on each side.
- ✓The frame is field-adjustable between 24, 26, and 28 inches, with hipbelts from S to XXL — a wider fit range than most hunting packs offer.
- ✓It stays comfortable at light loads too, which owners attribute to the frame's articulation rather than sheer stiffness.
- ✗The 2 lb 11 oz figure is a stripped minimum; shipped weight is 3 lb 3 oz, close to the 51.5 oz one reviewer's scale read.
- ✗Seek Outside's ventilation claims do not hold up for everyone; one owner reported just as much sweating as any internal-frame pack.
- ✗The redesigned hipbelt adds two long straps that tangle with each other during adjustment unless you add tri-glides.
- ✗The roll-top closure is slow to open and close compared to a lid-and-drawstring pack.
- ✗The dual hipbelt buckles divide owners — some prefer them to a single belt, others consider the arrangement a downgrade.
- ✗Dialing in the harness fit takes real effort, and plenty of owners report troubleshooting Seek Outside's fit system.
- ✗It is not a natural meat hauler — with no breakaway shelf and a modest bag opening, owners say it is rarely anyone's first pick for packing quarters.
- ✗It costs and weighs more than the Flight 3, which makes it a hard sell for anyone whose loads stay under about 35 lbs.
Seek Outside Divide 4800 2.0 vs Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0: common questions
Why does the Gila 3500 cost more than the bigger Divide 4800?▾
The Gila costs $540 and the Divide $505, and both ride the same Revolution frame, so the extra $35 doesn't buy a stronger carry. Choose on bag size: 57 L for shorter trips, 79 L when you need the room.
Can I buy one frame and switch between the Gila and Divide bags?▾
No. Both are integrated packs with the suspension sewn into the bag, so the bags don't swap onto one frame. Pick the volume you need: 57 L for shorter hunts, 79 L when you need hauling room.
Which is better for packing out meat, the Gila 3500 or the Divide 4800?▾
Neither has a meat shelf, so quarters ride inside the bag on both. Gila owners say its modest opening makes it rarely anyone's first pick for quarters, and the Divide's larger roll-top gives more room to fit them.