Seek Outside Divide 4800 2.0 vs Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0
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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).
| Spec | Seek Outside Divide 4800 2.0 | Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $505 | $540 |
| Rating | 4.5★ (6) | 4.9★ (18) |
| 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 | 100+ 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 laminate / X-Pac, 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.
- ✓Backpacking Light's tester 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 BPL testing — no rain cover needed for most hunts.
- ✓Two oversized side pockets each swallow two Nalgene bottles, tripod legs or a spotting scope, which r/Ultralight 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, and the modular Revolution frame accepts every other Seek Outside bag (Gila, Goshawk, Unaweep) if your needs change.
- ✗No hipbelt pockets are included standard — a baseline feature on Exo, Stone Glacier and Kuiu — and Backpacking Light found the add-on hip pockets sit too far back to reach on the move.
- ✗There is no hydration port or dedicated bladder sleeve; BPL's 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.
- ✗Rokslide users 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 — Rokslide posters 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 accepted forum 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 owners weigh 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 bag is interchangeable on the frame, so owners run a Unaweep 6300 bag on the same suspension when they need volume.
- ✓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.
- ✗A reviewer's scale read 51.5 oz against a claimed 42-47 oz — the largest spec discrepancy found on any Seek Outside pack.
- ✗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 Seek Outside's fit system generates entire forum threads of owners troubleshooting it.
- ✗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.