Seek Outside Goshawk 4800 2.0 vs Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0
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Quick take: The Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0 costs $41 less; the Seek Outside Goshawk 4800 2.0 carries more (79 vs 57 liters); the Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0 is lighter (3.2 vs 4.9 lbs).
| Spec | Seek Outside Goshawk 4800 2.0 | Seek Outside Gila 3500 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $581 | $540 |
| Rating | 5★ (1) | 4.9★ (18) |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | External Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 79 L | 57 L |
| Weight | 4.9 lbs | 3.2 lbs |
| Max Load | 200+ lbs | 100+ lbs |
| Torso Fit | Field-adjustable frame height 24 / 26 / 28 in; hipbelts S-XXL (27-48 in) | Field-adjustable frame height 24 / 26 / 28 in; hipbelts S-XXL (27-48 in) |
| Material | Ultra 200X laminate (X-Pac and UltraPE 400 also offered) | Ultra laminate / X-Pac, roll-top closure |
| Back Panel | Revolution external frame with breakaway load shelf between bag and frame | 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 | No | Yes |
| Warranty | Seek Outside lifetime warranty on workmanship; 30-day return policy | Seek Outside lifetime warranty on workmanship; 30-day return policy |
Pros & cons
Seek Outside Goshawk 4800 2.0
- ✓Owners repeatedly say it out-carries heavier rivals at extreme loads — one Alaska hunter reported it 'carried better than my Stone Glacier with 100 pounds.'
- ✓The complete system genuinely weighs what Seek Outside claims; a Rokslide owner scale-verified 4.9 lbs for bag, Revolution frame, lid, and load shelf together.
- ✓The breakaway shelf keeps blood out of your gear, and owners note dried blood wipes off the Ultra fabric with wet paper towels rather than needing a wash.
- ✓It packs far bigger than its 4800 ci label — multiple owners say it swallows closer to 6500 ci and comfortably covers 5-7 day hunts.
- ✓A side-by-side rucking test at 60 lbs had it beating a Kifaru T2 on both comfort and hipbelt grip, despite weighing substantially less.
- ✓The load shelf carries bulky non-meat loads too — owners haul treestands, wood stoves, packrafts, and even kid carriers between bag and frame.
- ✓It compresses down convincingly for day hunts; owners report barely noticing it when cinched into daypack mode.
- ✓Gatekeeper strap ends let you tighten from both directions, halving the loose strap tails that plague other load-shelf packs.
- ✗The hipbelt and lumbar pad are the pack's weak point by consensus — owners who otherwise love the frame say Exo's K4 belt is clearly better padded.
- ✗The lumbar pad is a paid add-on, which owners find hard to justify when Kifaru, Stone Glacier, and Exo all include one.
- ✗Without that lumbar pad, owners report upper-glute pain once loads pass about 60 lbs.
- ✗It is famously strappy — the compression, lid, and Talon straps interconnect, so loosening one loosens the others.
- ✗There is essentially no organization; it is one big bag, and owners coming from Mystery Ranch or Exo miss having pockets.
- ✗The laminate fabric crinkles audibly in the cold — one owner described rummaging in it at 25 degrees as 'about as bad as it gets' for noise.
- ✗Setup has a real learning curve; owners consistently describe the strap system as overwhelming until they work out their own configuration.
- ✗Seek Outside is direct-to-consumer with no retail presence, so you cannot try one on, and its on-site rating currently rests on a single review.
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.