Stone Glacier Col 4800 vs Stone Glacier Solo 3600
Quick take: The Stone Glacier Solo 3600 costs $24 less; the Stone Glacier Col 4800 carries more (79 vs 59 liters); the Stone Glacier Solo 3600 is lighter (4.14 vs 4.44 lbs).
| Spec | Stone Glacier Col 4800 | Stone Glacier Solo 3600 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699 | $675 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (19) | 4.9★ (37) |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | External Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 79 L | 59 L |
| Weight | 4 lb 7 oz (Krux) / 4 lb 11 oz (Xcurve), complete with medium belt | 4 lb 2.2 oz (Krux) / 4 lb 6.2 oz (Xcurve), complete with medium belt |
| Max Load | 150+ lbs | 150+ lbs |
| Torso Fit | Hook-and-loop harness with continuous height and angle adjustment; S/M/L belts (28"-37"+); Krux Short frame option for shorter torsos | Hook-and-loop harness with continuous height and angle adjustment; S/M/L belts (28"-37"+); Krux Short frame option for shorter torsos |
| Material | 500D Cordura + X-Pac laminate, YKK #10 zippers, 1" Duraflex military-spec hardware, made in USA | 500D Cordura + X-Pac laminate, YKK #10 zippers, 1" Duraflex military-spec hardware, made in USA |
| Back Panel | Foam-padded carbon-stay frame panel (Krux or Xcurve frame) with nitrogen-infused foam harness | Foam-padded carbon-stay frame panel (Krux or Xcurve frame) with nitrogen-infused foam harness |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | No | No |
| Hydration sleeve | No | No |
| Fits BV500 bear can | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship | Lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship |
Pros & cons
Stone Glacier Col 4800
- ✓Fills the gap Rokslide members begged for between the Solo 3600 and Sky 5900 — owners of both call roughly 5,000 ci the sweet spot for everything from day hunts to 5-day backcountry trips, and several say they'd have skipped the 5900 had the Col existed.
- ✓Solves the Solo's single biggest complaint: dual front pockets plus an external side stuff pocket give real organization, and Solo upgraders on Rokslide specifically praise having a dedicated spot for a bugle tube or Nalgene instead of one overstuffed pocket.
- ✓Internal spotting-scope pocket plus tri-slide attachment points for Swing-Out and Camp Pockets let you build out the interior — a modularity approach closer to Kifaru's without the weight penalty.
- ✓Complete system is only 4 lb 7 oz on the Krux frame yet keeps the full 150+ lb load rating and 2,500+ ci expandable load shelf shared with Stone Glacier's biggest expedition bags.
- ✓Thoughtful weight distribution for carrying a rifle or bow alongside a tripod and spotter — the layout was designed around glassing-heavy Western hunts rather than adapted from a backpacking bag.
- ✓500D Cordura and X-Pac construction with YKK #10 zippers and Duraflex hardware, sewn in Bozeman, MT with a lifetime defect warranty — the same materials story that wins Stone Glacier cross-shopping against Mystery Ranch and Kuiu.
- ✓4.9/5 across owner reviews on stoneglacier.com, and Rokslide field reports from elk hunters rate it more practical than the 3600 for multi-day use.
- ✓Same $699 price whether you choose the lighter Krux frame or the load-focused Xcurve, so you can match the frame to your typical pack weights instead of paying for an upgrade.
- ✗Not compatible with the Sky Series Lid at all — unlike the Sky 5900/6900 there is no lid option, which caps flexible overflow storage on longer trips.
- ✗One detailed Rokslide review returned the pack over limited top-end compression and awkward antler/rack attachment — lashing a rack to the top costs you even more compression, a task the Sky bags handle better.
- ✗The spotting-scope pocket is internal-only with no external zipper access, so unlike the Sky Archer 6400 you have to open the 3/4 main zip to grab your spotter.
- ✗Still no stretch side pockets for a Nalgene or trekking poles — the most repeated Stone Glacier gripe on Rokslide applies here despite the added stuff pocket.
- ✗Hipbelt pockets, hydration sleeve, and interior organizer pockets are all sold separately, so a fully built-out Col runs well past the $699 sticker.
- ✗3/4 zip access falls short of the Sky 5900's full front-panel zip for digging out gear at the bottom of a loaded bag.
- ✗Released in 2023, so it has a fraction of the long-term track record (and only 19 site reviews) compared to the hundreds behind the Sky Talus 6900 and Sky 5900.
- ✗At $699 complete it costs meaningfully more than a Mystery Ranch Metcalf or Exo K4 4800 system on sale, and the frame-plus-bag price advantage only materializes if you later swap bags on the same frame.
Stone Glacier Solo 3600
- ✓An 'ultralight pack using no ultralight materials' — at 4 lb 2 oz complete on the Krux frame it undercuts an Exo K4 3600 or Kifaru 44 Mag system while keeping burly 500D Cordura/X-Pac fabric and a 150+ lb rating.
- ✓The 2,500+ ci expandable load shelf is the pack's superpower: Rokslide owners and Stone Glacier size it to swallow an entire boned-out sheep or mule deer, and it fits elk quarters perfectly between bag and frame.
- ✓Genuine sheep-hunt pedigree — designed around solo Alaska hunts, and it remains the bag Rokslide members recommend when someone asks for the lightest setup that can still pack out an animal.
- ✓Petersen's Hunting's New Mexico elk test praised the load stability on repeated meat hauls down steep terrain, reporting none of the aches associated with ill-fitting packs and calling out how well the belt locks the load to the hips.
- ✓Full top-panel zip opens the whole main compartment, so bottom-of-bag items are reachable without unloading — a real advantage over top-loader competitors in this weight class.
- ✓New integrated differential-cut spotting scope pocket stores a spotter without stealing interior volume, an upgrade over the original Solo that long-term owners called for.
- ✓A detailed 2-year Rokslide owner review covering hunting, meat hauling, backpacking, and shed hunting ends in a strong recommendation, echoed by a 4.9/5 average across 37 reviews on stoneglacier.com.
- ✓Cheapest complete system in Stone Glacier's line at $675, and the bag swaps onto the same frame as every other SG bag, making it a low-risk entry into the ecosystem.
- ✗One single external pocket is the number-one gripe in every Rokslide thread — owners resort to strapping gear on or buying clip-in organizer pockets to avoid digging through the main bag.
- ✗No stretch side pockets for a Nalgene, trekking poles, or tripod tips — multiple owners on Rokslide have literally asked about DIY-sewing their own, and some dislike being forced to carry water on the belt.
- ✗59 L is a genuine squeeze for 3-4 day elk hunts: Rokslide members say it works only with a compressible down bag and small shelter, and several recommend stepping up to the Col 4800 or Sky 5900 for late-season or synthetic-insulation loads.
- ✗No lid included and, unlike the Sky bags, adding the Sky Series Lid is an extra purchase you may need for longer trips.
- ✗Hydration sleeve, camp pocket, and hipbelt pockets are all sold separately, pushing the real-world price of a complete kit well past $675.
- ✗At $675 it is only $24 less than the 79 L Col 4800, so the value-per-liter argument favors sizing up unless every ounce matters.
- ✗The perforated foam lining on the belt and shoulder straps collects pine needles and debris — a Stone Glacier-wide annoyance noted by Rokslide staff reviewers.
- ✗Minimalist single-compartment design means no internal organization at all out of the box — hunters coming from a Mystery Ranch Metcalf or Eberlestock will find it spartan.