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).
Which one to buy
Solo owners have already made this call for most buyers. They say 59 L is a squeeze for a 3-4 day elk hunt, workable only with a compressible down bag and a small shelter, and several point people to the Stone Glacier Col 4800 instead. The Col costs $24 more, adds 20 L, and weighs 0.3 lbs more as a complete system. Both ride the same Krux or Xcurve frame with the same 150+ lb rating, 2,500+ ci expandable load shelf and continuously adjustable harness, so the carry is the same and the bag is what changes.
The Col's design answers the Solo's biggest complaint. Solo owners call its single external pocket the number-one gripe, with no stretch side pockets for a Nalgene or trekking poles. The Col adds dual front pockets and an external side stuff pocket, though it still lacks stretch side pockets. Col owners say roughly 5,000 ci is the sweet spot from day hunts to five-day trips, and some would have skipped the larger Sky 5900 if the Col had existed.
The Col has limits of its own. It can't take the Sky Series Lid at all, and one detailed reviewer returned it over limited top compression and awkward antler lashing. Its spotting-scope pocket is internal, reached only through the 3/4 main zip. On both packs the hydration sleeve, hipbelt pockets and organizer pockets cost extra, so expect either to run well past its sticker.
The Solo still makes sense for a minimalist sheep or goat hunter whose kit compresses small and who counts every ounce. Its owners call it the lightest setup that can still pack out an animal, and its load shelf swallows a boned-out sheep or deer however full the bag is.
Stone Glacier Col 4800
For most western hunters running weekend-to-five-day trips who want room for late-season layers and pockets that keep a Nalgene or bugle tube outside the main bag.
Stone Glacier Solo 3600
Worth it if you hunt sheep or goats with a compact down kit and would rather save the ounces and $24 than gain volume.
| Spec | Stone Glacier Col 4800 | Stone Glacier Solo 3600 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $699 | $675 |
| Rating | — | — |
| 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 owners 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 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 field reports from elk-hunting owners 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 owner's detailed 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 — a common Stone Glacier gripe among owners 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: 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 owners 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 two-year 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.
- ✓At $675 it ties the Approach 2800 as the cheapest Stone Glacier bag sold complete on a Krux or Xcurve frame, and the bag swaps onto the same frame as every other SG bag, making it a low-risk entry into the ecosystem.
- ✗The single external pocket is a recurring owner gripe, and 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 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: owners 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 long-term 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.
Stone Glacier Col 4800 vs Stone Glacier Solo 3600: common questions
Is the Col 4800 worth $24 more than the Solo 3600?▾
For most hunters, yes. You get 20 L more room and dual front pockets plus an external stuff pocket, which fixes the single-pocket complaint Solo owners raise most. Solo owners themselves often recommend stepping up to the Col for late-season or longer hunts.
Can I add a lid to the Col 4800 or the Solo 3600?▾
Not to the Col; it isn't compatible with the Sky Series Lid at all. The Solo has no lid included, and adding the Sky Series Lid is an extra purchase you may want for longer trips.
Do the Col and Solo carry heavy loads differently?▾
No, because they share the Krux or Xcurve frame, the 150+ lb rating and the 2,500+ ci expandable load shelf. Stone Glacier says the Xcurve favors heavy hauls and its shoulder straps add vertical adjustment for shorter torsos, and the frame choice costs the same on either bag.