Stone Glacier Kiowa 3200 vs Stone Glacier Avail 2200
Quick take: The Stone Glacier Avail 2200 costs $30 less; the Stone Glacier Kiowa 3200 carries more (52 vs 36 liters); the Stone Glacier Avail 2200 is lighter (3.05 vs 4.06 lbs).
Which one to buy
Avail owners keep wishing they'd bought the Kiowa. They describe the Stone Glacier Avail 2200's 36 L as barely big enough for a do-everything day pack once late-season layers and a spotter go in, and several say the 52 L Kiowa 3200 is what they should have bought. For $30 more you get 16 L more room, a lay-flat clamshell zipper that loads like a duffel, an internal spotter pocket owners show holding a Swarovski 95 mm BTX, and a full hook-and-loop interior panel for placing Stone Glacier's modular pockets. Its comfortable ceiling sits around 45 lb day loads.
The Kiowa's cost is weight. At 4 lb 1 oz it's Stone Glacier's heaviest day pack, about a pound more than the Avail. Its one-size suspension has no torso adjustment, and tall hunters get only modest load lift from the frame sheet. It was designed with a retired Marine sniper as a hunting pack and range bag, and owners run it at precision-rifle matches as well as in the mountains.
The Avail is the better mountain and multi-sport pack. It's lighter, meets TSA carry-on dimensions, has A-frame ski carry, ice-tool attachments and room for an avalanche probe and shovel, and owners use it as a commuter bag between seasons. It has weapon carry, which the Kiowa lacks. One owner runs his Avail bag on a Krux frame so a day hunt can end in a meat haul. Its fit is also one size, so very short or tall hunters should try it loaded.
Water is a shared complaint. Neither has external bottle pockets, and the Hydro Sleeve is sold separately for both: the perennial Stone Glacier gripe, and a common complaint among Avail owners.
Stone Glacier Kiowa 3200
For front-country and horseback hunters, precision shooters and travelers who need 52 L, big-optics storage and duffel-style loading more than low weight.
Stone Glacier Avail 2200
Best if you hike far for day hunts, ski-tour or fly often and want the lighter pack with weapon carry and the option of mounting it on a hauling frame.
| Spec | Stone Glacier Kiowa 3200 | Stone Glacier Avail 2200 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $350 | $320 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | Internal Frame | Internal Frame |
| Capacity | 52 L | 36 L |
| Weight | 4 lb 1 oz | 3 lb 0.8 oz |
| Max Load | ~45 lb day loads (no official rating) | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Torso Fit | One size; removable waist belt, no torso adjustment | One size; fixed Avail suspension with adjustable shoulder straps and waist belt |
| Material | 500D Mil-Spec Cordura (Berry compliant) | 500D Cordura + X-Pac |
| Back Panel | Padded back with internal frame sheet; full hook-and-loop interior panel for modular pockets | Foam-padded back with internal frame and dedicated Avail suspension |
| Adjustable torso | No | No |
| 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 | No |
| Warranty | Lifetime against defects in materials and workmanship (tears/punctures excluded) | Lifetime against defects in materials and workmanship (excludes normal wear and tear, accidents, misuse and negligence) |
Pros & cons
Stone Glacier Kiowa 3200
- ✓Designed with retired Marine sniper Caylen Wojcik, giving it a genuine dual identity — owners on hunting and shooting forums run it as both a mountain day pack and an NRL/PRS range bag, a crossover no other SG pack attempts.
- ✓The unique zipper layout lets the bag lie on its back and open completely flat, so it loads and unloads like a duffel — dramatically easier to organize than the top-loading Avail 2200.
- ✓Swallows huge optics: the internal spotting scope pocket fits a Swarovski 95 mm BTX, demonstrated with photos in the owner thread.
- ✓At 52 L it's the largest standalone Stone Glacier day pack — the exact upgrade Avail 2200 owners say they wished they'd bought for a do-it-all bag.
- ✓Full hook-and-loop interior back panel accepts SG's Cordura Camp Pocket for customizable modular storage, a feature borrowed from range-bag design.
- ✓Berry-compliant 500D Mil-Spec Cordura is the most abrasion-proof fabric in SG's day line, with the highest on-site rating at scale (4.9 stars over 61 reviews).
- ✓Genuinely travel-friendly — SG staff use it as their laptop/travel bag, and frequent flyers in the forum thread confirm it fits overhead bins.
- ✓The substantial waist belt is fully removable, converting it into a clean carry-on or range silhouette when hip transfer isn't needed.
- ✗Heaviest day pack SG makes at 4 lb 1 oz — over a pound more than the newer 42 L Tokeen despite similar duty, and triple the weight of SG's frameless Solo bag.
- ✗No load shelf and it doesn't haul meat — packing out an animal still requires a separate Krux/Xcurve frame, unlike an Exo K3 that has the frame built in.
- ✗No hip-belt pockets included; snacks, rangefinder, and ammo pouches are all add-on purchases.
- ✗No external water-bottle pockets and the Hydro Sleeve is sold separately — the same hydration gripe that runs through the whole SG day-pack line.
- ✗500D Cordura is heavier and less weather-resistant than the waterproof ULTRA fabric SG now uses on the Tokeen and Terminus.
- ✗One-size suspension with no torso-length adjustment and modest load lift from the frame sheet — tall hunters get less structure than a stay-framed pack provides.
- ✗Currently sold in a single Foliage colorway.
- ✗Range-oriented touches (full loop panel, tactical heritage) add ounces and a crossover aesthetic that hunters who just want a lean mountain pack may not love.
Stone Glacier Avail 2200
- ✓The most-reviewed pack Stone Glacier sells — 4.9 stars across 221 on-site reviews — and even owners who ultimately sold theirs concede it is 'VERY well built' with no durability complaints.
- ✓Genuinely multi-sport: internal organization sized for a spotting scope or avalanche probe and shovel, ice-tool attachments, and A-frame or cross ski carry make it one pack for hunting, skiing, and climbing — GearJunkie's tester used it for everything from shed hunting to glacier hikes.
- ✓TSA carry-on dimensions (20.5 x 12 x 8 in) plus a slim laptop-friendly front pocket — many owners run it as their daily commuter and travel bag between seasons.
- ✓The external compression panel swallows a shed layer, rain shell, or tripod in seconds without opening the main bag.
- ✓The bag detaches from its suspension and mates to SG's Krux/Xcurve frames — one elk hunter runs his on a Krux so a day hunt can end with a meat haul instead of a second trip.
- ✓500D Cordura and X-Pac with YKK #10 zippers is a far burlier fabric package than mainstream day packs like Osprey Talons at a similar weight.
- ✓At $320 it undercuts comparable Kifaru and Mystery Ranch day packs while being made in the USA.
- ✓Five-pocket organization is enough for most day hunters — an Iowa saddle hunter reported plenty of room and good organization for all-day whitetail sits.
- ✗No external water-bottle pockets — a common owner complaint; there is no way to securely stash a Nalgene outside the bag.
- ✗Hydration is 'compatible' only — the Hydro Sleeve is sold separately, and several owners actively dislike SG's Hydro Holster bottle solution.
- ✗One-size suspension with no torso-length adjustment, unlike SG's frame packs — fit is take-it-or-leave-it for very short or tall hunters.
- ✗No load shelf or meat-hauling ability standalone — packing out even a deer means buying a $399 Krux frame or making a second trip.
- ✗Eastern treestand hunters found it awkward next to an Exo K3 1800, whose drop-bag frame carries a stand and sticks — more than one whitetail-hunting owner switched away for that reason.
- ✗Cordura and zipper noise is noticeable in quiet late-season settings — a saddle hunter noted getting gear out is 'a little noisy' without care.
- ✗36 L is 'barely big enough' as a do-everything pack per owners, several of whom wished they had bought the 52 L Kiowa 3200 instead.
- ✗Kuiu's Venture 2300 regularly undercuts it on sale (~$160) with better bow and stick carry features, making the Avail a harder value case for archery hunters.
Stone Glacier Kiowa 3200 vs Stone Glacier Avail 2200: common questions
Is the Kiowa 3200 worth the extra pound over the Avail 2200?▾
If you regularly fill a day pack, yes. Avail owners say 36 L is barely enough once cold-weather layers and a spotter go in, and the Kiowa adds 16 L and duffel-style loading. If you hike long distances with a light kit, the Avail's lower weight wins.
Can either Stone Glacier day pack pack out meat?▾
Neither has a load shelf on its own. One Avail owner runs his bag on a Krux frame so a day hunt can end with a meat haul, and packing out with the Kiowa still means a separate Krux or Xcurve frame or a second trip.
Which is better as a carry-on travel bag?▾
Both work. The Avail meets TSA carry-on dimensions and has a slim laptop pocket, while frequent flyers confirm the Kiowa fits overhead bins, and its belt removes for a cleaner shape. The Avail is the lighter one to carry through an airport.