Stone Glacier Sky 5900 vs Kifaru The Maniml
Quick take: The Stone Glacier Sky 5900 costs $24 less; the Stone Glacier Sky 5900 carries more (96 vs 50 liters); the Stone Glacier Sky 5900 is lighter (5.09 vs 6.69 lbs).
Which one to buy
These packs are built for different hunts, and that matters more than any spec. The Kifaru Maniml was designed with champion archer Levi Morgan for whitetail and saddle hunters: its forward-opening dual-zip lid opens from inside or outside, so you can reach gear while hanging in a saddle or stand. The Stone Glacier Sky 5900 is a 96 L western pack on a Krux or Xcurve frame, rated for 150+ lb, built to day-hunt small and haul elk quarters home.
If you hunt whitetails from trees, the Maniml is the only one of the two designed for it. It arrives with more than usual for Kifaru: the 750 ci Cinch breakaway daypack, a Chamber Pocket organizer, a strap kit for other Kifaru frames, and sewn-in straps that carry a bow, rifle, stand or sticks. Its full-length load shelf on the ARK frame can pack out a deer. Its limits are real, though. It's top-loading only, a step back from Kifaru's own 22 Mag, and the main bag is just 2,320 ci, reaching 50 L only by counting the Cinch. One owner comparison found the Exo K4 3600 over a pound lighter with more room.
For backcountry elk and sheep, the Sky 5900 is the better tool and lighter as a complete system. A reviewer carried 110+ lb elk loads on it and several owners back up its rating, and its bag cinches to about 4,300 ci in bivy mode, so it replaces a day pack. The fit choice needs care: Stone Glacier says the Xcurve's straps add vertical adjustment for shorter torsos, and a 23 in Krux Short frame also exists. Expect add-ons to push a full build toward $800.
Stone Glacier Sky 5900
For western elk and sheep hunters who want one pack that day-hunts small, carries a week's gear and hauls quarters, with a torso that suits one of its frames.
Kifaru The Maniml
Best for whitetail and saddle hunters who want in-tree lid access, a breakaway daypack and a real hauling frame for dragging a deer out.
| Spec | Stone Glacier Sky 5900 | Kifaru The Maniml |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $725 | $749 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | External Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 96 L | 50 L |
| Weight | 5 lb 1.4 oz (Krux) / 5 lb 4.5 oz (Xcurve), complete with medium belt | 6 lbs 11 oz (bag + Cinch + 25-in ARK frame) |
| Max Load | 150+ lbs | Not published by the manufacturer |
| Torso Fit | Hook-and-loop micro-adjustable yoke on a 26 in frame (23 in Krux Short available); Xcurve straps add vertical adjustment for shorter torsos; belts S 28-30, M 31-36, L 37+ in | Two ARK frame heights: 22 in (under 5 ft 8 in) and 25 in (5 ft 8 in+), with XS-XL belts covering 22-46 in waists and single-point shoulder-strap height adjustment |
| Material | CORDURA 500 and X-Pac laminate, YKK #10 zippers, Duraflex hardware; made in USA | 500D CORDURA with laser-cut MOLLE tracks and four-way stretch side pockets; made in USA |
| Back Panel | Xcurve carbon-stay frame with curved profile, adjustable lumbar pad, and integrated fold-out load shelf | Carbon-fiber ARK frame sheet with high-density foams in the shoulder straps, belt, and lumbar pad; full-length pleated load shelf runs to the top of the frame |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | No | No |
| Removable lid | Yes | No |
| Hydration sleeve | No | Yes |
| Fits BV500 bear can | Yes | No |
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship | Kifaru lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship |
Pros & cons
Stone Glacier Sky 5900
- ✓The 150+ lb load rating is real-world verified — GearJunkie packed 110+ lb elk loads and said it 'carries like a dream with heavy weight', a claim several owners back up.
- ✓Bivy-mode compression is the party trick owners cite most often: the bag cinches from 5,900 ci with the lid to 4,300 ci with 'zero wiggle', so it genuinely replaces a day pack.
- ✓The fold-out load shelf adds 2,500+ ci between bag and frame (8,000 ci total), keeping bloody quarters off your camp gear entirely.
- ✓Full front-panel horseshoe zipper gives duffel-style access to the main bag — a major livability win over roll-top-only rivals like the Kifaru 357 Mag.
- ✓The 22-inch vertical front pocket swallows a full-size spotting scope, and glassing-heavy hunters call it the best stock optics solution in the category.
- ✓At 5 lb 1.4 oz complete on the Krux (2 lb 4.2 oz bag), it undercuts most 150 lb-class haulers — one common owner summary is 'lighter than the competition but extremely tough'.
- ✓Stone Glacier's fast shipping and lifetime defect warranty draw consistent praise from owners.
- ✓Hook-and-loop harness micro-adjustment lets you fine-tune torso length continuously instead of in fixed half-inch steps.
- ✗Hipbelt pockets cost extra, and owners say Stone Glacier's accessory hip pockets run small and 'fight back' when zipping them mildly full.
- ✗Organization is deliberately minimalist — one big cavity plus a few externals — so hunters coming from pocket-rich Mystery Ranch designs face a packing-cube learning curve.
- ✗The Sky Lid is the most common gripe in reviews: floppy when open and fiddly to reattach, with GearJunkie calling it the only thing they 'don't really love'.
- ✗$725 before add-ons (lid pockets, hip pockets, rifle sling) — real-world builds push $800, roughly $200 over a complete Metcalf 75.
- ✗The 5,400 ci main bag is 'just barely big enough' for cold-weather multi-day hunts; several owners steer week-plus trips to the Sky Guide 7900.
- ✗The Xcurve's pronounced curve suits some backs better than others, and flat-backed hunters often prefer the straight-stay Krux, so remote fit selection is a gamble.
- ✗Stone Glacier's rifle-carry solution trails Kifaru's Gun Bearer in reviewer preference, so many owners bolt on third-party weapon carry.
- ✗Dropping the bag to deploy the load shelf means unbuckling and re-tensioning straps — slower meat-mode transitions than Exo's flap-style shelf.
Kifaru The Maniml
- ✓The full-length load shelf runs to the top of the frame with a pleated bottom — a kifaru.net owner says 'paired with the ARK frame packing out is no problem' and the weight distribution is 'unbelievable', hauling ability no Exo or Stone Glacier day bag matches.
- ✓Includes the 750 ci Cinch breakaway daypack and Chamber Pocket organizer — the Cinch compresses the main bag or pops off as a standalone bag with stowed shoulder straps.
- ✓The forward-opening dual-zip lid opens from inside or outside, closed or open — designed with Levi Morgan specifically for accessing gear while hanging in a saddle or tree stand.
- ✓Ships with a K-clip strap kit so the bag also mounts on Kifaru Duplex and Newplex frames, not just the ARK.
- ✓Sewn-in .75-in autolock compression straps carry a bow, rifle, tree stand, or climbing sticks stock — owners strap platform, sticks, and saddle on with room for layers inside.
- ✓Owner-proven toughness: one reviewer fell 30 feet — 'the Maniml pack and ARK frame were fine, I wasn't' — and another calls it 'tougher than nails'.
- ✓Serves the whitetail/saddle niche the western pack brands mostly ignore, with a perfect 5.0 on kifaru.net and 100% recommend rate.
- ✓Four-way stretch side pockets and laser-cut MOLLE take bottles, spotter, tripod, bugle tube, or full-size belt pouches for match-your-hunt customization.
- ✗Some owners were skeptical, finding it hard to justify against Kifaru's own Stryker XL, Hellbender, 22 Mag, and Minikeg — 'it looks like a 22 Mag without the full horseshoe'.
- ✗One owner's direct comparison: the Exo K4 3600 is over a pound lighter, has better access, roughly 1,700 more cubic inches, and costs less.
- ✗Top-loader only — no horseshoe, tri-zip, or panel access, a step backward from the 22 Mag and Hellbender for digging out gear.
- ✗At 6 lb 11 oz complete it outweighs the 77 L 44 Mag combo (6 lb 6 oz) while carrying far less — a lot of pack weight for a day system.
- ✗The main bag alone is only 2,320 ci; one verified buyer found it 'a bit smaller than I thought', and the 50 L figure depends on counting the Cinch.
- ✗Quality niggle from a verified buyer: the burned zipper pull cords fray — three came apart within the first few uses.
- ✗Only 4 reviews since its 2024 launch — the thinnest track record of any Kifaru ARK bag.
- ✗$749 all-in is serious money for a whitetail day pack, and the ARK frame is overkill unless you actually drag deer out on your back.
Stone Glacier Sky 5900 vs Kifaru The Maniml: common questions
Can the Maniml work as a western elk pack like the Sky 5900?▾
Not well. Its main bag is only 2,320 ci and reaches 50 L only with the Cinch daypack counted, and it's top-loading only. The Sky 5900's 96 L and 150+ lb rating are built for multi-day elk hunts and heavy pack-outs.
Is the Sky 5900 too much pack for a treestand hunter?▾
Usually, yes. It compresses to about 4,300 ci, but nothing about it is designed for hanging gear in a tree. The Maniml's lid opens from inside or outside so you can reach gear in a saddle without taking the pack down.
How do I choose between the Xcurve and Krux frames on the Sky 5900?▾
Stone Glacier says the Xcurve's straps add extra vertical adjustment for shorter torsos, and there is also a 23 in Krux Short frame. Stone Glacier sells mostly direct, so measure your torso carefully before ordering.