Stone Glacier Sky 5900 vs Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900
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Quick take: The Stone Glacier Sky 5900 costs $25 less; the Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900 carries more (113 vs 96 liters); the Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900 is lighter (5.29 vs 5.5 lbs).
| Spec | Stone Glacier Sky 5900 | Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $725 | $750 |
| Rating | 4.9★ (252) | 4.9★ (220) |
| Type | Hunting Pack | Hunting Pack |
| Frame Type | External Frame | External Frame |
| Capacity | 96 L | 113 L |
| Weight | 5.5 lbs | 5 lb 4.6 oz (Krux) / 5 lb 8.6 oz (Xcurve), complete with medium belt |
| Max Load | 150+ lbs | 150+ lbs |
| Torso Fit | Hook-and-loop micro-adjustable yoke; Xcurve frame suits torsos ~20 in and up (Krux covers shorter); 3 belt sizes 28–37+ in | Hook-and-loop harness with continuous height and angle adjustment; S/M/L belts (28"-37"+); Krux Short frame option for shorter torsos |
| Material | CORDURA 500 and X-Pac laminate, YKK #10 zippers, Duraflex hardware; made in USA | 500D Cordura + X-Pac laminate, YKK #10 zippers, 1" Duraflex military-spec hardware, made in USA |
| Back Panel | Xcurve carbon-stay frame with curved profile, adjustable lumbar pad, and integrated fold-out load shelf | 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 | Yes | Yes |
| Hydration sleeve | Yes | 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 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 Rokslide owners routinely back up.
- ✓Bivy-mode compression is the party trick forum users cite most: the 5,900 ci bag cinches 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 5.5 lbs complete (2 lb 4 oz bag), it undercuts most 150 lb-class haulers — the usual Rokslide summary is 'lighter than the competition but extremely tough'.
- ✓Scheels buyers rate it 4.9 stars across 252 reviews with zero one-star ratings, and Stone Glacier's fast shipping and lifetime warranty draw consistent praise.
- ✓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 Rokslide users 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; Rokslide steers week-plus trips to the Sky Guide 7900.
- ✗The Xcurve's pronounced curve fits torsos 20 in and up with rounded backs — flat-backed or shorter hunters must switch to the Krux, making remote fit selection 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.
Stone Glacier Sky Talus 6900
- ✓The consensus pick on Rokslide, Stone Glacier's home forum — 'every year I try something new (mostly Kifaru) but always come back to the 6900' is a recurring sentiment, and it carries a 4.9/5 across 220 reviews on stoneglacier.com, by far the most of any SG bag.
- ✓Unmatched range for one pack: 4,750 ci bivy-mode day pack to 113 L expedition rig, with the load shelf pushing total capacity past 8,900 ci — Rokslide's staff reviewer packed a bear out of the Idaho backcountry with it.
- ✓Best organization in the Stone Glacier line: four external side pockets, two with full-length dual-slider #10 zips, all offset from the frame so a strapped tripod or rifle never blocks pocket access.
- ✓Rokslide's long-term test found it comfortable from 20 lb day loads to 80+ lb hauls, with the frame keeping rifle-carrier weight on the hips rather than the shoulders.
- ✓Allen Outside's reviewer cross-shopped Mystery Ranch, Kifaru, Kuiu, and Eberlestock and reported Stone Glacier 'kept coming to the top' among experienced Western hunters before choosing the Talus.
- ✓X-Pac/500D Cordura build passed Rokslide's dedicated water-resistance test, and the same reviewer highlighted hook-and-loop harness adjustment that dials in both height and strap angle for a precision fit.
- ✓Swing-Out Pocket and Camp Pocket attachment points inside the main zip give Kifaru-style modular organization at a fraction of the weight.
- ✓Lifetime defect warranty, US construction, and legendary customer service — Allen Outside rated support 'extremely responsive' through multiple pre- and post-purchase walkthroughs.
- ✗The zippered side pockets run too short for full-size spotting scopes — Rokslide's staff reviewer wanted them longer and ended up stowing his spotter inside the center zip instead.
- ✗The rifle carrier's top quick-release strap sits above/behind the shoulder strap where it's genuinely hard to reach with the pack on, per Rokslide's field test.
- ✗The hip belt is hard to snug under load until you add power pulls, which reviewers argue should be standard at this price rather than an add-on.
- ✗The perforated foam lining on the belt and shoulder straps collects pine needles, burrs, and lichen — a small but universally-cited Stone Glacier annoyance.
- ✗Fussy for newcomers: Allen Outside (4/5 stars) needed Stone Glacier staff to walk through the strap configurations twice, calling it more complicated than his Osprey background prepared him for.
- ✗Real-world cost balloons past the $750 sticker — belt pockets, internal organizers, and a rifle sling took one reviewer's build to roughly $850.
- ✗The main compartment is intentionally thin to accommodate the load shelf, so it packs differently than a traditional backpacking bag and frustrates hunters expecting Osprey-style stowage.
- ✗The lower open-top side pockets are too shallow to hold Nalgene bottles securely, pushing you toward the extra-cost shoulder-strap bottle holster that Rokslide's reviewer found annoying under the arm.