Help me understand this. I really want to like MR, Kifaru and Eberlestock packs but I don't understand why anyone would pay the weight penalty when there are similarly featured packs which weigh much less and cost less to boot.
Obviously I am new to packs so don't take this as an insult and berate me. I really want to know what it is with these packs that make them worth the extra 2-4 lbs.
as far as why one would choose between those three companies: belt padding, pocket structure, frame compatibility between bags, load sling structure.
for durability, the eberlstock that I handled felt notably less thick/strong as the mystery ranches I've handled, and I assume kifaru is either on par or slightly heavier feeling fabric then mystery ranch. I wouldn't want anything less than mystery ranch for abrasion resistance unless I was an ultralight packer who was willing to give up abrasion resistance for weight. There are some great ripstop packs out there including the kifaru ultralight series, but that just isn't something I care about. I'm young enough that I'll expend the extra energy to carry the extra weight, and I don't do 30 day hikes that require the ultralight mentality out of necessity.
Kifaru loves their unpadded/lightly padded belts, they say that it wraps around the hip rim vs. creates hotspots you'd get with stiff padding. A lot of people love that, a lot of people don't. I prefer padding.
I like pockets. I don't want a dufflebag with 20 stuffsacks if i can avoid it, and I don't want to load 20 modular pockets on the outside of the pack if I don't have to. Thus, mystery ranch is more appropriate for me.
Frame compatibility is greater with mystery ranch. Any bag that is modular will fit the NICE frame, kifaru has (I believe) 3 separate frames with only a few packs per frame size. Mystery ranch has 10 or so configurations for their nice frame, increasing their versatility for those on a budget. With my alpha wolf system and load sling, I've 4 configurations for the price of one high end kifaru (alpha wolf and wolf pup with load sling stowed, alpha wolf alone, wolf pup with load sling on top of it, load sling alone). Likewise, the kifaru set up is a frame sheet vs. a box frame with stays. Each one will ride differently and is a matter of preference.
The load slings are notably different between companies. Mystery ranch goes with a foldable sling that can wrap around whatever your carrying. Kifaru went with a second stiff frame sheet, so you have a shelf. Each have their benefits/drawbacks, I went with MR because of the other reasons, and just like their load sling, I don't actually have a preference between the two.
Now, why would you spend the extra money for a MR or a kifaru over a 150-200$ internal from someone like kelty? all of the reasons above. Kelty's don't have any kind of frame modularity because they are internal, the framing system often is not as well designed as MR and kifaru, you may not want to load a kelty to 120lb's. The belts on kelty's are good, but not as nice (imho) as MR and the back padding isn't either. Kelty doesn't come with a load sling because it's internal. The fabric used by kelty is similar to eberlestock, it doesn't feel like it has the abrasion resistance of the fabrics used by MR. There are many reasons to go with the more expensive and heavier pack manufacturers. If your asking 'why pack heavy instead of ultralight', it's a matter of mentality. durability, load stability, and comfort of having extra gear/food with you are considerations that people differ on.
