Packs are one of those things you don't think about until they're wrong. Too small and you're lashing gear to the outside. The frame's bad, and by mile three your shoulders are done. I've owned a couple that fell into both categories before I landed on the K2000, and now I am having a hard time finding something to replace it with.
I’ve had the Killik K2000 pack for over five years now, and I still haven’t found a reason to replace it. In hunting gear, that’s a pretty amazing accomplishment.
Packs are one of those things you don’t think about until they’re wrong. Too small and you’re lashing gear to the outside. Frame’s bad and by mile three your shoulders are done. I’ve owned a couple that fell into both categories before I landed on the K2000, and now I am having a hard time finding something to replace it with.
What makes it work is honestly pretty simple. It’s got room for what you actually need. Not so much room that you pack too much gear, but enough that I’m not making hard choices about what stays in the truck. And loaded heavy, it just sits right. That’s important when you’re a few miles in with weight on your back. A pack that rides wrong at 20 pounds is bad. A pack that rides wrong at 70 pounds ruins your whole day, and this one never has.
The best proof I’ve got is the hardest pack-out I’ve done with it. My son Hunter drew a limited-entry youth elk tag, and between football and Homecoming, we had exactly one morning to hunt it. He ended up dropping his first cow at 10:30 in the morning, three miles in from the truck. Sounds great until you realize the “hunt” part was over and the “pack it out” part was just getting started. That whole story is worth reading on its own, so I’ll let it stand on its own: Hunter’s First Elk. But the short version for this post is that the K2000 hauled its share of that elk out over three miles of rough ground without once being the thing that made the day harder. When your gear disappears into the background on a day like that, that’s the review. Everything else is just words.
That’s really the pattern with this pack. It’s been through enough seasons and enough pack-outs now that I’ve stopped noticing it’s there, which is the highest compliment I know how to give a piece of gear. I’m not babying it; I’m not thinking about it mid-hike; I’m just using it. Five years of that will tell you more than a spec sheet ever could.
It’s on sale right now. $143.99, down from $179.99. If you’re still hauling your gear in something held together with duct tape and stubbornness, or you’re gearing up a kid for their first hunt the way I was, this is a good time to make the switch.
(Quick note: that’s an affiliate link, so I earn a small commission if you buy through it. Doesn’t cost you anything extra, and it’s the same pack I’d point you to either way. Ask Hunter.)
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