The Akek Climax 5400 - Official Pack of the Western Hunter 

I am out now with the AKEK on an elk hunt. Hoping to pack one out this week!

AKEK does not have any adjustment with their current frame. It is a 25" one size fits all frame. Very similar to the Initial Ascent and Mystery Ranch as far as frame size and load lifter height. Kuiu & EXO have different frame sizes that you can easily swap out and adjust the load lifters. Kifaru has a 24 and 26 inch option on their Duplex Light frame.

I LOVED the Akek last year. Fantastic pack, covered over 100 miles with it in Oregon and Colorado on multi day hunts. Unfortunately I never got to pack out an elk with it which is always the ultimate test for me. I have not tested the new K4 yet. I recently bought a Stone Glacier system and I am currently testing that right now. One of my buddy's just bought the K4 system so I am hoping to test that in the next month or two (after a spring bear hunt in Canada at the end of May). Quick question: How tall are you? The Akek gets pretty close to maxing out with my torso length and height at 6'3". The EXO K4 has different size carbon stays which might help. I had multiple friends buy the Akek. Not one complained and they all feel like they got a great value with the extra things included (accessory pouches, rain fly, load hauler, rifle quick deploy sling). You can save about $150 + accessory costs and get a pack I am pretty sure you will love. Is it better??? You will probably like certain things on each pack system better than the other. Always tough making a big decision like this without being able to try them on or see them in person. Do you happen to live in CO? I don't mind doing a call with you or answering specific questions if you want to shoot me an email. support@huntleague.com

@@huntleague I'm only 5'7 so that isn't an issue. lol. Akek including the extra accessories is why i'm thinking hard about that one, great value right there! I live in the Boise area, about 15 minutes from the EXO shop. I might just try each since they both have a trial period. thanks for all the info! 🙂

@@ptallant1 EXO just had a warehouse sale recently. I am sure if you live that close you might be able to snag a returned or discounted bag. I would totally do the trial where you could see them both at the same time. I'd love to hear what you decide when the time comes.

@huntleague might have to check it out. Went Akek's site to start the process, and now the 5400 is on backorder until August 20th! Bummer. That will be way too late. It's practically hunting season then...

@@ptallant1 That's a huge bummer but it makes the decision a little easier. You will still love the K4 pack and that 5000 pack will cover you in just about every situation. Hoping the backorder issue at AKEK is because their packs are selling like hot cakes.

It flexes MUCH more than the Kifaru frame. I would say it is even more flexible than the Kuiu packs. It still carries weight very well but the frame definitely moves with you.

@@huntleague thanks!

You really can't go wrong with either of those choices. I first became familiar with EXO a few years back watching Trent from Born and Raised Outdoors use their packs. I would venture to say he may have a similar body type. If I were buying the EXO it would definitely be the 5000 with the horseshoe zip over the new 7200. One of my friends that has a similar build to you owns the old K2 system from EXO and the Kifaru and he uses the Kifaru Duplex Lite frame saying it carries a heavy load and fits him far better than the K2 did. A lot has changed though with the EXO packs during that time so I am not sure that is a fair comparison. I have been falling in love though with this new AKEK pack. I have not owned it long enough to haul out an elk, bear, mule deer or anything big but I plan to use it this fall on several western hunts. I simulated heavy weights with 40lb salt bags for testing. I love the versatility of the AKEK hip belt which I didn't do a great job of showing in this video. This past Sunday I did a 7 mile hike with the pack and at one point my hips started to get a little sore. I took the pack off and adjusted the hip belt by about 3/4" on each side and never felt any more pain. That is the first pack I have ever owned that I could adjust the hip belt like this without having to buy a different size. With that said the only two packs where I didn't feel hip discomfort were the EXO and Kifaru. Both of those systems I was using a hip belt that was one size larger than what was recommended which worked really well for me. What type of hunting are you planning on doing? I see "Carolina Bowhunter" so just wondering if you are primarily hunting whitetail or hauling in bait.

Thanks very much for your detailed response. Your videos have been the most informative I’ve found. I’ve literally watched every one of them. Whitetail here and on family land in Missouri and Southern Illinois. I have not used a large pack like this up to this point. I’ve always used day packs. However, Im planning an Elk hunt fall of 2024 and would like to get a system I can use there as well. Im going to hunt solo this fall and plan to do some field dressing to work on carrying load out in preparation. Long way of saying I want to get a pack I can use in both environments IF that’s not too much pack for hunting whitetail. I’m not very experienced and am learning as much as I can. I didn’t grow up hunting so I’m learning the hard way.

@@CarolinaNocked Thanks for watching! That is a big commitment to watch all the videos as it's probably over 2 hours of content just talking about backpacks. You are not going to find a lot out there yet about these AKEK packs but honestly I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on one. You will save a couple hundred bucks and have a pack that is super versatile without having to buy anything else. They have a 30 day money back guarantee and I bet once you get it setup you will love it. If you were going to carry out super heavy loads like elk or moose more than once a year I may steer you towards the Kifaru. With what you shared, I would probably lean towards either the AKEK or EXO and save a little money. Both offer a 30 day money back option so if you can afford to put them on a card for a month and have them in hand for a week or two for testing I would do that. Go pick up a 40lb bag or two of salt and hike about 5 miles with each pack. Make sure you find a place where you can experience climbs and descents too and not just level ground. That makes a huge difference on how you will feel the load lifters at work. Keep me posted if you end up picking a pack or test the AKEK and EXO against one another.

Thanks very much. Really appreciate your input. I’ll keep you posted when I pull the trigger and try them out.

Last question. I think I’m going to give the Akek a shot. I looked on line and they have a 3200. I’m going to be hunting whitetail until fall 2024. Question is this. Does the 5400 break down far enough to be a “Do it all” bag or would you do the 3200 and then buy the 5400 next year when I’m getting ready for that hunt ? Also is it made in the USA ? That’s a biggie for me

Hey Ryan, Did you ever end up ordering the Akek pack? Sorry I didn't respond earlier to the question. I don't actually have an affiliate or discount code to throw your way. If you ended up buying the Akek I would love for your to share a your thoughts so others can help make their pack decision.