Mountain climbing hardtail question

[JohnG]

I plan on stimulating a frame manufacturer in the near future, and I have a short list.
A few bikes I am looking at are the SIR 9, Karate Monkey, and the Chameleon.
My current large bike just feels cramped with a short reach, I've tried many stem bar combos and I think it's time to move on.
I plan to do some packing once summer passes, but the majority of my riding will be trail. Steep southern California trail.

Finally the question, is there a favorite among these frames when it comes to steep terrain, particularly climbing?
Am I missing something significant? Mind you the budget is something like $750 to 1k.

Thanks,
John G