The Mithril was off for a mod and didn't make it back in time for the New Zealand Trip, fearing this we ordered Golite Speeds to have on hand just in case...so it was the Speed that made the trip.
Before I begin-packs that I have used/owned: Jansport D-2, Kelty original,Golite Gust, Golite Breeze, Kiskil Mithril, Camelbak Peak Bagger, Army main battle pack, GVP-4, and others I can't remember right now.
You can read many reviews of the Golite Speed at several other sites so I will keep mine simple and to the point...you will love this pack! except on winter trips unless you are Houdini when it comes to compressing gear-that is to say that the volume is limited for bulky winter gear.
This pack was tested on the Rakuira Track on Stewart Island in NZ. This tract is brutal in its use of boardwalk and with 16 kilometers of boardwalk crossing up and down soggy mountains there are millions (a slight exaggerations) of steps, so ups and downs, and many beach walks, plus wire bridges we AT users are not so blessed with.
The pack is comfortable and I pushed it to approx 28 pounds-nearing its limit of 30, with no appreciable change in comfort.
The seemingly useless zippered pockets on the hip belt actually held an extra pair of socks!
The floating lid truly (as reported elsewhere) the packs only failure in that the pack does so much better in holding the lid in place when the pack is completely full (so as a day pack is suffers greatly), also the lid (say unlike the Mithril) is held down at only one point on the front of the pack, and this attachment point is way down the front of the pack.
Also the seemingly useless helmet holder is not too bad at holding jackets and hiking poles.
The included zip platypus is OK and can be subbed for another bladder of your choice.
The shoulder straps have 'doohickies' that I think are intended to hold a water bottle but I am not sure, but they may work for your camera.
Overall pleased and will def. use this pack again next Spring,,,,,until then it is the Mithril.
If I had to choose between the two it would be the Mithril hands down because of more variability in its use, the stronger material, the volume to deal with winter needs, the even more comfortable fit....but for the money the Speed is an excellent choice, even it you have to baby it where you could slam the Mithril down on the ground without a care.

ive got the speed and find works best if your load is under 25lbs.i filled those useless pockets on the hip belt withthe padding from my dana wet rib.i strap my z-rest lenthwise with the helmut holder first i stuff my rain coat in the mesh pocket. that way i can pop my z-rest off and use it as a sit pad. the lid is not a good set up but i use the long loader strap to go over everything. the shoulder straps are minimal but i didnt seem to have any problemwith this. its not the pack for everyone but for a first step into a lite wt. pack its worked well for me. but im leaning toward a gearskin alot more options.
jigsaw

I have a speed, bought it at NOC on my thru and carried it until Daleville Va(which is where I hitched back to trail days and Granite Gear hooked me up with a prototype). It is a great little pack. I had up to 32 lbs in it and it wasn't bad, even overloaded. I do agree that its optimal range is around 25 lbs. The only thing I didn't like about it is no compression straps to cinch it down, it sucks as a day pack. However, i LOVED all those nice mesh pockets to stuff wet stuff in....still have and use it when I go, if I don't feel like taking the Vapor Trail. I carried winter gear in ti and had no problems, a little bit of a tight fit, but not too bad. I guarantee I would have stuck with it if I had not scored a "freebie" at Trail Days!

The Mithril was off for a mod and didn't make it back in time for the New Zealand Trip, fearing this we ordered Golite Speeds to have on hand just in case...so it was the Speed that made the trip...

Wouldn't the Golite Gust be a better choice for a long hike such as the AT? It's still screamingly light, but has a higher capability, and appears as if it'd be more comfortable over the long run. I've never tried either, just website shopping, and trying to make up my mind.

One more thing: Are these made with Silnylon, and if so, aren't they extremely scuff/rip/tear fragile?

Thanks,
Frank

First the issue of the fragility of sil-nil...it is not at all, in fact incredibly strong for what it is but with that said, it is the primary reason I went with the Mithril because the last thing I want to baby is outdoor gear but you would really have to do something tragic to destroy sil-nyl.
I have the Gust and used it for 6 days on Isle Royale, started at 38-39 pounds and did not find it comfortable...it should be carrying no more than 25 pounds though it has the volume for more, it is designed for large bulky items like down jackets and the like but still having low weight. The Speed is much much more comfortable compared to the Gust and you will appreciate its 'streamlinedness' but comfort is relative, the Speed pales compared to the Mithril but then again the Mithril was 3x's the price....if you get the Mithril pay attention to the customized features and for sure get the elongated side pockets and the expanded lid pocket. There is now a Mithril II and Mithril III if you really need volume (and that really is for backpackers who HAVE to have synthetics versus down...I have the Mithril I and have had adaquate volume for my winter gear and actually do hike/camp below 10 degrees.
The Gust is still a good product as are all of Golite products, but I think it is really intended for the winter alpinist who is climbing versus hiking a trail.

Medicine Man


Wouldn't the Golite Gust be a better choice for a long hike such as the AT? It's still screamingly light, but has a higher capability, and appears as if it'd be more comfortable over the long run. I've never tried either, just website shopping, and trying to make up my mind.

One more thing: Are these made with Silnylon, and if so, aren't they extremely scuff/rip/tear fragile?

Thanks,
Frank

First the issue of the fragility of sil-nil...it is not at all, in fact incredibly strong for what it is but with that said, it is the primary reason I went with the Mithril because the last thing I want to baby is outdoor gear but you would really have to do something tragic to destroy sil-nyl...
<snip>
Medicine Man

Thanks a lot for the fast reply. :)

Frank

not a problem! i'm here in the hospital doing the 'medicine man' thing all night long...just hoping for a quiet night but so far many admissions, mostly copd and chest pain-our bread and butter this time of year