Light weight backpack comparison - advice?

[PhotobugFred]

Hi everyone,

Older fart here, only recently getting back into backpacking and trying to accumulate gear. I am trying to stay lightweight but not go bare bones ultralight. Some constraints - I am backpacking with my significant other, so some of my choices are driven by that . We have a Henry Shires Tarptent StratoSpire 2 - can't wait to test it out. This is an extremely roomy and yet lightweight tarp tent. As for bags, we are actually sewing our own quilt for two - from Ray Jardines kit (each of us can carry half of it for weight reduction).

Now the big question - looking at numero 3 of the BIG THREE - backpack. Right now I am considering 1) Go-Lite Jam50L, 2) ULA Circuit, 3) Osprey Exos 46, 4) Gossamer Gear Gorilla.

I would love to hear from anyone about comparisons. With Go-Lite's new pricing, it's hard to pass on that for budget reasons and I do like their design - nothing fancy but good basic pack. But it's out of stock until Nov!!! Ok, so my next favorite at the moment is the Osprey Exos 46. I really like some of their features - the mesh suspension to help keep my back cooler, and I really like the stow-on-the-go trekking pole loops. I wish there were a way to try out these packs before I plunk down $$$. So I am hoping some of you can impart trail wisdom upon us and help us with any information concerning any of these packs. Oh yeah, feel free to direct me towards another pack, if there is a compelling feature or reason, I am not completely sold on any particular one yet.

Thanks,

PhotobugFred

[MuddyWaters]

Those are good choices.
What I recommend for anyone to do, is to try each out at home with their own gear, for at least 30 min. Pack, unpack, repack different ways, load it up to max expected weight and with food volume. Then the one you prefer will make itself clear to you.

So you pay $30 in return shipping for a couple of packs, it will be the best money you ever spent on gear, guaranteed.

[Zippy Morocco]

For what it's worth. I went through a Osprey 56 and my significant other a Golite Jam before finding a Mountain Laurel Design Prophet and a pack yet to be named. I love the prophet and after 500 or so miles still think it is perfect. I would not consider this pack if you plan on pushing your total weight over 20 pounds. It's looking like my significant other is going to drop her Golite Jam for a MLD Exos a Prophet or ULA. We are working toward a 2013 through hike.

[Grinder]

I'm a big fan of DIY Gearskin type pack.
http://www.moonbowgear.com/1trailgea.../gearskin.html
Easy to make, although your suspension (straps and belt) probably won't be as fine as moonbow's custom stuff

[PhotobugFred]

Hi Zippy - can you tell me more about about your Osprey and Golite Jam experiences? Why did you drop them? What features do you like on the MLD that you didn't get elsewhere? I am not trying to go "ultra ultra light" so I am a bit skittish in going with a pack where I am limited to 20lbs. At this point, I don't know what my total weight will be, but it will likely be a bit over 20lbs.

[Zippy Morocco]

Sure grinder,

As I continued to lower the contents of my pack I found that the other packs had too many unused features. With the Golite I feel that the hip belt, and back pad are way over built for my needs and would remain wet from sweat all day. The Golite pack does distribute the weight nicely though. The MLD pack dries during a short break (in Montana) and once I figured out how to pack it using my Tarptent poles as a frame along with a thin pad I find that the prophet handles weight very well.

The Osprey pack is excellent. It carries weight like a dream and the loft off the back is very nice. I feel that it is the best mass produced pack I have put on. Still it just became too much pack for me.

My total base weight is 12 pounds in cold months. This is the top end of what frameless pack manufacturers recommend for their products.

I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the packs you have mentioned.

[Whack-a-mole]

I had an Osprey Aether 70, and was unhappy with it. The suspension system was fantastic, but the lower pockets were almost useless. They were too tight to get water bottles into, but had vent holes in them so you couldn't put smaller items in them with out them falling out. Why even bother to put them on the pack. Took it back to REI and then ordered a Go lite quest 80L. Some will chime in and say that pack is too large, but I'm a big guy, and sometimes my wife goes, and I carry a lot of her stuff also. I would rather carry more and have her go. She loves to hike, but carrying weight hurts her back, so it's way worth it to me to carry her stuff so we can do some stuff together. I have only tried out the Go lite on local park trails as a "break in" type experience, so I can't give a long term report. Doing Newfound Gap to NOC the last week in Oct, so I plan on writing up a report on it then.

[HooKooDooKu]

I wish there were a way to try out these packs before I plunk down $$$.

Have you ever looked into gear at REI? While I've never utilized this particular feature, as I understand it, REI gladly takes returns on gear that you've tried and been dissatisfied with: http://www.rei.com/help/guarantee.html

If you want something with more space, consider the REI Flash: http://www.rei.com/product/827063/re...h-62-pack-mens I is heavier than the Osprey Exos, but it still is in the catagory of "Ultralight" with upto 65L of space.

Depending upon what you plan for cooking, you might want to consider the MSR 1.3L titanium pot: http://www.rei.com/product/842125/ms...-2011-closeout, but only because it's on sale. You obviously need to look at your entire cook system... since a stand-alone pot like this does you no good if you use something like the Jetboil system.

I recently shaved lots of weight off my pack by going from an MSR WhisperLite stove and MSR Alpine (two pot steel) cookset to the above referenced pot, the MSR Pocket-Rocket: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___87758, and the MSR Titanium Kettle as a 2nd pot: http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/Product___75254 The IsoPro fuel nests neatly in the kettle, while the pocket-rocket and Light My Fire Sporks: http://www.rei.com/product/799211/li...e-package-of-3 fit inside the 1.3L pot with room to spare. (Of course the pocket-rocket on-top of an IsoPro canister is a bit unstable... so you have to be careful with it).

Of course if you're going ultralight you might be looking into alcohol stoves.

[1azarus]

with the hints you've given us -- like the mention of Ray Jardine and Henry Shires -- my guess is you won't be happy with the weight penalty of the Osprey for long. I am a real fan of the gossamer gear packs because they are really simple, really light, really well made (...in the USA) and relatively inexpensive. My pack experience with them is limited to a murmur pack and a mariposa plus. They made me decide to just give away my granite gear vapor trail!

[Zippy Morocco]

Sorry photobugFred, I wrote my last post to Grinder but it was meant for you. I somehow misread things on my mobile.

I was just reminded by another post here about the Osprey pockets. I found that there were two pockets and several other features that were not very practical. Between the Osprey and Golite I might pick the Golite, especially at the price. Price to weight its hard to beat the Jam..

If you do get into alcohol stoves the Caldera cone set up works well for two.

Congratulations on entering the world of MYOG. It's great! I imagine those bags will be you favorite pieces of gear.

Good luck with your hunt.

[FarmerChef]

I hike with a Jam 50 and my wife hikes with an REI Flash 50. While we both love our packs for various reasons they aren't perfect and we'd love to switch out to a lighter pack when we have the right opportunity. Here's my feedback on the Jam. The price is now awesome compared to very good when I originally bought mine two years ago. Since then, I've put on about 1,000 trail miles on the AT and have treated it with respect but as a piece of trailworthy gear (in other words, I didn't baby it).

Comfort
Because we hike with our kids on extended trips, my wife and I have to carry most of the food and, with water, that can push our packs up to 30-35 pounds. At this weight the Jam is bearable but not comfortable. The straps tend to "dig in" at that weight and I've found the hip belt for structural support is relatively useless. This despite, inserting a tightly folded rectangle of tyvek (8'x10') in the back against the hydration bladder to try and transfer weight down to the hip belt. That said, I'm not really faulting it for this. It's meant to be a UL bag not a heavy hauler. At less than 30 pounds, it feels great. Most of the time, I leave the hip belt unbuckled and just wear it like a regular school-style backpack. It feels fine.

Features
The Jam has enough loops, webbing, pockets, etc, for just about anything you might want to use it for though I have to wonder how comfy it would truly be if you carried all the extra gear you'd need in addition to the ice axes you put in the ice axe loops. But I digress... Having TWO hip pockets is super convenient. I carry pocket knife and bug spray in one and gorp in the other. My wife's Flash only has one hip pocket and she finds this very annoying. The outside back pocket is large and generous and is not affected by the load inside the main compartment. Unlike the Flash which compressed the outside pocket to near uselessness when the main compartment is full. Also, there are loops on the bottom to which you could affix some straps to hang your sleeping pad but I just put mine on top of the roll-top closure and use the top strap to cinch it on. Works fine. The side pockets are very generous and fit a standard 750ml Coke bottle quite easily with enough room to stash a quart size ziploc full of Mike and Ikes. Yum. You can also fit a widemouth Gatorade bottle with a little room to spare. As another poster mentioned, the hip pockets do tend to hold on to moisture for a while. So be prepared if you sweat a lot or the pack otherwise gets wet. Unless it's important to you (we don't really care) there is no bottom access to the main compartment. I use a ditty bag system that makes unpacking a repacking a couple minute cinch instead of a 10 minute ordeal. I imagine most do similar.

Wear and Tear
After 1,000 trail miles the only thing I can find is a slight discoloration from repeated wear around the cord that cinches the top of the sack closed. It's purely cosmetic and I could care less. The rest of the pack still looks virtually new (dirt and grime excepted) but there are no weak spots, stretching or tearing. I couldn't be happier with this. My wife's Flash however is a different story and I'm thinking of taking it back to REI to see what their feeling is. Her hip belt and one of her shoulder straps is already tearing. I realize packs get beat up on the trail, but when I buy one I expect it to last an entire thru or it's equivalent. To see this kind of damage at only half the trail makes me dubious that the pack will last the whole way. Not faulting REI since I haven't given them a chance to have a look and weigh in. Just thought you'd like to know in case you're considering a Flash for your partner.

Other than that, I agree with others: try before you buy. Features and durability are important but it's COMFORT you will notice from the moment you put it on in the morning to the time you take it off in camp. What feels great to me might feel awful to you and there's only one way to know for sure. Head on out to an outfitter or REI and try on the models you are interested in. Load 'em up with some weight (they've usually got some on hand) and go for a walk.

Finally, my wife and I are ultralight (base weight of 9.6 and 8.8 pounds respectively) because we have to take the extra weight for the kids who can't. We've learned some interesting lessons along the way. I'd be happy to share what we've learned in our pursuit of lightness. Oh, and I'm ordering the kids some Jams so they can finally start carrying some more food.

[PhotobugFred]

Hi Hoo,

I am a member with REI and have looked at thatt, but many of the cottage industry makers - golite, ula etc you can only order direct. I have a heavier pack and quite frankly I don't want a bigger heavier pack. Definitely trying to shave weight without going nuts . And as far as cooking, I am already using a coke can alcohol stove that works great for me.

Zippy - thanks for the info on the golite. I do tend to sweat a lot, so the issue with the lack of ventilation on the golite definitely would be a problem.

[Buffalo Skipper]

I had an Osprey Aether 70, and was unhappy with it.

Me too!

But more to the point, If you are not looking at taking the complete UL plunge, you may want to consider these packs carefully, as they are not entirely in the same league. I have a friend who ordered the Jam, but he was not going UL and at 20-25 lbs, he felt the pack did not support his load as comfortably as he was looking expecting. He returned it and purchased the Quest (at double the weight), but after 2 weekend treks, he is satisified with it's performance.

I have the Circuit. I selected this pack because it was the lightest pack I could find with a full suspension hoop, and I have been very very happy with this pack with loads in the upper teens and occasionally higher when I need to hump extra water into a dry camp. But it is most comfortable when loaded to the low 20 lbs or less. The GG Gorilla (with the added suspension hoop) will probably be in the same loading category as the Circuit, as is the Osprey, but the Osprey is a different type of pack. FWIW, the Circuit also has an adjustible hipbelt (height), so it adjusts to a range of torso lengths. By comparison, the Jam and Osprey will not, but I do not have enough experience with the GG to advise you further on this.

Good luck.

[Tacky Hiker]

I vote Go-Lite Jam50L for weight, cost, and comfort. The new model now has load lifters whick I like. Like all frameless pack its all how you pack it. I have had the old Jam, new Jam50, but now I use the old model Peak that I got on sale from GoLite.

[Tacky Hiker]

A friend has the ULA Ohm and loves it. We came from Gregory Z55s. I do, however like what Gossamer Gear is doing with their new packs.

[PhotobugFred]

Wow, I really appreciate all the advice! Sounds like the best thing to do is to finish getting all my gear (except the pack) and see what that pulls in at. Once I determine my load, then I can narrow down and try out some packs to see what fits best. I feel very confident of getting the load under 25 and fairly confident that I will be in the <20lb range. We did a 4 day section of the AT this past spring and my pack was right at 30lbs (but that was my old 6lb pack, a 5lb base camp type sleep pad, heavy sleeping bag...etc you get the picture). Since then.. we have the TarpTent, big agnes pad, sleeping quilt, alcohol stove.... We definitely have dropped a fair amount of weight. If I keep the pack around 2lbs, then between the sleeping bag, pad and tent, I will have dropped over 10lbs! So I think 20lb max load is well within reach. I hate that I missed the AT trail days this past spring. I think that would have been a great time to talk to the various vendors and try on the gear. So many choices... so little time...

[Whack-a-mole]

One other option- and this one is from my wife...." If you'd just loose 20lbs you wouldn't have to spend all that money trying to save weight on your gear!!" Gee, thanks hon.

[hikerboy57]

osprey atmos65 its been bombproof and carries well.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Wow, I really appreciate all the advice! Sounds like the best thing to do is to finish getting all my gear (except the pack) and see what that pulls in at. Once I determine my load, then I can narrow down and try out some packs to see what fits best. I feel very confident of getting the load under 25 and fairly confident that I will be in the <20lb range. We did a 4 day section of the AT this past spring and my pack was right at 30lbs (but that was my old 6lb pack, a 5lb base camp type sleep pad, heavy sleeping bag...etc you get the picture). Since then.. we have the TarpTent, big agnes pad, sleeping quilt, alcohol stove.... We definitely have dropped a fair amount of weight. If I keep the pack around 2lbs, then between the sleeping bag, pad and tent, I will have dropped over 10lbs! So I think 20lb max load is well within reach. I hate that I missed the AT trail days this past spring. I think that would have been a great time to talk to the various vendors and try on the gear. So many choices... so little time...

I too was in the near 30 lb range for a short time. When I finally switched my too heavy tent (in my case for a hammock) and replaced my backpack (just over 5 lbs), it all changed, and seemed to come together. That was almost a year ago, and I have not hiked with more than 18 lbs (total), except when humping extra H2O into a dry camp.

Getting your gear together and choosing a pack based on that takes great patience and persistence. I believe it may be the best advice someone can follow. Good luck with you and the Ms! Keep that weight down and you will have a great time.

[English Stu]

Take a look at the ULA site which gives good advice on choosing packs. I looked long and hard a few years back before getting the Circuit. I used a Golite Breeze before that but needed to carry a bear barrel on the JMT. I have a base weight only 11/12 llb and have looked at other packs but the Circuit comes up trumps still, it transfers weight to the hips well with lots of adjustments. I have Tarptent Moment but wish Henry Shires had made the Notch first it looks great but I cannot justify the expense of another shelter.