Adapting Golite Breeze

[English Stu]

I like the Breeze and have hiked four solid months with it in the summer and fall on th AT and in the French Alps,I would like to use it in the winter with a tent which is over twice the weight of my tarp .I am thinking of adapting the Breeze by redesigning the net pockets or somehow adding a small silnylon bag for small items.Anyone done this sort of thing or can point me to helpful website .English Stu

[Seeker]

sorry, no 'plans' for this, but it might be useful...i've got a golite gust. found some mesh material, took it and a water bottle to a seamstress, told her what i wanted, and she sewed me two pockets, right into the pack. the only thing i'd do different is fill the pack with newspaper or clothes, to simulate being loaded, as the pockets are a little tighter than i thought, and it would have given her a better idea where to place them had it been 'full' when she measured and marked...

[Just Jeff]

Detachable pockets for a Gust are here:

http://www.backpacking.net/makegear.html

Might be able to adapt them.

[English Stu]

Thanks for the information,I'm getting creative ideas now.

[fiddlehead]

I think trying to make the "Breeze" bigger is going to make it not work as good. I say this because the beauty of the breeze is that is fits so well and is so comfortable the way it is. But, if you add extra gear to bring the weight you are carrying up, then you start to need a waistbelt. You now need a different pack, in my opinion. I really like the breeze and think it is the perfect pack for me. But to try to make it able to carry too much weight............................................ ...........

[English Stu]

You may be right about the new pack,although I have put a waist belt on -I had a couple of trips on the trail when the pack went over my head.Its more volume than weight with 5 days plus supply on the AT I was up to 31lbs for day or so and the pack was high.I am now lighter and am looking to distribute weight over the bag especially if I carry my tent as it is 2lbs or so more than my tarp.

[jackiebolen]

Do you have Ray Jardine's "Beyond Backpacking" book. He has a lot of suggestions and tips for sewing your own pack and some of this might be useful for you in your modification attempts.

[English Stu]

Thanks,I have RJ's book so I will take a look at his sewing pages.

[English Stu]

I have solved this - getting a bit more volume by adding a shopping net sold to go on the back of a childs buggy from Asda here(Walmart). I mainly put my rain gear and anything else I need quick access too.e.g.maps. A tarp can dry in it. The fixtures for the buggy are ok for the pack as well. For a little weight its great to able to get at these things quickly without having to open the backpack.