Granite Gear Blaze AC 60

[SylvanHiker]

I'm fairly new to the world of hiking so I've been furiously reading reviews of gear and frequenting online hiking gear retailers in search of the right gear to start out with! I know its a little far in the future but I'm planning a thru-hike of the AT with a college friend in March of 2013. I have my eye on the Granite Gear Blaze AC 60. It seems like it would be large enough for a thru-hike and only weighs 2 lbs. 14 oz. It is also hydration compatible which is important to me. Also receiving the Backpacker Editor's Choice Award seems like a nice bonus. I was just wondering if there is anyone here with personal experience with the Blaze AC 60? Any glaring flaws?

[Hoofit]

Wait a year - it may improve the selection..
Hey, what's the rush?

[SylvanHiker]

Yep I have to get the rest of my gear together before I actually buy a pack but the sooner I assemble my gear the sooner I can take some weekend hikes and what-not! :)

[Kerosene]

The GG Blaze is pretty new offering; there aren't even any reports from field testers at BackpackGearTest.org (http://www.backpackgeartest.org/reviews/Packs/Internal%20and%20External%20Framed%20Backpacks/) yet. I have a lot of experience with the Nimbus Ozone model (3 lbs, 58L, up to 40 lbs), which I love but I usually carry about 25 pounds in total, and rarely above 30. My take is that the Blaze is more than large enough for a 3-season thru-hike, and if your equipment doesn't fit then you have some pruning to do. I'd be more interested in swapping for the Blaze if it were at least half a pound lighter and ideally closer to a 50L volume.

[MarsAndBuddy]

i have recently acquired the GG blaze and love it- it is extremely comfortable and has a simple layout which i'm a fan of - i have not taken it on any significant hiking trips yet due to the 2-3 feet of snow that has been in my area for the last several months. The day trips/hikes i have taken it on, have been wonderful - good support and have not had any problems yet - i have put about 30-35 lbs of gear into it and it holds up better than any other pack i have tried.

[The Solemates]

Virga2 will likely be my next pack

[blue indian]

Ive had some experience with this pack.

Pros: -The adjustable fit. This might have been one of the best fitting packs I've worn.
- Comfort. The plush straps and hipbelt make for a comfortable ride which I feel could carry 30 lbs without a problem.

Cons: - I was not a fan of the pockets on this pack. Especially the front pocket. It was too tall and skinny for my liking.
- Weight. I feel like for what this pack is offering, it is just too heavy. There are other packs out there that have the same basic design for much less weight.

[Sirsnappy09]

It is a good pack. What makes it nice imo is the load carrying ability. It is alos light for its volume and carties a bear canister very well if you ever need that. You can get it from prolite gear right now for 99.00. That is a steal.

[Sirsnappy09]

Solemates-- there is a virga 2 on gear trade right now for cheap.

[q-tip]

The GG Crown VC is a 60 L pack at 32 oz. It is the best of my seven packs. A priority for me is keeping my gear inside the pack and this allows all of it to fit. I have a 14-15 lb. base weight so fully packed at 25 lbs works fine.

[The Solemates]

Solemates-- there is a virga 2 on gear trade right now for cheap.

never heard of this site, but I checked it out.

unfortunately i'm a big boy and will need a size L and this one is a regular. but thanks for the site info!