Been out of the game, need to replace my GG Murmur w/ something similar

[Bryce]

Hello Everyone,

Long time, no BPL. I've gotten engaged and purchased a house that needed some work, so my apologies for not being around the boards in awhile. Sadly, little-to-no hiking since March.

Anyway, on my last trip in the Gila Wilderness in NM a few months ago (Pics), my cherished GG Murmur was burned to a crisp (don't ask, still upset about it).

Anyway, I wanted to buy another one (I am a 3-season 4lb base weight gram weenie, I want LIGHT!) but I see their design has changed and gained a tiny bit of weight. This may still be the best option but I figure it'd be best to check with the gear whores on BPL.

What are some similar packs to the GG Murmur in size (~1800 – 2500cc) and weight (<9oz)? (I liked both for my needs).

Thanks,

Bryce

[Angelo R.]

I would go with either:
-Zpack Zero in the hybrid fabric with a few extras.
-Custom Zimmerbuilt murmur replica
-Wait for the HMG summit pack

[t.darrah]

The MLD Burn would make a great replacement pack.

[Bryce]

Thanks Angelo,

HMG gear is too pricey for me, but didn't know that was coming.

Will check on the others… perhaps it is time to embrace CF in a pack (already do for my tarp).

Thx.

[Bryce]

Hi Thom,

I looked at the Burn, I'm sure it would be very stout, but at 11oz that is too much of a gain over my previous version Murmur. Thx.

[James Marco]

Bryce, Congrats on the house! Condolences on your impending loss of freedom. Not to worry, if she is worth it that's a GOOD thing.

I would go for another Murmur. I have a couple trips on mine now and, so far, am quite pleased. 'Corse, I carry a lot more gear than you do, about 9# base. My old G5 died last fall in the High Peaks.

Things I like:
Small, dual purpose of the pad, fairly water proof for a pack, light enough at about 8.6oz, fairly rugged in comparison to the older G5…rugged enough for bushwhacking.
Things I don't like:
No hydration sleeve, no third pocket, narrow waist belt.

BTW, I made the trip between Seventh Lake and Raquette Falls a couple weeks ago. On the 8th, I am planning to spend a week up in the St Regis area doing some fishing.

[Bryce]

Hey James, thanks for the congrats…she was mowing the lawn (while I refinish floors) the other day so if that is any indication of future help around the house I cannot complain. :)

I read the new Murmur has shorter straps, and if you stuck anything but a thin foam pad in the sleeve u wouldn't have enough strap length (perhaps?).

What do u mean by no third pocket? So long as it has two side pockets for water and a back mesh pocket for wet tarp, I'm good to go. Can you clarify?

[tyler marlow]

I would go for a custom cuben pack from Zimmerbuilt, drop a few ozs and get a pack exactly for your needs. Probably not as cheap but i'd argue it looks like a better value

[Miguel Arboleda]

I've never had the older Murmur, but the new one is a really nice pack. You can't put anything in the shoulder straps… the foam is set in them. However, the straps are very thin and light, but much more comfortable than any of the older GG pack straps. Not as wide, but somehow just right. There is no hydration sleeve inside, but there are hydration ports. Since the Murmur is the exact same pack that Glen uses, and Glen doesn't put his hydration bottle inside the pack, but, half-filled, behind his 1/8" Nightlight foam mattress in the sleeping mat sleeve in the back of the pack, perhaps it was intentionally left out. The shoulder straps might be a little short for someone with a broad chest or shoulders, but for me it is just right. The new dyneema gridstop material is very light, but very strong, so you have the best of both worlds. I'd say this pack is more robust and more durable than the older one.

The only thing I don't like about the pack is the mesh pocket on the front of the pack. When you put heavier things into it, like a shelter, the weight of the item tends to make the bottom of the pocket sag. I wish GG had reinforced the bottom of the pocket like they've done on their other 2012 pack models.

[Rusty Beaver]

"I would go for a custom cuben pack from Zimmerbuilt, drop a few ozs and get a pack exactly for your needs. Probably not as cheap but i'd argue it looks like a better value"

The new Murmur, and all GG's new packs for that matter, look really, really good to me. In fact, I was going to get a new Murmur myself…until, on a whim, I decided to contact Zimmerbuilt for a price inquiry.

As a point of reference, by the time one adds shipping to the Murmur, it's hardly going to be less money than the "Zen" I had Zimmer build for me…a cuben/dyneema pack with more features than the Murmur. Of course, Zimmer may have increased his prices by now. He certainly could, and probably should.

Point being, I agree with Tyler here. I would at least check with Zimmerbuilt. Haven't had the pleasure of talking to him on the phone but in all the email correspondence I've had with him, he seems like one of the nicest and most unassuming guys around.

[James Marco]

Bryce,
Great! I couldn't get the wife to mow the lawn in the about 35 years we have been married.

Anyway, the Murmur is a good pack, all in all. I use a 5 piece Nightlight pad (about 2" thick in the sleeves, it's been around since Gossamer Gear introduced the old G5.)
I am about 44" at the chest and have a good inch or two of adjustment left. I use the thicker pad with heavier-than-designed-for loads (23# last trip) and to sipport the pack on my back. Without the pad I have plenty of extra strap…very comfortable across portages/hiking.

The minor issue there *might* be that the straps need to also adjust torso size. They are mounted fairly low, but I need a 18-1/2" torso length. This is right at the border between a large and medium. GG doesn't offer that specific size (16-24" one size only.) So adding a thicker pad, 2" to 2-1/2", rather than the standard 3/4" Sitlite takes up about 4". Pulling the straps to position lets it fit like a glove with the extra thickness with *just enough* strap for a good hand hold while tightening. This also means the weight is sitting on my hips where it belongs.

The third pocket is similar to the Miniposa third pocket in the first runs of those. High on the right side, it holds daily snacks, TP, AM drops/UV water treatment, trail trash, and a bandana. The Murmur dos not have this. It has one for stove, windscreen, one for water bottles and the front pouch for rain gear, tarp, and fleece. I really miss the third pouch(or fourth if you count the front pocket) just to keep stuff at hand during the day. I have a belt pouch I will need to add to make up for it or sew one it as on the Miniposa. I use two .6L Gatoraid bottles for water…wide tops just fit the Steripen.

Again, it fits me pretty well at 5'9", 175# (180 in winter.) Dropping the pad or modding the shoulder straps might be needed if you are a LOT different, like 21" torso length, and 48" chest.

[Warren Greer]

Hey Bryce,

Welcome back. Seems as if a new Murmur, Zpacks, or Zimmerbuilt creation would be good choices. Good thing about the last two is you can get a custom built pack. You should check out Chris Zimmer, he builds some sweet packs.

Congrats on the engagement and the new-to-you house. Do a little outdoors pursuit to keep you sane. All work and no play makes a dull boy, or something like that. Have fun with it all.

[Bryce]

I may have my hands on a used, old school Murmur just like my old one….crossing my fingers.

The house has been a bit of a bear, but I keep telling myself it is worth it for the next 30-40 years. Last coat of poly goes on the floors TODAY!

The last backpacking trip I took was in January with the NE BPL crew:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.681511967566.2134884.17506531&type=3&l=84d0ffdcf6

But….hoping to get back in the game in Late July/Early August. God knows I should be putting all this gear into use. haha.

[Nick Gatel]

For total loads of around 10lbs or less the old Murmur is a great pack. I liked the Spinnaker better than the sil-nylon. Very easy for me to live out of this pack, as long as I don't need to carry more than 2 liters of water.

Looks like the new Murmur has had some scope creep, probably due to customer input. Doesn't look as minimalist. You can probably buy a zPack cuben Zero large with water bottle pockets and a pad holder for about the same price. Both packs are pretty similar in design and function… only the zPacks weighs less than half as much.

I don't care much for the mesh front pocket… catches on brush. Since these are minimal packs, belts and other options kind of defeat the purpose IMO.

[Bryce]

"for loads 10lbs or less…." <- are we talking base weight? I seem to remember the GG website saying max 15 lbs. I can't recall how loaded I had my old Murmur w/ water and food though.

One of these days I need to get over using CF in a pack. I guess I'm used to my custom .51 CF tarp and how careful I always need to be with it and I need to actually feel the thicker CF used for packs some time.

[Nick Gatel]

Bryce,

Yes the GG Website said 15lbs max. That means the pack can structurally handle that much weight without falling apart. It does not mean my shoulders are comfortable lugging 15lbs for 20+ miles :)

Typically my base weight with the Murmur was 4-5 lbs. Now add 3 days of food and the 4 liters of water I need at the start of each day where I typically hike, and it gets tiring at times. The pack is great where water is plentiful and it is a 3 day or less trip in 3 season weather.

I bought a zPacks Zero to test out the cuben before Dan McHale made my Bump. This light cuben held up well and the thicker cuben and hybrids should be fine in a pack.

Dan wanted to make the Bump out of his heavier cuben hybrid. Dan is confident the material will hold up, otherwise he wouldn't put his name on it. But I ended up getting the fine Dyneema grid, just wasn't 100% sold on cuben at that point — no science to it, just a feeling. I guess sometimes our old thoughts never die.

For me if my total pack weight is going to be much over 10lbs then I am thrilled to use a 3 or 4 lb McHale. Total pack weight is under 20lbs and the pack carries like a dream. Total pack weight is my key measurement. Base weight is more of a diagnostic procredure. An 18lb total pack weight with my Bump is like carrying a total weight of 6 lbs in the Murmur. The Zero is very similar to the Murmur. They are big stuff sacks with shoulder straps.

But these kinds of packs have their uses. I can't begin to count the number trips or miles I have on my two old school Murmurs and the Zero.

My Bump has a similar volume as the Mumur. The Zero is a size small and a lot less volume, but it is still taken on a lot of trips… But on most short trips the Bump is now my go to pack. All I need these days are my McHale LBP or Bump. The other packs I keep around in case someone needs to borrow one. Good news is that I think I will never buy another pack :)

I have given away several packs since I got the two McHales. I think I only have 2 UL packs left; a Mariposa plus and the Zero. Haven't used the Mariposa in about 3 years but have lent it out a lot… right now a good friend of mine has it.

Too bad the old Mumur is discontinued. At $80 is was a bargain for a 2 or 3 day UL trip. The new one costs almost twice as much. Oh well, I guess that is progress.

[Bob Gross]

"Yes the GG Website said 15lbs max. That means the pack can structurally handle that much weight without falling apart."

The old spinnaker version, yes, I've gone with about 18 pounds in it. The only problem I have with it is that it is kind of noisy. I'm out to try to photograph some wildlife, and the wildlife runs for cover when they hear me coming.

–B.G.–

[Nick Gatel]

Well that solved the bear canister conundrum ;)

[Bryce]

"The pack is great where water is plentiful and it is a 3 day or less trip in 3 season weather."

That's the majority of my trips in the NE. I was also able to fit a Bearikade Scout into the Murmur for a 3 day weekend hike…..this included packing a military surplus, bulky sleeping bag as I forgot my down quilt at home. :o

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/312210_2074064014391_1194053503_n.jpg

[James Marco]

Yeah, I pretty much agree.

In the ADK's, I typically take it out for about a week and payloads often get to 20-23lbs at the trail head.

Looking at the Blast, it is heavier. Looking at the Zero, with two pockets and hip belt it is only about 1.5oz lighter. Like Bryce, I am not convinced, yet.

[Bryce]

If I were out more than a long weekend I'd probably have to take my 1st gen Mariposa which is still in great condition. That pack doubles as my winter 3-days backpack as well.

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