How Comfortable is a GoLite Jam 70 — Really?

[Valerie E]

I was wondering about the comfort of a GoLite Jam 70 (using it within the suggested weight limits, of course)… Unfortunately, I do not fit most standard-sized packs very well, and it is not adjustable. Would the single aluminum stay be enough to comfortably handle a BearVault 500, sleeping bag, clothes, pad, etc.?

For those of you who use the 70L Jam — is the waist belt adequately padded? Do you have to pack so that your sleeping pad provides extra cushioning along the back panel? Is there anything else I should know about the pack's comfort?

[Luke Schmidt]

First I think there is a mistake. The Jam 70 is a frameless pack, is has NO stays. My old version of the pack was tolerable at 25 pounds (I never tried more) but I found a frame was more comfortable.

The newer Jams seem a bit better but honestly even with only 20 pounds I tend to prefer a light framed pack. There are packs with frames that are basically the same weight as the Jam.

If you want a pack that can carry more then 25 pounds, or something like a bear canister, I would highly recommend the Exped Lighting 45 that is on Gear Swap for $130. Only a few ounces heavier and way better in my opinion.

Edit – The Lighting has an adjustable torso and load lifters so no matter what your torso length is you should be able to get a good fit.

[David Ure]

I find the Golite Jam 50 and 70 with the load lifters comfortable to the high 20's. The back panel is quite stiff and the belt is excellent – the lower portion of the belt move on cams that really hug your hips. The belt is more padded than the HMG Porter. The shoulder straps could be more padded, however.

You won't need your sleeping pad for extra cushioning – it is more than adequately padded already.

[Valerie E]

Unfortunately, I can't use the Exped packs. I was really excited when they came out, and was lucky to find them at a local store. But the large lumbar pad doesn't work with my (kinda serious) lower back herniated/bulging disks (it felt great empty, but with 20lbs, it just digs into my injured area).

In fact, any pack with a protruding pad in the L3-S1 area is out for me…sadly.

Edited to add: Ooops — I think I got the aluminum stay idea confused from one of the other packs I've been looking at (ULA maybe?)…

[Jennifer Mitol]

Valerie…email me about what is bothering you re packs that put pressure on your low back. There may be an easy workaround depending on your circumstances…

Jenmitol AT gmail DOT com

[Justin Baker]

No experience here, but a 70 liter frameless pack sounds really silly.

[Rick M]

del

[Jim Colten]

No experience here, but a 70 liter frameless pack sounds really silly.

Some experience here. To paraphrase Miracle Max (not our Max D) There's a different between mainly frameless (like Jam 70) and a completely frameless.

I'm sure that 70 liters of dense load would be uncomfortable … or even silly in a Jam 70. That is based on hiking a half hour in a local gear shop with a Golite Pinnacle (the Jam 70's previous name) loaded with 40 lbs. Need to haul a lot of food or water? … it's not the pack for you (well, for me anyway)

But my winter load tilts toward lower density gear … insulation mainly. Not more than 30 lbs departing the trailhead. Feels kinda heavy but lightens up as I eat … eat a lot in winter.

But it IS gonna be a YMMV thing. I known plenty people who don't tolerate any weight on their shoulders. A 30lb Jam 70 is not the pack for them. I'm pleased as punch with 20lbs in a completely frameless Granite Gear Virga. 25 lbs is quite OK. 30 is "well, it'll get better as I eat" OK.

[Trace Richardson]

Not sure I understand exactly what the op's general fit issue tendency or specific issue is, but in general, I usually see frameless packs as not such a great direction for someone with existing fit / carry issues given the ease with which a frameless pack can be packed incorrectly, resulting in a poor carry, even for someone that doesn't have general fit issues.

[Jeremy]

I love my Jam 70. Super comfy. It was my first UL pack. I think the most I carried in it was about 25 lbs and it carried the weight fine. I bought the Large Jam and should have gone with the Med due to the waist belt sizing(I'm a 36" waist and cinched all the way tight barely fit me). You won't need to add a pad for support.

I recently switched over to using the SMD Starlite though.

[Ron F]

I know this is a nine year old thread, but thought I would add my 2 cents.  I got back into backpacking after a long hiatus.  Based on reviews I bought an Osprey Atmos 65 in medium.  After using it for a year I realized it was too big and bought a used Atmos small.  It was a better fit, but then I decide to get something lighter and bought a used Jam 70.  I read all the threads about how to pack it, but no matter how i packed it took on a barrel shape and was uncomfortable.  At the risk of being accused of UL heresy I added a frame by taking a 1/4″ aluminum rod and bending it into a perimeter frame that I inserted into the sleeve with the plastic and foam frame sheet.  I am very pleased with the mod and find at least if not more comfortable than my correct size Atmos.  I recently did an overnight in the snow in the San Gabiel Mountains and had no issues with a pack weight of 26 pounds.

[christopher witter]

I’d love to see your modifications,  I only use mine in the winter when I need the space for bulkier cold weather gear. It’s been plenty comfortable for me at 27lbs but that’s the max I’ve used it at.

[jscott]

a bear canister, other than something as small as a bearikade scout, pretty much dictates how a pack will be packed. Frameless packs, or minimal framed packs, require careful packing to function properly. I’d never want to carry a bear canister in a minimalist pack, but then I hate weight on my shoulders. I may be wrong, but I sense that since 2014, when this thread began, most folks have gone back to carrying more highly framed packs that are heavier than the minimalist UL packs popular at that time. And for good reason.

I’m still waiting for someone to produce a lightweight external frame pack with a ledge on the bottom to support a canister turned sideways at the bottom of the pack. (Bears Ears does something similar.) And a good hip belt! You scoff, perhaps. Let’s see where things stand in another 9 years.

[John S.]

Luxury Lite Stack Pack http://luxurylite.com/#stackpack

[Matthew / BPL]

@jscott https://nunatakusa.com/47-bears-ears-framed-ul

Edit: not an external frame so maybe not what you are looking for…

[jscott]

John, I actually use a LL stackpack frame with a standard sack (but much lighter than the one shown) strapped on. I love it! Very light as well. I use a large ancient Mariposa sack that can hold a Bearikade weekender sideways on the bottom. so the canister remains inside the pack. What’s pictured would work as well.

So yes, in a way this is the old school external frame I was speculating about. The LL belt is fabulous!

[LARRY W]

Intriguing frame jscott. Be fun to try one. I did just order some of those smell-block food bags he sells. Will see if it works better than opsaks. Sorry for the thread drift.

[jscott]

I forgot to mention that the ‘ledge’ at the bottom of the frame holds a canister perfectly. It seems like it would be more stable than the Bears Ears design, but people have reported that the latter’s system works very well for holding a canister.

[Link .]

. frame sheet for Golite Pinnacle (or Jam) from 2011

[d k]

I also use a LL frame, with a secondhand MYOG pack bag I got here on BPL attached; the bear canister gets strapped on top of the ledge, below/outside the pack.

[Dustin V]

I used a Jam for a long time and found it pretty comfortable when I packed it tightly across the bottom right at hip belt level. Making that whole area semi-rigid seemed to take a lot of weight off my shoulders. Even so, it did barrel into my back or slumped sometimes, but I moved to a framed pack mostly for ventilation. In hot conditions, the Jam was like carrying a sleepy toddler. I hope the frame sheet gets it away from your back a little because that sounds like a great mod, to me.

[jscott]

“the bear canister gets strapped on top of the ledge, below/outside the pack.”

Works really well, doncha think? It really makes a canister much less of a headache to pack, for me. My preference for carrying the canister inside is that it seems it would make for a more solid fit–but others find there’s no issue with the canister on the outside. I’ve never tried it that way.

 

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