GoLite Peak Backpack Review

Will & Janet,

Thanks for a look at the new Peak! I have a Jam2 (2009) that I have lived out of on the road through latin america for the last 2 years – incredibly durable & comfortable.

Could you comment on what changes have caused the huge increase in weight in the Jam/Peak line-up for 2010/11? That Peak weighs more than the 2009 Jam2! I noticed you carry the 2009 Jam2 as well and am wondering if the changes to the 2010/2011 lineup have made the bags carry better or are more cosmetic/materials-based changes.

I love these packs for the super clearance pricepoint and durability but if they keep leapfrogging in weight every new edition even a poor vagabond like me won't be able to justify one.

Cheers,
Brendan

This photo needs to be re-visited because it is awesome!

The Peak is a perfectly usable pack and suited to light/low-volume overnights and day hiking. The ability to compress the size suits day hiking and there are lots of creature comforts like the padded back panel, hip-belt pockets and the ability to remove the hip belt. I think it would make a very good travel pack and would fit in overhead compartments well if not overloaded. I think it would make a good winter day hiking pack, where the extra volume is insulated clothing.

It does fall into a marketing hole and that is probably the real weakness. It's a little large for day hikes, a little small for multi-day and a Jam is just a few ounces more.

There were rumors about a Jam Jr. before it was released and it is probably that, but too close in weight and cost to the Jam. What GoLite should have done was to make an "Ion Sr." with just a bit more capacity, side pockets and low weight. The Ion was 10oz/283g and 1500ci/25L. The old GoLite Dawn was about the same size as the Peak, but it was only a pound. It did not offer much in the way of structure and needed careful packing and a sleeping pad tube to get the most from it. I would build an Ion that is more like 30L, with side pockets and maybe a little bungee cord. That should come in under a pound and fill the gap in the line better than the Peak. I just bought an Osprey Aether 30 that is exactly that, but suffers with extra weight due to fabric choice and back padding.

I do prefer a pack that is wider and less deep, so it hugs in closer to the body and doesn't bounce around. The more tubular shaped packs are more for climbing, where the extra width might hamper arm movement.

tom ..

same reason why people (including yours truly) buy osprey, marmot, BD and other daypacks that weight as much or more than an ohm or gorilla

you can try them on, they're often on sale, and yuppie marketing

while the peak doesn't look bad as a daypack … i find it quite strange how BPL is applauding goheavy for increasing the weight of their pack line by the recommended rating … with all these articles on "everything weights something" and "pitching your tent with the fewest stakes" … then of course there is mr jordan's classic article on frameless packs …

maybe BPL is trying to appeal to a more mainstream audience … who knows? … but i can definately tell you that i don't need reviews on a goheavy daypack or on the BD almost 4 lb infinity … i can get those from other places … what i do need is a review on something that helps me save weight without giving up much functionality

personally id like to see the envelop being pushed a bit more … and the recommended rating being given for products that push the limits of technology and functionality … gimme a dayback thats bomber, has the same comfort, and no unneeded features for 500g … that would get my highly recommended rating …

IMO companies should be rewarded for making lighter gear with the same functionality … not for adding features or creating more "normal" stuff

I am happy to see backpacking light's review of the new features of these packs. I see experienced reviewers who carefully consider how these packs work. There are many members here who choose to use these packs including myself. Golite packs are certainly part of a 10lb or less base weight, and that is Backpacking light.

While they may not be pushing the limits of weight, they are a pretty highly evolved product which strikes a great balance between many competing factors. Light enough. Strong enough. Simple enough. Featured enough. Well-made enough. Cheap enough. Multi-use enough.

It seems to me that although the name Backpacking light uses the word light it also means enlightened. After all, what do we really do this for? It's not to have gone out with the lightest possible piece of gear. It's to find the right gear to give us our best experience.

Want to see more about the super duper light? See a void opening up where the founding fathers are no longer present or relevant to your viewpoint? Maybe you can be the solution to the problem you see. I look forward to reading and learning from what you can discover.

Some great points, Dale. Then again you've been one of the long-term members with whom I started out on all this with. We've seen a lot of gear! And so have Will and Roger! It's actually quite amazing how much staying power they have. There really can't be a lot of exciting new ideas coming out all the time. The Peak is certainly no exception.

BPL is a great website. They don't need to nag anybody. You can be ultralight with almost any golite backpack.

Hi all, good conversation going regarding the GoLite Peak pack, and pack reviews in general. Here are a few responses:

Brendon: You are very observant, the 2004 Jam we reviewed weighed 21.1 ounces, the 2007 Jam2 weighed 22.1 ounces, and the 2010 Jam jumped to 32 ounces. You asked what accounts for the weight increase. For one thing, the Jam now has hipbelt pockets. GoLite has moved to all recycled fabrics, which weight a bit more. The remainder is probably in the padding.

Michael: You asked if one can purchase a Peak or Jam with a different sized hipbelt, eg a medium pack with a large hipbelt. I checked with GoLite and the answer is no, not right now, but its a good suggestion.

Another reader commented: why purchase a 2 pound frameless backpack when you can get a framed pack for the same (or less) weight? Very true. The ULA Ohm is a good example, and Osprey is coming out with the framed Hornet 46 this spring, which weighs 24 ounces. I am currently working on a frameless/removable frame backpack state of the market report, to be published early this summer, and in that article I will address that issue.

Here's my input to the discussion on BPL's choice to gear to review. Yes, BPL did start out with a focus mostly on UL and SUL. Then we got a lot of feedback from people who want more coverage of lightweight gear, saying the articles on going UL are interesting reading, but its not for them. A large percentage of our readership are folks who want to lighten up, but are less interested in going UL. Currently we try to please everyone by covering a range of gear from UL to LW. For a lightweight backpack, our current weight limit is 4 pounds max, preferably less than 3.5 pounds. For these packs we are looking for a balance of weight, features, comfort, and durability.

Happy New Year! Lets make our new year's resolution this year to do more hiking. Best,
Will

Eric chan-ted: "im looking for "pack less, be more" like it says on the logo … not that im SUL or even UL most of the time … but BPL should be like that nagging relative which whispers in yr ear "go lighter, go lighter"."

There's plenty of "fringe" SUL stuff to ruminate, and the locals will rip you a new one if you publish a gear list with lead in it. I think it is good to have the wide range of gear to select from. I personally have a very light shelter and a heavier pack, synthetic insulation (read volume and weight), a UL kitchen kit, etc. It is a mix. By using the UL principles I am able to keep it under control and I know very well what my choices are and the awareness that they are *choices*, rather than "correct" or some absolute.

All said, the difference between "comfy" UL and freaky SUL is only about 5 or 6 pounds. That is 10% of what I used to carry. Even the "heavy" stuff reviewed here is half or a third the weight of some of the stuff touted in Backpacker and other mainstream sources.

The market has swung a bit to the light side, so there are more middle-of-the-road options to review. I guess GoLite's trend is another measure of that. There is no doubt in my mind that retail businesses don't want to see the returns on UL gear that people have trashed, so some manufacturer's have moved to slightly heavier but more durable goods in an attempt to stay on the shelves. I can see where mainstream consumers will put up with a something like a Flash 18 at $29, but will return a $200 UL pack that they outright abused. That is where the cottage manufacturer's can excel, as they have no middleman to satisfy and they are delivering directly to the faithful. Don't kid yourself that the REI's and big Dot Com's don't have the data on what got returned, created customer service headaches and lost profit. I see REI only has 10 GoLite items on their web site, really only 5 if you count gender/size overlap. That has to hurt at the factory. At the same time hey have expanded their own UL pack line to 4 models. To compare, there are 73 various Osprey pack products listed, including travel stuff.

I was in the REI gear garage the other night, going through a tub of returned backpacks. You really need to touch and lift some of those leaden rigs to remember where we have gone. I found heavily padded packs with monster suspensions, dripping straps and geegaws that made my "heavy" Osprey Exos seem like fairy dust.

It's always so nice to see threads reduced to such lowest common denominator comments ;) It brings back fond memories of living in a trailer park.

Totally. But, there are committees and profit/loss geeks who spoil our fun :)

Eric, Dale, and Miguel,

Very good points made by all of you. I love a discussion that builds on a review to flesh it out. And thanks to Will for his usual fine review that launched this thread. This is one thing about BPL that really gives me a warm and fuzzy.

Like the rest of you, I do miss the input of RJ, AD, et al in those exciting days of yesteryear, but time moves on, and Will and Roger have done a darn good job of filling the gap, IMO.