Articles (2020)

Introduction

The Gregory Spectrum is like a Lexus. It is well thought out, elegantly made, has most every feature you would want, and weighs less than 2.25 pounds. Surprise—it’s a panel loader, even though it’s literally covered with outside mesh pockets. The comfortable shoulder harness and articulated, padded plastic framesheet allow the Spectrum to carry as much gear as you can put into the pack. While the Spectrum is one of the most functional and versatile packs we have tested, it stops short of being a climbing or slot canyon pack. The abrasion would be too much for the thinner fabric and mesh pockets. Nevertheless, I bushwhacked the Spectrum through a lot of rough places and it stood up fine. It’s a fine multi-use smaller volume pack.

What’s Good

• Panel loading
• Five outside mesh pockets provide lots of convenient storage
• Conforms closely to your body
• Great suspension system

What’s Not So Good

• Compression straps interfere with inserting water bottles into side pockets
• Contents of mesh hipbelt pockets get wet when you set the pack down in the snow or hike in the rain

Specifications

Backpack	2005 Gregory Spectrum
Style	Internal frame, panel loading
Volume	2100 ci (34 L) size L
Weight	2 lb 3.7 oz (1.01 kg) measured weight; manufacturer’s specification 2 lb 5 oz (1.10 kg)
Fabrics	Main pack body is 70d silicone impregnated ripstop nylon; top pocket, bottom, and center of the backpanel are 210d polyurethane-coated ripstop nylon. Pockets are nylon mesh with an elastic binding.
Features	Two mesh water bottle pockets, mesh front pocket, mesh hipbelt pockets, zippered top pocket, internal hydration sleeve and port, haul loop, side compression straps, load lifters, sternum strap, daisy chain, six D-rings for accessory straps.
Volume to Weight Ratio	58.8 ci/oz size L (based on 2100 ci and a measured weight of 35.7 oz)
Comfortable Load Carrying Capacity	20 lb (9.1 kg) BPL estimated
Carry Load to Pack Weight Ratio	9.1 (based on 20 lb and a measured weight of 2.2 lb)
MSRP	$119

Performance

The Spectrum, at 2100 cubic inches (size L) is a superb multi-purpose pack. I used the Spectrum as a daypack on numerous snowshoeing trips, day hikes in the desert and mountains, and peak ascents. It could be used for an ultralight overnight trip (by attaching some gear to the front with an accessory strap), but there are other packs around that provide a better volume:weight ratio for that purpose.

The first thing you notice about the Spectrum is its quality construction and attention to detail. All seams have a nylon binding. All zippers (not the water-resistant type) have double sliders and convenient cord-plus-knob pull tabs. High quality and appropriate materials are used throughout the pack to make it both light and durable.

The second thing you notice is that the pack is full-featured. The top pocket is very convenient and big enough to hold lunch. There are a total of five roomy outside mesh pockets (one on the front, two on the sides, and two on the hipbelt), side compression straps, lots of attachment points, and a huge hydration sleeve. Four of the attachment points (D-rings on the front panel) can be used to attach snowshoes or a tall stuff sack full of extra gear. Accessory straps (not provided) are needed for these applications. One annoyance is the four D-rings on the front panel interfere with opening/closing the zipper (tip: hold the D-rings with one hand while zipping with the other).

Gregory claims that the Spectrum has two ice axe loops, but there are actually only two plastic D-rings on the bottom front to attach an ice axe using an accessory strap (not provided).

Although the manufacturer photos don’t readily show it, the Spectrum is a panel loader. The zippered panel (with double sliders) is about 17 inches tall and 9 inches wide, so it is very convenient to access the contents of the main compartment, including the hydration sleeve. Unlike some other panel-loading packs we have reviewed, the Spectrum does not have a tendency to auto-unload (meaning the panel zipper bursts open and the pack contents are dumped on the trail!). There is a side-release buckle at the top of the front panel to keep the panel closed and support the large front mesh pocket and anything attached to the front of the pack.

The Gregory Spectrum is a panel loader (top left), with a nearly full-height double slider zipper. A side-release buckle (top right) ensures that the panel will not auto-unload on the trail, and supports any gear attached to the front of the pack. A zippered top pocket (bottom left) is big enough for lunch and valuables, and has a key clip. The huge mesh hipbelt pockets (bottom right) will hold a lot of smaller items.

Hipbelt pockets are the rage nowadays, and the Spectrum does not disappoint. Would you believe full-length (11 inches long) bellowed mesh hipbelt pockets with full-length zippers? I found them big and stretchy enough to stuff in a bunch of smaller items – like glove liners, snacks, sunscreen, sweatband, GPS — you name it. The downside is when you take the pack off and set it on the ground, the hipbelt pockets sit right in the dirt (or snow) and the contents can easily get dirty or wet. For my digital camera, I preferred to attach a small camera case to the webbing end of the hipbelt, or enclose it in an Aloksak if I put the camera into a hipbelt pocket. The other obvious disadvantage of mesh hipbelt pockets is when it rains, the contents get wet.

I love the roomy mesh pockets on the outside o fthe Spectrum. The side mesh pockets are big enough to carry a 2-liter water bottle, or a 1-liter bottle with room left over. Unfortunately, water bottles in the side pockets are not reachable with the pack on. One annoyance: the side compression straps are inside the mesh pockets, and water bottles catch on the straps when you insert them into the pockets.

I also love the panel loading feature, which provided quick access to items in the bottom of the pack. The top pocket is also very useful, providing convenient access to frequently used items. It has a key clip inside, and an internal full-width zipper provides top access to the main compartment. The top access was handy to get to items in the top of the pack when I had gear attached to the front of the pack.

The next thing you notice about the Gregory Spectrum is its serious, full-featured suspension system. Technically, the Spectrum is an internal frame pack since it has a flexible plastic sheet in the backpanel. The backpanel is hinged at the lower back, so the bottom end of the pack (with the lumbar pad) contours to your hips. The pack incorporates Gregory’s Wraptor Stabilizer (a stiffened wing at the bottom of the shoulder straps), Sport Harness, and Gullwing waistbelt. These features, combined with a nicely padded hipbelt, shoulder straps, backpanel, and lumbar region provide the capability to comfortably carry some serious weight.

The Spectrum has a great shoulder harness and suspension system (top left). The backpanel articulates above the lumbar pad. The Wraptor Stabilizer (top right) is a stiffened wing and V-strap setup at the end of each shoulder strap. Attaching snowshoes (or other gear) to the front of the pack (bottom left) is easy using four D-ring attachments and an accessory strap. The top pocket contains a zippered opening (bottom right) that allows some access to the main compartment.

In my load-carrying tests, I found that the Spectrum (thanks to its capable suspension system) could comfortably carry as much as 25 pounds of concentrated weight (sand bags and bottles of water). The pack’s volume is the actual limitation, because it would be difficult to stuff 25 pounds of normal gear into the available space. Assuming normal outdoor gear, the pack’s weight carrying capacity maxes out around 20 pounds, and the suspension is fully capable of supporting it. In my field testing I used the Spectrum to carry loads in the 10-15 pound range. It had more than enough room to carry everything I needed for a day outing, even in cold weather.

There are two “V-pull compression straps” on the pack, one on the center of each side. To reduce pack volume for smaller loads, it works best to lay the pack on its back and push down on the front with one hand while tightening (pulling up) the compression straps with the other. The two compression straps adequately snug the pack contents to maintain stability. There is no compression strap on the bottom half of the pack, but it is not really needed for a pack this size.

I was a bit perplexed when I first tried to attach snowshoes to the Spectrum. They wouldn’t fit inside the main compartment or the front mesh pocket, and there were no accessory straps for attaching things. Then I noticed four ¾-inch plastic D-rings on the front panel and used two lightweight webbing straps threaded through the D-rings to attach the snowshoes. Because of the thinner fabrics used, the Spectrum is not up to carrying a lot of gear attached to the outside; a 4-pound pair of snowshoes is about the limit, and there is no provision for attaching skis. Crampons could be placed in a protective sack and strapped to the front of the pack.

The Spectrum’s hydration sleeve is huge, big enough to swallow a 3-liter hydration bladder. It’s easy to route the drinking tube to either side out of the top of the pack, and there are lots of attachments to clip the hose to on the shoulder straps. Since water bottles in the side mesh pockets were not reachable with the pack on, I found using a bladder the most convenient hydration option. The pack has plenty of volume for the bladder and gear, freeing up the side pockets for other things, like rainwear.

The Spectrum stops short of being a climbing pack. Its thinner fabrics and mesh pockets, although adequately durable for general use, are not up to scraping against granite or squeezing through tight slots. Also, it doesn’t have outside attachment points for carrying hardware, or attaching a lot of weight for that matter.

What’s Unique

The Spectrum gets it right. This pack provides all the room and utility I could want in a day pack for various types of outings, year-around. It’s very capable and comfortable, while holding pack weight down to a little over 2 pounds.

Recommendations for Improvement

The Spectrum is already well designed and assembled, but there is always room for a few nitpicks. One is to relocate or redesign the side compression straps so they do not interfere with inserting water bottles or gear into the side mesh pockets. Another upgrade would be to make one of the hipbelt pockets waterproof (e.g., made with the 70 denier silnylon fabric used else where in the pack and a water-resistant zipper). It would also be nice if accessory straps were provided for attaching gear to the front of the pack. Finally, if Gregory really wants to provide for everything, including a padded case on the shoulder harness for a digital camera or MP3 player would be nice.

Editor’s Note: The Mountainsmith Ghost is still available for purchase, but not for much longer. Mountainsmith eliminates the MountainLite line (including the Ghost) for 2006, and is introducing a new TrekLite series. (See Outdoor Retailer Summer Market 2005 dispatch here.)

Introduction

The Mountainsmith Ghost is a lean-and-mean panel-loading single-compartment 3,000 cubic-inch (50 L) internal frame backpack. It features an interior hydration reservoir pocket, two hose ports, two exterior side pockets, a front panel criss-cross bungee cord, and a Delrin rod frame with an HDPE-and-Delrin top assembly supporting the shoulder yoke and load-lifter straps. Weighing but 2¼ pounds with a suggested 25-pound load limit, the Ghost is suitable for lightweight hikers who prefer a frame and rugged pack fabrics but can do without bells, whistles and compartmentalization. It also easily swallows bulky wintertime day-hike loads that overwhelm typical rucksacks. This review evaluates how well the Ghost handles when carrying the recommended load (and a bit more), its packing flexibility, and its toughness in the field.

Specifications

Backpack	2005 Mountainsmith Ghost LT
Style	Panel-loading, internal frame
Volume	3000 ci (49 L)
Weight (as measured)	36 oz (1.02 kg)
Fabrics	Dimension Polyant VX-21 nylon (sailcloth), coated rip-stop nylon, nylon mesh, breathable Brock foam shoulder straps and waistbelt
Features	Interior hydration reservoir pocket, two hose ports, two exterior side pockets, front panel criss-cross bungee cord
Volume to Weight Ratio	83 ci/oz
Comfortable Load Carrying Capacity	BPL determined: 25 lb (11 kg)
Carry Load to Pack Weight Ratio	11.1 lb/lb
MSRP	$150

What’s Good

• Featherweight suspension system that’s both comfortable and effective
• Retains its structure and support with partial loads
• Easy to load and unload, easy access to gear
• Useful pack space that allows carrying a bear canister vertically or horizontally
• Tough fabrics require no babying
• Spacious side pockets accessible while wearing the pack
• Front bungee to hold light, bulky items like clothing, lower straps to hold groundcloth and/or sleeping pad

What’s Not So Good

• No back length adjustment
• No provision for strapping clothing or gear on top
• Centrally located ice axe loop cannot be used simultaneously with bungeed items
• Auto-opening zippers

Performance

Panel-load backpacks such as the Mountainsmith Ghost have fans and detractors. A major plus to the design is ease of packing, viewing, and retrieving your gear. Panel-loaders however, have historically been heavier than simpler top-loaders and the panel zip has sometimes proven to be a weak point: spreading open unexpectedly and discharging gear and presenting a prime rain entry point. As a result, the majority of lightweight backpacks load from the top, making the Ghost unique in its size and weight class.

Capacity and Loading Schemes

The Ghost swallows a lot of gear and supplies, despite initially appearing rather like an overgrown daypack. I can easily pack a comprehensive solo kit and roughly four days’ food with room left for a few extras, and I’m confident that long-distance hikers who exercise more gear self-restraint could carry a week’s worth. Fact is, the Ghost has been carried on numerous AT and PCT through-hikes.

Sample Gear List

• Shelter: Tarptent Virga
• Sleeping Bag: Mountainsmith Wisp
• Sleeping Pad: Short Therm-a-Rest Prolite 4
• Kitchen: Primus Ti Alpine stove, 220 gram cartridge, MSR Ti kettle, MSR Ti mug, etc.
• Food, hangsack, and cord
• Water: 1-liter bottle in exterior pocket, filter bottle in other pocket, Miox, 3 quart Nalgene canteen (carried empty)
• Clothing: Typical three-season kit
• Other necessities: Toiletries, first aid kit, headlamp, map & compass,

I’ve alternated between carrying water in the interior hydration pocket (sewn to the inside of the back panel) and in the side exterior pockets, depending on the size of my load. With a full load, I stuff clothing in the hydration pocket to take advantage of the storage space and carry water outside; when I don’t need the space I’ll use the hydration pocket, routing the drinking hose out of one of the ports and tucking it under an elastic keeper strap conveniently provided on the front of each shoulder strap. The back panel padding does a pretty good job of keeping the water cool on a warm hiking day.

Each side pocket accommodates a 1 liter bottle plus a few extras – they’re that big. Unlike many side pockets I’ve used, the Ghost’s pockets are both large and sufficiently low-topped to be accessible while walking, and there are no interfering compression straps. (Now, was that so hard?) Trekking poles can be carried by putting them handle-first into the pockets and strapping them underneath the load control straps.

Ghost pockets have plenty of room.

Other exterior packing features include the bungee cord, an ice axe strap and a pair of lower carry straps. A rain jacket or windshirt, or the day’s laundry can strap beneath the front bungee cord; a groundcloth or compact sleeping pad can strap on the lower carry straps; and an ice axe straps on using the furnished loop and a user-supplied strap or cord through the short daisy chain above. The axe strap is at the same height as the pad straps, probably to keep the axe accessible. The problem I have with this arrangement is that my long (non-technical) axe juts nearly a foot above the pack, placing it in accident-waiting-to-happen mode.

Good news for those who venture into wily bear country: the Ghost stores a Bearikade Weekender (9” width x 10.5” height) vertically or horizontally. Of course, as with any pack this size the canister dominates the interior, forcing some creativity in packing around it while maintaining load balance and comfort. The canister inevitably reduces effective pack volume.

Fit

The test Ghost is an LT (large torso) claimed to fit a 19-22 inch range. Because the shoulder strap attachment yoke and waist belt are sewn in place, there’s no back length adjustment. (There’s also a small Ghost and a women-specific Seraph in the series.) The yoke attaches rather low on the back panel compared to some packs so the shoulder straps wrap well over my shoulders in back, even though I’m on the shorter end of the specified fit range. While this configuration has caused control problems on other packs (excessive sway and a tendency to pull away from the shoulders) it doesn’t seem to affect the Ghost, possibly because it’s a short pack. In sum, the test pack fits me very well although I urge anyone on the long end of the torso range to fit-test a loaded one before purchase. Note too that because the Ghost only extends to shoulder height, it doesn’t interfere with the head while looking up, nor collide with a full-brimmed hat.

Upon loading the Ghost, hoisting it and adjusting and cinching down the various straps (a. waist belt, b. shoulder straps, c. sternum strap, d. waist belt side control straps and e. top load control straps) it forms a lively, even springy load. The vertical rods bend and flex with the back, always keeping the back panel close and the load in control. Tellingly, the Ghost’s fit doesn’t impress until I cinch the top load-control straps: at that moment the fit goes from run-of-the-mill to stellar. (It feels much like a smaller brother of the Osprey Aether 60, my favorite long-haul pack, which uses a similar loaded rod [hoop] frame scheme.)

I’m constantly trimming great lengths of webbing from backpack waist belts because they’re intended to fit EVERYONE, from the reed-thin to the Santa-sized. But there’s no need with the Ghost; Mountainsmith has cleverly sidestepped the problem by including a waist belt extender. It’s an extra length of webbing that buckles to the belt for those who need it. Smart! No more snip, melt, and sew. Other straps on the Ghost are likewise appropriately sized and are fashioned of the lightest webbing appropriate to the task, clear signs of evolutionary improvements.

In Use

The Ghost’s front zip panel only opens roughly two-thirds of the way down, meaning it doesn’t completely expose the main compartment. This didn’t prove much of a limitation in the field and, as a benefit, means I can access the contents without laying the pack completely flat – a boon in the snow where a warm back panel quickly becomes soggy from snowmelt. The two-way zipper is of the water-resistant variety and is rather slender (the sliders comprise 100% of the metal found on the Ghost). A pair of side load-compressor straps also reinforces the zipped opening. I found I needed to close the zipper tabs near one of the straps, otherwise the zip had a tendency to spread open on its own on the trail. As an extra protection I clip the zipper loops together. Nobody wants to have their pack open up and spill gear in their wake.

Zip sliders can open up on the trail.

I generally followed Mountainsmith’s suggested maximum 25-pound load as my target. I also explored weights up to 30 pounds, as it’s not uncommon to tote several pounds of water between fill-ups later in the hiking season. The Ghost handles wonderfully at or below 25 pounds, and not badly up to 30 pounds. There’s something special about this suspension and how it seems to dynamically manage the load. No magic here, just cunning suspension design that shuns metal stays and bulky padding, yet works. About the only flies in the ointment were that over the course of a few hours, the shoulder straps seem to rotate a bit inward and cause some irritation across my chest, and that I notice the load volume reducing as I used up water stored in the inner reservoir pocket, allowing items packed nearby to shift.

On level terrain, the Ghost hugs the back docilely, staying close but not drawing attention to itself in any fashion. On steep ground, there’s only a minor tendency to bounce and shift. Proper strap tensioning maintains good load balance and control. I hiked a number of steep snowfields during this test, putting a premium on good load management, and the Ghost always came through.

I intentionally carried 25 and 30-pound loads that only partially filled the main compartment to see whether the pack maintained load control. (Frameless packs, by contrast, rely on rigid loads for structural support.) To its credit, the Ghost still carried well despite a lot of airspace (some of which can be reduced by cinching down the two compression straps). Weeklong hikes with significantly diminishing load volumes shouldn’t affect the Ghost.

Wear and Tear

My test period included moderate bushwhacking and some rocky cross-country travel. The Ghost showed no ill effects from my travels. The Dimension Polyant fabric comprising the top and back panel and the heavy nylon rip-stop used for the bottom panel are tough, and show only the lightest of scuff marks. From experience, I know that a silnylon pack would show considerable wear given the same treatment, if not outright tears and punctures. There’s some permanent distortion of shoulder strap and hipbelt fabrics and padding.

Tracking the Changes

The Ghost has been out several years and Mountainsmith has listened to user feedback, making a number of improvements in response. The current Ghost maintains the original basic form, with several alterations:

• Sizes expanded from one to three: small and large Ghost plus the women’s Seraph
• Lower weight
• Volume reduced: 3100 to 2600/2800/3000 cubic inches (Seraph/small Ghost/large Ghost)
• Interior zip pocket eliminated
• Side ski holsters eliminated; rear/bottom load straps added
• Maximum load reduced: 25 from 35 pounds
• Waist belt redesigned and a belt extender supplied for those requiring extra girth
• Webbing width and weight reduced throughout
• A drinking tube port added for two, total
• Frame redesigned, with the former single hoop rod separated into two vertical segments connecting to a framesheet-and-rod assembly across the shoulder yoke
• Mesh side pockets now stiffened and reinforced with fabric panels
• Bungee cord now detachable and replaceable, with more attachment points
• Color now a muted brown (“bronze”)
• Price drop to $150

What’s Unique

Seemingly alone as a panel-loader in this weight and size class, the Ghost delivers the goods as an internal frame pack that carries 25 pounds comfortably and in complete control, while weighing only 1 kilogram itself. The dynamic pack frame seems to offer advantages in comfort and load management over more typical metal stay plus framesheet designs, and provides superior comfort and control compared to frameless packs, especially when carrying a partial load. The fact that it accomplishes all this at such a low price makes it a truly remarkable pack.

Suggestions

There’s not much I’d change about the Ghost, but I’ll suggest a few additions and one alteration:

• Add strap anchors to the pack’s top.
• Add ditty pockets to the waist belt wings.
• Add a clip for locking the zip tabs closed.
• Add a securable pocket inside the main flap.
• Move the ice axe strap down to the bottom seam.