Articles (2020)

Introduction

Serious lightweight backpacking gear from REI? You betcha! New for 2007, the REI Cruise UL 60 is a major overhaul of their previous UL 60 model. This highly refined pack has an easy to adjust and comfortable suspension system, great feature set, some innovative features, minimal weight, and a remarkably low price tag.

What’s Good

• Easy torso length adjustment
• “Kangaroo” front pocket
• Lightweight frame gives complete weight transfer to the hips
• Internal compression system
• Excellent fit and very comfortable to carry
• Lots of options for attaching gear to the outside
• Outstanding value

What’s Not So Good

• Hipbelt pockets are small
• Side mesh pockets are tight when pack is full
• Pack squeaks when hiking

Specifications

Year/Model	2007 REI Cruise UL 60
Style	Internal frame, top loading, fixed top pocket
Volume	3661 ci (60 L) size M, 3970 (65 L) size L (size L tested)
Weight	3 lb 3.1 oz (1.45 kg) measured weight, size L; manufacturer’s specification 3 lb 3 oz (1.45 kg), size L
Sizes Available	M, L
Torso Fit Range	M fits 17 to 19 inch torsos, L fits 19 to 21 inch torsos
Fabrics	140d ripstop nylon and 210d double ripstop nylon, polyurethane-coated
Features	Fixed top cap with water-resistant zippered pocket and underside zippered map pocket , internal compression system, kangaroo front sleeve with water-resistant zippered pocket, two side mesh pockets, two zippered hipbelt pockets, easy torso length adjustment, 3 L internal hydration sleeve with two hangers and two hose ports, frontpanel has four elastic loops and six webbing loops for attaching gear, front daisy chain, haul loop, sternum strap
Volume To Weight Ratio	77.7 ci/oz size L (based on 3970 ci and a measured weight of 51.1 oz)
Comfortable Load Carrying Capacity	35 lb estimated comfortable load for an average person carrying the pack all day
Carry Load to Pack Weight Ratio	11.0 (based on 35 lb and a measured weight of 3.19 lb)
MSRP	$130 US

Performance

An internal frame pack with a volume of 60 to 65 liters is optimal for lightweight backpacking. Hikers in this category typically keep their base weight (everything except food, water, and fuel) under 20 pounds, and carry a total weight of 25 to 35 pounds. There are quite a number of backpacks to choose from in this size category, and the REI Cruise UL 60 (in my opinion) is one of the top contenders. The following photo gallery will help acquaint you with the pack.

Frame and Suspension System

Although size Large is specified to have 3 inches of torso adjustment (19 to 21 inches), I measured it at 4.5 inches (17 to 21.5 inches). REI’s “Rip and Stick” design makes it very easy to adjust the pack torso length: simply loosen the load lifters, rip the Velcro attachment loose, slide the shoulder harness to the desired torso length, and re-fasten the Velcro and load lifters. The stays are anchored to a delrin sheet on the back of the hipbelt (right) and a contoured aluminum headrail at the top of the load lifters (not shown). The design is simple, lightweight, and effective. Note that the stays can be custom bent to better fit the user’s back, but the pack cannot be used without the stays because the shoulder harness is mounted to them. I found the fit with the existing curvature to be just fine.

Features and Utility

A unique and prominent feature of the Cruise UL 60 is its kanga pocket on the front. It’s actually two pockets in one: there is a large dry storage pocket on the front of it with a vertical water-resistant zipper, and a large space behind it that wraps around the sides. The cradle behind the kanga pocket is very handy for stuffing a jacket or for carrying a wet tent or wet rainwear. A strap at the top of the kanga pocket connects to the pack’s top pocket.

If you count the cradle behind the kanga pocket, there are a total of 8 pockets on the outside of the pack. Each side has an additional mesh pocket attached to the kanga pocket, the top cap has a storage pocket on top with a water-resistant zipper and a map pocket on the underside, and there are two hipbelt pockets. Overall, the abundance of outside storage makes most everything needed on the trail easy to get to without digging into the pack’s interior.

A unique feature of the Cruise UL 60 is its internal compression system. There is a second drawcord at the top of the main compartment that will collapse the volume down to a third of its extended size. It consists of a network of double seams with cords between them that tighten with a single pull at the top. It’s an elegant design that works smoothly, and probably doesn’t add any extra weight to the pack compared to a set of external compression straps that frequently get in the way of pocket access. However, the extra seams may be more prone to leakage in the rain.

For attaching bulky gear to the front of the pack, the UL 60 has four tool attachments and a daisy chain on the front of the kanga pocket. There are also six webbing loops that could be used for lashing straps or to add a bungee system.

Field Testing

I used the REI Cruise UL 60 on a number of winter snow camping trips and spring backpacks. The pack is nicely contoured to fit my back and easily adjusted to fit my torso and place the load lifters just above my shoulders where they belong. I found the pack very comfortable carrying loads up to 35 pounds (even heavier if you are a strong person), and it will transfer all the weight to my hips. The firmly padded suspension system is surprisingly comfortable.

With eight outside pockets (counting the cradle behind the kanga pocket), the pack has plenty of places to organize and stow gear frequently used on the trail. However, the side mesh pockets are tight when the pack is stuffed full, so a water bottle is a tight fit. They are best used for smaller, stuffable items. The hipbelt pockets are also on the small side, and will hold about three energy bars or other small essentials in each one.

The pack’s internal compression system essentially makes it unnecessary to carry a summit pack. It collapses the pack down to a much smaller volume and secures items inside.

I also found the pack to be quite durable for its lightness. The 140 denier ripstop nylon is a good balance of durability and lightweight. The pack, including the mesh side pockets, should easily endure off-trail backpacking in timbered terrain with no damage (assuming reasonable care is taken).

Assessment

I’m very impressed with the REI Cruise UL 60. It’s a remarkable balance of features, fit, comfort, adjustability, organization, and lightweight. The pack fit me well, easily carried 25 to 30 pound loads, and transferred all of the weight to my hips. It also has plenty of storage and attachment options. My only complaints are its tight mesh side pockets and small hipbelt pockets, which hopefully will get remedied in the next production run. The pack is also a screaming deal at $130, and if you are an REI member you get part of that back at the end of the year in your membership dividend. Other packs in this category typically cost $175 to $250.

The Cruise UL 60 is one of the lighter packs in its category (internal frame, 60-65 liters, top-loading) at 3 pounds 3.1 ounces (size L). The GoLite Quest pack weighs the same, has a large zippered front pocket and costs $175, but has little torso length adjustment. The Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone (3800 cubic inches, 3 pounds, $215) is fairly spartan on the outside with only two side pockets and a top pocket, but its Nimbus framesheet and suspension are highly adjustable for torso length and shoulder width, and multiple shoulder strap and hipbelt sizes are available. The foam padding of the Nimbus suspension is also very soft and comfortable, compared to the Cruise UL 60’s thinner and firmer padding.

Although they are not a direct comparison, “convertible” internal frame packs from Six Moon Designs and Gossamer Gear are an ultralight internal frame backpack alternative. The Six Moon Designs Comet and Starlite packs, and the Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus pack have removable stays and weigh 30, 29, and 20 ounces, respectively. All are capable of carrying loads in the 25 to 30 pound range, but not as comfortably as the REI Cruise UL 60. They are also less durable than the Cruise UL 60 and lack the range or ease of torso length adjustment.

What’s Unique

The Cruise UL 60’s internal compression system works very smoothly to reduce pack volume for day hikes from camp summiting a peak. The pack torso length is easily adjusted within a 4.5 inch range with its “Rip and Stick” feature. And its front kanga pocket is very useful and adds a lot of utility and character to the pack.

Recommendations for Improvement

• Bellow the side mesh pockets more to give them more capacity with the main compartment is stuffed full
• Make the hipbelt pockets larger

Introduction

Backpacking Light reviewed the original Gossamer Gear Mariposa backack in 2004. We were delighted with its light weight and load-carrying capacity, but noted that it needed a few refinements. The Mariposa has since been tweaked to near perfection. The new Mariposa Plus is essentially identical except it has a removable wraparound hipbelt and uses more durable fabrics. Therefore, my review of the Mariposa Plus, contained herein, pertains to both packs.

What’s Good

• Removable stays, sternum strap, and hipbelt
• Highly versatile; can be used as either a frameless or internal frame backpack
• Very high volume to weight ratio
• Very high carry load to pack weight ratio
• Durable fabrics
• Large capacity front and side mesh pockets
• Comfortably carries 20 to 30 pound loads

What’s Not So Good

• No hipbelt pockets
• Stays cannot be shaped for a custom fit

Specifications

Year/Model	2007 Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus
Style	Internal frame or frameless, top loading, drawcord closure with top compression strap
Volume	4200 ci (69 L) total; main body 2900 ci, pockets 500 ci, extension collar 800 ci (48 + 8 + 13 L)
Weight	1 lb 4.5 oz (581 g) measured weight with stays and supplied padding; pack with hipbelt 18.7 oz (530 g), stays 0.9 oz (26 g), shoulder strap padding 0.6 oz (17 g), hipbelt padding 0.3 oz (9 g); manufacturer’s specification 1 lb 4.1 oz (570 g) with stays
Sizes Available	S, M, L (size L tested)
Torso Fit Range	S fits 12-16 in (30-40 cm), M fits 16-20 in (40-51 cm), L fits (20-24 in (51-61 cm)
Fabrics	Body is 70d 2.2 oz/yd2 (75 g/m2) polyurethane-coated ripstop nylon, stress and abrasion areas are reinforced with 200d 4 oz/yd2 (118 g/m2) polyurethane coated ripstop nylon, backpanel is 30d 1.3 oz/yd2 (44 g/m2) silnylon
Features	Durable fabrics, wide shoulder straps, removable padding in shoulder straps and hipbelt, removable hipbelt, removable carbon fiber stays, 11 inch extension collar, drawcord closure, Y-strap top compression, backpanel sleeping pad sleeve, one large front and three large side mesh pockets, front or side bungee attachment/compression system, interior hydration sleeve with two hose ports, one ice axe loop, removable sternum strap with whistle, three hipbelt lengths available, haul loop
Volume To Weight Ratio	204.9 ci/oz with stays (based on 4200 ci and measured weight of 20.5 oz), 214.4 without stays (based on 4200 ci and measured weight of 19.6 oz)
Comfortable Load Carrying Capacity	30 lb estimated comfortable load for an average person carrying the pack (with stays) all day
Carry Load to Pack Weight Ratio	23.4 with stays (based on 30 lb and a measured weight of 1.28 lb)
MSRP	$150 US
Options	None

Performance

The main differences between the standard Mariposa and the Mariposa Plus are the more durable fabric and removable hipbelt of the Plus version; the pack volume and other features are the same. The Plus is made of 2.2 oz/yd² polyurethane-coated ripstop nylon, compared to the standard Mariposa’s 1.3 oz/yd² silnylon. The heavier fabric and removable hipbelt add about 3 ounces, which is a small weight penalty for the durability and utility gained. However, I have used the standard Mariposa, and find its silnylon body adequately durable for my needs, so the choice ultimately depends on the intended use.

The Mariposa (and Mariposa Plus) have received some useful refinements since the original version, with minimal weight gain:

• Taller mesh pockets
• Drawcord closure
• Three pack sizes available
• Removable hipbelt available in three sizes (Mariposa Plus only)
• Internal map pocket
• Lower and more adjustable sternum strap
• More durable stay sleeves
• Hydration sleeve with two hose ports

The following photo gallery will help familiarize you with the pack:

Frame and Suspension

The frame is the lightest to be found anywhere – two carbon fiber rods weighing 0.9 ounce. They have rounded aluminum caps to prevent them from puncturing the fabric. Although they are very light, they are straight and are not bendable to fit the curvature of the user’s back. More on this in the Field Testing section.

I really love the pack’s wide shoulder straps and hipbelt. They’re 3.5 inches wide and have openings (with Velcro closures) to insert either articles of clothing (e.g. socks) or the provided 3-inch wide, ½-inch thick closed-cell pads. Since the shoulder strap pads weigh just 0.6-ounce and the hipbelt pads weigh 0.3 ounce (that’s a total of 0.9 ounce for all four pads), it might make sense to simply sew in the pads and eliminate the weight of the Velcro closures.

The pack does not have load lifter straps or hipbelt stabilizer straps.

Features and Utility

The Mariposa Plus (and Mariposa) has an essential set of features to meet the needs of a lightweight or ultralight backpacker. For starters, several components (hipbelt, stays, padding, and sternum strap) are removable, so the pack can be stripped down to a frameless backpack weighing about 14 ounces. Like many ultralight backpacks, the outside of the pack is covered with three large mesh pockets (500 cubic inches total) capable of holding a lot of gear and keeping it readily accessible on the trail. The lower right mesh pocket is designed to make a water bottle reachable without taking the pack off.

Conspicuously missing are hipbelt pockets, and I highly recommend that Gossamer Gear design some optional lightweight pockets, perhaps in different sizes, that can easily be slipped on the hipbelt. Further, an optional sternum strap pocket would also be a desirable option for convenience on the trail. To accommodate it, the sternum strap would need to connect at one side rather than in the middle.

Although the Gossamer Gear website states that this pack has an inside “small map/permit/sundries pocket”, my sample pack did not have it. Such a pocket would be a nice addition, and worth the miniscule weight. A length of elastic cord and cordlocks are provided (0.4 ounce) to create a bungee attachment/compression system either on the front of the pack or the two sides, using loops sewn into the seams.

The pack body is not large enough to hold a bear canister, but the Y-strap on top is designed to hold a canister carried on top of the pack. I don’t have a bear canister, so I was not able to test that feature. In normal use without a bear canister, the Y-strap is a little cumbersome to use compared to a single strap because of its extra length and tendency to get twists in it.

Although an internal hydration sleeve (and two hose ports) is provided, I find it more convenient to carry a smaller water bladder in the upper right side pocket (as shown in the photo gallery above). The side pocket location makes it much more accessible for refilling, and I offset the weight by packing a little more weight on the left side inside the pack.

Field Testing

I carried the Mariposa Plus on three backpacking trips and simply loved it. On two trips I carried all the shared gear and food so my wife could carry a lighter pack – this allowed me to test the Mariposa Plus with a heavier load. I carried 20 pounds on an overnight trip and noted that the Mariposa Plus carried the load much more comfortably than a frameless pack. On a 6 day trip in the Wind River Range in Wyoming my measured starting weight was 29 pounds. I marveled at how comfortably the pack carried the weight, in large part due to the pack’s wide, firm shoulder straps and effective weight transfer. The third trip involved carrying my overnight gear plus supplies to a remote aid station we manned for the Hardrock 100 Endurance Race in Silverton, Colorado. When packed with about 35 pounds of dense weight, I felt that the Mariposa Plus had exceeded its comfortable limit, but it did in fact carry the weight without damage to the pack or unusual discomfort to me.

Although the carbon fiber stays (along with a stiff sleeping pad) definitely help to support a heavier load, the stays are as straight as an arrow (in fact, they are arrow shafts!). There is no way to bend the stays to fit the curvature of your back. Consequently, the top of the pack tends to lean back (see first photo). The pack does not have load lifter straps to pull the top of the pack against the shoulders, because they would be ineffective with the unbendable stays. Switching to a curved flat carbon or fiberglass stays would be a lightweight option to attain an anatomical fit. Thin aluminum stays would be ideal because they could readily be bent to customize the curvature against the wearer’s back, but they would increase the weight of the pack by about 3 ounces.

I tested the Mariposa Plus with several different sleeping pads I have, and found it to be amenable with the Bozeman Mountain Works TorsoLite, Gossamer Gear NightLight, Therm-a-Rest RidgeRest ¾, and Therm-a-Rest Prolite 3 Short. The NightLight is ideal because it provides a stiffer backpanel (for better weight transfer to the hips) with minimum thickness. The folded RidgeRest provides a lot of stiffness, but it’s 2.5 inch thickness pushed the pack’s center of gravity away from my back, which is undesirable for heavier loads. Inflatable pads provide a comfortably padded backpanel, but do nothing to stiffen the pack for weight transfer.

Since the weight of the carbon fiber stays and foam inserts for the shoulder straps and hipbelt are so miniscule, adding up to 1.8 ounces, I made no effort to remove them from the pack to save weight. For me, the additional comfort and weight-carrying capacity are well worth the weight. I suspect other hikers will do the same, unless they intentionally strip the pack down and use it as a frameless backpack for loads less that about 15-18 pounds.

On their website, Gossamer Gear notes that the mesh used for the sleeping pad sleeve has been reported to stain clothing, and they recommend giving it a good rinsing before using the pack. Also, they note that stitching on the mesh pockets may unravel (as mine did), and offer to repair existing packs at no charge. Both problems will be remedied in future production runs.

Assessment

Because of its removable stays and other components, the Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus (and Mariposa) is easily the most versatile ultralight backpack around. When stripped down, it’s a very comfortable and capable frameless pack. With the stays in, the comfortable range is extended to about 30 pounds.

When you hold the empty pack in your hand, it is hard to believe that it will comfortably carry up to 30 pounds, but it does. If your total pack weight is normally in the 20 to 30 pound range, consider getting the 20 ounce Gossamer Gear Mariposa or Mariposa Plus instead of a conventional internal frame backpack that can weigh 3 pounds or more. The standard Mariposa and Mariposa Plus are fully capable of carrying 20 to 30 pound loads with a good level of comfort. However, many conventional internal frame packs have additional features that fit the pack more closely to the user, like adjustable torso length, load lifters, bendable stays, adjustable shoulder strap width, and anatomically shaped padding.

For short ultralight trips, the Mariposa Plus simply has too much volume. One solution is to put your sleeping pad inside the main compartment to take up some of the volume. If you use an inflatable pad, you can even partially inflate it to adjust the volume. This technique would allow you to use one pack for practically any application. Alternatively, you could purchase Gossamer Gear’s Miniposa pack (3300 cubic inches, 18.6 ounces), which is about 900 cubic inches smaller.

The only other packs on the market with features and weight comparable to the Mariposa are the Six Moon Designs Starlite and Comet. The Starlite (30 ounces) has the same volume as the Mariposa, is constructed of rugged fabric with Dyneema gridstop, has hipbelt sizes available with and without pockets, has load lifters and hipbelt stabilizer straps, and has removable, shapeable flat aluminum stays. It also has a zippered security pocket on the inside. However, it weighs about 10 ounces more and is available in only one size that adjusts to fit a wide range of torsos. The slightly smaller (3700 cubic inches, 27 ounces) Comet has been re-designed for 2007, and has a similar feature set to the Starlite.

A distinct advantage of the Comet and Starlite is their torso length is adjustable and their aluminum stays can be bent to match the curvature of the user’s back to provide a customized fit and more comfort and weight carrying capacity.

What’s Unique

The Mariposa Plus is easily the lightest durable internal frame backpack on the market in its size class. It’s also extremely versatile. With the stays and other components removed, its weight is competitive with many frameless backpacks on the market and it’s more comfortable to carry because of its wide padded shoulder straps.

Recommendations for Improvement

• Offer hipbelt pockets and a sternum strap pocket as an option or accessory
• Switch to curved flat stays to achieve a more anatomical fit
• Sew in the padding in the shoulder straps and hipbelt, and eliminate the Velcro closures
• Move the sternum strap buckle to one side