I want Ryan’s McHale pack!

The Granite Gear Vapor Trail (30 oz., 3600 cubic inches) may, at $150, come very close to what you’re looking for. It’s incredibly comfortable (luscious pad covers your entire back), has 2 side water bottle pockets that easily hold one-quart Platypus bottles, and carries 30 pounds with no problem. The only thing it doesn’t have is a kangaroo pocket – though for light jackets or a tarp, the hydration sleeve (between the backpad and the back wall of the packbag) would probably serve just as well.

Just a thought.

You might look at Gossamer Gear’s Mariposa—lighter than the McHale or the Vapor Trail, has stays, a back pocket that you can stuff with your foam pad to create a padded back, more durable fabric than the G6 (but not nearly as tough as Spectra and the packcloth Granite Gear uses–but still thru-hiker worthy). Side and back mesh pockets. A decent compression system,too. Only 130 clams. It is a larger pack.

You might wait for the Ryan-designed packs that will be sold under the BMW label which he has promised us for some undisclosed time in the future.

I’d like a pack, too, in the 2000-3000 cu. in. range
which is not as heavy as the McHale but tougher than the Uberlite or the Mariposa for off-trail and mountaineering, w/ many of the features you describe.16 oz. or less would be the sweet spot for me. If McHale could make such a pack, I say price be damned. Are you listening, Dan?

Kevin,

Dan can not put the packs out for that weight largely because of the suspension systems that he has. I have never had a pack that carried as comfortably for the weight as my big McHale.

Rich

Yah, Richard–I know—I was being rhetorical. I look for such a pack from a Dr. Jordan/Brian Frankle(ULA) collaboration.

No experience, but the Six Moon Designs Comet seems to fit the bill — and has gotten good reviews on backpackinglight.com (subscription required though).

i have a Comet. i’m reviewing it for backpackgeartest.org and i generally like it, with a few small nitpicks. if you go to the BGT site you can read the test reports from myself and two other testers.

it’s a very versatile pack. you can remove the stays and the hipbelt when you don’t want/need them.

however, you really must be in the torso range that Six Moon specifies. i’m a 17.5 incher and can get a perfect fit, but my husband has a 21-inch torso and it is just too short for him.

2nd Kevin’s motion on the Gossamer Gear Mariposa – if you’re on trail. Check out the recent BPL article on the main/home page of backpackinglight.com. Couple is thru-hiking the 4900 mile American Discovery Trail in one continuous push. Their packs? GG Mariposa. Again, intended primarily for on trail use. Weighs approx. 16oz with removeable internal stays in place.

SMD Starlite is a similar pack – perhaps more robust due to the fabric (haven’t seen one – just going by the description on the SMD website). Weighs ~23oz without the internal stays and ~28oz with them in place.

When I wanted a particular lightweight pack design done in a more durable fabric, I had Rodney Liwanag sew one up for me. The work was stellar and the price, shipped, was actually less than the pack whose design I was following.

rodneyspacks (at) gmail (dot) com

Guys,
What about a redux (resew in new fabric) of the Go-lite Infinity pack? I thought that it was tested by BPL as being the top of the heap? I hear so little of this pack, is there something about it (fabric) that keeps it from being brought up more? Thanks, JL