GG Mariposa Plus

The 08 Mariposa Plus (the small torso on sale) have all been retrofitted for and ship w/ the aluminum stays.

I'm 5'4" w/ a 16.5" torso and the Gorilla fits me very well in short/small torso. My 08 Mariposa Plus will arrive tomorrow – couldn't resist the sale price.

I have the Mariposa plus with aluminum curved stays and think it is great!

I had my Mariposa retrofitted with the aluminum stays, and it's very comfortable. Much more so than my Exos 46.

What kind of back padding does it come with? Is it comfortable? Do you use your own pad or use the padding supplied?

David,

It comes w/ a sitlight pad which I find very comfortable; many will use different pads such as a thermarest 3/4 length or GG nightlight (I believe any 20" wide pad will work in the sleeve).
Play around w/ different pads to see what is most comfortable for you.

I've got a std Miniposa so a little different but I use a section of my Nightlight torso as my back panel/sit pad. I also carry a REI litecore 1.5 packed internally (short).

When I setup camp, I use the Nightlight under my feet. Works quite well.

David,

I have a GG Gorilla, and I carry a NeoAir as my pad. I find that the curved aluminum stays provide plenty of support up to 25 lbs for me, without needing a pad as added support. The included sitlite back/sit pad is quite comfortable against my back. I tried using a torso-sized section of my thermarest Z-lite instead, but found it to be less comfortable, and using the folded over pad pushed the pack farther away from my back and consequently made the carry less balanced. I could also just not bring the sitlite, but having a place to sit and the minor back-ventilation provided by the egg-crate surface is worth the extra 1.5 ounces to me.

In the same category (under 2 lbs.) are the Six Moon Designs packs. With the optional (mandatory, IMHO) aluminum stays I could carry up to 35 pounds with comfort. (Well, my shoulders, back and hips were comfortable; my knees and feet were screaming.) With the stays, you don't need a pad for support, just for padding. My insulated air pad (POE) worked fine, even with heavy loads, and I'm sure my new NeoAir will work, too. Since I've had arthritis problems in my shoulders, I really enjoy the load lifters on the SMD packs.

My own pack is the Comet, being discontinued (unfortunately) but currently on sale. When I got it, I had a whole list of packs 2.5 lbs. and under, and prioritized them after lots of reading of web sites. The Comet came out as #1, mostly because for me this is a local company, so no shipping cost (just traffic jams). When I loaded my gear and put it on, it was as though the pack had been custom made just for me! I did a 3-hour hike around the house when I got it home (most boring hike I've ever done) and it still felt that way. Now, three years later, it still does!

Your Mileage, of course, May Vary. Pack fit is almost as individual as shoe fit. I hope you're prepared to pay return shipping cost for a few until you find the pack that feels custom made for you!