DEcisions decisions – the right pack

[John Davis]

I have a Gregory Z55. Nice pack, i like the way it sits on the hips, 30lbs easy to fill and carry. I need another pack – coz a 'friend' is liooking for a pack and I'm gonna let this one go to the friend ;) So I get a new one.

Jam2? What else is good? Weight is factor but I use a blow up mat so i carry no foam….. suggestions please :) Used for 2-4 day jaunts…

[BlackHatGuy]

There are a lot of good choices. I'm partial to ULA (Ultralight Adventure Equipment) packs, but you can't get one before December. Also check out Gossamer Gear, Mountain Laurel Designs, Six Moon Designs, all makers of great gear and great packs. And check out the gear swap section of this site, lots of people always selling stuff, including packs. You can get a pack in very good condition for a good to great price here.

[John Davis]

Thanks! I'll be looking!

[BlackHatGuy]

Actually, I should have said that you can't get a ULA pack from ULA before December. There are a couple of places that have some, do a check on the forums here as there was a thread recently about it that named some places that carry some ULA packs.

[John Davis]

So my current is internal – how 'different' is a frameless version and with my mat being the blow up kind, are they practical? Useable?

[Rick Cheehy]

I have to say +1 on the gossamer gear. Their packs may not be the very lightest but they carry well and I know that the mariposa is true to it's 35# weight rating. I'm kinda biased since my wife and I are going to start testing gear for them, but I was a fan of the brand first and I love their engineering, and "made by people who actually hike" design philosophy. The gorilla is their new baby, its tough, it can carry a big load for a light pack, and it's from a smaller, cooler, and more "ultralighty" company than Golite. (nothing against Golite)

[Rick Cheehy]

Here's a vid showing some Gg packs in action.

[David Ure]

Interesting. Looks like it needs load lifters to close the gap between the upper back and the pack. With heavier weight, one is going to 'feel' that.

[Ed Engel]

I have a bad back. After talking to Brian at ULA he recommended the Catalyst pack. I carried less than 30lbs for my JMT hike last month and the pack was wonderful to carry. Great job ULA.
Aloha

[Rick Cheehy]

I the pack has a curved stay which helps move the load to the hips, if you tighten up the shoulder straps it will pull flush with your pack. I loosen them up to vent. I've never really missed the load lifters. I have bad scoliosis. So my backs way curvy.

[Lapsley Hope]

ULA, far and away the best I've found in over 40 years of backpacking. I own the Catalyst and the Ohm.

[David Neumann]

I recommend ULA. I have the Conduit and the Amp. Most comfortable packs I have carried in 48 years of backpacking. Great quality, fair price.

[Joe Clement]

I've been extremely happy with all of my ULA packs. It felt like my Mariposa needed load lifters, but I talked to Grant and changed how I packed it, and it got better. When I sent it back to be retrofitted with the curved stay, it was perfect. I did tell them I thought load lifters were nice though.

[John Roan]

My wife and I both have GG packs (Miniposa & Mariposa). We've had them for a bit over a year now, and have had great results. I finally removed the waste and sternum straps on mine, as they were just in the way for me (my wife still uses both). At 14.45oz, my modified Mariposa is actually larger than I need for most of my outings.

Since I am in the Vegas area, water can be scarce depending on your route. At about 25lbs, the pack is beginning to be uncomfortable, but with an 8lb base weight, it's great on most of my trips. I only push the higher weights on the trips that I need to carry allot of water, and it obviously gets better as the trip goes on. The trade-off is a less comfortable pack when it's heavy, but since it's lighter most of the time, the added comfort of less weight is well worth it. And the newer GG has removable waste straps, which would give you the option depending on your plans.

[Joe Clement]

Does your Mariposa have the aluminum stay? Worth the $25 retrofitif it doesn't……

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

I recently switched from a medium sized internal frame pack to a Jam. I use a blow up pad too (NeoAir). Unlike most of the other packs being mentioned, the Jam has a bit of foam in the back which prevents stuff from poking you in the back. I really don't feel a need for any sort of an artificial frame. I just pack it smart and keep the load tight by using the compression straps if need be. I haven't taken it over 20lbs yet, but I've been in heaving strolling around with 17lbs or so. The Jam is also cheaper than the other packs being mentioned, plus you can find quite a few deals on it so you can get a Jam for much less than some of these other packs would cost. Finding them for $50 – $80 isn't uncommon.

[John Roan]

Joe asked "Does your Mariposa have the aluminum stay? Worth the $25 if it doesn't……"

Mine is the older model Mariposa, with the two separate stays, but I've found that I don't need them. I use a Nunatak LunaPad, cut down to 20 x 40, and modified to fold into four 10" sections similar to the GG NightLight pad, as the 'frame'. Works great for me, as long as I am sure to pack the heavier items towards the bottom and close to my back.

[John Davis]

it seems that these are the three that get most 'airplay'. My load is 15lb inc a 3lb pack no food/water. For Whitney I plan on 25lb inc food/water for 3 dayer. So that'll be my 'top weight'.

[John Davis]

Hi, John.

Never got on with the Wraptor on my G Pack and the plastic back support isn't quite the right shape for my back so I can understand why you might want to move away from Gregory although that stretchy, mesh pocket is very useful.

My Jam 2 comes out only for the more serious trips, such as three weeks in the Pyrenees. I like its simplicity and it gets the job done. It isn't uncomfortable but I would never praise its comfort the way the ULA owners have praised their sacks.

In a British magazine (TGO) Chris Townsend mentioned that the new Jam wasn't particularly waterproof. I have to say my last trip to the Pyrenees was notably wet and I never felt that the Jam 2 was leaking. One torrential day saw a small lake grow on the roll top because the bag was less than full and none of this water got into the sack till I put my hands inside. So I would say that the Jam 2 is waterproof enough. However, the proofing came off my original Jam (now relegated to mountain biking) within a year. If I had battered my second Jam the way I did my first, would its proofing have come adrift? I don't know.

By the way, the Jam 2 is quite large and I think the latest Jam is still sizeable – 51 litres. Golite have a new pack, the Peak, which has a similar design to the Jam but could, at 40 litres, be a better size for the trip you describe.

Best wishes, John

[John Davis]

One of us an imposter?

[Raymond Estrella]

One of us an imposter?

Ha! Love it.

One of the things I like most from joining BPL is the way that so many of us do not hide behind "online/trail names". But this is what happens, right?

Not much chance in my case though…

Ray the backpacking Spaniard (German-Russian-English stew too)

[Ashley Brown]

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[Aaron Zuniga]

Like other have have stated above, ULA makes some great packs. I would look at the Amp, Conduit, and the OHM. These would all work great for multiday jaunts depending on your BPW and the conditions. If you're looking for a new ULA pack, check with the guys at Mt. Roger's Outfitters http://www.mtrogersoutfitters.com/. They may be able to help you out with what you're looking for. If not check the gear swaps-they pop up pretty regularly. You can't go wrong with ULA IMO =)
Gossamer Gear makes some nice UL packs. Check out the Murmur, Miniposa, and the Gorilla.
MLD-Amazing, Quality, Custom Gear by Ron Bell. This stuff speaks for itself. If you can handle the 4-7 week wait time, I would highly recommend going with MLD. Check out the Prophet, Exodus, or the Revelation.
This just the tip of the surface of some UL packs out there-hope it helped you.

[John Davis]

Aaron, just how many packs do you own? I thought I was bad with 3 Macpac which will never wear out, 2 Jams, 1 Gregory and 1 Mountain Hardwear.

I have a soft spot for the two huge Macpac sacks bought in sales in New Zealand despite their falling into the 8 lb empty category. They are comfortable and can be reproofed.

By the way, I'm the original and genuine John Davis.

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