New Golite Peak

[Dale Wambaugh]

Got mine tonight :)

Hip belt and pockets: 4.6oz

Foam back pad: 1.6oz.

Pack body: 1lb 6oz.

I like it– not a smidgen of buyer's remorse. Could it be lighter? Sure. Is is light enough? Works for me. It's not a 5oz wonder, but it's not a 3lb anchor either.

Things I like:

The large model fits my long torso. The hips pockets land in just the right spot.

The side pockets are better than I thought from the illustration. Big enough for 1 liter bottles and deep enough to keep them put.

The Compactor system is good. The hooks and eye loops on the bottom beg for some bungee loops for rain gear, pads, etc. The compression straps all have mating hardware on the opposite side so they can be used across the pack for strapping items down. You can squeeze it down all around for day hikes.

The foam back panel is comfortable. I think the weight issues are negligible– it is open mesh foam and can't weigh much. I'm hoping it is good when the weather is hot– I'm a walking fountain. The internal pad comes out in a jiffy and my Therm-a-Rest ProLite small pad folded in quarters drops in there like it was made for it. In fact the ProLite tends to fold with a taper, matching the shape of the GoLite pad– larger at the bottom.

The hip belt and pocket design is clever. You get some stabilization and some storage without a wide strap on the belt and a big ol' buckle to go with it. The actual webbing is 3/4" stuff and the buckle is the same hardware as the compression straps. The pockets come off and on easily– just remember where you put them. The pockets are big enough to actually be useful– even a bit bigger wouldn't bother me. You can take the pockets off and still use the belt, but it would be a simple stabilizer strap and not load bearing.

The back pocket is big enough for quick items– rain gear, maps, first aid kit, latrine kit, snacks, etc.

The fabric is different. Feels like typical coated pack cloth and it's no fairy light stuff– seems pretty tough and I'm sure that it is contributing a lot to the weight. Then again, your not going to rip it on every twig or in a stuffing wrestling match.

Is it a Jam Jr.? No, and it isn't an Ion "Plus" either. I wouldn't get hung up trying to see it as a generation of the other packs– it is a whole other design. It you are doing mostly overnight and day trips I think this is a one pack solution.

Should GoLite make a SUL Ion "Plus" with pockets, etc? Heck yeah! This stuff all gets worked over by a design team (read "committee") and compromises are always made. I think that is one reason the cottage designers can get the SUL stuff made, as they can go for the lightest possible designs *and* they can afford to market in a niche industry. GoLite's Web budget alone would take care of a couple cottage outfits.

[donald buckner]

I saw that Golite was having a sale on their packs in the "Gear Deals" section, and started researching what was out there, and what I was wanting. I'm really glad to read Dale's comments because he seems like a long time contributor and reasonable fellow. I read Will and Janet's review and it sounds like the pack will be perfect for me. I wanted a comfortable pack that had pockets everywhere I needed without being overly complicated, and I wanted a pack made of material that was somewhat bomber for brush and travel. I didn't want an internal frame 3.5# pack like my Gregory.(Soon to be for sale).My kit is fairly small, so I didn't need a huge amount of space, and 12-14# would be my normal carry weight. For $69 including shipping, this pack really seems like a deal. I love a deal. Usually, I'm not willing to pay large amounts of cash for small weight savings, although I have done this on occasion. (BPL Cocoon pullover comes to mind). To be honest, the Golite packs are so good of a deal on sale, that I wish I could have afforded to get a Jam and a Pinnacle also, to cover every possible hunting/backpacking situation, all for the price of one of the more expensive options out there. I usually do day trips or 2 or 3 day trips, so I think this pack will work well for me.

[Luke Schmidt]

My thought is "why not" yes you can get lighters but its still light. Its small enough to make a nice day pack too.

No I haven't used the Peak because I already have similar packs but if I didn't I'd take a good look at it.

[K C]

The bottom line is that packs like the zpacks zero have a life expectancy, there is a six moons swift for sale here on gear trade with holes in it and the seams are blown out. The Golite has a lifetime warrantee, it is cheap, and extremely durable, it will last ten years easy. For the average person that can't spend $1000 on a 900 down quilt/cuben tarp/cuben pack alone to shave ounces, you can buy a durable pack like the peak, make your own sil tarp, and buy an enlightened quilt for under $300 and still have a base weight under 10 pounds. And try throwing your sil or cuben pack on the ground when you get to camp without flinching, just saying…

[Luke Schmidt]

Even if it isn't the lightest option out there the Peak does a lot of little things right. For example I like the compression system. Even if my gear fits in fairly snug I want a compression systme to tighten things up a bit. This improves the load bearing ablity of the pack a lot. My Burn doesn't carry so well due to a lousy compression system (probably going on gear swap once I make a better pack).
The hipbelt pockets add some weight but they are handy. They can replace your camera pouch and save weight there. The side pockets are nice for drinking on the go (I used to have a Golite Jam). The front pocket is handy for keeping maps etc. in.

[Justin Baker]

It's on okay pack. It definitley does everything that you want a frameless pack to do. The removable back panel is nice because I don't carry a pad in summer. The front pocket is the perfect size.
For me, the hip belt is all weird. Does not fit right. I just go without the pads/pockets and use the strap by itself. The shoulder pads are just right.
With a z lite inside and some kind of removable stay this thing can carry a good amount of weight, the only probably was the hip belt digging into me. I might sew on a hip belt sleeve and find some kind of more padded belt.
With it's extra comfort, I think it lends itself better to dry summer hiking when you are carrying extra water (which is very heavy for it's volume) especially if you add a stay.

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