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Ultralight (or even lightweight) panel loading packs

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Viewing 25 posts - 1 through 25 (of 33 total)
Adrian B BPL Member
PostedMar 3, 2010 at 10:40 pm

I’ve spent far too long hunting for lightweight panel loading packs, so I’ll post the few I’ve found:

SMD Traveler 878g/31oz 62L http://sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=59

GG Latitude Vapour 1190g/42oz 62L http://www.granitegear.com/products/backpacks/ultralight/latitudevapor.html

Kelty 3100 Redwing 1500g/53oz 51L http://www.kelty.com/p-27-redwing-3100.aspx

Golite Litespeed 1190g/42oz 35L http://www.golite.com/Product/ProdDetail.aspx?p=150004110&mc=175&lat=

There are plenty of other panel loaders around but all are 2kg+ (eg Eagle Creek, Osprey 2010 Aether etc).

edit: added Golite Litespeed

Robert Cowman BPL Member
PostedMar 3, 2010 at 10:46 pm

Its pretty light and quite simple and comfy carried the last gen on a 100km trip and my friend swears by his.

Adrian B BPL Member
PostedMar 3, 2010 at 11:09 pm

Thanks – looks like a nice pack, the volume is a little on the small side though, it's a pity they don't do a larger version.

Adrian B BPL Member
PostedMar 3, 2010 at 11:18 pm

…actually I wonder if the 35L volume stated on the site is wrong, it would be awfully strange to drop 15L from the volume from the older version.

Robert Cowman BPL Member
PostedMar 4, 2010 at 12:13 am

some times their on Sierra trading post for about 80USD i got mine for $50

Roger Caffin BPL Member
PostedMar 4, 2010 at 12:56 am

ULA Camino: 1.18 kg, 59 L, 'up to 18 kg load', Panel loader.
Not sure whether it has reached their web site yet.

Cheers

PostedMar 4, 2010 at 2:24 am

Don't forget the venerable Mountainsmith Ghost! Great pack. Too bad it's not being made anymore.

I still have my 2006 GoLIte Lightspeed. It's not small. I'd say it is bigger than the Ghost in volume, and perhaps even too big for most UL 3-season backpacking.

By the way, whatever happened to Mountainsmith? You just don't hear about them anymore.

PostedMar 4, 2010 at 5:01 am

When we were looking at the Lightspeed packs, I noticed that the women's pack was significantly smaller in volume than the men's pack. Something like 2200 cubic inches versus 3000. That was a year or so ago, though, so it could be different now.

Ken Thompson BPL Member
PostedMar 4, 2010 at 5:29 am

Perfect timing. I was just listening to an old Trailcast podcast interviewing Brian Frankle. He was saying that he had people wanting to make a panel loader. He said he would never do it because it went his core principles of pack design. Why introduce a component that when it fails would be catastrophic. New owners,new mentality. I don't have so much in my pack these days to see the need myself.

EndoftheTrail BPL Member
PostedMar 4, 2010 at 9:16 am

Ken:

Might you be referring to the zipper as the "component that would be catastrophic when it fails"?

Anything can fail — including shoulder straps and certainly plastic buckles. But two thoughts:

1. Millions and millions of people use zippered luggage for their travels — and the rigors of traveling are on a scale vastly more demanding than hiking. Quality zippers rarely fail — even after decades of use — unless users habitually and grossly overpack — which is a misuse, of course.

2. But should a zipper fail, one can always improvise and secure one's pack with duck tape, tent cords, or what have you. It's not hard, and rarely 'catastrophic'.

PostedMar 4, 2010 at 9:24 am

@Ben, that's what I was thinking, too. Not only that, but millions of people use zippered panel-loading backpacks every single day and the zippers rarely come apart.

I also thought, well, if a slash happened to open in the side of a top-loading pack, wouldn't that be just as "catastrophic"?

PostedMar 4, 2010 at 10:32 am

What does "panel loading" mean?

I'm extremely happy with my current backpack (a Mountainsmith Ghost – which is apparently a panel loader!).

But am just curious what the term means and why you prefer it (or why some people do not prefer it).

Elizabeth

todd BPL Member
PostedMar 4, 2010 at 10:36 am

Elizabeth,

While a "traditional" top loader has the collar / extension collar on top of the pack with a drawcord opening, a panel loader offers access to pack contents via the FRONT of the pack via a zipper (usually an inverted horseshoe shape).

One advantage is the ability to access stuff in the bottom of the pack without having to remove stuff on top.

Todd

Roger Caffin BPL Member
PostedMar 4, 2010 at 1:17 pm

Todd has described a panel loader. Perhaps their main use is for hostelling: you can put your pack down flat on your bunk, open it up, and access everything without having to empty your pack. Can be useful!

Cheers

EndoftheTrail BPL Member
PostedMar 4, 2010 at 7:06 pm

Sorry Ken, I re-read your post and missed it the first time. Methinks Brian's fear of catastrophe is overblown on both counts: frequency and magnitude.

PostedOct 6, 2011 at 4:07 pm

Of the bags mentioned,
GG Latitude Vapour – Out of production; not found on website
Mountainsmith Ghost – Out of production.
Kelty 3100 Redwing – Looks like out of production too; not found on website. Also, is not light at 1.5kg/ 53oz.
GoLite Litespeed – At 35L, is too small (women's even smaller!)
McHale – Exhorbitant prices in the range of $600 upwards!

What's left is:
SMD Traveler – Out of stock (but I guess you can get it if you're patient)
ULA Camino

Is there really nothing else?
I am looking for an ultralight panel-loader for travelling.
I've only managed to find the two I've mentioned.
Sigh.

PostedOct 6, 2011 at 4:27 pm

And if you're looking for a panel-loader with internal frame, then the ULA Camino is the only one I have found.
Please post if you know of any others.

Eugene Smith BPL Member
PostedOct 6, 2011 at 6:59 pm

Adrian,

I was looking for a panel loader myself a while back, what was available was either too expensive, hard to find (Mountainsmith Ghost), lacked volume, or too “heavy”. Chris Zimmer
constructed a great pack from some sketches and brainstorming sessions of mine a few months ago, I’m very happy with the outcome. Ultralight wasn’t the goal of the pack, changes in material could have changed the overall weight quite a bit.

Chris Zimmer creation “Eugeneius” pack

IMG_2074

Arapiles . BPL Member
PostedOct 7, 2011 at 7:30 am

"Thanks – looks like a nice pack, the volume is a little on the small side though, it's a pity they don't do a larger version."

I was looking at one a couple of days ago and was surprised by how big it is: the thing is that most "30 litre" packs aren't anywhere near that (you can check that just by multiplying the given dimensions) so it might be worth checking the given dimensions of the Litespeed.

Don't believe me? How many "30 litre" daypacks do you know of that could carry a jerrycan? (Either as is, or even all of the contents).

And a jerrycan is only 20 litres ….

Dale Wambaugh BPL Member
PostedOct 7, 2011 at 7:50 am

Wasn't there some mention of measuring pack volume recently? Maybe in the articles on framed packs. Anyway, they use something like ping pong balls. Pockets are usually included in the volume specs and they can be significant with a smaller pack. To add to the madness, some makers use model numbers that don't reflect the actual volume. Assume nothing!

I have a couple Osprey packs with vented "trampoline" backs and they look larger than they are due to the arched back and frame. I don't know how they compare for actual volume vs. the specs, and that hasn't been an issue– I guess my perception is trained to other designs.

Roger Caffin BPL Member
PostedOct 7, 2011 at 2:53 pm

> Pockets are usually included in the volume specs
But if you want to quote volume per the ASTM Standard then you can only include pockets which can be properly and fully closed. Open mesh pockets can NOT be counted.

Several American pack manufacturers seem to include all open mesh pockets, each one measured separately, to get a value which is simply not comparable to measurements made to the Standard. Caveat emptor.

Before anyone gets upset about this, let me add that I do not mind if the manufacturer quotes the volumes in detail – giving each one separately, so the buyer can make up his own mind. More information is good.

Cheers

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