New Golite website

I hear ya! I'm eagerly looking forward to their new shoe line as well. In fact, when I needed some trail runners I got some inexpensive ones that I don't plan on using PAST March, just so I have an excuse to get some GoLite's :D

Tom

Gungadin:

Haven't seen your posts in a while (esp. at backpacker.com). Hope all is well.

I just checked the GoLite website — still under renovation — with a statement saying it should be ready by 10pm MST.

Hi, Ben. Yes, I am a teacher, coach, and graduate student so I don't have much time for typing on the forums.:( It is nice to have some time as of late to add some messages. All is well with me; I hope this finds you well.

Well, I'm less than impressed. They seem to have forgotten to put things like volume in their product info.

Tom

Only two backpacking packs?
-Jam
-Pinnacle
I can only assume that they are still under construction.

Nice to see a retailer dedicated only to light weight backpacking going more main line.

Doug

.

They have one other frameless pack that I can't find on the website, the Ion. They have the heavier expedition packs, the Jam2, the Pennacle, etc…but no Ion.

Tom

Phew! Have you seen the GoLite Footwear Website? Talk about an unfriendly entrance point to a commercial site! Turned me off right then and there. I certainly hope it’s just something they’ve stuck in there as they’re developing the site!

Yes, I feel like going on through the footwear site would bring a pair of hands through my display to attack me or something. This whole site definitely needs a lot more work.

Navigation takes some getting used to. To go to a product, you can't click on its picture. You can't click on the caption (product name) either. You have to click on the iddy-biddy sub-caption below the picture!

Text on some pages is overlaid when using FoxFire. Surprised they deployed a website that is obviously not ready for prime time…

I sure hope the new site is a "work in progress".

It sure is frustrating to navigate. I think I would have waited until it was more complete or hired someone different to do the page.

Steve

I was shocked. Ben had posted a link for me yesterday, so I could see the new panel loader pack. Well, I go there (and the page took forever to load) and while I could see some of the info about the pack, there was NO mention at all about how big the pack was! Ben ended up posting another link to Backcountry Gear with the ci of the pack listed. The other issue I had was I wanted to see what the pack torso sizes were. So there was a "sizing info" to click on…and yep, the pack wasn't listed on the sizing page. Thanks a lot :-(
I was not impressed at all :-( The site was about as useful as shopping on Target.com's website. It looks about the same also. I can only hope this a beta run, and they will fix a lot!

Because I really did like the new panel loader, but I couldn't tell what size the torso was for a small womens :-( And if it is 16-18…well, I can't wear it!

I also hope that the site will improve and it also seems that some products gained weight! Like the wisp wind shirt now weighing in at 4,48oz/127 gram!!! Is that correct???

The Ether wind jacket shows 5.6 oz weight under the product caption — but the description (obviously just copied over from the OLD Ether wind shirt description) states 4 oz! Sloppy web design, sloppy execution (dead links galore) and sloppy editing/proofing!

Hopefully, GoLite will fix this soon. I have to be honest though, my trust in GoLite as a company is starting to wane due to this. A poor website design might be a stand-alone problem, but it may also be a symptom of worse problems. It's pretty sad when you get better product info from a vendor than the manufacturer.

They've altered or discontinued great products with large followings, they put out a website that is less than ready for the public, and a message on their shoe page that is about as welcoming as a scorpion in your boxer shorts! Hopefully, this is just a series of minor hiccups, but it's not looking good.

Which sucks from my standpoint, because I'm a big fan of GoLite. Then again, I might be over-critical about this.

Tom

Maybe we are being too critical, but I hope GoLite is smart enough to actively trawl the various forums for feedback.

Few stores will re-decorate their store fronts and display windows — and calling it done without removing the trash, leftovers, etc. — or posting incomplete or inconsistent signs! GoLite's main index shows a photo of a now-obsolete backpack! Of course, anyone wanting further info. about that pack won't find anything.

It always boggles my mind how any company today can fail to appreciate that its website is its store front!

I'll judge Golite by their gear, not their website difficulties.
Too bad I can't see much of their gear…

I know that Kim (Kim Coupounas) and even Demetri (Coup), I think, of GoLite occasionally show up here, so this thread might very well have come to their attention. I’m willing to bet that BPL and BPL members are important beacons for the ultralight crowd and those looking to lighten their gear and that what is said here will be noticed by GoLite.

There are some big problems with the GoLite site, but as is stated on the first page in the ticker text, “… Content is still be uploaded, so please check back for lots of new information on how to GoLite!”. While I think the site shouldn’t have been launched until it was ready for customers, perhaps we should recall that GoLite’s earlier site (go to the Wayback Machine homepage, http://www.archive.org/index.php, type in “http://www.golite.com” in the search field, and you can find caches of old GoLite pages up until last April) didn’t present all these problems. Maybe we can go on what GoLite did before and predict that they will work it all out. And perhaps with the critiques people make here GoLite will listen and fix the glitches.

That being said one thing I didn’t like about the earlier website was the inability to see pictures of the products in all their different colors. I’d also like to see lots more photos of the products being used in the field.

I'm very interested in the Lite Speed pack but on Golite's site under description it lists it as having a framesheet with two adjustable aluminum stays. However under details it says framesheet with one adjustable stay. I'm guessing it has one stay but it would be nice to be sure. Also,I wish it were offered in colors other than blue and vomit.

It seems like all of their smalls are 16-20. I guess Golite thinks anyone under 16" torso shouldn't be on the trail!

BackcountryGear.com states framesheet with 1 aluminum stay in two different sections of the LiteSpeed webpage. If you really want to know for sure, just call either GoLite or BackcountryGear. And if you do, please post their answer. :)

PS: It could be worse… many backpack makers offer only one color per model!

I emailed them stating they should consider making packs with 15" torsos. I doubt that will go anywhere.

Donna, that was my feeling also, after I searched around a bit online. Why would you make a "women's" pack and not make it under 16"?? Huh?? Most women specific packs go down to 15 or 14"!
I wear a 15" torso, and it peeves me when packs cut off at 16". I know there are women with large torsos, but how many women have a Go Lite size medium torso? That is an 18-20"!

Sarah…beats me. I have noticed that quite a few of the UL pack makers don't consider 15" torso length. I have no idea why, either. Too costly? I have the MS Ghost Sereph (finally a 2lb pack) and that at least fits, even though it isn't adjustable. Love the panel loading as well.

Which Golite pack is a panel-loader? Wait! Don't tell me…it won't fit anyhoo.

OK. Sorry for going off-track here.