Granite Gear Crown V.C. 60

[Dave Wilson]

Only used once but so impressed I feel I can already offer a positive review. I use a large size so just over 1 kg, medium is just under. (the large size is more 65L, 4000 c.i) The build quality is great, as are the materials used. It is very weather resistant, have had it out in a moderate downpour and nowhere leaked. I just find it so comfortable, the way the ventalated back panel rides close to my back is great. The mesh pockets are also great, 2 side, 1 back, 2 shoulder and the webbing chain on the hipbelt should prove useful. The pack is light inside making items easy to find. I did read a couple of web reviews before I brought it that rated it and they were spot on. A fantastic pack thats light, versatile and well made. I know that this pack would be to big for many lightweight backpackers but it does provide a lightweight way to compress the back of the pack as well as the sides and you could add a couple more turns to the roll top closure. You can choose to have the bottom compression cords on the inside or outside the pockets. As you can tell I'm more than a little impressed, not very often I feel the need to write a review.

Just adding: you can remove the frame and hipbelt.

[Delmar O’Donnell]

I'll also give the Crown a solid thumb's up. It's a no-nonsense, lightweight pack that performs well. I find it quite comfortable, and it sort of fades from consciousness with 25 lbs in it. Its lightweight framesheet moves with you, so it feels more like wearing clothing than other packs that stand off the back. I stuff a small sit-pad into the framesheet pocket for convenience, but this also stiffens the pack somewhat. I find it easy to throw more weight to the shoulders or hips with a few adjustments. Easy to expand the pack (by unrolling the top further), or reduce the pack in size with the compression cords all around the pack. The large mesh pockets left and right easily accept a Gatorade water bottle, the back mesh pocket swallows a wet tent fly, but this is really "a big sack" type of backpack, which will have you unrolling and rolling the top for whatever's not on the outside of the pack. I found it necessary to add some storage onto the hipbelt, for items I needed to access frequently. Since the pack seems to have no "bad habits,", is made of top quality materials, carries 60L in comfort, for only 2 lbs, I think it deserves a 5-star rating.

[Alex Herron]

I got this pack in response to the extreme discomfort of carrying 5-7 days worth of food in a frameless. I can say with confidence this pack can carry VERY comfortably 25-30 lbs. Its convenient for either bladder or water bottle users. However that is where its versatility ends. The frame pocket can't conveniently hold a nightlight or similar. Not to say this is a con, merely the nature of this pack that one should be aware of. Because as light backpackers we want nothing to go to waste, this pack is top notch when:

You carry only an inflatable pad and have no foam pad to use as part of the back padding or frame anyway.

Your carrying load is between 25-35 lbs

You DO have a foam pad but like I have experienced, using a frameless has proved wholly uncomfortable above 15-20 lbs. Thus this system I have used frequently is to have a torso length ridegrest rolled on top and then use the padding of the backpack for the legs at night, so nothing is wasted.

Great pack get it if you need this rather large niche filled.

[Author]

Posts