And . . . the updated GG Gorilla

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Does anyone have an update on the 2014 GG Gorilla? Anyone try it? Pros, Cons?

Nick, read the review in the OP.

Will does a good job reviewing these things. The new Robic material is a bit more durable than the older silnylon. At first, it seems to be very light and it is hard to believe the claims of just how rugged it is. But, it *is* unexpectedly rugged. It can take a LOT. The material only had one tiny hole after a two weeks in the ADK's. (All of my packs sustain some sort of damage in the ADK's, though, even the old XPack cloth and ballistic nylon.) It is not waterproof, but more water resistant than the older dyneema. It also has a bit of stretch to it, more than the old packs, but not so much to term it stretchy. I was a little afraid for the stitching, since it is so light, but the stitching on the robic was fine, except where some factory glitch caused some fraying. I simply put a drop of superglue on it and this stopped it. It does have some sort of coating on it that seems "rubbery." This seems to bind the threads together and contributes to the fabric's water resistance. It did NOT wear off in the two weeks I had it out.

James – I read Will's review a few weeks back, yes. I guess I'm a little surprised there's not more chatter about the new Gorilla on BPL though..

I was curious what your thoughts were on the new padded shoulder and hipbelt straps? I have a Kumo, and really like the size, but I dislike the pressure of the flat straps. I also have an OHM 2.0 so I'm curious how the 2014 Gorilla would stack up against it. I'm still looking for the holy grail in that low-mid volume range.

Nick

I want to know if the production model is actually 24.7 oz for the small and 26 oz for the medium like the GG website says, or is it closer to Will's pre-production pack of 28 oz for the medium.

I am looking at picking up a small for my wife to replace her Exos 46, and the Gen3 Gorilla looks like it is better suited for women than my Gen2 Gorilla.

"I was curious what your thoughts were on the new padded shoulder and hipbelt straps?"
In short, MUCH IMPROVED. That said, there are still some problems with torso strap and females.

The Ohm and Gorilla are about even. The Ohm has a few more features, but not in the correct areas for me. Effectivly, the Gorilla is larger because of the external mount on the pad. This will usually save ~500ci (20"x10"x2.5" for a 50" NightLite.) The Ohm has an internal pad keeper, soo, you loose this space in the body. The pockets are a bit smaller on the Ohm. This is double edged, though. It is a bit easier to get a bottle out but doesn't hold it as securely. The hipbelt seems good. This was not changed much. With a full 30lb load, I had some belt creep. This would cause a large amount of weight to be transfered to my shoulders. After the initial hour or so on the trail, I simply loosened the shoulder harness a bit, no real problem. How often do you carry 30lb though? I don't carry that much on a two week thru hike with minimal resupply (beer&hot dogs.)

Well, I sort of like the flat straps on the 2012 Murmur. The new 2014 Murmur (I tested one for GG) was even better, better padding, better placement. Frankly, I would keep the Kumo, if you are interested in high durability or take the pack off-trail. It is about 4oz heavier, though.