Mariposa plus or golite pinnicle ?

I’ve been using a Pinnacle since last February, and I’ve been very happy with it so far (follow this link for my owner review at BackpackGearTest.org). Nonetheless, I’ve also been anxious to try a Mariposa for quite some time, so picked up a used one recently. I’ve had it out one overnight trip so far, and I liked it so well that it might become my new pack of choice. The design is very impressive (I’ll leave it at that since I don’t have anything to add to Will’s thorough review of the Mariposa Plus here at BPL). Before I make up my mind, though, I’m going to take the Pinnacle out on one more trip. My recommendation is that, if at all possible, you try them both. That’s the only way you’ll ever know for sure which will work best for you.

Richard,
My decision also came down to the Mariposa Plus and the Golite Pinnacle. I selected the Pinnacle partly because the new Mariposa plus was not available when we hiked the AT. I live in Michigan and do the colder hiking thing in the winter. So the Cubic Inches of the pack work out great for the weight. I liked the Pinnacle so much, it just feels good, I bought the Jam2 for my wife and when I need less volume. However, I sure would like to know if I'm missing something without having the Mariposa
Plus. John

Those are the two packs I've been using this spring and summer. My Mariposa Plus is more than 6 oz lighter (546g vs 730g for the Pinnacle) and more comfortable; it's a delight to carry. The small outside pocket is difficult to use for a small platy while hiking, however, so I have to increase weight by using a hydration tube. The mesh pockets hold a lot and save weight, but are more fragile. The back one tore and now has some duct tape on it, and the pad pockets are losing stitching.

I got the Pinnacle for technical climbing where I might want to haul it. I found it necessary to stiffen it by rolling my pad and putting it in the pocket with the foam, but having done so it transferred weight well to the hip belt, and was reasonable comfortable. The side pockets worked well for accessing a small platy and food while climbing. The pack performed beautifully on a portion of the Evolution Traverse, up to 5.8, in the Sierra for 4 days. (Photo on the left.)

While I feel compelled to use the Mariposa Plus for backpacking and appreciate the comfort, I like the Pinnacle more and would choose it if I had to have one pack for everything. Both are great packs.

I'm a happy Mariposa Plus user (I have the '06 model). I've loaded it with 33lbs of gear and had a comfortable carry; I used the stays rather than the pad. Another trick I learned was to put my Thermarest chair where the pad goes; it provides additional support.
I haven't used the Golite.
Hope this helps!

Ernie and others who have used both packs,

How much do you value the load lifters on the Pinnacle? I am looking for a bigger pack for winter and can usually fill my Trek to the point where the load lifters can be used effectively, a feature absent from the Mariposa Plus. I have narrowed the field to the two packs above along with the ULA Circuit which weighs about 2 pounds, a significant draw back for it.

I value the load-lifter/stabilizer straps on the Pinnacle, especially for climbing where the weight needs to be kept close to the center of gravity. While the lack of them on the Mariposa Plus was disconcerting at first, the positioning of the shoulder straps for my torso size lets me adjust them tight enough to keep the pack just barely stable without transfering weight to the shoulders. For climbing or skiing it might be an issue, but for backpacking and light mountaineering it has been adequate. With a different torso size it might be more of an issue.

…what Pete said. The load lifters on the Pinnacle work very well — it's a remarkably stable pack. The lack of load lifters is one reason that I waited so long to try the Mariposa, but, like Pete, I've found that it manages reasonably well without them.