GG Gorilla vs. Mariposa recommendations and…coupon code?

I have the same dilemma too, but decided to give the new Gorilla a try and I love it. I have managed to fit my fall gear plus a BV500 bear can with 3 days of food for 3 people. Which included a basketball sized Mountain Hardwear synthetic bag, a fly creek ul 3 double walled tent, and fishing gear. This was the limit of the Gorilla in terms of space, it carried it comfortably (22lbs) but if you need more space to carry snowshoes or any other bulky items. I would move up to the mariposa, I haven't tried it but in the review below it mentions the mariposa not carrying well without the volume. But I'd let others with experience input on that.

If you think a bulky bag and a large bear can is the biggest items you'll be carrying then the Gorilla will work. The new version is currently on sale right now, 20% off, they seem to be running promotions on their new packs since their day packs were on sale a few weeks back, possibly the mariposa will be on sale next week after the gorilla promotion ends?

http://southwestultralight.blogspot.com/2014/08/first-look-gossamer-gear-2014-mariposa.html?m=1

It really comes down to how much volume you need. The Mariposa lacks any form of compression so if you don't have it filled, it can be pretty floppy and in my opinion doesn't carry very well. I have a lot of miles on my 2012 Gorilla and I still feel it is one of the most comfortable packs I have ever owned.

I can't comment on the new harness system as I haven't tried any of the newer models, but the new Gorilla has side compression straps, which I think adds to its versatility.

If you have time to put up a typical gear list, that may help get you some opinions on which model may better suit your needs.

I got a 2012 Mariposa earlier this year. It replaced an Exos 58. Much more comfortable for me.

I don't find lack of compression an issue per se, but found the pack base 'drooped' down below over my butt even when full. A little irritating. After an intitial 10 day trip, I decided to modify it to remove the droop. It meant losing a little capacity, but it's such a big pack it's of no issue.

http://www.trek-lite.com/index.php?threads/mariposa-mods.243/

Thanks for the help everyone. I think I'm leaning more towards the Gorilla now, as it seems like the Mariposa might be a little overkill for most of the backpacking I will do (although I still do like the pocket configuration).

As far as a typical gear list, it can vary greatly depending on my mood (which in turn partially depends on the weather) and of course how many people I'm with. It can be a mix of these things:

Cooking:

Minimum: a 400ml titanium cup and alcohol stove setup,

Maximum: Primus Etaexpress stove/pot set with a bowl, Ti mug (all about 20 oz or so), and, if I'm feeling extravagant, a GSI french press

Shelter:

Minimum: MLD Bug Bivy

Max: Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight 2. Typically, if there's any rain forecast, I use the Flashlight fly and poles alone over the Bivy, which cuts the a lot of weight off the otherwise heavy tent. I have also used the footprint from the tent as a tarp over the bivy which works well just to keep dew off of me. I'd like to get an actual tarp someday soon.

Sleeping Gear:

Min: Lightweight down quilt (11 oz.) w/ Therm-a-Rest full length neoair (12 oz), layered with a lightweight sleep sack and various clothes as it gets down in the 40s/30s.

Max: Wiggy's 15 degree bag (4.4 lbs, probably a bit bigger than a basketball), and the sleeping pad and maybe the sleep sack.

Hydration:

Min: Sawyer Mini, Smartwater bottles, collapsible bottles for camp
Max: Katadyn Hiker

So, doing a very quick, rough calculation, my base weight without food and water. would be in the 8-12 lb range, give or take. In the heaviest case scenario, my sleeping bag and tent would weigh 10 lbs together, but I can't see me doing that too often.

Thanks again for any input you can give,

Chris

I’m a big fan of the Mariposa (it’s what I have).

This is a photo of me (on the far right) with my Mariposa doing the Rae Lakes Loop this past summer. Plenty of room for my gear and Garcia bear canister.

This isn’t the greatest photo, but that’s me on the far right, again with my Mariposa. My daughter is the little girl to my right in the photo. I was able to carry gear for us both in the Mariposa. The red thing on top of the pack is a child carrier (see next photo below).

My point is that the Mariposa is a pretty roomy pack for a UL pack. If I had that Wiggy’s bag that you’re talking about, I’d want the Mariposa.

Someone said the Mariposa has no compression system. Not true. It has a lacing system on the sides. The side lacing is shock cord, which I find bizarre. Non dynamic (i.e. just plain, regular cord) is the way to go for compression lacing in my opinion.

Here’s a photo of my with my daughter in the Sierra. We’re basically doing a day trip here. All the heavy gear (bear canister, tent, sleeping bag, etc.) is back at “base camp”. The pack droops maybe a little, but I didn’t find it uncomfortable. I’ve used the pack many times as a peak bagging pack where I’ve left my overnight gear at a base camp. Works pretty well, and it’s lighter than carrying a second pack for peak bagging.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving
Hikin Jim’s Blog

Having said that, I do see that there’s a GG Gorilla in Gear Swap right now.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving
Hikin Jim’s Blog

Gossamer Gear is running a sale on Gorilla packs. 20% off through 10/16.

Thanks for your input, it really gave me some insight into the two packs. I ended up going with the Gorilla, just because I feel like the Mariposa might be too much pack for the majority of the backpacking I do, and because of the sale they had. I figure if I get it and it's too small I'll send it back and get the Mariposa, but I wanted to get it while the sale was on. I'll post an update when it arrives and let everyone know how it fit.

Excellent. I have so enjoyed my Mariposa with it’s internal frame over my old frameless pack.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving
Hikin Jim’s Blog

If you run out of volume, it will likely be in winter due to loft clothing etc. That stuff isn't dense. A solid enough dryback can be strapped to the outside of the pack without undue effect on weight distribution. That is what I would do.

Since everyone here was kind enough to take the time to give their input, I figured I would give a quick review.
First I'd like to say that this is my first ultralight pack (aside from my REI Flash 22 daypack, which I really like), and the only other pack I've used for overnight stuff is a ~20 year old pack that weighed 4.5 lbs. It was a decent pack, but then I found this wonderful world of lightweight backpacking, and last time I used it all could think of was that I was carrying an extra ~2.5 lbs of useless pack on my back.
Upon getting the pack assemble (simply putting the belt, back pad, and frame in), I was first struck with the weight, or lack there of. Compared to my old pack it was amazing. And the quality was top notch. I quickly grabbed a bunch of my gear to stuff it in and see how it felt on my back. It felt great. The straps were easy to get just right, even without the load lifters, and the back/sit pad felt good. The pack also fit everything I needed it to (including the Wiggy's sleeping bag), and the side compression straps are definitely long enough to fit a small stuff sack on each side if more storage space was needed.
I finally got to try the bag out last weekend on a short hike during which I was also experimenting taking my dog Henry overnight for the first time. The total pack weight, including 2L water, food for Henry and I, and a 1.3 lb sheet to protect the floor of my tent from Henry's sharp nails, was 22 lbs. The hike was only a couple hours out, because I didn't want to go too far and then have my dog whining to go home in the middle of the night, so it isn't the most extensive test, but it was something.
The pack felt really good during this short hike. I felt like it dispersed the weight nicely. The backpad was comfortable and the fact that it comes down over the waist belt for more lumbar support is a very nice touch, plus sitting on it as a sitpad instead of sitting directly on the ground was something I can get used to.
As far as pockets, I still like the Mariposa's pocket layout, but the pockets on this are more than adequate for most of the backpacking I'll do. My Smartwater bottles were easy to grab from the side pockets and replace without taking the pack off (well, the right one was easy, but that's a matter of personal flexibility vs. pack design). I love the stretchy mesh back pocket. It can hold tons of stuff and is a great place to put things you are going to grab semi-frequently like a water filter, food, dog treats, etc, or things that need you don't want to mix in with your regular stuff, like a wet ground cloth. The waist belt pockets were nice too. This is the first pack I've had with them, and they are great for a camera, headlamp, snacks, and things like that. The lid pocket was also nice, held just the right amount of stuff and was a perfect size for a small book and notebook and things like that. The shoulder pads were nice and cushy, but not too fat or thick.
The only complaint I have about the pack is the straps that attach the lid to the pack. On older models I see they attached to straps that went straight to the bottom of the pack, but on this one they go off to the side. I feel like with the old straps, you could compress the top a lot further with small loads, and perhaps use this as a day pack. With the straps running off to the side on this model, it can only compress it so far before you run out of strap. However, the straps running off to the side do allow for more secure holding of the tops of hiking poles when they're in the pole holders (another nice touch), and I feel like they also compress the pack more evenly, instead of just pulling the top to the bottom. So I guess this isn't really a complaint after all, just a thing I noticed that has it's pluses and minuses.
So, even though this was just a short overnight hike and I didn't get to use the pack for extended periods of time under strenuous conditions, it was still enough for me to get an idea of how the pack felt and how it worked under actual conditions.
Thanks to everyone who gave their input when I was trying to make a decision. Now I can't wait to try this pack on a longer hike!

Chris

P.S. Henry did great on his first backpacking/camping adventure. He is a Husky/White German Shepherd mix who loves the woods, but he has never really been a fan of stopping for too long while hiking, so I was wondering how he would do camping. Not only did he hang out quietly while I set up the tent and made dinner, he slept in the tent fine most of the night, which is pretty good for an energetic dog at night in the middle of the woods, where it must be smell and sound overload. The only strange time was at about 4 in the morning when he woke up, stared out of the mesh door of the tent and started growling at something, and he doesn't usually growl at anything. It was great having him out there with me and I look forward to many more backpacking trips with him.

Chris,

Sounds awesome. Glad you’re enjoying the pack.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving
Hikin Jim’s Blog