All over the board, in every “ultralight on a budget” post, the GoLite Jam is the top recommended inexpensive frameless pack. Sadly, the Jam and its makers have gone the way of the dodo, and it seems to me that there are no adequate replacements on the market at the ~$100 price point. Some possibilities:
Granite Gear Virga 2. Not a bad pack, from what I hear, but it only comes in one size—huge. 52L is the size of just the main compartment, and there’s an extension collar and outside pockets to add to the capacity. Too big for a frameless pack IMO—I won’t be able to fill that space without going over a reasonable weight. Also the price is too high, at $140. That’s almost 1.5 times the Jam’s.
Cheap Chinese Stuff. I’m sure there are others, but I have personal experience with this pack. It isn’t well made. After reinforcing some of the seams it serviceable, but I wouldn’t recommend it to a newbie. Plus the torso size is way too short for most people.
REI Flash 45. This is the top contender, as far as I can tell. Comparable capacity to the mid-sized Jam, plenty of (removable) features but still minimal enough to be called “ultralight”… barely. It’s not frameless, but that’s probably a plus in the age of inflatables. Price is higher than the Jam, but still not too bad if you catch a sale.
What have I missed?
