Help identifying this Gossamer Gear pack?

[Dena Kelley]

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[Dena Kelley]

I need some help identifying this pack. I thought it was an old-school Murmur, but then someone was selling a first gen Murmur on gearswap the other day and my pack looks nothing like that one. I bought it used, it is frameless, weighs ounces, has openings in the back and the straps to slide padding in if you want it. Also, I believe it is made of Spinnaker (sp?) material- it’s waterproof but loud (crinkles loudly when you walk).

[Gerry B.]

It looks just like my silnylon Murmur.

[Barry Cuthbert]

G6 Whisper Uberlite?

[James Marco]

Dena, A more important indicator would be the presence of a rip-stop pattern in the fabric. As I remember around 2007 they quit making the spinnaker .8oz cloth that was in use to make the SUL cloth and GG switched to SilNylon at 1.1oz. Both were untreated but the Sil version had a rip-stop grid and the spinnaker did not. Both fabrics were the same blue color and used to produce the G5 (roughly the same pattern as the G4.) They started running out of fabric and offered in in silnylon and spinnaker for about 6mos or so. The Murmur and Whispers were available in spinnaker for a little while longer.

The biggest problem with spinnaker was the non-healing nature of the cloth. if it started to stretch there was no rip-stop threads to stop it. It continued to stretch till failure, never really “healing”, with every use, especially if it got wet. Rip-stop would take more weight and was far more forgiving of water. The rip-stop seemed to hold up to 20-25 pounds with no stretching, but they never changed the spec.

One quick mod, shoulder straps often started to stretch/split at the bottom where they met the black 1.9oz fabric/buckle mount. A simple fix was to simply add some 3/4″ ribbon to shoulder strap from the buckle mount, up. Using 1/8″ craft foam (it came with 1/4″ stuff,) sew both layers(inner/outer) on the shoulder straps together, through the ribbon, top & bottom. This made the 15pound MAX pack into a 25pound MAX pack and added no weight to the pack. You ended up trading the ribbon and 1/8″ foam for the 1/4″ supplied foam. Well worth the 25-30% improvement to weight hauling, in my book.  I think they all (G4, Whisper and Murmur) had the same fault.

It really looks like a Murmur, but the Murmur and Whisper were close enough that I could well be mistaken/don’t remember exactly. A G5 had a full fabric front pocket, not mesh (the spinnaker was lighter than mesh) and was a 3500+ci pack, full sized. The Uber, Whisper and Murmur were smaller but all started with a base of 20″x10″ for the pads.

 

[Dena Kelley]

James- thanks for the detailed post! It’s got a grid pattern in the fabric reminiscent of ripstop although the squares are bigger than what I think of when I think of ripstop. But the material doesn’t feel like silnylon. I have a lot of silnylon equipment and they’re much more flexible and quiet than this is. This one sounds like a potato chip bag when you crinkle it. If I keep it, I’ll likely do the mod you suggested, that sounds like a smart upgrade.

[James Marco]

The spinnaker was a fragile cloth and that’s what it sounds like to me. I believe the larger grid was caused by rollers sort of pressing the fabric, not a true rip-stop threading…more of a calendar.  It was known to be rather loud, as you describe.  Drop Gossamer Gear a line. If you know the original purchaser and the approximate date,  they might be able to put a name to it for you.

Another mod was the hip belt. You can use a larger size belt (like a 1″ wide) and replace the existing one. Wrap the belt about 2″ further along the bottom edge. Adds a few grams but really beefs up the belt…the fabric can rip where the 3/4″ belts attach.  Avoid carrying anything hard with an abrupt bend next to the fabric (like a pot lid.) It has rather poor puncture/abraision resistance. Plastic water bottles with a 1/4R corner work fine as a minimum. Spinnaker sticks fairly well to duct tape,  so for temporary repairs it works well, unlike modern grids.

Ha! As you say it was a “smart” mod. I never used socks as shoulder padding anyway…something about used, wet socks 6″ from my nose…

If you decide to sell it, let me know. It is a true SUL pack at <8oz. A limited market, but still sought after for doing SUL hikes and long miles…even if it is around a dozen years old.

 

[Dena Kelley]

James- thanks for the additional information! I would sell the pack, if someone wanted it. I bought this a few years ago, and I love the idea of a true UL pack but it turns out I’m just not true UL material. I use principles from UL to lighten up but partly because I live in a colder climate and partly because I prefer to be comfortable my packs come in 20-25 lbs (with all consumables) and this pack just doesn’t cut it for that purpose. And frankly I’d be afraid to set it on the ground- most of the areas I backpack in are full of sharp granite type rock. If I don’t sell it I’ll modify it as you suggested. Thanks!

[James Marco]

Yeah it is actually a true SUL pack, even lighter than a UL pack. I would pay you 125 for it plus shipping, (I think new they were $85.) it looks like it is in excellent shape, maybe zero to two trips out. I am in NY, so I understand about winters. Much of Lower Alaska has a very similar climate to the ADK’s. Some of the terrain around here is is not nice, but it is usually really weathered…rounded granite boulders are the norm, not jagged pieces of granite. Anyway, I am pretty sure it is a Murmur and should weigh between 5-6oz, as designed. My 1 week trips are usually around 15-17 pounds. Someday, I need to make one…damn I miss my old G5…

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