Golite Pinnacle Backpack REVIEW

I had the same issue with the top strap pulling out alittle on my Jam2 when I pulled it too much…

Hi, my question is – would it be possible insert an acceptable working frame? And how would it be done? Or what else can be done to fulfill the following need?

Sometimes – seldomly – I carry up to 18 or even 22 KG ( 40 to 50 lbs).

Actually I have an old well working Deuter – a 4-pounder and I would appreciate to save 2 pounds. The in the article mentioned alternatives don't reduce the weight that much or are too small.

My reason to carry such a load sometimes: once a week about in a longer trip I have to carry much water – 7 to 9 liters plus normal load and food. But this is food for a week and the necessary water for 2 to 3 days in a hot & dry region without reliable sources/ wells/ cisterns. And it's reduced quickly, so I need not to carry that much for long :))

Do you know how to change the pack accordingly or would you recommend an alternative? By the way – the pack must be sufficiently robust for bushwacking, rocky areas and air travelling.

Thanks a lot!
Paul

I agree with Jeremy- the Pinnacle won't work well for loads in the 40-50 pound range. Another pack would be better.

Golite has some framed packs. The Quest has been reviewed here and might be a good choice for you. http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/golite_quest_backpack_review.html

Doug

The review states
"Overall Rating » Recommended"

However in the following text it states
" The Pinnacle is excellent at its intended purpose and while it's not the ultimate pack for all occasions, is “highly recommended” for lightweight high volume loads."

There seems to be an inconsistency here can Doug or Amy explain the difference between these 2 ratings.

I modified my old golite jam and my new jam2 adding a "semi-frame made with a light plastic sheet inside the pad pocket, to create a semi rigid frame and transfer the load to my hips, with only 60 grams more i felt that now i carry heavier loads in a more confortable and effective way.

This mod can be done easily in the pinnacle

Anyway 22kg are TOO MUCH for a pack like this

Thanks for the article. It help me with my decision on buying this pack.

Hi Roger,

Just as Ben said, the pack is overall recommended but if you need a pack in this niche- lightweight high volume loads- then it's highly recommended.

As you can see from questions about weight, this is not the ideal pack for all users and many folks need a winter pack that can carry heavier loads. We wanted to show that it's an ideal pack in some situations, but not all.

Thanks for the great feedback everyone- we appreciate it!

Doug (and Amy)

Interesting, I've not had that experience. I always found the Gust to be large so I sized down to a medium. Maybe things are different with their new packs but this one fit Amy perfectly.

Anyone else had sizing difficulties with Golite?

I also find GoLite packs sized too small for me. My suspicion is that it depends on how you wear the belt. I like to wear a true HIP belt that sits half above and half below my iliac crest. To get a GoLite pack to sit off my shoulders, I have to wear the belt as a WAISTbelt instead, and this is after sizing up one size. I see a lot of folks wearing their belts cinched around their waists. How do you all wear your belts?

GoLite's pack sizes are based on spinal length, which is roughly but not perfectly correlated to height. Here's the sizing info: http://www.golite.com/images/sizing/packs.gif.

Within each pack size, the pack will fit differently those with different spinal lengths, since the pack size is not adjustable (a feature that would add 1-2 pounds, plus complexity and cost, to its weight). i.e. A Medium Jam2 pack will be longer on a person with a 16" spinal length than someone with a 18" length.

If you have a preference as to where you keep your belt, and if you are on the margins between 2 pack sizes, you might take this into account. For example, I have a 18" spinal length but definitely keep with a Medium because I tend to wear the belt closer to my waist (which I think is common among lightweight backpackers who find that lightweight loads don't sit on the hips as heavy loads do, and in fact they ride up frequently towards the waist). If I wanted the pack more around my hips, I might consider going with a Large.

For BPL's Wilderness Trekking III Program (a wintry course), we searched high and low for packs that would carry big, light loads. I think at least six of the ten people we had on the Fall 2008 program used Pinnacles.

It's the pack I chose as well.

For its intended purpose, I honestly cannot find a better pack, and I've now had the chance to use it on a number of winter trips.

My favorite feature is a big, wide, thinly padded hip belt that tucks into hip wings that carries the load against your lumbar very well. This feature should be a standard by which other frameless packs are measured.

My gripes with the pack reflect the same as Doug's: a more abrasion-resistant bottom fabric (mine is showing a bit of wear from abrasion); and better sewing quality (I too have reinforced straps on mine with bartacking).

Fix these two things and if I was the author, I'd have given the pack a "Highly Recommended" rating.

I have tried to contact them via the form on website but I get a code error after I submit the contact form. I thought it was my Firefox but IE does the same thing.

Here is my comment:
"I got a chance to use my Pinnacle carrying my climbing gear on a dayhike/scouting mission of the Narrows Climbing area of th e Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma. The fabric held up great to the rock and when cinched down the pack stayed in place for endless hours of boulder hopping, but about halfway thru the day I kept hearing a whistly squeak. I thought it was a bird at first but it kept following me. It was the bottom half of the male buckle on the waistbelt. It would only latch about 2/3 of the way into the female. It held the waistbelt in place under tension, but it appears that it will give way one of these days. Long story short I need a new male end for the waist belt.

I tried this form yesterday and received a code error, I don't know if my form from yesterday went thru or not.

Thanks,
Chris"

I was carrying a good 35 lbs or so of climbing gear and water. Anyone else had this problem?