Gossamer Gear Mariposa Plus Backpack REVIEW

I have found that by removing the 2 stays, the pack fits my back more comfortably and I have no loss of weight distribution, even at 25# load range–The Bear Vault will fit vertically inside the pack as well, but it is tight. By storing gloves or socks in the shoulder straps, they are less likely to cut into my neck, and are more round in shape. Emergency items (credit card, DL) fit nicely in the small end of the strap pouch, but the velcro will snag the sock or glove. Overall–very high rating

I too had problems with the mesh pocket seams tearing. But other than that, I loved the pack during a two week trip earlier this summer. I found that my Thermarest Prolite 3 worked fine as long as it was completely deflated.

Grant at Gossamer Gear has indicated to me that they plan on offering accessory waistbelt pockets sometime this fall that can be attached to the existing waistbelts. That will help tremendously. During my hike, I swapped my ULA P2 waistbelt for the Plus waistbelt so I could have pockets.

Is the belt pocket included as show in this pic in the upper right:

I didn't see any reference of the belt pocket on the GG website.

Had two different versions of this pack over the years. Think that this might be something that I might re-invest in. Great review too. The only complaint that I have with the pack is the shoulder straps. Otherwise the load carrying and comfort (sans straps) is quite nice. The size of the pack is perfect. Extra pockets make this a strong candidate for my next pack in the next few weeks

Thanx for the great review Will. I just wanted to clarify and correct a few things I noticed in the review, as well as give an update on upcoming developments on things that Will pointed out were lacking in the current design/model.

It was stated in the review that the current Mariposa Plus has an internal map pocket. This is incorrect. We have been discussing putting something like a map pocket on the inside of the pack but we have not instituted that feature yet and don't have plans to in the near future.

In the caption under the picture of the G4, Mariposa Plus and Six Moon Designs Comet, it states that the specified volume of the G4 and the Plus are the same at 4200ci. This is also incorrect. If you check our website you will see that the volume of the G4 is specified as 4600ci (3100ci in the main pack body, 600ci in the extension collar and 900ci in the outside pockets).

We have been evaluating other stay options for the past year and are close to developing a new system. This won't be available until next Spring at the earliest.

We will be coming out with removable waist belt pockets and shoulder strap pockets in early to mid winter. The pockets won't be specific to Gossamer Gear packs and can be used on any backpack. The waist belt pockets will be offered in three sizes and the shoulder strap pockets in one size. The shoulder strap pockets will fit onto the shoulder strap with two velcro attachments, rather than attaching to the sternum strap. This will allow you to carry slightly more weight (more weight! horrors!) in them without compromising the function of the sternum strap.

We have chosen to stay with the removable waist belt and shoulder strap padding for the simple reason that the foam padding compresses over time and loses it's cushion. The velcro openings allows backpackers to replace the padding when this inevitably occurs.

Finally, as Will pointed out, the stitching issues around the top of the mesh pockets have been resolved. If anyone has a problem with the stitching coming loose, please send it back to us and we'll repair it at no charge.

Great review. I love this pack as well. I have the 2006 version. I find it very versatile in regards to load weight carried and size of load carried.
I have have used with upwards of 30 pounds
in it and been comfortable.
I have used it with small light loads and was able to
cinch the pack tightly for a comfortable fit.

My brother used it to hike in to the Wetterhorn Peak basin
and then used it as his summit pack.
The materials held up very well, even during the descent
when the pack was scraping heavily along the two class 3 pitches.No tears in the ripstop.

The only problem I had was a stitching issue with the
hydration sleeve. My son was putting gear in the pack
and the hyadration sleeve tore free from the body and left a 5 inch rip through the ripstop. This was most likely a result of my son not paying attention and forcing something.It was an easy fix and the pack continues to serve me well.

I hiked the SNP with the Mariposa + this past June. The low weight of the pack is all you need to know. To prevent "sweaty back I did not put anything in the area where you are supposed to put a pad of some sort. What I did was use some foam squares (really small) at the four points of contact: shoulders and hips. This allowed a breeze on my back some of the time! The hot back has always been a concern as I tend to backpack during the summer months. I am a teacher. I really like this pack and hope to be able to put some stays in it so the pack is closer at my shoulders. I have four packs and like this best, even over the Osprey Atmos, which is impossible for me to figure out how to carry a water bottle. later,

My experiences, including the mesh tearing at the edges of the elastic, totally mirror Will's conclusions in his excellent review. A few other things of note:

– I wrote this post about adding my own custom hipbelts to the Mariposa; in the field it worked great.
– My Mariposa's pad sleeves permanently stained a white (of course, it HAD to be white…grr…) Icebreaker wool top that I wore with it. Grant from Gossamer Gear reports that most of the units they ship have totally colorfast ink, but that a small number of users are reporting non-colorfastness on the pad sleeves. He chalked it up (having to take a guess) to sweat composition and individual biochemistry…unless I have acid for blood I'm not sure that's enough to make textile dyes run. He recommends soaking the pack to leach out the excess dye.

The backwards lean is, indeed, the pack's primary failing. However, it's really not that bad at 20 pounds or less (for me). It's a great pack, and despite its drawbacks (no product is perfect), it's perhaps my favorite backpack.

How hard would it be to get a carbon fiber stay made that had some degree or bend built into it?

If anyone remembers, theres a post of the condensation tents article, about using the BD light sabre poles as stays for SMD starlite.

Good point. Unless you provided a anti-torque arm on each of them, or connected them, then that's an issue. On the other hand, it might be just as easy to use one of the lightweight pillows folded up as a lumbar support / bottom-of-the-pack-pusher-outer. As noted in an earlier post, that would help address the tendency of the pack to lean backwards.

Will,

I don't know about an internal pocket, but GG's site lists "Small map/permit/sundries pocket (right side)" under features. This would refer to the upper right side pocket. I find this pocket on both my Mariposa and Mariposa Plus very useful for said items.