I like the Gust for it’s low weight, and also by being in the 3000-4000 cu. in. range it really forces you to stay light and pack intelligently.
I am only concerned about its Comfort, and its Durability… anybody have any experiences, pro or con?
Thanks as always!
Dingo (GA–>ME '03)
Dingo
I used the Gust for the first few hundred miles of my hike and then quit using it. I think it would be great if you can keep your total weight to around 25 or so pounds. many times with food and water I was carrying 35 pounds and by the end of the day my back would be killing me. Early in the hike it hurt my shoulders a lot but guess that was partly due to it being overloaded.
See a LOT of low weight hikers using Mountain Smith packs and some who recently switched to them. They have some packs that are 2 lbs but they are not so big. So far the ones I talked to love them.
Wish I could get rid of my 6 lb Dana and go with the Gust but it didn’t work for me. You may have better luck…
Mark Baker
thanks Mark!
the folks you’ve noticed with the Mountainsmiths - are they using the Auspex, which is a particularly tall and skinny pack?
Dingo
I recently recived a Moonbow gearskin pack and just started testing it. It may be something to look into but here are my initial impressions:
I got the heaviest version they make and it only weighs 28 ounces. If you get the lightest version, it should be right around a pound.
The suspension system is first rate. I’ve carried up to 40 pounds so far with it.
It uses a compression system on your gear that turns your entire load into a single unit - it feels like it has stays the way the pack moves. But it hasn’t got any.
It has a volume of 2500ci to 6500ci. All version are like this.
I still want to test it to higher weights and volumes. And hopefully get a good hundred mile hike in with ifor a true shake down. But it is designed by Jonathan McCue a thru hiker himself. I would also say that the sil nylon base model is probably plenty durable for a trail hiker.
Check it out. www.moonbowgear.com
SGT Rock