I recently purchased a GoLite Team Pack, but I am having some concerns.
The pack is roughly 3000 cubic inch and weighs
roughly 2 lbs.
My concerns are in the comfort. The glorious straps that come with a larger, more technical pack, are not there plus some of the bulk in the shoulders and hip belts has been removed. I plan on doctoring the shoulder straps a little myself.
has anyone used one of these bags? will the material hold up? or did I just waste my money?
thanks
James
If you’re looking for comfort while hauling a load, that isn’t it. If you carry more than 25#s in a pack without a waste belt, which is what its for-in a suspension pack the shoulder straps just hold the pack centered-unless you have +40#s and want to devide it up high and low, the shoulder straps will cut into you rather hard. A nice pack but you have to carry very little. In general most hikers don’t mind a heavy pack, 3-6#s if its comfortable. Heavy loads are all but ignored when carried on the hips for hours. The light packs are nice for summer when you have next to nothing for gear.
Bushwhack & Bramble
I started my 2003 (wow, that sounds so long ago) thru-hike with the Golite Speed pack, cut off the excess weight, added straps to the bottom for my z-rest pad. In all it weighed 18 oz. I started cutting up my Z-rest pad within the first 2 weeks and taping pieces of it to the shoulder straps and hip belt. I was only carrying about 25 lbs in the pack! Anything over 20 lbs is very uncomfortable for me on the long haul (it was rated for 30 lbs). In Troutdale/Dalesville, at the outfitters, I met up with the Golite rep and asked me if the straps could be changed out for a pair of their more padded ones. He gave me his card and told me he’d take care of it for me after my hike. Great guy (maybe you could do the same before you leave). In Damascus I purchased a 3 lb Aerial Osprey 60 and my shoulder pain disappeared instantly. I never did have the straps changed on the Speed pack. It is a great pack for hikes that only need you to carry 16-20 pounds for a short time.
Journey
If you keep your weight below 20 lbs, you will be fine with that pack most likely. If you are not going to, then it might get uncomfortable.
Remember, a pack’s comfort is a lot different in the store than after a 18-mile day. The “comforting” features of heavy packs often weigh much and lead to severe discomfort. Over the long haul, it robs your energy severely. When you’re burning way more calories than you eat, efficiency is the name of the game. So is lightwieght.
I’d be interested to see the success ratios of under 20 lbs. packs to 30-50 lbs. packs. I have a hunch the lighter wieght folks have a higher %.
Tha Wookie
I have used the Golite Gust for quite a few hikes and found it to be quite comfortable. I carried about 25 pounds in the pack and had no problems. I have found that Golite packs tend to distribute the weight to your shoulders rather than your hips, which is better for me as it allows for easier walking and movement. Larger “more comfortable” packs usually have larger hip belts and the weight tends to ride there and less on the shoulders, which I feel makes it more difficult when going up hill. The more pounds you take out of your pack the more comfortable your pack will be and the more enjoyable your trip.
Peace,
Jym Beam
Jym Beam
You really need to consider how YOUR body best carries a load, even if you are planning to carry a light one. You’ll see from some of the comments above, that many GoLite hikers are most comfortable when carrying weight on their shoulders so their hips are free. I try to go light, but opt for a heavier pack with a hip belt because my body carries weight best on my hips, not my shoulders. Even 10 pounds of weight on my shoulders would lead to headaches and exruciating pain, while I can comfortably carry a fairly substantial load on my hips. If you find that your body also prefers to carry your pack weight on your hips, check out the Mountainsmith Ghost. But if you are comfortable with the weight on your shoulders, the GoLite will probably be a good pack for you.
Kanga
I carried a go-lite breeze for a thru hike of the appalachian trail in 2003 and will be carrying it for a pct hike in the spring. Keep the weight down as wookie said to around twenty pounds and you will be a happy hiker regardless of what particular pack you chose to carry. happy hiking!
Yo-Yo
Don’t forget that your knees ultimatly bear the burden of your pack weight. Thus, 4 extra pounds from a heavy pack is 4 extra pounds of compression strain on your knees. The last thing you want is a knee blowout.
Guy
A lot of the people I’ve met on the Trail, including people I’ve hiked with for many days, have tried the Go-Lite way with mixed success. The two biggest complaints are: long-haul carry-comfort, and durability. Some do insist that they are happy with their Go-Lite choice, however.
On the issue of durability, keep in mind some outfitters have stopped selling Go-Lite packs because of the durability failures seen often during a long-distance trek. They have concluded the lighter Go-Lites just aren’t well-suited for even minor abuse, or carrying more than 20#, and have eliminated this source of aggravation in the businesses.
The general theme above if going the Go-Lite route is to keep everything under 20#. This is easier to do in High Summer in the mid-Atlantic states when you’re carrying far less and resupply every two to four days. Much harder to do at either end of a typical NOBO thru-hike due to weather concerns, terrain, and (up north) distances between resupplies.
Many, not all, have felt that a good compromise is to go with a 3500 to 4200 cu. in. Mountainsmith or Osprey pack having a real hip belt and a few other bells/whistles weighing about 3#, but advise you must be as frugal weight-wise with the contents as you would with the less-forgiving Go-Lite packs. No need to use a pack weighing more than 3 or 4# IMO for the A.T. The 6-8# packs may “carry” well for short distances due to their geometry and such but 8# is 8# over the long haul–especially on the knees.
Generally, most hikers seem content while on the Trail if they can keep their three big items (pack, sleeping bag, and shelter) to about 6 to 8# for the start in Georgia. With a 3# pack, 2.5# bag, and 2# or less shelter this is very do-able without giving up much in the way of comfort or safety. You can switch out a lighter bag north of about Pearisburg or Daleville and reduce that even further, tho you’ll want to get back the heavier bag in Vermont or at least before the Whites.
Personally, my pack (Mountainsmith Auspex, 4200 cu. in.) weighs 3#, my 15-degree North Face down bag weighs just under 3#, and my Six Moon Designs tarp-tent weighs about 2#. Total is under 8#, and it works for me. In summer, plenty of excess room as I don’t fill it; in winter just enough room for all the extra clothing, etc.
Skyline
My golite breeze held up like a champ on my 03 thru-hike. I know of several others including yo-yo that also had excellent experiences with their breeze. Several others carried other models of golite.
Hike your own hike. If yur straps are digging in, maybe just maybe there are some things you need to change. What goes in your pack is as individual as the person carring them. What you put everything in is totally up to the person that will be carring it. If you want to carry a golite pack, then you can make it work with ease. I am good friends with others that carried up to a 60lb pack all the way to Katahdin. Journey brought up a great point of view, what didn’t work for her and how she fixed it. The breeze has no special shoulder straps and no waste belt. I got my weight down so it was more than comfortable. Light weight packs are not designed to carry a load. Happy trails,
Karma
Karma
Go-Lite sucks and the owner of the company sucks even worse! I ran into a kid on my hike that was on his 3rd golite pack by the time he arrived in Damascus.
Plus, a slew of us crossed pathes with the founding owner of the company in Vermont. He is a condescending piece of crap that told me and some other hikers we wouldn’t complete our thru-hike if we didn’t buy his gear.
Did I mention Go-Lite sucks?
Rowboat
A couple thoughts on this.
If you are build heavy in the shoulders, then 30# on your shoulder is okay without a waist belt. Many have done it and are ok with it.
On the other hand, if not muscular and built well in the shoulders (such as women and some guys), then a pack with a waist belt is best. Women are built heavy in the hips so they carry packs best that have a waist belt. As Bushwhack said previously long ago, women like to carry their weight center lower in the pack and guys somewhat higher.
I’d go with a heavier and more sturdy pack instead of trying to save a pound or two in weight for a less confortable and durable pack. Because after all, the pack will be carrying everything you own out there, so you want something durable----and something that rides well is a real plus.
But “Light is Right” —and you should try to keep your load as light as possible expecially if you want to do big miles. Light may not be always smart however with lightweight shoes and packs coming apart on you. When you go lightweight, you sacriface something for the ligher weight like confort, durability, and the like.
But going really heavy is a super bad thing to do. Tha Wookie is right. The extra weight will wear you down and sap your energy and strength over time.
So, everyone is right…I’d say moderation is the key. Not too light and not too heavy…Do what is right for you and HYOH.
See you out there.:cheers
Maintain
Go-Lite packs rock. I’ve owned a Go-Lite Gust for over 3 years now and have been very impressed. I usually carry under 25 pounds, but occassionally have carried over 30 with no problem or discomfort.
The construction is very strong and tight. I haven’t noticed any signs of seam fraying or other wear.
Oh yeah, the Gust has a hip belt too, which takes some of the weight off the shoulders.
Did I mention that Go-Lite kicks ass!
and the owner of the company sucks even worse! I ran into a kid on my hike that was on his 3rd golite pack by the time he arrived in Damascus.
Plus, a slew of us crossed pathes with the founding owner of the company in Vermont. He is a condescending piece of crap that told me and some other hikers we wouldn’t complete our thru-hike if we didn’t buy his gear.
Did I mention Go-Lite sucks?
Speedboat
The GoLite Team pack that I have does have a hip belt. I will have to modify the shoulders because (like some women and men, I have a delicate frame [handsomely delicate at that]).
I will just have to do some trial and error to compare my two options. One is the GoLite Team pack and the other is my Marmot Scree moutnaineering pack. The scree weighs a couple pounds heavier but it also has more room and adjustible straps to increase comfort on the shoulders.
hmmmm.
This GoLite owner sounds like a punk. If I see’em I’ll rough’em up for ya!:eek:
James
Golite products fall into two categories: items designed by Ray Jardine and those not designed by Ray.
In the first list, there’s the Breeze backpack and the Cave tarp. (And the Gust, maybe?) These might or might not suit your needs, but they’re both thought out extremely carefully and (by now) the manufacturing bugs are worked out. These are quality pieces of equipment, even if they’re not the kind of equipment you want.
As for the rest of the stuff… who knows.
Eric
i always have liked my gust, but a whole new level of comfort was attained when i learned this simple trick. use your pad. if its a z rest fold it up so it is two sections wide, and slide it in against the back of the pack, then pack. with a ridgerest or any other foam pad make a circle/tube with it, slide it in and load your gear into the circle, so its all surrounded by pad. this makes the load uniform and comfy, it also increased how much i can put on my hips since the soft uniform shape just sits on my ass like a shelf. i can carry it with hardly any wieght on shoulders, even without padding on the hip belt. and my ass isnt that huge. ha ha.
that thing has been through it all with me, around 1500 miles plus it was lashed on my bike for 3000. good as new.
milo