Gossamer Gear? - Appalachian Trail

imported
#1

I’m thinking about going with a Gossamer Gear pack. Anyone know/experince the quality of their gear?

manfire

#2

their gear is top notch. one of my hiking buddies has a G4 and has had no problems with it. in fact the G4 is a classic design in the lightweight community. plus the company stands behind the gear it makes.

which pack were you thinking about getting?

jerm

#3

I love my G4 pack. I had the Go-Lite Gust and did not like it. The G4 has great suspension and I like the idea of using your sit/sleep pad for pack support.

Gossamer Gear stands behind their products as jerm says. Read the reviews thru-out the web on the G4.

As you know - these packs are designed for ultralight goods. Even though the pack has a rating of 30lbs. I would not extend it beyond 25lbs. Not that the pack would fall apart - just that it is not as comfortable as when the pack is around 20lbs. I used it on several hikes including a 6 day in Alpine Lakes and found it excellent with around 15 to 25lbs. No sore shoulders or anything. The web site has some tips to add stiffeners to the pack for larger weights. The pack has a loading order you should follow for maximum comfort.

Also even though the material is tough - I would not thrash it like a Kelty or heavier material pack. One of the trade-offs for a 15oz pack vs a 3lb pack. However with great care and watching the weight as jerm said - a great pack and classic design.

OregonBeerMan

#4

We have carried the G4 and the Mariposa packs form Gossamer Gear for our last 3 hikes. They are good lightweight packs. We have had only 2 problems with them (other than wear/abuse) in 10,000 miles. We found the constant sun in Kansas eventually rotted the fabric of our Mariposas. Sun rot is not a problem for most hikers. We had early versions of the Mariposas where the sewn pockets for the stays were too wide - this problem has been fixed in newer packs.

I have now removed the stays from my Mariposa packs. Instead I put my tent poles in the folds of the sleeping pads. It works just as well. (Of course you have to use tent poles, not hiking sticks.)

Ken
…GottaWalk

Ken

#5

What kind of weight can the Mariposa support once the stays are in, can it safelt do 30 pounds or is that still too high?

Rob

#6

I carry a Mariposa with the stays, comfortably carrying 30ish pounds. If I have to go over 35 pounds, I carry a heavier weight pack. Mine has held up well also.

Pattie

#7

I was thinking about the Mariposa pack. By the sounds of it… its a good pack. Thanks for your help!

Manfire

#8

I used the G4 as a summit pack to hike to the top of Mt. Shasta. Perfect for stuffing in some extra jacket and pant layers just in case of a storm! The pounds saved in weight of the pack made the ascent a bit easier. (I used another pack to bring in a sleeping bag and camping gear, and the G4 was light enough to stuff into a bigger backpack).

The outside pockets are great for stashing gloves that may be wet with sweat, and here they can dry in the sun. Also a nice place to put food wrappers that would otherwise soil a pocket. However, when glissading down a glacier, anything left in the pockets will get wet. Other than that a great day pack or summit pack! I would not carry more than 20lb. Perhaps more is OK if hiking less than 12 hours?

In summary, a great summit pack for carrying within a larger pack (anything heavier is not worth bringing, anything smaller may not hold what’s needed), and a great day pack.

Shasta Climber