Thehairlesscat - Pacific Crest Trail Journal - 2017

Journal Entry

Alright. Spent some time at REI this weekend. Checked out some backpacks. First I was disappointed to find that the Granite Gear packs are not in stock at many REIs, so I wasn't able to check them out. But let me back up to the start. I am looking for packs around 3 pounds with around 3,500 to 4000 cubic inches. I found four to try and two of which are Granite Gear. Well, that was off the list, but I was able to try the Deuter ACT Lite 40 +10. It is very lightweight and horribly uncomfortable. A lot of the weight savings seem to be from the lack of much hipbelt. Basically all of the weight we put in the pack was all on my shoulders.

Well, without the Granite Gear to try I was left to see what they had. The Backpack guy suggested I try the Osprey Atmos 65 AG. Wow, what a pack. It's heavier than I think I want but it's oh so comfortable and it distributes the weight perfectly. There are many great features too. For example, there is a raincover built into the pack, the hip belt has adjustable lengths thanks to velcro, and an amazing amount of compression starps that are adjustable in many, many ways. I'll be making a trip to either Santa Monica or Tustin to check out the Granite Gear packs before I make any kind of decision, but so far there's a lot to like about the pack.

Entry 2 of 4
First  :: Previous  :: Next  :: Last