Golite Clearance

[rkfiske]

Golite has a clearance going on right here.

Some of the guys asked about what pack I use and I had told them I used a Golite Jam and got it for 75 bucks. It's listed at 70 at clearance right now. If you were considering going ultralight or are ultralight and have a heavy pack (I see this frequently), then this could solve your problem! There is also some other great gear on clearance as well, some down jackets and waterproof shells and the like. Just thought I'd share!!

- Ryan

[Eric1]

Ryan thanks for the heads up on some great deals...
Eric

[beachbum]

Good stuff, Ryan. Thanks!

[RSetina]

Less than 2 pounds? That's incredible.

[Eric1]

Less than 2 pounds? That's incredible.

Rick I picked up the golite speed last year. A great pack at less then two pounds. If you plan o going backpacking this year you should look into getting a new ppack. Can't beat the price. Two pounds verse the five pounds of my other pack helps alot.
Eric

[RiverRat]

I own several GoLite products including my tent, bag, and daypack............ so I can GoHeavy on the fly fishing gear

Great stuff but spendy unless it's a clearance sale.

Thanks for the heads up!

shane

[rkfiske]

I own several GoLite products including my tent, bag, and daypack............ so I can GoHeavy on the fly fishing gear

Great stuff but spendy unless it's a clearance sale.

Thanks for the heads up!

shane

I know what you mean. It's at the point where my backpacking gear weighs almost less than what I take up in fly fishing equipment!

[Papasequoia]

You're an enabler, Ryan. I almost pulled the trigger on the pack and a jacket, but didn't want to succumb to impulse buying! I wanted to do some research first, before buying, but of course then the sales are usually over.
So, let me ask you - what is it that you like the best about this pack besides the weight? What kind of bear cannister do you carry with it (I think I remember from our last trip that you had one of those half sized Garcia containers?) Did you pack boots and waders? A vest? How many fly boxes? Has space ever been an issue? Durability? It is (long past) time to replace my 7 & 1/2 lb. Gregory load monster pack, but I want to make sure that I replace it with something that can hold all of my gear and a full sized cannister for family backpacking trips. Thanks! Jon

[rkfiske]

You're an enabler, Ryan. I almost pulled the trigger on the pack and a jacket, but didn't want to succumb to impulse buying! I wanted to do some research first, before buying, but of course then the sales are usually over.
So, let me ask you - what is it that you like the best about this pack besides the weight? What kind of bear cannister do you carry with it (I think I remember from our last trip that you had one of those half sized Garcia containers?) Did you pack boots and waders? A vest? How many fly boxes? Has space ever been an issue? Durability? It is (long past) time to replace my 7 & 1/2 lb. Gregory load monster pack, but I want to make sure that I replace it with something that can hold all of my gear and a full sized cannister for family backpacking trips. Thanks! Jon

Jon, at 50 Liters, it might be a bit small for carrying that much stuff. I think if I were to put a full size bear vault (i have the half size BV450) in the backpack it might not fit all my gear. I definitely make a few sacrifices when it comes to packing in that thing, but in making those cuts, my pack weight goes down and it seems worth it once I'm out hoofing it.

Fishing gear - I generally take like a small fanny pack that I had laying around and I use that as my fishing 'pack' with a couple fly boxes and the like. If I wanted to take waders and stuff like that I would most likely need to up to my 65L osprey atmos pack.

Durability - It's a well made pack, have only had it about a year so far but it seems well put together. Since it is made out of some of the more lightweight fabrics like dyneema it definitely is not as durable as ripstop or cordura but I don't feel the need to be overly tender with it either.

Comfort - since you are carrying less, the overall feel of the pack seems quite nice. If you stuffed it with hard objects like large bear cans or something like that, you might feel it a bit more digging into your back. You throw soft stuff between your back and the harder objects and it tends to feel pretty good on the back.


When you go lightweight you definitely have to make some sacrifices, not for everyone. Perhaps if you got it and didn't like it you could have it as a pack for one of your sons or wife? I'll stop trying to help you purchase it now...

[Papasequoia]

Thanks, Ryan. I've got a friend trying to sell me on the Osprey as well. Wish I had the money for both right now. Decisions, decisions.

[rkfiske]

I would probably suggest the osprey packs. They are honest to goodness great packs, very well made and I think fit most people's backpacking needs better. Especially if you're a pocket guy. The golite literally has like two water bottle pockets, one main drawstring and a single zippered pocket on the outside.

[Justin]

Well I just pulled the trigger on the Quest for $79, it will be 7 less liters than what I have now, but coming in at 7lbs less
Thanks for the heads up Ryan!!

Justin

[Papasequoia]

Here is a handy conversion chart for old fogies like me who can't get used to talking about pack size in liters.

From: http://www.mazamas.org/your/adventure/nw/metric-and-inches-conversion-chart-for-backpack-volume/

Metric and inches - conversion chart for backpack volume

You see a backpack review in a magazine that touts the latest European designed spectra-clothed carbon-fiber stayed wonderpack, the perfect size for an overnight climb at 50 liters. When you stop by the local gearhead shop, you are shown a similar looking American made model that the clerk is plugging, which holds 2500 cubic inches. Are these two volume measurements close? Which one is right for your needs? When shopping for a backpack, it’s useful to know the pack size you are after in metric, typically liters, and US sizing, typically cubic inches. Here’s a conversion table to assist you (cubic inches a rounded off).

Metric - US

20 liters - 1,200 cubic inches
30 liters - 1,800 cubic inches
40 liters - 2,400 cubic inches
50 liters - 3,000 cubic inches
60 liters - 3,700 cubic inches
70 liters - 4,300 cubic inches

Some pack volume rules of thumb:

• For a one day summit pack (Mt. Hood), look for something around 40 liters, or 2500 cubic inches.
• For packing light on a 1 or 2 night climb, consider a pack in the 50 liter range, or 3,000 cubic inches.
• And for you folks who do take along the kitchen sink, look for a honker pack of 65 to 70 liters, or over 4,000 cubic inches.

[Gary C.]

Papa, unless you are ready to go the ultralite route which as others have wrote requires real sacrafices I think the Jam would be smaller than you want to go. I think that something like the Quest or Odyssey would probably come closer to what you are used to. I ordered one of the Odyssey packs for myself. I picked the Odyssey not because of it's extra volume but because it had a 50lb rating and the two straps at the bottom to carry my tent or sleeping pad. I'm still more comfort driven and like my tent, inflatable pad, and a few other things I might have to give up if I carried a smaller pack made from the lightwieght materiels. I plan on useing the Odyssey for trips up to 3-4 days and my Osprey Aether for the weeklong treks. I agree with what others have said about the Osprey packs, I think they are great packs and you can't go wrong with one. I love mine but I bought the Golite because I'm trying to work my way into the faster lighter thing. Like your Gregory I expect my Osprey to last for many years, something I don't expect from the Golite. Golites wieght saving materiels just won't stand up to being drug across the brush and granite the way my Aether can. Also, when you look at the packs on the Golite site you will see a link to compare the packs. It will show you a chart with all of there packs and the specs in both metric and US.

[RiverRat]

Dittos on the Osprey.
My GoLite may be lighter and "faster" but nowhere near as comfortable on long hauls as the Osprey Aether. I hike with my kids and scouts so I carry extra stuff that would never be with me on solo hikes. At the end of the day the extra weight doesn't bother me due to the comfy shoulder straps and belt.


shane