Granite Gear
Granite Gear Virga3 55
The Virga3 is Granite Gear's frameless ultralight pack: 1.68 lb as sold, or 1.18 lb stripped of the hipbelt. Granite Gear states a clear 25 lb ceiling, which is more than most cottage brands publish, and offers two torso sizes plus two hipbelt ranges.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓A stated 25 lb maximum load, which most frameless packs leave to inference.
- ✓1.18 lb stripped is genuinely ultralight, and the hipbelt comes off without tools.
- ✓Two torso sizes covering 18-24 in unisex, plus women's sizes from 15 in.
- ✓Hipbelt options span 24 to 52 inches, unusually wide for a frameless pack.
- ✓Robic 100D and 210D is a woven fabric that repairs easily in the field.
- ✓$200 undercuts almost every cottage frameless pack of this volume.
- ✓Granite Gear is a mainstream brand, so returns and support are straightforward.
- ✓55 L is generous for a frameless pack.
Cons
- ✗Frameless at 55 L invites loads well past the stated 25 lb ceiling.
- ✗Not waterproof, unlike the laminate packs at similar prices.
- ✗No adjustable torso within each size.
- ✗Granite Gear's site shows only sale pricing, so MSRP came from the strikethrough figure.
- ✗The stripped weight requires giving up the hipbelt entirely.
- ✗100D fabric on parts of the body abrades on rock.
- ✗Less refined than the framed Blaze 60 from the same brand.
- ✗Bear-canister fit is not stated.
Compare the Granite Gear Virga3 55
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