Gossamer Gear Backpacks

Glen Van Peski, a civil engineer in Carlsbad, California, made his first pack in 1998 after reading Ray Jardine's ultralight writing, and sold it under the name GVP Gear. The company became Gossamer Gear in early 2004 and moved its offices to Austin, Texas in December 2005, when Grant Sible took over day-to-day operations as president. Van Peski stayed on as chairman and still works on product development. The packs have always leaned on a removable foam sit pad doubling as the back panel, a feature that still runs through almost the whole range.

Coverage is short by big-brand standards: Gossamer Gear warrants its packs for one year from purchase, within the United States, against manufacturing defects only. It states that fabric wear, tears and punctures are not covered, and points owners to discounted repairs through Rugged Thread in Bend, Oregon.

The range divides into framed packs, frameless packs and a pair of ALUULA flagships. The Mariposa 60 and Gorilla 50 are the framed pair: the Mariposa uses a closed-shape aluminum frame, carries up to 35 lbs and has seven exterior pockets in a deliberately lopsided layout, while the Gorilla 50 is smaller and symmetric. The frameless packs run from the Kumo 36 and its vest-harness twin, the Fast Kumo 36, through the roll-top Skala 38 to the G4-20 42. The Mirage 40 and Murmur 36 are built in ALUULA Graflyte for the lightest possible carry; the Murmur weighs 7.9 oz without its pad, and the Mirage sells out between production batches. The Loris 25 is the only daypack.

The Mariposa 60's tall side pocket that holds a whole tent is its most-praised design choice, and fans say they open the main bag only morning and night, though the uneven pockets take practice to balance. Long-term reviewers put its comfortable ceiling at 30-35 lbs, and thru-hikers report hipbelt foam softening by the end of a season. The Gorilla 50 is the classic pack to move to once your kit shrinks, with a BV450 canister as the comfortable fit. The Kumo 36 gets uncomfortable with loads much over 20 lbs, and its Robic fabric soaks through in sustained rain without a liner.