Granite Gear Virga3 55 vs Granite Gear Perimeter 35 Women's Fit
Quick take: The Granite Gear Virga3 55 costs $30.01 less; the Granite Gear Virga3 55 carries more (55 vs 35 liters); the Granite Gear Virga3 55 is lighter (1.68 vs 3 lbs).
Which one to buy
A frameless 55 L pack and a framed 35 L one, $30 apart, and the deciding number is load. Granite Gear rates the Virga3 55 to 25 lb, and the figure is honest: past it, the load lands on your shoulders. The Perimeter 35 Women's Fit is rated to 40 lb on its Perimeter suspension, with a women's harness and a torso that adjusts across 18-21 in.
The trap with the Virga is that 55 L invites packing well past 25 lb, so count food and water before choosing it. If your base weight is low and resupplies are short, it's the better pack: 1.32 lb lighter, with hipbelt pockets, a hipbelt that comes off to drop it to 1.18 lb, and sizing that covers more bodies, with unisex torsos from 18 to 24 in, women's sizes from 15 in and hipbelts from 24 to 52 in.
The Perimeter suits women carrying heavier loads in a smaller bag: winter overnights, big water days, gear for someone else. It has a hydration sleeve and a removable lid flap, though 3 lb is heavy for 35 L. Both are woven Robic, and the Virga's DWR sheds showers but sustained rain calls for a liner.
Granite Gear Virga3 55
For low-base-weight hikers whose total load stays under 25 lb, who want volume, hipbelt pockets and a pack that strips to 1.18 lb.
Granite Gear Perimeter 35 Women's Fit
A good match for women carrying heavier loads in a smaller bag, up to its 40 lb rating, with a torso between 18 and 21 in.
| Spec | Granite Gear Virga3 55 | Granite Gear Perimeter 35 Women's Fit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $199.94 | $229.95 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Ultralight Pack | Traditional Pack |
| Frame Type | Frameless | Internal Frame |
| Capacity | 55 L | 35 L |
| Weight | 1.68 lbs | 3.0 lbs |
| Max Load | 25 lbs | 40 lbs |
| Torso Fit | Two sizes 18-21 in and 21-24 in, adjustable torso height and width | Adjustable, 18-21 in |
| Material | Robic high-tenacity 100D and 210D nylon with Barrier DWR | Robic 100D with custom 210D nylon |
| Back Panel | Frameless | Perimeter suspension |
| Adjustable torso | Yes | Yes |
| Ventilated back | No | No |
| Raincover included | No | No |
| Hipbelt pockets | Yes | No |
| Removable lid | No | Yes |
| Hydration sleeve | No | Yes |
| Fits BV500 bear can | No | No |
| Warranty | Granite Gear Limited Lifetime Warranty: original owner, defects in materials or workmanship under normal recreational use | Granite Gear Limited Lifetime Warranty |
Pros & cons
Granite Gear Virga3 55
- ✓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.
- ✗Frameless at 55 L invites loads well past the stated 25 lb ceiling.
- ✗Not waterproof, unlike the laminate packs at similar prices.
- ✗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.
Granite Gear Perimeter 35 Women's Fit
- ✓A 40 lb rating is unusually high for a 35 L pack.
- ✓Adjustable torso within its range.
- ✓The lid flap comes off for lighter days.
- ✓Hydration port and sleeve.
- ✓A women's harness rather than a shortened unisex one.
- ✗3 lb is heavy for 35 L.
- ✗One torso range of 18-21 in only.
- ✗No raincover.
- ✗No unisex version, so it suits a narrower group of buyers.
Granite Gear Virga3 55 vs Granite Gear Perimeter 35 Women's Fit: common questions
Can the Virga3 55 carry what the Perimeter 35 Women's Fit can?▾
Not by weight. The Virga's 25 lb limit is honest and past it the load lands on your shoulders. The Perimeter is rated to 40 lb on a framed suspension, though it holds 20 L less.
Which one comes in more sizes?▾
The Virga3 55, with two unisex torso sizes covering 18-24 in, women's sizes from 15 in and hipbelts from 24 to 52 in. The Perimeter 35 is women's-only with one adjustable range of 18-21 in.