Weighing a Lilliputian 11 oz right off the rack, the GoLite Breeze will single-handedly eliminate several pounds of pack weight. Of course, you'll have to jump feet first into ultralite hiking to fit your gear and food into it.
11 oz. Amazing.
In 1999 I was just leaving Maine's hundred mile wilderness with a Trigon Skylight 2100 cubic inch pack. It was chopped extensively to save weight: all extra webbing, lash points, pockets, and extra crap had been removed, and the single aluminum stay was replaced with a carbon fiber one. I managed to pare the Skylight down to 3 lbs 7 oz. OK, 3 pounds 7 oz may be a far cry from ultralite but is respectable for an internal frame pack. I had used this pack on a 16 day hike of Vermont's 270 mile Long Trail and was feeling pretty good about it.
Gorging myself at the Abol Bridge General Store I came across the ad for GoLite in a copy of Backpacker someone had left in the hiker box. To say it piqued my interest would be an understatement. For the last 20 miles or so of that 100 mile wilderness trip I pondered how they could possibly have a pack as big as the skylight that weighs only 25% as much. Six months later I was planning my southbound thru-hike and decided to try one out.
When the GoLite Breeze came in the mail I remember feeling a little disappointed. The pack is basically a rucksack: no frame, big main compartment, 2 mesh side pockets, one large mesh back pocket, no waist belt. Dragging out my gear, I put together a 5 day load (20 lbs- food, gear, and water) and tried it on. It didn't feel good to have all the weight on my shoulders, and I had done a poor job packing everything so the pack's lumps were pressing into my back. 'Sure, the pack may weigh a lot less, but what good does that do you if it you won't be able to hike for long distances with it' I thought.
I was working as a climbing instructor at the time, though, and started using it to shuttle my gear to the crags. It took me a little time to figure out how to keep my pointy climbing gear from poking me in the back; using a foam pad inside the pack definitely helps a lot. The lack of a waist belt was problematic, though, with a 30 lbs load of ropes and climbing gear. The time to leave on my southbound thru-hike was rapidly approaching and still doubts lingered about using the GoLite.
But when June 12 came along, determination to carry less than 20 lbs total weight got me to put my fears aside and start out south from Katahdin with it in the spring. I decided to send a traditional pack to Stratton, ME in case the GoLite didn't work out.
By the time I hit Hurd Brook Shelter, the place where I had first read about the GoLite, the lack of a waist belt didn't bother me. There's a big, big difference between carrying a 30 lb load of pointy climbing gear and 20 lbs of generally more cushy backpacking gear. 190 miles later I was at Stratton sending the backup frame pack home. 2200 miles later I stood at Springer, the southern terminus of the AT, with the GoLite.
It's definitely a good pack. You get used to the lack of a waist belt quickly as long as your total pack weight stays less than 20 lbs. The original production run of the pack had some issues with a seam near the shoulder straps ripping out: every GoLite I saw, including mine, had this problem. Jardine had 'hidden' the strap attachment points between two reinforcement patches to "have a more professional look", but stresses resulting from lifting the pack by its shoulder straps caused the thread to break and this seam to unravel. GoLite now runs extra lines of stitching over this weak point to prevent this from happening; if you have an original version of this pack I recommend that you add a bar tack to the left an right of where the shoulder strap enters the seam. To their credit, GoLite has been very responsive to this problem and has stood by its guarantee 100%.
The mesh pockets on the first production run of the packs tended to wear out too quickly or tear. The back mesh pocket is vulnerable to abrasion wear just from putting the pack down repeatedly, and the side pockets tend to catch on branches. I carried a whisperlite stove bottle in the side pocket for 270 miles, and taking the bottle in and out of the pocket was enough to cause a hole even in this relatively short distance. I have heard that GoLite is now using a heavier gauge of mesh.
The pack's basic volume is about 2000 cubic inches, plenty big enough for the typical ultralite hiker's food and equipment. It has an 'expansion collar' that could be used to increase the pack's volume in a pinch, but that isn't too useful otherwise. Most of the time I kept this just folded into the pack, leaving the top open and my gear secured with only the webbing strap that goes over the top. I did use this collar during rainstorms, but as the collar's urethane coating started peeling off within a few hundred miles I found it less than effective in keeping out the elements (a liner made out of a trash compactor bag made a fine waterproof liner, though).
The Bottom Line: There isn't anything special about this pack: it's a rucksack. The Breeze's volume is small, but this shouldn't be a problem as long as your gear is lightweight (tarp, quilt or down bag, ultralite stove, etc). A regular backpacker's load though wouldn't fit (tent, synthetic sleeping bag, pile clothes). I did not miss a waistbelt. The first production run of packs had issues with material durability and seam construction, especially at the shoulder straps, but GoLite should have this under control now. I have not, however, tested their new run of packs and cannot vouch for the changes they claim to have made. AYCE's Recommendation: If you're seriously considering this pack, bring all your gear, food for 5 days, and full water bottles to a dealer and see if you can make it work. I do not recommend this pack unless you carry a full complement of ultralite gear: tarp, down bag/quilt, low bulk clothes. If you're just getting into lightweight hiking, check out the Kelty Flight and Mountainsmith Ghost while you're at the outfitter. Seriously consider making your own rucksack style pack like the Breeze and other lightweight gear using the instructions in this and other websites. If making your own gear isn't for you, and you carry less than 20 lbs, add this pack to your "consider" list.
http://www.archronicles.com/GoLite-Breeze-Pack-2900-cu-in.asp
| GoLite Breeze Pack - 2900 cu in |
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GoLite Breeze Pack - 2900 cu in GoLite Breeze Pack - 2900 cu in
GoLite, Breeze, Backpack, -, 2900, cu, in, go, light, back, pack, backpacking, lightweight |
| The GoLite Breeze Backpack is for ultra-light hiking trips of any duration from short day hikes to 3-season thousand mile thru-hikes. The GoLite Breeze is most comfortable with loads under 20lbs.
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The GoLite Breeze Backpack is for ultra-light hiking trips of any duration from short day hikes to 3-season thousand mile thru-hikes. The GoLite Breeze is most comfortable with loads under 20lbs.
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发表于 2008-3-3 20:52
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