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2003 GoLite Speed Pack
Owner Review
BIOGRAPHY
Name: Jeff Jackson
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 10” (178 cm)
Weight: 185 lbs (84 kg)
Email: jwj32542 “at” yahoo “dot” com
Location: Charleston, SC, USA
Date: 13 Dec 04
Backpacking Background:
I have been backpacking for about ten years. I started as a three-season overnight-only hiker in the North Georgia mountains. Since then, I have hiked in Colorado, Georgia, New Jersey, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Virginia and Germany. Weather has generally been mild (50-85 F / 10-30 C), although I sometimes hike in winter (~20 F/-7 C). My current base pack weight is roughly 20 lbs (14 kg). My total weight may edge up to 40 lbs (18 kg) for trips with my children. I recently made the switch to hammock camping, but I’m still looking for a good lightweight tent for when my wife comes along.
PRODUCT INFO
2003 GoLite Speed Adventure Racing Pack
http://www.GoLite.com/
Listed Weight: 1 lbs 15 oz (880 g)
Measured Weight: 1 lbs 11 oz (765 g), including floating lid but NOT including removable water bottle straps or hydration bladder. 1 lbs 9 oz (709 g) without floating lid.
MSRP: US$139
Capacity: “3200 cu in (47 L) + 400 cu in (7 L)” per manufacturer’s website and product tag. This did not seem correct since 3200 cu in equals 52.4 L, not 47 L. I confirmed the capacity with GoLite's Customer Service:
- Main Body = 2400 cu in (39 L)
- Extension Collar = 400 cu in (7 L)
- External Pockets (mesh and floating lid) = 800 cu in (13 L)
- Total = 3600 cu in (59 L)
Max Carry Weight: 30 lbs (13.6 kg)
Product Description: Billed as an adventure racing pack, the GoLite Speed is geared towards fastpacking and contains only a few bells and whistles. It is basically a contoured silnlylon sack with shoulder straps, a sternum strap, hip belt and five mesh pockets (one on each side at bottom, one on each side at top, and one large pocket on the back with a daisy-chain on it). It has a floating lid, a 7” (18 cm) extension collar, a haul loop, and two straps that fit over the large mesh pocket on back that can be used to store a helmet and hiking poles. It is a top-loading pack with a drawstring in the extension collar. The pack consists of a silnylon body with a slightly heavier cordura bottom panel, with two small grommets on the bottom for water drainage. It has mesh padded shoulder straps, and two mesh channels that help ventilate the wearer’s back. It also comes with reflective bands that can attach water bottles to the shoulder straps, but I took these off. A 3 L (0.8 gallon) Platypus hydration bladder is included.
FIRST IMPRESSION
My first thought was “What’s in the box?” It was folded up into such a small box that I thought the outfitter had shipped me the wrong product! Then I opened it and was amazed at how little it weighed (this is my first ultralight pack). I was a bit concerned about the durability since I’m new to silnylon, but it seemed like a quality piece of gear: no loose or irregular stitches, no blemishes in workmanship or appearance, and all of the adjustments were intuitive. I immediately started packing up my gear to see how my new pack would perform.
TESTING DETAILS
I have tested this pack on several trips from 1 to 4 nights each, including:
- AT Approach Trail to Springer Mountain (Early Fall ’03). This was my first trip with the pack. I carried approximately 30 lbs (13.6 kg) in it and hiked with my 5 and 9 year old for a single overnight. Weather was sunny and warm during the day, but windy and chilly at night. The pack performed very well.
- Mountain Bridge Wilderness, SC (Early Summer ’04). This was my first real test for the Speed. I solo hiked the rim of Caesar’s Head State Park for 4 days/3 nights. Terrain was very strenuous. My starting weight was just over 30 lbs (13.6 kg), which caused a little bit of discomfort on my shoulders until my food weight dropped. Weather was hot (90+ F/32 C) and very humid (from ~90% to pouring rain). The small pack fit well under my poncho. When I decided to take off the poncho and use a contractor’s grade garbage bag for a pack cover, the Speed fit tightly into the garbage bag, and I tore some quick arm holes and started walking. None of my gear got wet. Overall, the mesh panels kept my back well ventilated, and I was able to loosen the shoulder straps and let almost all of the weight rest on the hip belt, which put about 3” (7 cm) of separation between my back and the pack. This was awesome for ventilation, and very comfortable to hike uphill for short stretches.
- Mountain Bridge Wilderness, SC (Late Summer ’04). I went on a 3 day/2 night hike with my 5 year old, carrying almost all of the equipment for both of us. Jones Gap Trail is easy, with very little elevation gain and only a few places where we had to climb through/over/under trees on the trail. All of the gear fit into the pack using only a little bit of the extension collar and without using the floating pocket. Rough gear list included: Hennessey Hammock Backpacker (shared), Wiggy’s 35 F (2 C) bag, food for two, rain gear for me, extra socks/underwear for both, extra clothes for son, small first aid kit, etc.
What I like:
- Comfort. This pack fits very well and is easy to adjust on the go. It doesn’t have a framesheet, so it uses a sleeping pad inside the pack to give it structure. I usually don’t bring a pad since I sleep in a hammock, and I didn’t have any problems with support at all as long as I packed it tight. I noticed the load lifter straps always got caught under the shoulder straps when I put it on, but I just had to pull them out while I was adjusting. I’d rather deal with that and keep the length so I can adjust on the move.
- Volume to weight ratio. At 1 lbs 15 oz (880 g), this pack has quite a bit of room and carries it rather well.
- Very wide mouth for top-loading pack. At first, I wondered why the top drawstring had to be so darn long, but then I realized that when the top is completely open, it uses almost the entire string! This drawstring is 52” (132 cm), but the top of the pack has a circumference of 35” (89 cm) so only about 6” (15 cm) is left when the top is completely open. This is a pretty big mouth for a top-loading pack, which makes it easier to get stuff in and go through the pack without taking everything out. Very convenient.
- Mesh pockets. I especially like the big mesh pocket on the back for wet tarps or swimsuits, like my son and I used on Jones Gap Trail. It is gusseted and measures 10” (25 cm) across the top, 13.5” (34 cm) down the sides, and 11” (28 cm) across the bottom. The top side mesh pockets are a perfect fit for a smashed-down roll of TP with hand sanitizer. They are cut with a diagonally-opening top so one side is longer than the other. Measurements are 5.5” (14 cm) across the top, 7” (18 cm) down one side, 9” (23 cm) on the other side, and 7” (18 cm) across the bottom. See “What I don’t like” for the bottom side pockets. They are cut like the top pockets, and measure 7” (18 cm) across the top and bottom, 7.5” (19 cm) on one side and 9” (23 cm) on the other side.
- Mesh liners down back. The Speed is ventilated better than any internal frame pack I have used, and the mesh panels really add to this. See first Mountain Bridge trip for details.
- Hydration-compatible. This is one of the key things I looked for when I got this pack. The Platypus is a good choice; I like the bite valve better than the ones on my CamelBaks. However, after about 20 days of use the bladder started leaking where the flexible plastic meets the hard plastic next to the screw-top valve. I think this is caused by the way the bottom of the pack’s hydration pocket folds the bottom of the Platypus, which stresses the critical point where the Platypus’ two types of material meet. I put some aquarium silicone on it and the leak stopped.
What I don’t like:
- Platypus sleeve inside pack. This is a pain in the rear. After filling the bladder, I had to unpack most of my pack to fit the bladder back in! Finding a way to put the sleeve on the outside would alleviate this problem. I'd prefer it to remain against my back rather than sticking it into the large mesh pocket where it wouldn't carry as well. One possible solution is to put a shingled flap on the back panel just behind the mesh liners, similar in function to the one where the drinking tube comes out, only big enough for the whole bladder to fit through. Then, install an adjustable compartment to slide the bladder in, and I could slide a filled bladder into the opened compartment and cinched it down tight, without unpacking the entire pack at every fill up. This would take a slight redesign to get the fit and function right without affecting how the pack carries, but I think it would be worth the effort. This is probably the most frustrating point about this pack.
- Hourglass shape. Since the Speed is an adventure racing pack, GoLite designed an hourglass shape so the user could swing his or her elbows when running. Makes sense for running, I guess, but I never run in it. It’s a frameless pack, so GoLite recommends inserting and unrolling the sleeping pad to add structure and to help transfer the load to the hip belt. However, the hourglass shape makes it more difficult to unroll the sleeping pad inside, and results in wasted room at bottom since the pad doesn’t really flare out to meet sides of the pack until I really stuff things down there.
NOTE: This shape is probably an excellent feature for the adventure racers for which this pack was designed. When used in that role, the benefit of swinging elbows may outweigh the disadvantage I noted when using it for normal hikes. I still like the other features of the pack enough to overlook the hourglass shape.
- Floating pocket attachment. I don’t like the way the floating pocket attaches. When I open the pack, the pocket just flops around in the way. Also, the bottom of the pocket doesn’t quite fit around the top of the pack when using the extension collar. And since there is a strap holding the pocket on and one under the pocket holding down the extension collar, the pack has two straps over top of pack doing almost the same thing. I would like to see a redesign so one strap could do both jobs.
- Hip belt buckles won’t stay tight. I have to retighten the hip belt every ½ mile or so, and it happens no matter how tight I have belt (unless it’s hanging loose) and no matter how much of the backpack’s weight the hip belt is supporting. It may be the twisting motion of my waist when I walk that causes it. I think the buckle/webbing combination does not create enough friction to hold tight, so the answer may be to use thicker or rougher webbing or to find a buckle with tighter webbing holes.
- Bottom mesh pockets. These are good pockets: right size, gusseted so there’s still room when the pack is stuffed, and have elastic tops to keep trinkets in. However, if they’re supposed to be used for water bottles and snacks, they’re at just the wrong angle. I can barely reach back and pull a bottle out (I reuse regular old water bottles), and I have to contort myself to get it back in without taking off the pack. When the pack is packed tight, I had a very difficult time fitting a 1 L (1 qt) Nalgene into these pockets with the pack on the ground, and I could not have done it if I were wearing the pack. Angling the opening, or lowering the pockets, may help with this.
- Zippered pockets on hip belt. These pockets are very small and don’t seem very useful to me. I don’t use them. More importantly, when the zipper is closed the slider is right on my hip bone, which causes pain. I have to hike with it about ½” (1.25 cm) open.
DURABILITY
GoLite made this pack from silnylon to be very lightweight, so it may not be as durable as those made from heavier, tougher materials. This is a fair trade since I’m willing to treat it with a bit more care. I haven’t had the material snag or abrade, and I’ve leaned it against trees and laid it on rocks.
The sections where the shoulder straps connect to the main bag have shown no signs of stress, even though I cheated on the max recommended weight by 5-10 lbs (2.3-4.5 kg).
The strap that holds the extension collar down looks like it is pulling too hard on the silnylon where it is connected. This is curious because it doesn’t seem to handle very much stress unless I really cinch it down, which I did not do. Still, the silnylon seems to be separating just below the seam. Not to the point of structural failure, but enough to irritate me since it happened on my second trip. I have not called GoLite to ask for a repair.
SUMMARY
Overall, I love this pack. It’s comfortable when used with the recommended loads, ventilates very well, and is easy to load and adjust. It has just the right amount of extras, with the mesh pockets and extension collar coming in handy for every hike. If I had to change one thing, I would put the bladder sleeve outside the main bag for easier refilling. Once I replace the hip buckles with ones that don’t slip, the other complaints are just details. This is a great pack and I’m glad I chose it.
Final Note: I saw a newer version of the GoLite Speed (2004, I think) and some of my complaints were addressed. For example, the hip belt now has about ¼” (.6 cm) of padding behind the pockets, and these pockets are now gusseted to increase capacity. Also, they now use a different type of hydration bladder, so the leaks may not occur as in my pack.
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