Name: Lee Parker
Age: 45
Gender: Male
Height: 6' 0" (1.8 m)
Weight: 160 lbs (72.5 kg)
Email address: l_parker@cacaphony.net
City, State, Country: Destin, Florida, U.S.A.
Date: Wednesday, June 02, 2004

Backpacking Background

I first began hiking when I was about seven years old in the Ozark and Quachita Mountains of Arkansas. My first long distance backpacking trip was at the age of fourteen with the Boy Scouts in North Carolina. We hiked fifty miles (81 km) in five days, most of us with canvas rucksacks (aluminum frame packs were still relatively rare). It is still one of the most memorable hikes I have ever been on.

Since then my hikes have ranged from the Rockies in Colorado to the Appalachians in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee and New Hampshire with numerous short hikes in Wilderness Areas all over the United States. Some memorable recent hikes include trips to Savage Gulf, Tennessee; Slickrock Wilderness Area, North Carolina; and a New Years Day summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. Although I hike year round, I prefer the winter season for its lack of heat, lack of bugs and lack of people on the trails. I generally hike solo or with my two sons.

If I am not hiking in my free time, I am working on trail projects for the Florida Trail Association where I am a Section Leader developing a thirty mile (48.3 km) section that isn’t completed yet. As you might imagine, my gear sees a lot of wear and tear.

Product Information
GoLite Speed Adventure Race Pack

Manufacturer: GoLite
Model: Speed Adventure Race
Size: Large (2400 ci or 40 L)
Year of Manufacture: 2002 (late model, identical to 2003 model)
URL: www.golite.com
Listed Weight: 1 lb 11 oz. (765 g)
Weight as Delivered: 2 lbs (907 g) with hydration bladder

Product Description (from Manufacturer)

A super lightweight comfortable pack with lots of features for the ultralight backpacker. Great for 1-3 day trips. Maximum Carry Weight - 30 lbs. (13.6 kg)

Contour shaped shoulder straps.
Spine Length; S: 16 - 18 in (40.6 - 45.7 cm), M: 18 -20 in (45.7 - 51 cm), L: 20 -22 in (51 - 56 cm)
1.5 in (3.81 cm) contoured webbing/fabric hip belt with 2 gusseted pockets for small items.
Floating, removable top lid with compression strap and pocket.
Contoured air-channel mesh back.
SilLite™ body - A 1.76 oz (50 g) silicone impregnated ripstop nylon. It is light, has a high tensile strength and is waterproof with an equivalent rating of 3500 mm SilLite™ will not delaminate.
Arrowhead Cordura® ripstop nylon bottom, which is incredibly abrasion resistant and waterproof.
Internal 3 L (101 fl oz) hydration sleeve.
Reflective shoulder strap water bottle holders.
Neoprene helmet holder.
Daisy chain.
Tool retention strap.
Rear bungee compression/accessory strap.
Sternum strap.
Haul Loop.
Pack shape allows elbow swing.
4 external mesh pockets.
Extension collar adds 400 cu in.

Product Evaluation

I received the Speed Adventure Race Pack directly from GoLite. Although it was ordered in 2002, the representative I had worked with on the phone had insured that I received the 2003 model as promised. The chief difference being a redesign of the pack's lid. The new lid has two attachment points on the back and one on the front, the earlier model only had one on the back making it somewhat unstable. I found the redesigned lid to still have a tendency to slip around on the top of the pack, but it does not come off or expose the top of the pack's collar opening. The pocket in the lid is a single large compartment with no security pocket or even key loop. The compression strap is not part of the lid but rather attaches underneath the lid separately. I found this to be an excellent arrangement, especially if I needed to strap something like ropes or a jacket under the lid

The shoulder straps are comfortable despite their thin construction. My pack is the large size in the Sunlight color and it fits well except for the shoulder strap's load lifters. The straps seem to be attached too high on the pack and do not leave sufficient room for the lifters to function properly. There are elastic keepers for the ends of the lifter straps to secure them from flapping. The nylon mesh is both breathable and lightweight. There is a Velcro water bottle holder threaded onto each shoulder strap. The water bottle holders readily accepted two bicycle water bottles I had lying around and there are two elastic bungee cords provided to keep the bottoms of the bottles from flopping about. I am not certain what the purpose of the reflective tape on the water bottle straps is though. I certainly wouldn't be running down a street with this and it is too minimal to show up very well in a flashlight beam.

The contoured hip belt is comfortable and the zippered pockets are just the right size for a pair of thick wool socks as padding. I found that to be particularly important as the weight of the loaded pack increased. If you plan on using the pockets to store "small items" as the manufacturer's web site suggests, don't plan on using the hip belt to distribute the load.

The contour air channel mesh back is constructed similarly to the shoulder straps with a thin layer of foam covered with breathable nylon mesh. The foam could be a little thicker here to provide more air movement. Another layer of foam is sewn inside the the double back wall of the pack to help provide some rigidity. I found that this wasn't enough support for heavier loads but that using a Therm-a-Rest sleeping bag pad rolled into a tube stiffened the pack up quite well.

The SilLite™ body is a ripstop version of SilNylon and seems to be quite durable. It is also colorfast - something that I have found to be a problem with other pack materials. The bottom of the pack is a heavier ripstop nylon but is still lighter than most pack's body materials. The seams of the pack are not taped which probably contributed to the pack leaking when rained on, despite the material being waterproof.

There is an internal hydration sleeve for a water bladder and this model came equipped with a 3 L (101 fl oz) Platypus bladder. The Platypus bladder has a zip lock top which I was skeptical of at first, but in two years of use has never failed and is amazingly convenient to fill.

The neoprene helmet holder is sized adequately for a normal climbing helmet or a bicycle helmet. The neoprene does a good job of keeping the helmet from sliding out of the pocket and I found that the helmet holder also makes a great place to stash a rain shell or parka where it can be gotten to quickly.

The daisy chain is actually two chains one mounted vertically above a lower smaller one. The webbing is hourglass shaped rather than ordinary straight webbing, making it much easier to attach carabiners to. Many pack manufacturers provide one or more tool loops at the bottom of the pack but no retention strap at the top for the tool's handle. GoLite not only provides such a retention strap they have ingeniously constructed it out of Velcro in such a way that it can be detached from the daisy chain and then be moved up or down on the chain to adjust for the handle length of different tools. There is a single tool strap at the bottom, but it is a one-piece loop with no buckles for easy removal/attachment of the tool.

The sternum strap is adjustable both vertically and horizontally with an elastic take-up on one side, but is not removable. In practice, I have found that the sternum strap is almost unnecessary with light loads.

The mesh pockets are one of the nicest features of this pack. My previous lightweight packs have all saved weight by eliminating the outside pockets. They seem to be a slightly heavier weave/fabric than the straps and back padding. I found all kinds of things that I preferred to have on the outside of the pack that fit handily in the pockets. I especially like to keep my stove fuel, be it alcohol or gas, in an outside pocket to avoid accidentally leaking fuel onto my sleeping bag or clothing.

The extension collar is nice to have but I have rarely had need to carry that much in this pack without exceeding its rated load of 30 lbs (13.61 kg). It would be nice to have a second drawstring around the nominal top opening as well as the one at the end of the extension collar.

In summary, it is obvious that a lot of thought went into the features of this pack. The little extras such as keepers for straps and detachable tool retainers that add minimal weight but make it a much more usable pack show that the Speed Adventure Race Pack was designed with use in mind.

Field Testing

Field-testing was conducted in both cold weather with a winter gear load and warm weather with a lighter summer load. Both loads were “minimalist” for the conditions we expected to encounter. The summer load was designed to mimic a thru hike load with the exception of only carrying two days worth of food.

Cold Weather Test

Location: Stecoah Mountains, on the Appalachian Trail from Dick’s Creek Gap to Nantahala Outdoor Center. Starting elevation was 2,675 ft. (815 m); ending elevation was 1,723 ft (525 m), with most of the route between 3,000 and 4,000 ft ( 914 m and 1219 m). Lots of ups and downs, this is one of the most rugged sections of the Southern Appalachians.
Weather: Temperatures ranged from 25 F to 50 F ( -4 C to 10 C), overcast with dense fog and occasional freezing rain.
Trip Overview: This was initially planned as a four-day extended weekend jaunt covering 67 miles (108 km) of the Appalachian Trail in the Stecoah Mountains for two hikers, both with brand new Speed Adventure Race Packs. Mileage was supposed to average around 15 miles (24 km) per day. Unfortunately, my hiking partner had to drop out at Wayah Bald due to an injury. Rather than terminate the hike, I decided to finish the remaining 17 miles (27.4 km) after lunch the third day, making the final day’s mileage 25 miles (40.25 km). This mileage was only possible because of the light weight of the pack I was carrying.
Performance: The starting weight of each pack was 32 lbs (14.52 kg), well over the 30 lb (13.61 kg) recommended load. This was still lighter than any previous trip and we had no problem holding a fast pace, even with the frequent steep climbs. I had Gatorade Bicycle Water Bottles attached to both shoulder straps but didn’t really need them. The water bottle system worked very well and the Platypus’ bite valve is one of the few that I have seen that does not leak. I had put an extra pair of socks in the hip belt pouches provided for that purpose (other reviewers seemed to be confused as to what they were for) and they helped cushion the extra load on my hips very well. The only problems we had were the shoulder straps on my partner’s pack were too close together for the size of his neck causing some discomfort. Also, the bags are quite definitely NOT waterproof despite being SilNylon.

Warm Weather Test

Location: Eglin AFB, on the Florida Trail, from Range Road 317 to the Eglin Portal Campsite and return. Starting elevation was about 40 ft (12.2 m) ending elevation was about 40 ft (12.2 m). Total distance covered was 12 miles (19.32 km) in three hours. The terrain is a mixture of flat pinewoods and bottomlands. The only climbs were short ascents/descents transiting the bottomlands.
Weather: Temperatures ranged from 30 F to 70 F ( -1 C to 21 C), clear and sunny.
Trip Overview: This was a weekend overnighter for two of us, just an excuse to get outside and relax a little. Starting late on a Friday afternoon and hiking six miles (9.66 km) in to the campsite then six miles (9.66km) back out the next morning. This was also a test for some other bits of ultra light gear in a somewhat safe setting.
Performance: The starting weight of the Speed Pack was 20 lbs (9 kg) including food and 3 L (100 oz) of water. Since this was a very light load, without any of the extra winter gear or heavy sleeping bags of the earlier test, I did not use the sock padding in the hip belt and found that it worked just fine without it. We were perspiring heavily due to the pace and the ambient temperature but the bag still felt comfortable. I had not used the water bottle holders on the shoulder straps this time and soon discovered that 3 L (100 oz) of water wasn’t enough for this kind of exertion, the extra water bottle attachments began to make sense. Even at the fast pace we were holding, the Speed Pack was comfortable to wear with no chafing, rubbing or binding. Even though we were sweating profusely, the interior of the pack remained dry, leading me to believe that the previous leakage problems were caused by untaped seams.

Summary

Overall, the GoLite Speed Adventure Race Pack is a great ultra-light pack. While it has some features that are particular for Adventure Racing, they don't detract from its usefulness to the average hiker. For the truly weight conscious, the “extra features” such as the keepers, bungees and helmet holder can always be cut off to shave an ounce or two. For myself, I have found them to be useful enough to justify the extra weight. The Speed Adventure Race Pack seems to carry best in the 20 to 25 lb (9 - 11.3 kg) load range. For me, 30 lbs (13.6 kg) is getting close to the limits of comfort with the light suspension and I found 35 lbs (15.8 kg) to be downright uncomfortable.

After 5 week-long trips there is some slight stretching of the stitching where the pack straps are sewn to the top of the bag, which is the only sign of wear so far. This isn’t unusual; most of my packs exhibit the same signs.

In short, the GoLite Speed Adventure Race Pack is an excellent pack for hikers looking to lighten their load without a major lightening of their wallet.

Read more reviews of GoLite gear
Read more gear reviews by Lee Parker

Reviews > Packs > Frameless Backpacks and Day Packs > GoLite Speed Pack > Owner Review by Lee Parker

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