Initial Report:  Gossamer Gear Mariposa Pack

Tester:  Rosaleen Sullivan

Age:  54 years

Gender: Female

Height:  5’ 9’’ / 1.75 m

Weight:  180 lb / 82 kg

E-mail:  rosaleen43 (at) aol (dot) com

Home:  Eastern Massachusetts, USA

Date:  November 28, 2004

 

Manufacturer:  Gossamer Gear

URL:  http://gossamergear.com/

Size:  Medium

Color:  Royal blue and black

Year of Manufacture:  2004

MSRP:  $129.95 US

 

Product Specifications (From the website with added metric conversions):

 

Weight:

• 14.6 - 17.2 oz. depending on features installed  (414 g – 488 g depending on features installed)
• Foam shoulder strap pads add 0.2 oz. each  (add 5.7 g each)
• Foam waist belt pads add 0.15 oz. each  (add 4.25 g each)
• Removable sternum strap adds 0.6 oz.  (adds 17 g)
• Compression lacing adds 0.5 oz.  (adds 14.2 g)
• Carbon fiber stays add 0.4 oz. each  (add 11.3 g each)

Capacity:

• 2,900 c.i. / 48 L (medium/pack body)
• 4,200 c.i. including 800 c.i. extension collar, 500 c.i. pockets (~ 69 L total including 13 L extension collar and 8 L pockets)

Size:

• Small (16" - 19" torso / .41 - .48 m torso)
• Medium (18" - 22" torso / .46 - .56 m torso)
• Large (20" - 24" torso / .51 - .61 m)

Materials:

• 40 denier 1.3 oz. silicone-impregnated ripstop nylon ("silnylon")
• Selected use of 210 denier 4 oz. (113.4 g) urethane-coated nylon double wall ripstop

Color:  Royal Blue

 

Initial Observations and Impressions

 

The Mariposa arrived in a triangular-prism shaped box, of a size that my hands could encompass.  A PACK?  In THERE?  Isn’t this package too small and too light for a pack?  Well, apparently not!  First out were the shipping paperwork and the “User Manual.”  The manual lists the items included in the Mariposa package.  These are the pack, with carbon fiber stays, sternum strap, and compression lacing pre-installed, the uninstalled foam shoulder and hip belt padding, plus the User Manual.  So far, so good!

 

The User Manual explains how to use clothing to pad the hip and shoulder straps or to use the included (but yet to be installed) closed cell foam, and what size and type of sleeping pad (20 x 30 in / ~ .50 x .75 m), inflatable or closed cell foam) to use in the outside back pockets for back padding.  The manual also has recommendations for loading the pack for comfort and stability, as well as how to gently use (baby) the pack for its longevity.  In my experience, most ultra lightweight gear requires careful use to avoid damage, as durability can be the trade off for lighter weight.

 

After giving the literature a cursory look, I traced the outline of the included foam pads onto some poster board. The manual says that repeated removal of the closed cell pads could result in some damage to them.  I’m hoping that if I want to replace the pads, I can use the cut poster board as patterns for cutting out new pads.  I do anticipate taking them out to test using clothing (socks, etc.) to save the weight of the foam pads.

 

Looking at the pack, it seems just as described at the Gossamer Gear website.  It is a rich blue silnylon with black mesh pockets, straps, and heavier black material stress areas.  The pack has a generous pocket on the front and three side pockets.  On the lower right, there is a small pocket superimposed at the bottom of the longer pocket.  This appears to be the “water bottle” pocket that the user is supposed to be able to reach without removing the pack.  Inside the pack, there is a generous hydration bag pocket.  My 3 liter (a little over 3 quart) bladder fits into it very nicely.  The Mariposa features two covered hydration tube ports, right and left.  The top has a drawstring closure, and is generously long enough to allow for some rolling before it is secured with a “Y” shaped strap.  This strap is designed to hold large items, such as a bear canister, or large foam pad, on the outside of the pack.

 

I weighed the pack as it came from the box:

• Pack body:  16.3 oz / 462 g
• Foam inserts: .78 oz / 22 g
• Total:  17.08 oz / 484 g

Straight from the box, the carbon fiber stays are installed, as is the compression cord.  The empty pack with all its options seems to weigh within the manufacturer’s specifications: “14.6 - 17.2 oz. depending on features installed” which, converted, is 414 g – 488 g “depending on features installed.”  I really appreciate truth in advertising!

 

Test Plan

 

It is easy for many light and ultra light fans to become obsessed with weight versus volume, and with paring down every possible gram.  I can get enthusiastic about dropping my carried weight, but still want to maintain comfort.  The Mariposa offers an intriguing blend of comfort V. weight.  I will try both the spare socks, etc., clothing stuffed into the shoulder and hip belts, and the foam pads.  If I’m comfortable with the clothing for padding, I will be happy to lose the extra weight.  If this is not comfortable, or I find stuffing and unstuffing clothes into these small spaces to be too time consuming or inconvenient, regaining the extra .7 oz (< 20 g), won’t be a big deal.  The pack is already made of very light materials.  Gossamer gear has stripped out “frills,” allowing the user to use only the components he or she needs.  I don’t anticipate that I will be happy with no shoulder, hip, or back padding, or without the carbon fiber stays, but I plan to try varying-weight loads with assorted pack configurations to see what works for me.  It is possible that I will find that I need all the options to haul gear into a base camp, but can then use the stripped pack as a daypack with just lunch and rain gear. 

 

Most of my testing will be done as day or weekend hikes in New England, primarily in Eastern Massachusetts, with some trips to the Berkshire (MA) Appalachian Trail, and other Central and Eastern Massachusetts trails.  There is a possibility of an extended backpacking trip in April 2005, during the “Long Term Testing” phase.  Here, on the coastal plain, we are pretty close to sea level, and New England in winter through spring should experience temperatures between 0 and 85 F (~ -18 and 30 C).  I doubt altitude will make much difference to the pack, but extreme cold might affect the fabric.  We have plenty of rocky slopes and often have to find ways around downed trees, so, in spite of efforts to “baby” the pack, it will likely experience some abrasive situations.  I will be looking at how well the pack performs and holds up in winter and spring conditions.

 

Likes, So Far

• Empty, it is light enough to pick up and hold with one finger.
• Elegant simplicity

 

Dislikes, So Far

• None

 

List of Questions for Which I Will Seek Answers

• How comfortable is the loaded pack with foam pads in the shoulder harness and hip belt?
• How comfortable is the loaded pack with using clothing instead of foam pads (above)?
• Does the pack carrying comfort vary considerably with varied loads?
• Are there differences in comfort and stability using inflatable sleeping pads V. closed cell for back padding?
• How hard is the sleeping pad to insert and remove from its pockets when the pack is filled?  (Part of the concept of using the sleeping pad for the back stabilizer/padding was to have the pad available at rest stops.)  
• Does the sleeping pad get damp/wet from the hiker’s perspiration as the pack is carried?  Is this a problem? 
• How close to the user’s back does the sleeping pad ride?  Does it cause an over heating problem?
• How difficult or time consuming is it to remove or reapply pads (or socks), straps, stays?
• Does the pack show signs of wear and tear or failure during the testing phases?
• How easy is it to reach the side “water bottle pocket” when the pack is worn?
• Does my hydration bladder fit in one of the side pockets, a suggested option?
• Does the “Y” strap effectively hold a bear canister or other large objects?
• How easy is the pack to load/unload/ use?
• Will I miss a “top lid?”
• Will I miss “load lifters?”  (Adjustable straps that pull the pack up and closer to the shoulders)

 

Tester Background

 

I’m an aspiring Ultralighter.  I do most of my backpacking over weekends in New England.  Additionally, I have been lucky enough to experience hiking to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and a 110 mile (177 km) stretch of the Appalachian Trail from Pennsylvania to northern Virginia.  My preferred gear at this time includes a hammock, alcohol or tablet stove, mini or no-cook home-dehydrated foods, and the least clothing and gear that I can feel comfortable carrying for that trip.

 

Respectfully submitted with appreciation for the opportunity to test the Mariposa Pack,

 

Rosaleen Sullivan