Long Term Report:  Gossamer Gear Mariposa Pack

Tester:  Rosaleen Sullivan

Age:  55 years

Gender: Female

Height:  5’ 9’’ / 1.75 m

Weight:  180 lb / 82 kg

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

Home:  Eastern Massachusetts, USA

Date: May 31, 2005

Manufacturer:  Gossamer Gear

URL:  http://gossamergear.com/

Size:  Medium

Color:  Royal blue and black

Year of Manufacture:  2004

MSRP:  $129.95 US

Product Specifications are listed in my Initial Report.

Interim information is in my Field Report.

General Description (from previous reports)

The Gossamer Gear Mariposa Pack is a very light backpack that employs carbon fiber arrow shafts as internal support stays, and the user’s own sleeping pad for back padding.  If all the (supplied) removable options are in place, the pack weighs 17.08 oz / 484 g.  Appropriately shaped pieces of closed cell foam are supplied and can be inserted into hook and loop fastened pockets within the shoulder straps and hip belt.  Alternatively, the user may stuff spare clothing, such as socks, into these silnylon-lined pockets as padding, avoiding the slight extra weight of the foam.  Four mesh outer pockets allow quick access to the user’s water bottle and other small items, or a place for wet or smelly gear to have some exposure to air.  The mostly silnylon pack has a more wear resistant fabric on the bottom, a piece of shock cording and several strategically placed loops for some compression, as desired, and an interior pocket for a water bladder.   There is no “lid top pocket,” but the drawstring top can be folded down, and then secured with a “Y” shaped strap.  The juncture of the “Y” has a slide adjustment and is intended to provide secure lashing for items such as bulky sleeping pads, bear canisters, etc.  The shoulder straps do have a connecting sternum strap, which features a whistle integrated into the connecting buckle.

Results of Long Term Testing

For this test period, I carried the Mariposa on one 7 mile (< 11 km) “shakedown” hike in preparation for an extended hike, a 56.7 mile (91 km) section hike of the North Carolina/Tennessee Appalachian Trail, and as carry on luggage for one flight.  Temperatures for the trips ranged between mid 30’s F and low 80’s F (>2 C to >28 C).  The terrain ranged from the rolling hills of New England’s coastal plains to mountains following Appalachian ridges to a height of about 4750 ft (1448 km).

Near the end of the Field Test period, I replaced the closed cell foam in the shoulder and hip belts with socks, hats, or gloves, and the Z-Rest section in the back pad pockets with a Therm-a-Rest Prolite 4 short.  I was very pleased with the comfort level with the alternate fill and have not gone back to the closed cell padding.  Wooly items did need some plastic bag protection to prevent the hook and loop closures from abrading them as I stuffed and removed each.  We had a nasty cold snap on the east coast of the USA before my long hike in April.  Night time temperatures were at or near freezing both here in Massachusetts, as well as in the southern Appalachians.  In my anxiety over the cold and knowledge of snow conditions in the Tennessee mountains, I added clothing and food to my pack beyond what I’d so carefully planned.  I think the pack I carried for most of the long section hike reached close to 30 lb (~14 kg) with the “extras.”   (Yes, I was sorry, especially during some ascents.)  The Mariposa carried comfortably even at my estimated 30 lb (~14 kg), although I did find that I had to occasionally readjust straps that would loosen as my steps shook my gear.  This was, of course, more pronounced when I slung my pack loose to allow for some air circulation to my back.

Some small experiments I tried included hanging a fanny pack from the front in hopes of counterbalancing some weight.  I couldn’t tell if the fanny pack slung from the haul loop across a shoulder to the front of a shoulder strap, or just slung between shoulder straps in the front was of any help.  It did put some small items in reach during the day, so, in that regard it was helpful.  I was very glad for the long pocket on the pack’s left side when my hydration bladder decided to leak.  I first noticed it as I picked up my well-stuffed pack from a dining room chair, on my way to loading my truck for “The Big Hike.”  As one might imagine, I was NOT pleased to find the chair seat wet.  I couldn’t determine the source of the leak and moved the refilled bladder to the outside pocket for the duration of the hike.  (The hole grew large enough to find it near the end of the trip.)  I was able to load my hammock on the inside opposite of the water bladder and place a filled quart sized bottle in the outer right pocket, so the pack felt reasonably well balanced as I hiked.   I never needed to lash anything to the outside of the pack, but the “Y” strap did help restrain bulky semi-hard items at the top inside of the pack.

For my section hike, I used a Hennessy hammock.  My hats and gloves and spare socks took turns “riding” in the pad pockets and doing dual duty.  (Just before the hike, I made some micro fleece and a water repellant fabric hats and mittens to layer, as needed.)  At night, once my food and other “smellables” were hung, I found the option of removing the pack’s stays and padding to be a boon.  Instead of worrying about where to stash my pack, I removed the stays and tucked them into the gathered Snakeskins on the hammock’s hanging ropes, and popped my Therm-a-Rest into the hammock.  Once I was inside, holding the pack on my lap as I laid back, it was very easy to deploy my sleeping bag as a blanket right out of the pack.  Then, I’d take out my inflatable pillow and anything else I might need for the night, and slip the pack under my legs.  It became part of my insulation and sleep comfort system.  With the stays removed, the now soft bag couldn’t poke any holes through the hammock bottom, or have any hard spots pressing into my legs.  I think I’ve found a very workable solution for what I should do with my pack at night, and how to insulate my legs below my short air mattress.  I just love multiple uses of anything I have to lug around all day!

Under good and bad news, I encountered one problem in this time.  Somehow I must have inadvertently allowed the pack to rub against an object, scraping a hole in the upper left side.  I was horrified to find it after the day long shake down hike.

Not wanting to have a too obvious scar, I contacted Glen Van Peski at Gossamer Gear and procured a matching piece of silnylon to sew over the hole.  I think the repair looks like a small pocket, as long as one doesn’t inspect it too closely. 

I have been very happy with the customer service that Glen provides.  He was prompt with sending out the silnylon for the repair patch, and very patient with questions about accessory gear that I bought or considered buying.  Imagine how glad I was that I had bought the clear plastic (perfect fit) pack liner that saved my gear from getting soaked when my water bladder leaked!  He also has sent me a sample of the mesh used for the back pad pockets.  My long sleeved Supplex shirt that I wear for sun protection has some large black stains on the back.  I think the color in the pad sleeves transferred to my shirt back while I was sweating profusely.  Wicking polyester knit shirts with a slick finish did not have the same problem as the less smooth Supplex nylon.  I’ve been told that nylon picks up color very easily.  If the black stain on the nylon and not polyester is an indication, that’s a valid premise.  It is too bad that nylon doesn’t give up color as easily.

One other point that I find useful about backpacks is whether or not they fit in an overhead bin for air travel.  I carried my Mariposa, minus any fuel, knives, or hiking poles, on board a flight from Washington, DC, to Boston, MA, with no problems.   The less than filled to capacity pack, pockets empty, easily fit into the bin over my seat.  I felt that I could have filled it more, should I have wished to do so.  Since I like being able to fly with key trekking gear in hand, I was pleased to know that I can carry my pack, some food and clothing, sleeping gear, etc., and have it fit overhead.   Food, fuel, some sort of a staff, and even a razor knife can be purchased after landing, as needed.  I would find it a major inconvenience to arrive at a destination and discover that my pack, shelter, and sleeping gear were among the airline’s missing bags.

Likes (Nearly unchanged from the test start!)

• Light enough to pick up and hold with one finger when empty
• Elegant simplicity
• Multiple options for comfort/cutting weight (Allows for multiple uses of clothing/gear.)
• Comfortable with loads tested, to about 30 lb (~14 kg)
• Easy removal and replacement of back padding (Yields a handy option for using pad during rest breaks.)
• No sign of wear at the end of 6 months, except for one repair
• Options for carrying water bladder inside or outside of the pack
•  Great customer service!

 

Dislikes

• Cumbersome stuffing of clothing into pad pockets (Smaller or less fuzzy items and plastic bags help.  Larger openings might be useful here.)
• Back mesh for pad pocket seems to bleed black color onto nylon clothing under pressure and sweaty conditions.
• Lack of ventilation between the user’s back and the pack can make it extra hot to carry.
• Water bottle side pocket worked well for me to get the bottle out, but not in, as the pack was worn.  (Possibly a function of my own stiffness or the size of my wrapped water bottle.)

 Conclusion:

I found the Mariposa to be a nice, simple, light pack to use.  As with any top loader, I had to be mindful of how I packed items to be able to access them when needed.  It shrugged off light showers, but is not completely waterproof.  (Otherwise, the leaking water bladder wouldn’t have soaked my chair.)  I think I would have liked load lifters, but I was able to keep the pack in a comfortable position without them.  The concept of multiple uses for gear carried and the elimination of unneeded pack parts is carried to a high degree with this pack. 

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