Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Pack > Dennis Shubitowski > Long Term Report

Long Term Report - Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude

Report Outline

Biography <back to top>

I began backpacking in the early 1990s. I hike in every season including winter, and I also enjoy other outdoor activities like hunting, canoeing and riding horses. My beginning pack weights were monstrously heavy, but now my average three-season load for a multi-day trip, including food and water, is usually less than 25 lb (11.3 kg). Gear that I carry tends to be the lightest I can go without sacrificing comfort or convenience.

Product Information <back to top>

Testing Conditions <back to top>

I have used the Nimbus Latitude as my only dayhiking and overnight pack for the six month test period. I had three additional overnight trips - one on a local trail and two others in northern Michigan. Trail conditions were mostly nicely groomed hiking trails with a fair amount of slop thrown in at times, but I did have several hikes through some pretty hairy bushwhacks that left my legs shredded after forgetting long pants. The weather during this period has ranged from lovely to rainy going from summer into autumn. The highest temperatures experienced in the test period where in the mid 90s F (35 C) and the lows were around freezing. I have hiked with the pack in sunshine, high wind, and rainstorms but no snow. I carried loads ranging from around 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms) to about 45 pounds (20.5 kilograms).

Long Term Report <back to top>

Comfort

I have to start the report out with comfort - I can say that this is probably the most comfortable pack I have ever carried. On a recent dayhike with about 20 pounds (9 kilograms) loaded up, I donned and adjusted the pack at the parking lot, and then I completely forgot about the pack until about 7 miles (11 km) later. I did not need to adjust it, tweak it, or fiddle with it, and I laughed to myself as I realized this. The comfort comes mainly from the outstanding padding that Granite Gear uses in the back, shoulder straps, and hip belt. This padding is so smooth, luxurious, and, well, padded that it makes carrying this pack a joy. There are no tight spots, pinching, or uncomfortable pressure points that I experienced while wearing this pack. There is a saying among thru-hikers about that "Granite Gear Comfort" (with a drooling motion) and I know exactly what they are talking about. The padding allows the pack to adjusted down quite snug without discomfort (especially at the hip) and that allows the frame to do a very effective job of transferring weight throughout the suspension system. The suspension on the pack allows it to easily transfer weight around for comfort under the heavier pack loads. This pack excels at carrying loads around 30 pounds (14 kilograms) or less, but it is definitely acceptable up to 45 pounds (20.5 kilograms) which is the maximum that I carried. It is not that the pack suspension could not handle the weight, it was that I did not like carrying that much.

Volume

The pack volume is a good, acceptable size for me at 3800 cubic inches (62 liters). I only own one pack that is larger (and it is a huge monster of a pack) that only comes out in the winter with high-bulk items. When I was briefly entertaining the idea of a month long thru-hike, I planned on using the Nimbus Latitude. My other pack I have that I considered would have been a bit tight at 3100 cubic inches (51 liters). It works from a range of dayhiking to multiple overnight trips for my lightweight style of backpacking. It is a good thing that this volume works because there is not much room on the outside of this pack and there is no extension collar to expand to create more room. I do not really like the external pockets on this packs - I long for much larger, taller, mesh, and deeper pockets. I really like the option of having outside pockets that I can put wet things into (like a tarp or raingear) where they will not wet the rest of my gear and will have a prayer of drying out. The bottom side compression strap also goes right over the pocket and tended to push some items out toward the top. I never lost anything, but I found things hanging precariously quite a few times. I tended to carry my folded rain poncho/shelter, Tyvek groundsheet, stakes, alcohol bottle, and trowel in the pockets. I also put some low bulk layers in them like a windshirt if it was off and on throughout a hike. If I really stretched, I could pull items out of the pockets while wearing the pack, but it was not an entirely comfortable experience.

Packing

I had a lot of initial problems packing the Nimbus Latitude. It is still somewhat of a balancing act when first loading the pack - it is not like a top-loader where I can dump stuff into the pack and it is not going anywhere. Once things are generally in place, the internal compression strap can be done up and that helps hold everything in place. I solved my packing problems by switching to stuff sacks for everything and moving my folding bucket to the top of the pack and folding it over. Stuff sacks still had a tendency for slipping around (especially silnylon ones) when one was removed, but at least I got over the issue of having my stuff all over the ground at breaks and learned to use the panel loader more effectively. My usual method of packing is a "toploading" mentality by packing things in the order I need to access them. This is not really necessary in this pack - I can put stuff wherever I want (well, within weight-distribution limits for carrying comfort) as it is all easy-access. As far as other components, I ended up not using the "floating top lid" much after the Field Report - it seemed a silly idea to me and often got in the way of packing by having to get stuffed in at the end as an afterthought. I lost count of the number of times I closed the pack up thinking I had everything then realized the top lid was hanging out the front. I replaced the regular contents of what would be in the lid with a small, homemade silnylon stuff sack and it worked quite well.

Durability

I have had no problems with durability with the pack. The zippers which were my main point of concern have held up well even under strain and some pretty bulky loads. The Durastretch fabric is very effective at "giving" to help protect the zippers. The pack has quite a few dirt marks and scuffs, but the material is not worse for the wear. The bottom of the pack did not develop any weak spots or holes, the Durastretch did not snag, and the nylon was effective even in some thorny bushwhacks while scouting trail re-routes. All of the straps and adjustment mechanisms continue to function as they should. I have high confidence that I could carry this pack for quite a stretch without material issues based on my experience so far.

Problems

Outside of the pockets and floating lid which I already mentioned, there are a few other minor issues with the Nimbus Latitude. The hydration port exit is too small for both Platypus and Camelbak mouthpieces on my various bladders. This is only an issue at the start and end of a hike when the bladder goes in and out of the pack. Otherwise, during a hike, I just take the mouthpiece off the tube and hook it directly to my water filter so I do not have to remove the bladder from the hydration exit sleeve. To be honest, the plastic hydration port seems overdone - I would be happy with a simple exit flap over each shoulder so the tube could be routed to the left or right by user choice. Other minor issues are the flaps that cover the screws for torso length and shoulder strap adjustment. The flap could be longer so it tucks behind the back pad. Right now the flap sometimes folds up and sticks out over the back pad (and into my shoulder) - it generally needs to adjusted and smoothed out of the way everytime I put the pack on.

Will I Still Use It?

One thing I learned in this test is that a panel loader is not for me. I often thought this would be a perfect pack if it was a toploader, had larger mesh pockets, and was about a half to one pound (200 to 500 grams) lighter. Fortunately, Granite Gear already makes a pack close to this (well, except for the pockets...)! This pack fills a nice niche in their product line and there is really nothing essentially wrong with the pack except the fact that it is a panel loader and that is no fault of the pack. On the other hand, the Nimbus Latitude is absolutely perfect as a hammock pack. As a hammocker, I often carry oversized pads that are hard to fit into many packs without sticking out to be chewed up by the passing shrubery. The Nimbus Latitude has that perfect location right in the vertical center of the pack between the zippers where a big pad can be rolled up, held in place with the compression straps, and protected on the sides by the fabric the compression straps are attached to. It is a general design of the Granite Gear packs and it is well-suited for this purpose or carrying any other rollable, bulky item.

I have found myself recommending Granite Gear packs to other people when "gear talk" comes up. I really like the design and idea behind their packs. I may have the opportunity to test many packs through BackpackGearTest.org, but I will probably actually buy another Granite Gear pack in future - I like them that much and that is saying something. Many thanks to Granite Gear and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me this product evaluation.

Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Pack > Dennis Shubitowski > Long Term Report