Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki > Kathy Waters > Long Term Report

Long Term Report: Granite Gear Nimbus Ki 3800 Women's Pack 
3 November 2005

Contents:
Tester Biographical Information
Product Information
Field Conditions/Completed Tests Results
Summary

Tester Biographical Information    <back to top>

Name: Kathleen Waters
Age: 54
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 4in (1.63 m)
Torso: 19.5 in (50 cm)
Hips: 34 in (86 cm)
Weight: 128 lb (58 kg)
Email address: kathy at ring dot com or TheMiddleSister at usaring dot com
City, State, Country: White Lake, MI USA

Backpacking Background: My husband and I started hiking in 1998 on a gorgeous fall day, starting with Mt. Hahn located just north of Steamboat Springs, CO.

Since then, we have returned to Colorado, mostly to the Vail Valley area twice a year, both summer/early fall and winter to play outdoors - we snowshoe in the winter.

When we are home in Southeast Michigan, we make it a point to hike 2 or 3 weekdays, usually 6 to 8 miles (10 to 13 km) and then one whole weekend day. Our weekday hikes generally take place in the Pontiac Lake Recreation Area, which is a decent mixture of moderately steep hills and flat terrain, heavily wooded. Our weekend hikes can end up being anywhere!

Product Information (from website)    <back to top>
http://www.granitegear.com

Manufacturer: Granite Gear
Model: Nimbus Latitude Ki 3800 - Women's Pack
Sizes: short / regular
Weight: 3 lbs. 14 oz. (1.76 kg)
Cubes: 3900 cu in (63.9 L)
MSRP: $240 USD
Warranty: Rock Solid Guarantee
"We want you to be satisfied with your Granite Gear purchase even after years of use. If you are not satisfied with one of our products for any reason, return it to the store where you bought it or contact us about sending it back for repair or replacement. Damages due to plain old, long-term, heavy-duty use or vicious animal attacks, will be repaired for a reasonable cost. Please include your 'you wouldn't believe it' stories with your repairs! If it's good enough, we'll cut you some slack."

Product Information (from tester)

Size: regular torso, medium hip belt (per website chart)
Strap Size: Women's medium trim
Weight as tested: 3 lbs 14 oz (1.76 kg)

For a more detailed description of the Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki, please see my Initial Report.

Field Conditions/Completed Tests Results    <back to top>

During the Long Term test stage, I continued to use the Ki at least once a week for training hikes at (mostly) Pontiac Lake Recreation Area in Waterford, Michigan. This is where I spend lots of time tackling varying portions of the 12 miles (18.32 km) of trails laid out through heavily wooded moderately rolling hills. The trails are hard-packed dirt. Rain was never a problem because I never ventured forth when it was raining! Temperatures were generally in the high 80s F (26.67 C) to low 90s F (32.22 C).

On these hikes I would carry the Ki loaded with about 16 lb 2 oz (7.31 kg) of gear for a total pack weight of 20 lb (9.07 kg) including the Ki. This included tent, sleeping bag, pad, cookware, water and a change of clothing.

These training hikes proved the comfort of the pack as I quickly got used to the weight. The hip belt and padded shoulder straps made the weight less of an issue than with some of my other backpacks. As a "newbie" to overnight hiking, I was initially very concerned with my ability to carry the necessary load. Thanks to the Ki, I found the extra weight to be perfectly do-able.

During the long term testing phase of the Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki 3800 women's backpack, I had two trips to Colorado - one in the south and one at Rocky Mountain National Park. Each trip was 7 days and the Ki performed wonderfully from the moment I packed it to the end of each trip.

In July, I spent 7 days in Southern Colorado in the Canon City area near the Red Canyon Park and Cooper Mountain. There the terrain was really rough and rugged, elevations above 6000 ft (1829 m), and lots of hot and windy weather conditions. The daily temperature highs hovered above 95 F (35 C). Yeah, I know it's a DRY heat, but still heat, nonetheless.

This was a tough trip for me, my first long trip at a high altitude, steep terrain and hot temperatures. I began to really appreciate the capacity of the Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki pack. I was able to load all my gear in a weight-balanced manner, which helped me enormously when I was trying to negotiate steep climbs without losing my balance. This was especially noticeable when attempting narrow crossings. The trim profile of the Ki also enabled me to handle close quarters without bumping into trees and rock walls.

The top two side-zippered compartments were great for storing items that I needed when on the trail such as my camera, energy bars, GPS and Chapstick®, which I used constantly. These compartments were somewhat difficult to access by myself when the pack was on my back, especially when the Ki was fully loaded. However, that's what trail mates are for, right?

I found the extra detachable pouch in the Ki to be a really neat feature. It was a perfect size to keep small items grouped together and easily removed, carried around and stored in my tent at night. Usually, I would have a flashlight, a pen and notepad, glasses, and other personal items in this pouch. Putting small items in the pouch relieved the fear of losing small items on the trail via the opening at the bottom of the two-zippered access flap. This is a 5 in (12.70 cm) opening. While I never lost anything, I now intend to attach a piece of Velcro to this opening to feel more secure!

I did not really see a use, nor did I ever use, the pad in the pouch as a sitting cushion. To use the pad as such, I would have to take everything out of the pouch and that seemed like too much trouble for the small amount of comfort the thin pad would afford. However, the pad did give shape to the pouch, which made it easier to handle.

The two lower open compartments easily held additional water in the form of a 32 oz (.95 l) Nalgene bottle. In Colorado, extra water is a must.

Water is at the heart of my only real complaint of the Latitude Ki. The hydration pouch is not as big as one might expect in such a large capacity backpack. I could barely fit my 1.5 l (51 oz) bladder in the pouch. While I understand the placement of the hydration tube opening (in the center) as being flexible - I can bring my tube around the front either to the right or the left - this placement found my tube rubbing against the back of my head. But most annoying was the opening of the hydration tube - it is too small. I had to take apart my tube to get it through the opening and after it was through the opening, put the tube back together. My insulated tube will definitely not work with the Ki as it is sold. This could be easily remedied by a larger opening, which I will create for myself now that my testing is complete. A quick snip of the plastic opening will easily take care of the problem.

In September, my long anticipated trip to Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado finally arrived. This time, I had a bit more warm clothing in the Ki, (fleece jacket, wind jacket, silk long johns and warm hat and gloves). While the weight difference was negligible, the volume was a little more noticeable and as luck would have it, I never needed the extra clothing - it was a very warm autumn! Temperatures were still in the mid-80s F (26.67 C) at Estes Park at elevations beginning at 7800 ft (2377 m). So warm, in fact, that I noticed my back was constantly wet, especially the hip belt area.

However, the Tepex framesheet would dry out very quickly on the trail and was usually dry about the same time as my soaked Coolmax tank top, which was about the length of time it took to brew a pot of tea and have my afternoon tea and cookies (30 minutes or so)!

While I believe that the dampness of the Ki was caused by the high temperatures combined with high exertion, I am a tad concerned as to whether or not I will have the same problem in the winter.

Summary    <back to top>

Pros:

· Room enough to spare for a weeklong trip with packing options for various size smaller pack loads.
· Unique full-length, 2-way, dual-zippered opening makes packing and retrieving gear a pleasure.
· Ability to custom fit the backpack through not only the usual pull-straps and buckles but also via the internal frame itself.
· Padded shoulder straps and hip belt are SO comfortable and render heavy loads almost effortless.

Cons:

· Hydration tube access hole is too small for an insulated tube and very difficult to use with any tube at all.
· The Tepex framesheet with its soft foam padding is warmer than I'd like. Whenever I removed the Ki, I would be soaked even when wearing a Coolmax tank top. I'm not sure how the Ki will perform in winter conditions when "wet" quickly turns to "cold".
· The opening at the bottom of the dual zipper flap is open, which makes for easy access, but could cause loss of small items.

I really like the Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki 3800 backpack for women. The pluses definitely overshadow my nit-picking minuses! It is a great-looking, very durable pack with more than enough room for me. It easily holds all that I need for a week and holds it securely without undue strain on my back and shoulders. The front-loading system makes it really easy to find my gear without having to dig around for it. I can pack much more neatly and consequentially fit more gear in the Ki than with my other top-loading packs. And all that extra gear which translates to extra weight, is balanced nicely on my derriere and hips where it belongs thanks to the custom fit of the heavily padded hip belt and shoulder straps. The Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki and I have a long happy backpacking future ahead of us!

Thank you for allowing me to test the Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki 3800 - Women's Pack.

Kathleen Waters

Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki > Kathy Waters > Long Term Report