|
| Home | Guest - Not logged in | |||||||||||||
|
» Register
» Login
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
» Contact
|
Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki > Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd > Field Report
In my Initial Report I had two main
areas which I wished to evaluate on this pack. The first was
packability - with such a different design than I am used to, how easy
would it be for me to fit my gear in the Granite Gear
Ki? The second was the comfort of the pack - how would it
carry with different weights inside? Would it balance well, and
would I feel okay after carrying it mile after mile? During the
Field Test period I was able to use the Ki on three very different
trips. Each of these three trips allowed the Ki to be evaluated in
different ways and I already feel like I have a good understanding of the
packability, comfort, and capabilities of this pack. This trip was an overnight in the
snow. Although it was relatively warm out for snow camping, late
afternoon rain (which later turned to snow) required that all necessary
waterproof gear was carried in addition to the normal snowcamping
load. As my first trip with the Granite Gear Ki, I was faced with
the challenge of not only packing it for the first time, but also fitting
in more gear than I usually need to carry. Fortunately my
husband carried the shelter in his pack so that I was able to carry
the Ki (with a bivy). Otherwise, it would have been a hair too small
for this large load. The load I carried consisted of the
following items: Interior Exterior (see picture) This is my normal winter load (I will leave out the heavy Goretex
jacket and waterproof pants in favor of lighter weight layers if there is
no snow or rain in the forecast). I fit this load regularly into a
similarly sized pack but struggled a bit with the Ki. This was my
first attempt at packing the Granite Gear Ki. Due to its unusual
design (to me) it took some getting used to. I repacked it about
five times before I was satisfied and everything fit in comfortably.
When it was all packed and the water bottles filled I weighed in at a hair
under 30 lbs. Normally, my winter weight is closer to 35 lbs
because the pack I usually use is much heavier. It already scored
bonus points with me before I even hit the trail! The real test came when I took this load into the backcountry.
While the snowshoe trek into camp was rather short, there was a bit of
steep terrain to cross and route finding to do. During the
approximately three hour hike into camp I didn't feel uncomfortable
once. The pack never nagged or rubbed in an uncomfortable way.
I had to adjust the Ki a couple of times, but that was
due to the layers I kept removing as I heated up while climbing those
Tahoe 'hills'. Although I won't encounter snowy conditions before the Long Term report
is due, I will likely be using this again as a winter pack. Most
likely it will be used in mild winter conditions where I don't have to
carry my heavy waterproof gear, which is a bit bulky and takes up valuable
space in the Ki. I am eager to try it out with a shovel and ice axe
strapped to the outside! I also found out on this trip how much I love the side pockets.
The lower side pockets are enormous - they each fit a wide mouthed Nalgene
bottle, as well as a trekking pole handle end. In addition, one of
them contained the Hex 2 pole as well, which is a 1-inch diameter pole
that collapses to four pieces. The side pockets are stretchy and
tall, allowing for this amount of gear to be crammed into them. The
upper side pockets, which zip shut, can get in the way of taller items
stashed in the lower pockets (like the trekking poles) when big things are
put in them, but for shorter items (like the water bottles) this isn't an
issue. Trip 2: May 21-22. Henry Coe State Park,
California. In contrast to all of the snowcamping we had been doing
for the past several months (and to save some gas money), my husband and I
chose a somewhat local and low-elevation overnight backpack to welcome
summer to the Bay Area. Our overnight loop hike of approximately
fifteen miles took us through many unmaintained grassy paths (often so
overgrown that we had to make our own trail in shoulder high grass) and up
and down the many steep hills for which Henry Coe is well
known. This was the first weekend of summer temperatures in the Bay
Area and conditions were hot and sunny. I packed a complete
self-sufficient summer load on this trip (no gear shared between my
husband and I). At this point, I had the experience of
packing for winter in the Ki. This made packing for summer seem
easy. When fully loaded, the pack wasn't even completely
full. The difference between my summer and winter load
was: The load for this trip, once completely packed with food and
water, was approximately 20 lbs. Again, the pack was
quite comfortable. This time I was only wearing a lightweight
wicking tank top with tiny spaghetti shoulder straps. The pack
straps were perfectly comfortable against my skin. As I started the first steep climb and began to sweat I noticed that
sweat was drenching my back. The Ki doesn't have any fancy
circulation channels built into the back padding - it is a solid pad that
lays flat against the back. The material and padding is definitely
comfortable, but as someone who sweats a lot I get a bit soaked back
there. When I remove the pack after sweating the padding is pretty
wet but the material dries out quickly. I've used packs that breathe
better than the Ki, but the advantage of the Ki is that it is comfortable
enough that I don't notice it until I remove the pack and feel how wet my
back is. This trip was one of the most enjoyable backpacks I have
done. It was a loop hike of approximately 20 miles and 5000 feet of
total elevation gain/loss. Due to its lower elevation and the late
season snow that remains in the majority of the park, many
backpackers were visiting the Hetch Hetchy area that
weekend. My husband and I chose a less-traveled trail on
the south side of the reservoir (the popular trails all go to the north
side) that took us to the summit of Smith Peak which overlooks the Hetch
Hetchy region and the northern Yosemite high country beyond. We
camped at a perfect site on the boulder-strewn peak, but the terrain we
passed through to get us there was rather adventurous. With the high
streams, overgrown and unmaintained trail, and lots of fallen trees, the
hike took plenty of mental and physical energy to find our way around
obstacles. On this trip, carrying a nearly identical load to the
Henry Coe trip, the stability and balance of the pack became very
important to me, as I found myself wading across streams and
struggling over giant toppled trees blocking the trail. It was on this trip that I decided I really love the
Granite Gear Ki. It may have a much different design than many packs
on the market, but these differences are all very positive ones for
me. First of all, I love the stretchy access panel. I can
access gear from the top or the bottom of the pack without disturbing
anything else. I'm not used to stashing things I may need along the
trail in the bottom of my pack, but it's so easy to unzip the panel from
the bottom and reach in and grab the camera. I'm definitely sold on
this design - accessing gear is much, much easier than any top-loading
pack I've used. One of my top-loaders has an access zipper in the
front pocket, but it is pretty useless since in order to open it I have to
remove everything in the pocket. Not with the Ki - I can get to
almost anywhere in the interior of the pack without unpacking everything
else. The interior compression straps (two of them) help with this
as well. I can unzip the entire panel while the pack is laying on
the ground and everything will still stay put (provided I packed it
well). In the beginning I thought I would miss having a top
pocket, but I don't miss it at all! I think my favorite feature
of the Ki's design is the headroom it provides. Without the top
pocket I can wear a wide brimmed sun or rain hat and still be able to look
up at the massive granite peaks and giant sequoias of Yosemite National
Park without bumping my head. The large stretchy side pockets (both
top and bottom) allow me to externally stash any gear I would
normally carry in a lid, so there really is no difference of
accessibility. In place of a top lid pocket, Granite Gear provides an
interior pocket. Admittedly, I thought this
feature was just plain silly when I got the pack. And now I have
found myself devoting three paragraphs to it! On a most basic level
it is simply a storage sack. Why have an extra storage sack?
If I want one I can buy one myself! At least, that's the thought I
had originally. But, after using this handy pocket I have found it
to be one of my favorite things about the Ki. Of course, if I didn't
want to use it I could leave it at home, but so far it has come along
on all of my trips. I use it similarly to how I would use any pack's
top pocket. But, with the soft padded bottom and drawstring top it's
more useful, and I keep it by my side like a security blanket when I'm in
camp. When I pack the Ki, I use the storage sack for all of my
food and toiletries. Anything edible or smelly goes in it.
Since I hike in bear country it is important for me to keep track of all
the smelly things so that when it comes time to store my gear for the
evening I don't have to locate a bunch of things scattered around
camp. I also throw in any small things I'll want access to
once in camp, like my headlamp. I stash things I will need on the
trail in the pack's upper side pockets (chapstick, sunscreen, snacks), and
move them to the storage sack once I am in camp. The storage sack
has two clips to connect it to the interior of the pack at the top, but so
far I haven't really needed to do this - I simply pack this storage sack
in with all of my other stuff sacks. If I were carrying less gear I
may clip it into the top to distribute the weight and load a
bit. Once I have picked a campsite I can set up my shelter,
stash all of my gear inside, and put everything I might need for cooking
and the evening in the storage sack. I can then stash the
empty Ki in the back of my shelter and forget about it until the
morning - all of my small things and food is available and by my side in
the storage sack. Something about this sack is much more useful than
any generic storage sack - I haven't figured out if it's the size (perfect
for all of my small gear and food for an overnighter), the padded bottom
(allows it to sit in an upright position, and also insulates food items
when the bag is set on the snow), or the convenient cinch-top (easy access
to everything, unlike a top lid pocket with a bajillion
zippers). When the cinch top is opened it is kind of like a big
bucket. It is such a simple thing, yet I love
it! When I see photos of myself wearing this pack I am bugged
by how low it seems to fit. I've also had this impression of other
Granite Gear packs I have seen my hiking companions using. But I
think this is an illusion based on the fact that there is no top lid to
many of the Granite Gear packs. I am so used to seeing long and
narrow packs with towering top lids that the somewhat short and fat form
of the Ki just looks wrong. However, when it is worn I don't notice
an unusual feeling at all. The weight is distributed comfortably and
I actually feel much more in control and balanced than I do when I'm
wearing one of those long and narrow packs. This became very clear to me on the Hetch Hetchy
hike. Since the trail we chose was far less popular than other
places in the park it had not yet been cleared of the winter
deadfall. Enormous dead trees criss crossed the trail and the water
levels were still quite high. The meadows were marshy and I was
pretty much covered in mud from the knees down. These trail
conditions meant that having a stable load was necessary, and I was
extremely pleased about how the Ki performed. The lower and wider
shape of the pack seemed to help with the stability and I never stumbled
because of the weight on my back, even when leaning forward while hopping
over an enormous log. Summary Although I have only had the Ki out on three overnight
trips so far, I am already extremely happy with the pack's features and
comfort. It's unique design suits my backpacking style well and I
look forward to taking it out on many more trips in the Long Term test
period. Read more reviews of Granite Gear gear Read more gear reviews by Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Nimbus Latitude Ki > Rebecca Sowards-Emmerd > Field Report | |||||||||||||
Trip 1: April 30 - May 1. Loch Leven
Lakes, Tahoe National Forest
Trip 3: June 11-12. Hetch Hetchy area
(Smith Peak), Yosemite National Park.