Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Stratus Access FZ > David Sowards-Emmerd > Long Term Report

Long Term Report - Granite Gear Stratus Access FZ 4500
May 23, 2005

Name: David Sowards-Emmerd
Age: 28
Gender: Male
Height: 5' 8'' (1.73 m)
Weight: 155 lb (70 kg)
Email Address: drunken_marmotATyahooDOTcom
Los Altos, California, USA
Date: May 23, 2005

Backpacking Background:
I began backpacking semi-frequently about four years ago, soon after moving to California. I generally take weekend (1 night) trips, and occasionally take 3-4 day trips. Most of my backpacking experience is at moderate altitude, 6,000'-12,000' (1,800-3,650 m), in conditions ranging from dry desert to hail/heavy snow in the mountains. In winter and spring I split time between Southern California deserts and snowshoeing/skiing/snowcamping in the Sierra/Cascades. Summer and fall I tend to stick to the high country. I have reduced my packweight down to less than 50 lb (23 kg) over the past year - including food/water and a bear barrel. I'm trying to include more mountaineering, climbing and bouldering in my trips.

The product was received on November 19, 2004, the night before heading out for a 9-day road trip.

Product Description:

Specifications (as measured by tester)
Color: Wrought Iron (silver-gray)
Size: Torso Length: Short
Waistbelt: Medium
Shoulder Straps: Medium Trim

Weight (total): 5 lb 13 oz / 2.63 kg
Weight (lid pocket w/o repair kit): 12.4 oz / 351 g
Weight (repair kit): 0.7 oz / 19 g

The Stratus Access is a medium to large size pack with a very large number of compression straps. Access to the main compartment is through either the large zippered front panel or the traditional top loading method. For a detailed description of the Stratus Access, see my Initial Report.

For a detailed description of my first two months use of the pack and my conclusions base on it, see my Field Report

Continued Use:

Since writing my Field Report, I carried the pack on three more backpacking trips. Additionally, I used it as luggage for a road trip to the Outdoor Retailer Show. Again, this made the hotel hike (Reno, NV) that much easier, especially considering we were walking to our hotel on icy sidewalks from a parking garage located at a different hotel. Also, I used the pack for a roundabout snowshoe trip to South Lake Tahoe. I biked to the train station, took the train up to the city, and met my ride there for a snowshoe daytrip. I used the Access to carry a smaller daypack, snowshoes, ice axe, and all the other gear I needed for the trip, and it worked quite well. Backpacking trip info follows:

March 5-6, 2005
Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA
Elevation: 6,700-8,000' (2,040-2,440 m)
Conditions: Sunny and probably 45-55 F (7-13 C)

This was a overnight ski trip in to the Bumpass Hell parking area, about 8 mi (13 km) roundtrip. My total pack weight was around 40 lb (18 kg) and everything except lightweight crampons and a water bottle were stowed inside the pack. I was very unhappy with my maneuverability, stability, and balance with the pack on. Skiing in, we took the less avalanche prone cutoff around Diamond Peak, but the other skier and I (the others were all on snowshoes) opted to take the more gradual road back out the next day. There was no way I'd make it back down the way I came in one piece with the pack on. Aside from balance problems, the load was fairly comfortable.

April 30-May 1, 2005
Loch Leven Lakes, Tahoe National Forest, CA
Elevation: 5,800-6,900' (1,770-2,100 m)
Conditions: Cloudy and 30-50 F (-1-10 C), with a mix of snow and rain at camp

This was a quick overnight snowshoe with about a 3 mi (2 km) zigzag hike in to set up camp. I tried to load up the pack as best I could to see how comfortably it'd carry the load. The rangers claimed the snow walls at the railroad crossing could be as high as 30' (9 m) (it ended up being closer to 5' (1.5 m)) so I packed a static line and some climbing gear that added some extra weight. The pack weight ended up in the 50-55 lb (23-25 kg) range since I added and removed various things at the trailhead. At this load, the pack was relatively comfortable when I had it snugged down on my shoulders - but this was tight enough that it restricted my breathing. However, when I transferred weight to my hips, the pack becomes unstable (not what I wanted when traversing slushy snow on moderate angles). Even still, I had pretty bad hip hickeys after the first day, but this is not that unusual for me.

On the hike in, I carried my sleeping pad (Therm-A-Rest Expedition XL) on the inside of the pack (against my back), and on the hike out I carried it strapped to the front panel of the pack (external). This seemed more comfortable on the way out, but this was hiking downhill and with a lighter load. Due to this configuration, I had to carry my ice axe in my hand since otherwise it could puncture my sleeping pad if attached to the pack the standard way.

May 21-22, 2005
Henry Coe State Park, CA
Elevation: 900-2,200' (275-670 m)
Conditions: Sunny and 65-75 F (18-24 C)

This was a quick local overnighter we settled on to conserve gas. Based on the tracklog on my wife's GPS, the total distance of the hike was 14.5 mi (23.3 km) with an elevation gain of 3,300' (1,000 m) and the same amount of descent. My pack weighted in around 28-30 lb (13-14 kg). For this trip I carried my water in a 3 qt (3 l) hydration bladder - the top of the bladder stuck out of the pack's hydration sleeve. I fed the hose out the top of the pack instead of through the hydration port - using the port requires removing the mouthpiece to fit the hose through the port. I removed the bladder twice on the trail and once at camp and had no trouble putting the bladder back in the sleeve with the pack full or empty.

The back panel, waistbelt, and shoulder straps worked quite well at wicking away some of the moisture - I was still very sweaty, but it could have been much worse. Again, I ended up with my usual hip hickeys after this hike,

Nitpicks:

• As I mentioned in my Field Report, the shockcord over the hydration pouch just gets in the way and is only really useful if the contents of the pack are loose. Otherwise the pack contents and compression straps hold the bladder in place just fine.

Things I Like:

• The Access carries a moderate load in reasonable comfort. So far I've had it up to 55 lb (25 kg). As suggested by the manufacturer, the pack does distribute the weight across my back nicely, so long as the shoulder straps are very snug. However I'm not able to put as much weight on just my hips as I'd like, even when the pack weight is relatively low.
• Access through the front panel and the top of the pack is very convenient. I find it's best to lay the pack on its back for accessing the contents through the front panel to keep the contents from shifting too much, or even falling out of the pack.
• The stretch side pockets are an excellent size, and I'm able to fit Nalgene bottle in one even when it is in a bottle cozy. These are also very well positioned and I'm able to access them easily while wearing the pack.
• The compression system works great for compressing the loads I've carried so far. The straps seem to be well thought out, and I like the cross-over capabilities, as well as being able to adjust both sides of the connecting buckles.
• The back panel, shoulder straps and waist belt all seem to breath pretty well and all dry out very quickly.
• The occipital lobe cutout is the best out of all my packs! I'm able to wear an OR sombrero or a bike helmet without the pack interfering.
• By loosening both the cruise control and waistbelt stabilizer straps, I'm free to rotate my hips much more than when they're tightened. However, I don't notice much of a difference when just one of the straps is loosened as suggested in the owner's manual. Typically, I kept both the cruise control and wasitbelt stabilizer straps tight when carrying the pack. I've mainly used the cruise control straps as a means of compressing the bottom of the pack.
• Finally, the materials used and the craftsmanship of the Access are top notch and no signs of wear are visible after six months of testing.

Things I Don't Like:

• The shoulder harness and haul loop are located relatively low on the pack and the haul loop is actually attached directly to the shoulder straps instead of to the pack. This means that if I pick up a fully loaded pack, it hangs almost horizontal! The pack is also very top-heavy and unstable when packed up with 40-50 lb (18-23 kg) of gear.
• Stability: The pack worked just fine for me when walking on a trail, but I was very unhappy with the stability of the pack for activities such as backcountry skiing, snowshoeing or rock hopping.
• I'm unable to put as much weight on my hips as I'd like. When loosening the shoulder straps and tightening the load lifters, I'm unable to keep the pack against my back (see photo). I believe I'm right around the cutoff between the short and regular torso for the pack, and this may be part of the problem. Unfortunately, I've been unable to find the pack in stores to try on the regular torso size.
• Lumbar straps - with water bottles in the side pockets (my standard setup in winter) these straps are nothing but in the way. If the attachment points were shifted slightly upward this might not be a problem. I haven't found much use for these as I typically have the side pockets loaded up when I'm carrying a heavy pack.
• The side compression straps that overlap with the side pockets could be shifted upward, or the pocket could be modified so that the straps could connect inside or over the pocket. Putting a water bottle back in without taking the pack off is difficult unless these bottom straps aren't used at all. This is not an issue when I don't intend to take the contents out of the side pockets, but for me, side pockets are always used for stashing things I want access to quickly, and usually without taking off the pack.
• The two internal compression straps are typically not sufficient to hold my gear unless I cover the contents of the pack with a jacket first. Things tend to be squeezed out when I tighten these straps.
• Most of the suspension straps on the pack are excessively long. Normally I just trim them when I buy a pack, but as a BGT tester I am not allowed to modify the pack so I have waistbelt straps than hang down to my knees.

Conclusions and Future Use:

Overall, I think the Access is a good pack for trail use, but I would not recommend it for balance sensitive activities. However, as I am not so happy with the stability of this pack, I will not continue to use it in the future and will revert back to the previous pack I tested.

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Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Stratus Access FZ > David Sowards-Emmerd > Long Term Report