Name:                                                             Chuck Carnes
Age:                                                                36
Gender:                                                           Male
Height:                                                            6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:                                                           175 lb (79 kg)
E-mail address:                                               ctcarnes1(at)yahoo(dot)com
City, State, Country:                                        Greenville, South Carolina, United States

Backpacking Background

            I love the outdoors – I’ve spent time camping in the outdoors since I was born, and have been actively hiking and backpacking for the past ten years. I consider myself a lightweight hiker, usually carrying 20 – 30 pounds (11-13 kg) for hikes up to a week in length. I hike at an easy pace, averaging 2 mph (3 kph). I am a one man tent camper for now until a lighter two man tent comes along and will give me more room. I like to carry a single trekking pole when I hike to help relieve stress to my legs and knees. I like to get out on the trail as often as I can.

Product Information

Manufacturer:                                                 Granite Gear
Model:                                                             Status Latitude
Year of Manufacture:                                       2005
URL:                                                                www.granitegear.com
Listed Weight:                                                  4 lb 14 oz (2.21 kg)
Weight as Delivered:
            Main Body:                                          4 lb 12 oz (2.15 kg)
            Removable Inside Pouch:                     1.2 oz (34 g)
            Complete Pack:                                    4 lb 13.2 oz (2.19 kg)
Listed Storage Capacity:                                   4800 cu. in. (79 L)
Size:                                                                 Regular
Hip Belt Size:                                                    Large
Color:                                                               Golden Brown/Black
My Waist Size:                                                  34 in (86 cm)
My Torso Length:                                             21 in (53 cm)
MSRP:                                                             $290.00 (US)

Field Report

Trip #1:
Location: Jones Gap, S.C
Elevation: 1,500 ft (457 m) - 1,700 ft (518 m)
Temperature: 80-90 F (26-32 C) day, 75-80 F (23-26 C) night
Weather Conditions: Dry and hot in the day and night. No rain.
Duration of Trip: 2 days, 1 night
Length of Trip: 3 miles (5 km)
Pack Weight: 26 lb (11 kg)
Report: This was my first trip with the Granite Gear Stratus Latitude. I decided to pack it like I would an overnight duffel bag; no stuff sacks just gear placed in certain areas. I don't like to pack it this way but I wanted to see how effective the inner compression strap feature would be and to see if my gear would stay in place. Since I was only going for one night it wasn't a huge deal if it didn't work. I packed my gear with the pack on it's back and the opening facing the ceiling. Just for a one night trip I had a lot of room in the pack for more gear but I didn't want to stuff it just to be stuffing it. Basically all I had in the pack was a 40 F(4 C) sleeping bag, one person tent, 3/4 length sleeping pad, two changes of clothes, cooking gear, compressed pillow, 3 l (183 cu in) water bladder, 2 lb (1 kg) food bag and miscellaneous hygiene items. The pack ended up weighing 26 lb (11 k) with a full 3 l (183 cu in) water bladder.

While on the trail the pack carried very well. With all of the compression straps cinched, all of my gear stayed where I put it in the pack. The hip belt and shoulder straps were very comfortable and the sweat factor beneath them was very minimal. After getting to camp and unpacking the tent, sleeping bag and pad, I liked being able to leave the pack completely opened and getting to my gear. It was like having it all sprawled out on the tent floor in disarray being able to see everything but instead, it was all kept together neatly in the pack and in the vestibule area. The accessibility to the gear is very easy through the wide opening that is created when the center portion of the pack is unzipped.


Trip #2:
Location: Old Mkushi Village, Zambia (Africa)
Elevation: 3,600 ft (1097 m) - 3,900 ft (1189 m)
Temperature: 85-90 F (29-32 C) day, 39-46 F (3-7 C) night
Weather Conditions: Dry and hot during the day. Cold and damp at night. No rain.
Duration of Trip: 8 days, 7 nights
Length of Trip: 22 miles (35 km) total
Pack Weight: 42 lb (19 k)
Report: Since this was going to be a longer trip and that I was going to have to check it in on the plane, I decided to put all of my gear in separate colored stuff sacks. This was mainly because if the airport wanted to open my pack and go through it, my gear would hopefully be easy to put back in. When all of my gear was put into their respective stuff sacks and I started putting them into the pack, I really didn't think they were all going to fit. I shoved, pushed and stuffed everything in, cinched the inner compression straps and slowly worked the two zippers that closes the pack towards the top. Thankfully the center material is made of stretch fabric and was able to allow me to get the zippers completely closed. Otherwise, I would have had to take some gear out. At this point, if the buckles were going to fail, this would be the time. The inside and the side compression straps were cinched very tight. The front compression straps were used to hold my sleeping pad to the pack. After all the buckles were buckled and all of the straps were cinched, the pack was nice and tight. The pack, on this trip, ended up weighing 42 lb (19 k) without water. I did not put a water bladder in the water bladder pocket on this trip because I carried two 32 oz (946 ml) water bottles on my hip belt and also I did not have enough room for the bladder with water in it.

Brief Gear List:
Stuff Sack #1
2 white long-sleeve collared shirts
2 golf shirts
3 tee shirts
2 poly tops
Fleece jacket
3 Cargo pants
2 poly bottoms
Underwear
4 pair of long socks <>4 pair of short socks <>

Stuff Sack #2
 3 Baseball hats
Fleece tobaggan
Fleece balaclava
Glove liners

Stuff Sack #3
Pack soap
2 washcloths
1 towel
1 or 2 disposable razors

Stuff Sack #4
Deodorant
Contact solution
Contact case
Glasses
Ear Plugs
Hand Wipes
Sunscreen (in zip-lock)
Insect Repellant (in zip-lock)
Toilet Paper

Stuff Sack #5
Stove (Esbit tabs)
Pot
Pot Grippers
Cup
Utensils
Hand Towel

Granite Gear Sack
Water Purifier
First Aid Kit (small and large)
Survival Kit
Flashlight
Headlamp
Batteries
Film
Batteries for camera
Extra Film
Leatherman
Blue Pocket Knife

Gear (No Sack)
Water Bladder
40 degree sleeping bag
Full Length Sleeping Pad
Pillow
Tent (w/poles and stakes)
Water bottles
Boots
Rope

Food Sack
Dehydrated meals
Snacks

We parked our vehicles in a certain area and backpacked in to our base camps. During these eight days we had three different base camps. Each base camp was anywhere between 2-6 miles (3-9 km) from the vehicle. This gave me a chance to do a lot of packing, backpacking and unpacking. After about the second day, I had the stuff sacks figured out and had them placed exactly where I wanted them. This made pack up time quick and easy. Each time I carried the pack it was very comfortable on my back and the weight was equally distributed. The weight was close to my back and at no time did the pack feel top heavy. Since this particular area in Africa was very dry and dusty, the pack suffered many coats of dust and dirt. Even with all of the dust and dirt covering the pack, the zippers and buckles seemed to continue to function properly. After I returned back into town I was able to wash the pack off with a wet cloth. Now it's clean and ready for another trip.

Upcoming Trips:
I have two more planned trips before my Long Term Report. I will be heading to Lake Jocassee, S.C in the middle of July and I will be going to Great Smoky Mountains at the end of July. On both trips I should get in at least another 20-25 miles (32-40 km) of carry on the pack. On these two trips I will probably encounter some rain to see how well the fabric reacts to light or heavy rain. I will note any other findings in my Long Term Report.

Likes and Dislikes:
Likes:   
* The removable top pouch
* The weight distribution
* The adjustable torso length
* The front loading and inside compression straps
* The wide front opening to the main body of the pack
* The stretch fabric on the front of the pack between the two zippers

Dislikes:
* Side compression straps, when engaged, will not allow any gear in or out of the pocket


This big guy was eyeing my pack.....but I was ready
to fight him for it.

Thank you Granite Gear and BGT for the opportunity to test this pack.