Tester Information:

Name: Pam Wyant
Age: 48
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Weight: 165 lb (77 kg)
Torso Length: 18 in (46 cm)
Waist at top of hipbone: 38 in (97 cm)
Chest (measured across shoulder blades & under armpits): 40 in (102 cm)
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western West Virginia, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background:

Three years ago I made a decision to pursue a long time interest, and started backpacking. I've progressed from day-hiking and single overnights my first year to weekend trips last year. This year it’s finally time for a longer trip as I begin section hiking the Appalachian Trail in April. I hike and backpack mainly in the hills and valleys of West Virginia, and use a hammock sleeping system. For a two-day trip my typical pack weighs 22-30 lb (10-14 kg) including consumables, and I’m still trying to lighten that a bit.

Product Information -

Manufacturer: Granite Gear
Year of manufacture: 2006
Date of Delivery: March 28, 2006
Model: Stratus Latitude
Advertised Weight: 4 lb 14 oz (2.21 kg)
Weight as delivered: 4 lb 9 oz (2.07 kg)
Advertised volume: 4800 cu in (79 L)
Color: Golden Brown/Black
Manufacturer Website: http://www.granitegear.com
MSRP: $290 US

Tested size:
Short framesheet
Women's large hipbelt
Medium trim shoulder straps

Approximate Pack Measurements as Measured by Tester:
Height 27 in (69 cm)
Width across front (28 cm)
Depth (varies) 8-9 in (20-23 cm)

Features -

3D molded composite Tepex frame
Light Pack Exoskeleton Belt
Customizable fit/exchangeable parts
Internal and external compression straps
Removable "Hidden Lid"
Panel access for front loading

The Granite Gear Stratus Latitude is basically one large pack bag with two exterior open topped side pockets, mounted on a full featured frame. Built by the manufacturer to be as light as possible while still being made of durable materials and framed to carry loads of up to 50 lb (23 kg), the pack still has several convenient features. The composite Tepex framesheet is molded to conform to the contours of a human body, with indentations at the head and shoulder areas, and a convex curve to bring the frame closer to the small of the back. The frame can be ordered in two sizes, the shoulder straps in two widths and four sizes, and the hip belt in four sizes in men's or women's fit. The Tepex framesheet has a feel that reminds me of fiberglass. There are five adjustment holes with grommets to allow the torso length to be adjusted by moving the shoulder straps up or down on the frame. The shoulder straps attach to the frame by placing a closed cell foam mounting bar behind the frame and pushing posts on the mounting bar through the chosen frame grommets, then positioning a corresponding grommet in the shoulder strap over the mounting bar post, and tightening a screw into the post through the shoulder strap. A webbing haul loop is fastened to the shoulder straps, one side of the loop to each strap.

The back of the pack is padded with Schoeller Dynamic stretch fabric covered foam approximately 1 in (2.5 cm) thick. The hipbelt is approximately 5 in (13 cm) wide and has similar padding which fastens by hook and loop to a stiff plastic "exoskeleton" that holds the 2 in (5 cm) webbing in place that makes up the front of the belt. The belt fastens with a large plastic quick release buckle. The hipbelt is positioned between the frame and the pack body and fastens with grommets in a manner similar to the shoulder straps. A small fabric panel fastens by hook and loop to the hipbelt, covering the attachment point. The pack body is mainly Cordura Nylon, with some Cordura Ripstop Nylon, and a Schoeller Dynamic stretch fabric center panel and side pockets. The 5 in (13 cm) wide center access panel features water resistant dual zippers that open from either the top or the bottom. The side pockets are 8 in high at the back of the pack, angling to 10 in high at the front, and are plenty large enough for a 32 oz Nalgene bottle or a 2 L water bladder with some room to spare. It's large enough to hold tent poles or trekking poles and the compression straps on the side of the pack are positioned so they can be used to help hold poles in place. The pockets are crossed by two compression straps, which can be tightened to help securely hold the contents in place. The "Hidden Lid" is basically a drawstring Cordura Ripstop Nylon pouch with a flat, foam padded bottom that clips to the top of the pack body by quick release buckles at the rear of the pack interior. The "Hidden Lid" weighs 3 oz (85 g) and can be left behind for a bit of weight savings. A small hook and loop closure pouch containing a spare buckle and ladderloc is fastened to the bottom inside of the "Hidden Lid" via a small plastic hook. A Cordura Ripstop Nylon panel forms a 9 x 13 in (23 x 33 cm) pocket on the rear of the interior and elastic "bungee" cord crisscrosses this panel to help hold a water bladder in place. My 2 L Platypus slides easily into the pocket and has extra space on the sides, but the pocket doesn't totally cover it at the top. The hydration port opening is too small to fit the bite valve of my platypus through. I had to remove the bite valve and push the tubing through and then put the bite valve back on. There are no clips to hold a drinking tube in place on the shoulder straps, but there is a D-ring on each shoulder strap that I can thread the hydration tube through to help keep it easily accessible.

The pack has a multitude of webbing straps - 3 internal compression straps and 3 external compression straps across the center panel that all fasten by quick release buckle; four compression straps on each side panel, two of which fasten by quick release buckle and two which fasten by ladderloc buckle; two ice axe loops; a hip stabilizer strap on each side; shoulder adjustment straps; load stabilizer straps connected from the pack to each shoulder strap; and a short strap connecting the top of the pack to the padded back.

Initial Impressions -

Overall I am very impressed by the good looks of this pack, the apparent workmanship, and the numerous features. It looks the way I expected it to from the website pictures. All stitching appears to be even and regular and there is no evidence of flaws of any sort in the material or workmanship. Being able to order custom components seems to make the pack fit really well. I was happy to see the pack arrived assembled (I wondered if it would be more of a 'kit' due to the custom size pieces). The only adjustment I had to make was to move the shoulder straps to a different height on the framesheet. When I tried the recommended grommets for an 18 in (46 cm) torso, I found the fit wasn't quite right, and ended up moving the straps to the height recommended for a 17 in (43 cm) torso. Since I have only measured my torso myself, I am going to try to find an outfitter in the future and see if my measurements were actually off or if the pack just fits me better adjusted a little shorter than recommended. Adjusting the fit of the shoulder straps to the framesheet was fairly simple even though I am somewhat of a klutz with tools. The only real problem I had was that I dropped the screws down the back of the pack a few times, which meant I had to tip the pack up and wait for them to fall back out the bottom before I could attempt fastening them again. In spite of this, I got through the procedure in just a few minutes each of the two times I changed the adjustment.

The pack was easy and intuitive to put on, although I didn't exactly follow the order to tighten straps recommended by the manufacturer, mostly due to old habit. It didn't seem to make difference in adjustment or fit since the pack felt very comfortable once I got the shoulder strap/framesheet adjustment right.

One major concern surfaced when I began loading gear for a "test run" of the pack. In spite of being advertised as 4800 cu in (79 L), the Stratus Latitude doesn't hold any more than my current 3250 cu in (53 L) pack, based on packing the same items in each. This is a huge discrepancy in what I expected, and a great disappointment to me since I planned to have plenty of room in this pack for gear and food for my planned 8 day trip along the Appalachian Trail, but find I'll be limited to about the same amount of packing space that my normal "weekend" pack has. The Stratus Latitude website states "this pack can easily support 50 pound loads with amazing comfort and it has the capacity to swallow up lots of gear, like 4-season tents, sub-zero sleeping bags, warm clothing and enough food to go unsupported for a week". I consider myself a fairly light packer, making sure items I pack have multiple uses and bringing very few "luxury" items (a 1 oz (28 g) mini-hairbrush, toothbrush, a bowl I use as a sink but also fill with food for packing purposes, a mini-fork in addition to a mini-spoon, a tiny Rite-In-The-Rain mini notebook and pen, sole-less thin moccasins for camp shoes, and an extra pair of underwear are pretty much my luxuries). I'm quite certain that I could not fit all the gear, food, fuel, and water necessary for me to have a safe and relatively comfortable winter trip for a weekend (much less a week) in this pack. I am really concerned about packing enough for my spring Appalachian Trail trip, even considering that I will only have to pack 3-5 days worth of food at a time since we are doing a resupply. I have already had to cut out some items I planned on bringing for "extreme" conditions, like an extra layer of insulation to go under my hammock, in order to bring the bulk of my pack down enough to fit in some food. I had hoped with a larger pack to have room to fit my foam sleeping pad on the inside of the pack to keep it from snagging on brush and trees and otherwise generally being in the way, but I will have to pack it on the outside and hope for the best.

Another concern I have is the front panel loading. Normally I pack my sleeping bag and "soft goods" such as clothing in oversize stuff sacks deep in the bottom of my top loading pack, pressing down and compressing bulk as needed, and as I add more items the ones in the bottom remain compressed. With the panel access loading, I can press down to compress my sleeping bag, but without something on top to keep it compressed, it pops right back up. I like the large, loose stuff sacks I currently use, but may have to consider going to compression stuff sacks to keep my pack contents from "poofing up" all over the place as I load the pack. Once everything is tightened up, it is fairly easy to access anything I might need no matter where it is in the pack. The hidden lid can easily be accessed from the top of the pack by unzipping the center panels from the top.

On the positive side, I did manage to cram about 25 lb (11 kg) of gear and water (no food) in the pack for a quick "test run" of 3 mi (5 km) out an old county road near my home. The pack does feel incredibly comfortable on my back, and I didn't experience any fatigue. One feature I really liked is the Headroom Arch - it was nice to have lots of space at the back of my head to look around without bumping my head on the back of the pack. The pack felt very stable with no excess swaying even when going up and down hills.

Hidden lid, Bladder pocket, Frame adjustment

Testing Plan -

Anticipated Field Conditions
Next week, the Granite Gear Stratus Latitude will be carrying everything I need (hopefully!) along the Appalachian Trail in Georgia. My trip research shows elevations from about 2500 ft to close to 4500 ft (750 to 1200 m) for the section of the trail I will be covering, and temperatures that might possibly run as low as 20 F (-5 C) range to as high as 80 F (25 C) range. I plan to cover over 80 m (129 km) during this trip, with daily mileage that may vary from 4 m (6 km) to 16 m (26 km) due to placement of re-supply and reliable water sources.

Additional testing of the pack will be on the trails of West Virginia, most likely in the mountainous eastern region of the state for weekend backpacking trips varying from 7-10 m (11-32 km) with elevations from 2500 to over 4000 ft (750 to over 1200 m) and temperatures that may range from lows around 30 F (0 C) to highs up to 80 F (25 C). I also plan to try using the pack at weekend Girl Scout camps in the eastern and central part of the state, with elevations from 550 to 1000 ft (150 to 300 m) where temperatures will likely be similar to slightly warmer, but in these locations the pack will primarily be used just to get my gear to my campsite. Traveling the Appalachian trail and West Virginia’s mountain trails will involve a lot of uphill and downhill hiking from moderate to steep, and at least in West Virginia, several creek crossings. Days may vary from bright and sunny to day long rain and anything in between. From my research it appears I can expect rain in Georgia in April, and rainfall is usually ample in West Virginia, with normal monthly levels ranging from 3-5 inches. Humidity levels during May and June (the anticipated long range test period) in West Virginia are often high and preliminary research shows high humidity common in Georgia during April.

During my 8-day Appalachian Trail hike I anticipate carrying between 30-35 lb (13-16 kg) with consumables. In addition to my Appalachian Trail adventure, I have two weekend trips planned in May. One of these is a group trip where I will be assistant teaching inexperienced or new backpackers on a moderate trail, where I won’t be traveling far, but may carry some extra gear for group use and just for fun since it isn't a long or hard trip. The second trip is to the Canaan Valley region and will consist of mountain trails and fairly fast packing. For this trip, I would anticipate carrying a lighter load of around 25-30 lb (11-14 kg), over rugged terrain with some creek crossings of varied size.

Test Strategy

The Stratus Latitude weighs about 1 lb 7 oz (.65 kg) more than my current pack. Granite Gear says of the Stratus Latitude “the load is evenly distributed over your back and onto your hips” and “the fit feels like it was custom made for your body”. Does this fit and weight distribution make the miles seem to go faster and easier for me even with a heavier pack, especially in mountainous terrain where my current pack can sometimes seem to weigh me down heavily and fatigue my legs?

Over the field and long term test, I will be looking at the following issues and reporting on my findings:

Access to the pack/storage: Do I find the panel gets easier to load as I get more used to this pack? How easy is it to take things in and out of the removable lid when the pack is full of gear and food during a trip? What do I find it most useful for storing? How drastically do I need to change the packing system I'm used to with my top loading pack to work with this panel loading pack? Is it really more convenient to access my gear at quick stops with this loading system? The removable lid isn't directly convertible for use as a “day pack” or “fanny pack”, but can I think of a way to rig it up to hold essentials and use it for short side trips? Do I figure out a way of packing that allows me to utilize the pack storage space more efficiently, or do I continue to struggle to fit everything I need for a trip into this pack? How much gear can I fit in the external pockets? Can I manage to fit in all the gear, food, and water I need for my Appalachian Trail trip?

Carrying comfort/stability: Do the interior and exterior compression straps help stabilize a load? Can I carry a wide range of loads in comfort, or is there an optimal pack weight that is more comfortable than others? Does anything bind, irritate, or bruise as I carry the pack? Do I get sore shoulders or hips, or an aching back? Other details I plan to report on are how supportive the flexible 3-D Tepex framesheet feels as compared to aluminum stays such as my current pack has, the effect of the framesheet, suspension system and hipbelt rotation system on my flexibility when carrying the pack (especially in locations where footing or balance could be tricky like narrow trails or creek crossings), load control of the compression and adjustment systems, and ventilation of the back of the pack.

Features: Does the small water hydration port cause me to dribble water down the interior and back of the pack as I load and unload my water bladder? Do the dangly straps swing back and forth irritatingly as I hike with the pack or get in the way when I am loading and unloading it?

Durability: Has the fabric shown any damage such as scuffs or scratches? Does it clean easily? Do the zippers continue to work smoothly and conveniently? Have I experienced any failure of the material, zippers, or straps? If I experienced any warranty issues, were they well handled?

Other: Does my current pack cover fit this pack well? How necessary is a pack cover in various precipitation levels? Have I found the extra weight of this pack worth carrying for the additional comfort it provides? Do I plan to continue using it for some or all of my backpacking trips, or will I relegate it to a corner of my gear closet to sit unused?

Preliminary Likes –

Stylish look

Comfortable fit so far
Nice head space

Preliminary Dislikes –

Panel access is harder for me to pack my gear effectively at this time
Capacity is smaller than I expected

Thanks to Granite Gear and BackpackGearTest for the opportunity to test the Granite Gear Stratus Latitude pack.

Read more reviews of Granite Gear gear
Read more gear reviews by Pamela Wyant

Initial Report

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