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Long Term Report:
Granite Gear Stratus Latitude Pack
Date: August 29, 2006
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: 40 in (102 cm)
(measured across shoulder blades & under
armpits):
E-mail address: pamwyant(at)yahoo(dot)com
Location: Western
West Virginia, U.S.A.
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Backpacking Background:
Finally pursuing a
long-time interest, I started backpacking 3 years
ago. I've progressed from day-hiking
and single overnights my first year, to weekend trips the second, and
finally
to a 7-night trip on the Appalachian Trail in Georgia this year.
I
hike and backpack mainly in the hills and valleys of West
Virginia,
and generally 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
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
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Sizing Information:
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)
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Product Description:
The Granite Gear Stratus Latitude is a panel loading pack featuring a
large pack bag with double zippers, internal and external compression
straps, two open topped exterior side pockets and an interior "Hidden
Lid". The pack has a Tepex framesheet which is molded with
indentations at the head and shoulder areas and a convex curve at the
small of the back, to better conform to the wearer's body. The
Stratus Latitude can be ordered with components of different sizes to
customize the fit. For a more detailed description of the pack,
please see my Initial
Report.
Field Information:
Since
my Field
Report, I've used the Stratus Latitude for two additional weekend
backpacking trips (3 day/2 night). The July trip took place on
the Hog Camp Gap to Reed's Gap section of the Appalachian Trail and the
Mau-Har trail in Virginia. The weather was dry and hot, with
night temperatures around 70 F (20 C) and daytime highs over 90 F (30
C). Elevations ranged from around 900 to 4000 ft (300 to 1200 m),
with the terrain varying from steep rocky slopes to dirt paths across
fairly level meadows or winding up and down mountains. I loaded
the pack down for this trip, carrying around 35-40 lb (16-18 kg).
The August trip was to the Otter Creek Wilderness in the Monongahalia
National Forest, where temperatures ranged from 60 F (15 C) at night to
over 90 F (30 C) during the day. Skies were mostly cloudy, with
some periods of sunshine, scattered sprinkles of rain during the day,
and thunderstorms with heavy rain at night. Humidity during the
entire trip was very high. Elevations ranged from around 2500 to
3500 ft (800 to 1100 m). The trail varied from former railroad
bed (old rail ties, large stones, and gravel) to root filled paths
through rhododendron thickets, to rocky wades across creeks and swampy
mud. For this trip, I packed lightly, ending up with a pack
weighing between 20-25 lb (9-11 kg)
Use:
For my
July trip, I decided to mainly test the comfort of the pack carrying
more weight than I normally do. Since I've been trying to lighten
my load on trips, most of my gear is on the light side, so I threw in
some luxuries to add weight - things like a small foot soaking tub and
small foot massager, more fresh food, and a small hand held misting
fan, and ended up with a beginning pack weight of around 40 lb (18
kg). The pack was fairly full on the interior, but could have
held more in the external pockets. Here are a series of photos I
took as I packed up on the trail, showing how my gear fit in the pack:
Beginning to pack - sleeping bag (in
blue stuff sack) in bottom, hammock (in snakeskins) above it.
About 2/3 of the way packed - camp shoes in
center (white bag), clothing (green stuff sack) above them in pack.
Not visible: 2 liter bladder in hydration pocket, plastic bowl
behind clothing sack, kitchen kit to left of clothing sack.
Interior packed & internal
compression straps cinched.
Food bag (blue stuff
sack) at center (corner visible behind white bag).
Green stuff sack containing personal and first aid/emergency items at
top.
Ready to hit the trail.
Spare water
bladders in side pocket, custom-cut RidgeRest large foam pad attached,
shorts drying under straps.
Not visible: Trowel & hammock/tarp stakes in stuff sack,
trash bag, insect repellent/sunscreen in far side pocket.
On this trip,
carrying less clothing than prior trips due to the warmer weather, I
found the pack somewhat easier to pack, although the insulated items
still had a tendency to puff up and pop out of the pack as I tried to
pack it. The pack was very comfortable to carry, although as
before, I found the way the pack transfers nearly all weight to the
hips caused my legs to tire easily on uphill sections. This seems
to be a
small trade-off for not having a sore back or shoulders. Since
temperatures were so warm, I can't say I found the pack cool on my
back, but my back didn't feel any warmer than the rest of me, so I am
well pleased with the ventilation.
For my August trip, I decided to see how well the pack compressed and
carried a lighter weight load, so I brought a minimum of equipment,
including my Hennessy Hammock Ultralight, 3/4 length closed cell foam
pad, a light homemade sleeping quilt, alcohol stove, minimal extra
clothing (1 extra shirt & pair of shorts for sleeping in, 1
spare pair socks, 1 spare pair underwear, and silk weight long john
bottom and top), lighter weight food (mostly freeze-dried or home
dehydrated), and minimal essentials. I would have been able to
fit all my items inside the pack, but chose to leave a spare water
bladder, trash bag and trowel/stake bag in the outer pockets where they
are convenient to access on the trail. I did fit my 3/4 length
closed cell foam pad inside the pack. Total pack weight was 25 lb
(11 kg) when I started the trip. The pack felt extremely light
and comfortable on my back, and I found my legs did not tire as easily
as they did when carrying a heavier pack. Everything was kept
compact and in place by the internal and external compression straps,
but I noticed a more audible squeaking/creaking noise from the pack as
I walked. I was unable to determine whether this was from the
extreme high humidity, the way I packed my gear, or from the effects of
the lighter load on the pack, but in any case, it was relatively minor.
Conclusions:
I'm very pleased with overall performance of
the Granite Gear Stratus Latitude. It has a great carry, stable
and comfortable no matter how heavily I load it down. For the way
I like to pack, with most of my gear inside my pack, it will easily
hold enough gear and food for 4-5 day three-season trips, but I would
probably either need to strap a great deal of gear to the exterior for
cold weather trips, or use a larger capacity pack. I
do feel the capacity of the pack is overstated, since it seems to hold
about the same amount of gear as a 3250 cu in (53 L) pack I own.
I found the "Hidden Lid" convenient for storage since it clips to the
top of
the pack, but found using a simple stuff sack worked nearly as well,
and I quit using it after my April Appalachian Trail trip. I was
unable to come up with a good way that I could convert it to use as a
fanny pack or day pack for side trips, which would have made it more
usable in my opinion.
The fabric the pack is made of seems highly water resistant. The
pack barely became damp when hiking through wet rhododendron thickets
and light rain showers, and everything inside stayed dry.
I have been very impressed with how easily the pack cleans up.
Dirt and dust seem to just fall off for the
most part, or anything stubborn can be wiped off with a damp
cloth. I did wash it after my last two trips, and found it easy
to clean in my bathtub, using plain warm water, and quick to dry. Here
is a photo of how clean the bottom and back of the pack stayed even
after my most recent trip, where rain and humidity kept the ground wet
the entire weekend.
I've finally become pretty comfortable packing with the panel loading
access, especially with the smaller amount of gear I took on my latest
trip. I also appreciated the more convenient access that rainy
weekend, when I could access anything I needed more easily, including
my hammock tarp, which I normally bury near the bottom of my pack.
The zippers continue to work smoothly and conveniently, and nothing on
the pack shows any sign of wear so far.
One thing I would like to see improved is the size of the hydration
port. I find it an incredible nuisance to try to thread my
drinking tube through the port, mainly because the opening is too small
to accommodate either a Platypus or MSR bite valve, and have found
myself carrying an extra cap for my bladder so I can leave the
hydration tube in place and remove the bladder for filling without
risking spilling water all over the contents of the pack.
Although it has proven very durable, I do wish the pack were a bit
lighter. Since I am actively working to reduce pack weight, the
4+ lb (nearly 2 kg) weight makes it hard for me to go much lighter than
25 lb (11 kg) while using this pack, so I may be looking for a lighter
pack for summer trips, while continuing to use this great carrying pack
for spring and fall trips.
Likes
–
Stylish look
Super comfortable carry
Nice head space
Good ventilation
Room for improvement –
Hydration
port needs to have larger access hole
A bit lighter weight would be nice
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
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