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Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Vapor Trail > Owner Review by Michael Lissner Owner Review of Granite Gear Vapor Trail Backpack By Michael Lissner January 2004 Contents of Review: 1. Tester Biographical Information 2. Backpacking Background 3. Product Information 4. Product Description 5. Initial Review 6. Experiences 7. Comments 8. Summary 9. Update 1. Tester Biographical Information: Name: Michael Jay Lissner Age: 21 Gender: Male Height: 198 cm (6'6") Torso Length: 51 cm (20") Weight: 86 kg (185 lb) Email Address: yourmothership (at) hotmail (dot) com City of Current Residence: Depending on time of year: Berkeley, California / Claremont, California [back to top] 2. Backpacking Background: I was first introduced into backpacking through the Boy Scouts, and it was my love of backpacking that made me stick all the way through and get my Eagle. After becoming too old to continue Boy Scouts, I had trouble motivating myself to plan my own trips, and did not backpack for a few years until I realized that I should thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail. I am currently in a multi-year training program, practicing techniques, studying backpacking literature, getting in shape, planning the many wee details and perhaps most importantly, converting my ultra-heavy Boy Scout techniques into ones more suited to ultra-light thru-hiking. My current style is a fairly minimalist one relying more on intelligence and discomfort, and less on safety gear and toys. I would describe it as nearly ultra-light status, but not quite there yet. My usual stomping grounds are the Laguna Mountains, the San Bernardino Mountains, Anza-Borrego Desert, and occasionally, the southern Sierra Mountains. [back to top] 3. Product Information: Manufacturer: Granite Gear Product Name: Vapor Trail Year of Manufacture: 2003 Suggested Retail Price: $145 (US) Manufacturer's URL: http://www.GraniteGear.com Weight, as listed on the manufacturer's URL: 910 g (2 lb) Capacity, as listed on the manufacturer's URL: 59 L (3600 cu in) Size Tested: Large Measured Weight: 930 g (32.8 oz) Measured Capacity of Main Compartment and Side Pockets*: 59 L (3622 cu in) Measured Capacity of Extension Sleeve*: 22 L (1339 cu in) Total Measured Capacity*: 81 L (4961 cu in) *I measured the capacity of the pack by filling it as full as I could with packing peanuts (without adding pressure), and then dumping that quantity of peanuts into a square box. By measuring the dimensions of the box (width and depth) and the height of the peanuts in it, I was able to determine the volume of the peanuts that had fitted into the pack. I should note that the usable capacity of the pack is significantly less than the amounts represented here, as I literally filled the pack up to the brim. This is not a pack that is designed to be filled all the way up in this manner. Indeed, to do so would be to make it rather unstable, and Granite Gear has slyly hinted at this by making the two straps that cross over the top too short to reach over when the sleeve is totally full. However, that having been said, I should also mention that by the nature of this testing procedure, the two side pockets were not stretched out (as they are designed to be), and that I did not include the measurement of the hydration sleeve when testing. It is praiseworthy though that the results of all of my comparative measurements are so close to those advertised on the manufacturer's website. [back to top] 4. Product Description: Generally: A fairly minimalist, nearly ultra-light pack featuring two side pockets, a hydration sleeve and one large top-fill main compartment that is prescribed by Granite Gear for carrying loads up to 13.6 kg (30 lb). Specifically: The hydration sleeve (see number 1 in the picture below) can be found between the foam padding in the back and the main compartment itself. This sleeve is the height and width of the pack minus the expansion sleeve (the foam pack panel is stitched on three sides, leaving the top open to slide the bladder down into). Once the bladder is in, the tube simply comes out the top of the sleeve (it can be seen going off to the upper right hang corner in the picture). This pocket could also be used for other soft goods, though the intent as a hydration sleeve is apparent. The two side pockets are made of a semi-elastic material that Granite Gear maintains will not get stretched out. This material is not waterproof, but it is not used in such a configuration that would necessitate waterproof material. Instead, these pockets are stitched on three sides, again leaving the top open to sunlight, water and all else. Across the top of each of these side pockets, there is a compression strap that can be used to clip items into. When cinched down, these straps aid in keeping items in the pockets. About 38 cm (15 in) up from these compression straps there is another set of compression straps. I have found that in addition to being useful for compressing the contents of the pack, these straps are useful for holding tent poles or collapsed hiking sticks in the side pockets, and for holding an ice ax in the up position when it is in one of the two ice ax loops (located at the bottom of the side pockets, towards the rear of the pack).  There
is no top pocket as in a conventional pack. Instead, the user of the
pack is supposed to cinch down the top into a pucker (as in a a stuff
sack) and then roll it down, using the final two compression straps to
strap down the roll from left to right, and then front to back (see
picture at right). In addition to these compression straps, the pack
has load lifting straps, side stabilizer straps, a sternum strap,
adjustable shoulder straps, two more compression straps that run from
left to right across the front of the pack, and an adjustable hipbelt.
I have found seveal of these straps to be rather long to the point of
excess, though in the case of the shoulder and load lifting straps,
this extra length is to allow the user to put their thumbs in the ends
of the straps (where there is a little loop) while hiking. On
occassion, I have found these thumb holes to be comfortable, but in
general I tend to swing one hand, and carry a hiking stick in the
other. Many of these straps are not doubled back. In some cases the
reason for not doubling them back is fairly obvious (e.g. the side
stabilizer straps are not doubled back so that the belt can be more
easily removed), but in others it is not so obvious (the left to right
compression straps are not doubled back, but I cannot figure out why).[back to top] 5. Initial Review: Early during the summer of 2003, I purchased this pack from the REI online store. After a few shipping delays, the pack finally arrived at my doorstep in a small but long box. As I had never actually seen the pack in real life before purchasing it, I was rather pleased and amazed with the lightness of the box as I brought it into my house. Contrary to the illusion the weightlessness of the box had made, the pack was indeed inside the box. Upon pulling it out and looking it completely over, I came to learn a few things about the pack that all of my research had not taught me. The first thing that struck me was that the "high density polyethylene frame" mentioned on the manufacturer's website was no more than a foam pad that rested directly against the wearer's back. Mistakenly, I expected polyethylene to be a rigid kind of plastic, not a variety of fairly rigid closed cell foam. (Much later, I have come to learn that indeed there is a semi-rigid plastic frame hidden deep within the foam padding. It was there all along; I just did not search for it in the right ways. Polyethylene is indeed a kind of plastic.) The second thing that struck me was that the torso length was not adjustable. After having read the Granite Gear website rather throroughly, I had expected to be able to adjust the torso length as described in the Granite Gear fitting webpage. As it should turn out, adjusting the torso length is not possible with this pack. The hipbelt is removable, but it can only move on or off, not up or down. Another element of the pack that concerned me a little bit before receiving the pack was the ice ax loop system. Before receiving it and throwing my ax into the loop, and then flipping it up, I was not sure there would be a logical way to secure it in the up position. This however turned out not to be a problem, as the upper compression strap held it up flawlessly in such a way that I can even get my ax in and out without taking off the pack. One final thing that I was a little unsure about before purchasing the pack was its ability to hold my three quarter length Z-Rest in the center straps. Blissfully, without any questions asked, it can. It is as if it was designed to hold it there. These things aside, the pack was exactly as I had expected, and moreover, as I had hoped. [back to top] 6. Experiences: I purchased this pack to be used as everything except a long-term winter pack, and thus far I have taken it on a number of major trips and several smaller ones. The trips have ranged from upstate New York's marshes and hills to southern California's mountains and deserts. During these trips, I have used the pack in weather ranging from about -9 to 32 degrees C (15 to 90 degrees F) with rain, hail, (some) snow, sun, and very intense sun. The elevations that I have gone through range from pretty level 1000 m (3281 ft) marshes to rather intense mountain ranges that sloped up and down from about 610 to 3353 m (2000 to 11000 ft). I have used it in winter and summer, and have usually carried from about 9.1 to 13.6 kg (20 - 30 lb). An average day for me consists of about 16.1 - 32.2 km (10 - 20 miles). [back to top] 7. Comments: During each of the trips that I have taken with this pack, I have carried more or less the same equipment. The only significant differences to be found stem from advances in cook pot and sleeping bag ownership. Otherwise, on each of the trips I have taken with this pack, I have carried, from heaviest to lightest (approximately): Food, in Outdoor Research Hydrolite stuff sack North Face Blue Kazoo or Feathered Friends Humming Bird Sleeping Bag Either a two-man Walrus backpacking tent (not the poles though) or (later) a homemade Jardine style tarp (with Simon Metals titanium stakes) Leki Air Ergo 2 Hiking Pole Pur Hiker Water Filter Cascade Designs three quarter length Z-Rest sleeping pad CamelBak 70 or 100 fluid ounce (2.1, 3 L) water bladders with associated tubes and Hydrolink adapter Columbia Power Stretch fleece jacket (size large) Homemade 200 weight Malden Mills Powerfleece balaclava Marmot two-ply Membrain rain jacket (size large) Generic breathable nylon pants (size large) McNett Micronett Microfiber towel (size large) Snowpeak titanium 35 fluid ounce (1.04 L) capacity cook pot or generic stainless steel set Homemade soda can stove and fuel (denatured alcohol, appromately 177 ml [6 fl oz] in a plastic soda bottle) Snowpeak titanium spork Miscellanea (first aid kit, toiletries, map, compass, flashlight, etc.) My loading sequence for this pack goes approximately like this: Once I have my sleeping bag in its stuff sack, I put it horizontally across the bottom of the pack in the main compartment. On top of it then goes, in the following order, my clothing, in its bag, whatever tent I may be using, my water filter, my cook pot with the stove inside it, and then the food on top. Into the two side pockets go the fuel to my stove, the tent stakes (if I am carrying them), a Clif Bar for later and all the other miscellanea I have amassed. Beyond that, my sleeping pad and ground cloth go into the center strap down area and my CamelBak bladder goes into the hydration sleeve. A few comments on the packing of the bag are in order. I have read in various places (mostly other reports on BGT) that getting a hydration bladder into its sleeve can be difficult once the main compartment of the pack has been loaded. In my experience, this has not really been a problem. It is not especially easy to get a deflated bladder into place, but when it is empty, it doesn't matter if it is properly stuffed all the way down. A question I had before purchasing the pack was exactly how big this sleeve was in relation to my water bladders. As it should turn out, the sleeve is plenty big for either bladder, and, though I have not tried it yet, I would even wager that two 70 fl oz (2.1 L) bladders would fit in side by side if need be (no guarantees though). Plans to plumb two of them together and cram them in there are underway. Thus far though, I have found the 100 fl oz (3 L) CamelBak bladder to be the best fit. I have not had any catastrophic leaks in the pocket, but considering that one side of it is a somewhat absorbent nylon fabric with large holes at the bottom for the hipbelt to feed through, and the other is a silicon impregnated nylon, I do not think it will be a major problem should a bladder leak or even burst. As far as the side pockets go, thus far I am quite contented, though they are a bit tight. Generally, as mentioned before, these are where I throw all of my smaller gear (though there are small drain holes at the bottom corners of each pocket that could let out the smallest of items, so I do not put these in them without utilizing a tether. The one time I did, I lost two titanium stakes). Two things to note about them are the facts that they are very exposed to the weather, and thus cannot be used for non-water or even sun resistant items, and that they do not hold all that much volume. Probably the largest item that could go into them is a 1 L (32 fl oz) Nalgene bottle, and that is dependent upon what items are inside the main compartment (the more stuffed it is, the harder these pockets are to fill). On the plus side though, my rather long arms have had very little trouble reaching the items in these pockets while wearing the pack. One final concern about them was that the elastic characteristic of them could become stretched out as time went by, but thus far, they have had no problems. After having worn the pack for hundreds of miles, I am confident in my statement that the comfort of the pack is a bit of a double edged sword. On the one hand, it is a very comfortable pack when within its 13.6 kg (30 lb) load limit. On the other, with the ease of access to the pockets, and the extreme comfort, I find that I am literally forgetting to take it off at breaks. Due to this, I have adopted a new policy of taking off the pack every two hours or so in order to give my back some air and force myself into an actual rest. I should mention though that although it is the most comfortable pack I have ever used (of maybe five in total), the design is not so comfortable that I do not get sore here and there after a 32.2 km (20 mile) day. Specifically, I tend to find that my bony tall man hipbones and my left shoulder are a little sore (evidencing the fact that the plastic frame sheet is indeed doing its job, and that my shoulders are taking some of the load as well [as I would have it]). Although above I gave the impression that I have used this pack in some pretty wet conditions, in reality, the rain hail and snow that I have encountered have never lasted for more than an hour or so, and have never been all that strong. However, never once did any of it penetrate my pack. During a trip that I took in upstate New York, after it had rained for a few days, I discovered something that I love about the silnylon that this pack is made from. During that trip, in which wet boughs were constantly whipping both the pack and my face, no water got in the pack, nor did the fabric the pack is made from absorb any, as regular nylon packcloth commonly does once its durable water resistant coating has worn off. In regards to the durability of the ultralight fabric, I have been rather pleased. On my latest trip, I somehow managed to lose the trail while rushing downhill, and in an effort to find it again, I found myself hiking through some pretty rough terrain. All the while, I was worrying about the elastic pocket material and the silnylon ripping on a sharp twig, but upon finally finding the trail, I was delighted and amazed to find the fabric entirely whole. Not even a stitch was yanked or caught. I have never babied the pack per se, but I should mention that I try not to be rough on it in anyway. I set it down carefully, and snatch it up with some care. Once it is in the air, I do throw it on my back, but that's about the roughest handling it ever sees if I can help it. I do not often allow it to slide across rocks, or to endure prolonged periods of stitch strain (aside from while on my back). It is a lightweight pack, and I treat it as such. [back to top] 8. Summary: I am rather pleased with my purchase of this pack, and am looking forward to using it on my thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. The thing I like about it most, aside from the lightweight construction of it, is the overall comfort. Second to that is the intelligence of the design. It holds everything that I want in seemingly waterproof places that are easily reachable on the trail and otherwise intelligently placed. If I were to express my gripes about this pack, I would have two to speak of. The first and more minor is the lack of a top pocket. I do miss my old pack's top pocket, but I have quickly gotten used to the concept of not having one, and I do enjoy being able to look completely over my shoulder without being visually blocked by the pack. The second gripe I would have would be that the waterproofness of the roll top feature is reliant upon the expansion sleeve being mostly empty. For every item that is placed in the expansion sleeve, the roll top feature cannot be rolled down as far, and the pack becomes less waterproof. The other worry that I have is the overall durability of the silicon impregnated nylon material. Although it has performed marvelously thus far, I harbor some worries that it will eventually fail over such a long trip as the Pacific Crest Trail, but I am reasonably confident that with proper care it will hold up. [back to top]  9. Update (April 2004):During my most recent trip (as of 24 March 2004), the pack broke. I managed to see and fix the break before it got too out of hand, but had I not been so observant, this break could have been very detrimental to my trip. It seems that as I was hiking along, some of the stitching on the waist belt of the pack broke. Actually, to be more precise, it was not the stitching that broke, but rather the fabric that the stitching was sewn into. In the photograph at left, if you look closely you should be able to see where the bar tack ripped the fabric, but you should also be able to see that the bar tack itself held up. The red stitching in the photo is the field repair that I performed after having noticed that this kind of a break could spell disaster. Five days after returning from that trip and contacting Granite Gear about the break, a complementary new belt came in the mail. This one is slightly different than the last in that the strap element used in the belt is now 7.6 cm (3") webbing rather than 5.1 cm (2"), and that there is now a rather large metal grommet in the center of it where it is hidden behind the foam padding of the pack. (I speculate that the representative at Granite Gear that gave me this different waist belt because he figured that if I broke one belt with the smaller webbing, I could break another, and that this one would be more up to snuff.) [back to top] Read more reviews of Granite Gear gear Read more gear reviews by Michael Lissner Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Granite Gear Vapor Trail > Owner Review by Michael Lissner | |||