Golite Trek?

[jwind]

More of a lurker but i'm really hung up on this one and need some advice. Been looking at new packs for the upcoming summer season. I currently have a LARGE Gregory that's old and must be at least 5500 cu in. and my ski pack is tiny.I've really upgraded some gear over the years to mch lighter and compressable items. It's just silly useing my Gregory for overnights 2-4 dayers. I figured I'd continue along with a nice and light pack. After some investigations the Golite Trek seemed like it might be the right solution. Theeeeen I walked into EMS and tried on The Spire Rucksack and now I'm begining to think the Trek might be to big for my needs? Any suggestions and or experiences with these packs?

 

[Waumbek]

I have not used the Golite Trek but I do use an earlier version of the Golite Breeze daypack. I've traveled with it, hauled books and wine bottles in it, dayhiked trails with it in summer. I can say that it is sturdily made. The seams are well-tacked. It is also light. One of the weight-cutting devices is mesh rather than fabric pockets. I wondered if they'd hold up. So far so good, although this would not be a good bushwhacking pack as the mesh would catch on branches and twigs. Another weightcutting measure is no waist belt, so this pack does not shift the load off the shoulders, which, of course, is not a big problem in a pack this size in the summer. What I do not like about the pack--yet one more way to reduce its weight--is that it has no top pocket to shed rain water off the bag proper. I don't take it when I expect rain. There are no external fasteners either. For what this is, it's a good pack. I have been less impressed with other Golite products--rain gear, for instance--which seem too flimsy to me to hold up on a multi-day trip. I'll consider a bigger Golite next time I replace a big backpack. Sorry, but I can't answer your questions about size, just about the quality of my smaller pack. I would definitely check this out in person, however, and see what you're losing to gain the lightness of this pack. There are always trade-offs.

 

[lumberzac]

I own a Trek and my buddy has the Spire. IMO the Trek is really too big for the weight it can handle (30lb max) and feels funny when you hike with it when it is not full. I use it mostly in early spring and late fall, because it’s large enough to hold my warmer sleeping bag. My buddy bought a Spire after a friends dog ripped apart his Golite Speed pack and from what he said, the EMS packs suspension and frame are hands down better than the Golite’s. His only real complaint it that the Spire doesn’t have the nice compression strap/ helmet holder that he likes to carry his fishing rod in, but the Trek doesn’t have it either. If your gear will fit in the Spire, I would go with that.

 

[jwind]

I own a Trek and my buddy has the Spire. IMO the Trek is really too big for the weight it can handle (30lb max) and feels funny when you hike with it when it is not full. I use it mostly in early spring and late fall, because it’s large enough to hold my warmer sleeping bag. My buddy bought a Spire after a friends dog ripped apart his Golite Speed pack and from what he said, the EMS packs suspension and frame are hands down better than the Golite’s. His only real complaint it that the Spire doesn’t have the nice compression strap/ helmet holder that he likes to carry his fishing rod in, but the Trek doesn’t have it either. If your gear will fit in the Spire, I would go with that.

Ya, I had similiar concerncs about the Trek being 2 large for the max wieght? IU've also read reviews that it carries strange when not full . It would seem that the Speed may be a better option then the trek and at "3200*in3*+*400*in3" it might be a better option then the trek at least.