Upgrading My Backpack - Granite Gear Stratus Latitude to ?

Bushwalking gear and paraphernalia. Electronic gadget topics (inc. GPS, PLB, chargers) belong in the 'Techno Babble' sub-forum.
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Upgrading My Backpack - Granite Gear Stratus Latitude to ?

Postby Aushiker » Thu 21 Jul, 2022 7:36 pm

My current backpack is a Granite Gear Stratus Latitude which is 79l and weighs about 2.2 kg. I haven't bushwalked for quite a few years, preferring to tour on bicycle/bikepacking. Anyway I have decided to mix things up a bit and add some bushwalking back into the mix. Mostly trails here in WA with water likely to be available at the end of the day.

My best calculation for my bikepacking setup is around 70l capacity which allows for carrying water for the day, around 3-4 litres plus bike maintenance kit etc.

My initial thoughts are a backpack around the 65 l mark for five-day walks. Maybe something like the Opsey Eros which is 61 litres (1.34 kg) in the large size (the question being can I get down the small ...) or maybe the Osprey Atomos AG at 65L (2.18 kg) which puts me back in the Granite Gear league for the weight. That said I'm not that keen on Granite Gear design. It was a freebie when I got it.

Thoughts? Suggestions?
Andrew
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Re: Upgrading My Backpack - Granite Gear Stratus Latitude to

Postby JohnnoMcJohnno » Wed 27 Jul, 2022 12:03 pm

I've got some general thoughts. The first one is it's really hard to recommend anything because backpacks are such a specific fit.

I don't know how bulky your gear is but 60 to 70 litres sounds right to me for a 5 day plus walk. If you're carrying 4 litres of water (4 kg) plus 5 days of food (another 3-4 kg) plus the rest of your clothes and equipment (which would be 8 kg in my case, don't know about yours), then you need a pack which will comfortably carry 16 kg. I own an Exos, its the previous model, not the current one. It can swallow everything I need for a 5 day walk, but I don't find it comfortable with more than 12-13 kg in it. A lot of people swear by it though so it's worth trying. If you do, my only advice would be to load it up in the shop and walk around with it for an hour or so. For me it always feels super comfortable when I first put it on, but then everything starts to stretch and sag and you end up in an endless cycle of adjusting various straps trying to get it to feel right. Osprey also have the Rook which comes in a 65 litre version. I haven't tried it but I'm told it has a more supportive hip belt and shoulder straps than the Exos. At 1.6 kg it's heavier than the Exos though. Osprey also have the Aether Pro which is relatively light for a 70 litre pack. A friend of mine has one and reckons it's the best pack ever, but I tried one on in the shop and it just didn't feel right. The only other pack I've tried recently in this size range was a One Planet Tussock - it's a nice pack but it just did not fit me and I sent it back. If your torso length is less than 50 cm it might be worth a look.

Unfortunately I don't think there's any substitute for hitting the stores, trying them on and finding what works for you.
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Re: Upgrading My Backpack - Granite Gear Stratus Latitude to

Postby Aushiker » Thu 28 Jul, 2022 10:12 am

Thanks for your thoughts.
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