[at-l] G4 review

[hopefl@juno.com (Lamar Powell)]

I carried my G4 pack for over 100 miles on my spring hike. My overall
evaluation is that it works as advertised, is worth the money I gave for
it, but needs some changes to suit my needs.

First, I must mention that the pack comes with the caution that it is not
designed for big loads, it is definitely ultra light type gear. The max
recommended load is 28 pounds, if my memory serves me. The web pages
spells this out specifically and a notice is included in the shipping. My
first-day pack weight was about 31 pounds. This includes a tarp, sleeping
bag, full size thermarest, mess kit and fuel, extra clothes and rain
gear, first aid kit, headlamp, maps and compass, 3 liters of water and
six day food. I was very happy with my load. I have a few issues with how
every thing was packed. 

I had to use a fanny pack. I wanted a handy pocket for a water bottle,
note pad and maps, and my camera. The G4 does not afford this. The 3 mess
pockets on the outside of the pack held all the item I want to have easy
access to or didn't want inside. Easy access means I had to take the pack
off but didn't have to open it. I carried my tp kit, first aid, lunch,
water bottle, rain gear/pack cover and fuel bottle in these pockets. The
pocket design for a foam sleeping pad was used for my tarp. The mess was
stretched to a reasonable limit but never showed any sign of failure.

I took a small chance by not bringing my tent. There really is not room
for it and since the weather was not going to be extremely cold, I
decided to hazard leaving it behind. I normally like to hike in colder
weather so the tent issue must be address. I think one of Kurt's tents
would be an excellent solution as far as weight and bulk are concerned.
Storage is a different issue. There are no lash points on the outside of
the pack. All the available pocket spaced was allocated to other gear.
So, the first change that I would make is to add a daisy chain to the
pack. Of course this is not in keeping with the go light as you can
philosophy of the design. Outside storage for the tent is really
necessary I feel. I don't want to carry a wet tent inside.

The next change would be to beef up the shoulder straps. About 7 days
into my trip, I noticed that the left strap was starting to come loose. I
reinforced it with dental floss and it held together for the rest of the
trip. The failure was not bad material or workmanship. I knew I was over
the recommended limit. 

After the should straps I'd replace the hip belt. For load carrying
purposes, the belt is worthless. Again, I have to say that with a max
load of 25 or so pounds, a hip belt is not needed except to help hold the
pack in place. I must carry more so I will need an improved hip belt.  I
think a load carrying hip belt would have prevented the should strap
damage. Mrs. Gorp show me some changes she had made to her pack. There
was a pocket made of light weight nylon sewn right to her belt. Excellent
idea. It had a zipper top as I recall, about 6 inches wide by 6 tall by 2
or 3 deep. 

There is a unique shape to the G4. The bottom is some what larger than
the rest of the pack. The idea is to allow a little extra room for the
sleeping bag so as to avoid compressing it too much. This protects the
loft of the bag. The rest of the pack main compartment is smaller, less
material less weight. My new and improved bag would have the same width
and depth from top to bottom. The extra material required could not add
more than an ounce or two to the overall weight. Because I need a full
length thermarest I would like to have room inside the pack for it. The
pad doubles as padding for your back. The pad is packed between your back
and the rest of the gear inside. 

I found that my six day's worth of gear and food filled the G4 about as
much as I dared. If I used it in winter when I carry more clothes, I
think I'd need more space than the G4 offers.

As a weekend pack or short trip pack, I think the G4 will be terribly
hard to beat. For someone possessing a younger body than mine, it should
be fairly easy to stay under the recommended max load and still meet the
needs of the hike. When I get my custom pack made and field test it, I'll
be sure to post a gear report on how it preforms.  Hopeful

________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.