GG Blaze AC 60 Alternatives

Hi Guys,

I have recently been gearing up for some longer 3 to 6 day backpacking trips which meant getting a pack with more capacity than the day pack i used to use for day trips or a light 1 night out. I am looking around 50-60L, and while not "ultralight" I am trying to avoid some of the bulkier packs of old. I usually carry < 20 lbs including pack for 1 night and planning to keep it under 30 lbs max with food. To that end, I purchased the Blaze AC 60 and love almost everything about the pack... the hip belt is great, zero pain in the hips, fits my lower back very well (have had back problems in the past and some packs irritate it, the blaze does not), like the minimalist but functional design and find the 3 lb weight a good middle ground.

The only issue I have with the pack is the load really pulls at my neck and try as I might I can't seem to adjust the pack in any way that avoids this. I think it has to do with the load lifers being pretty much straight across i.e. 90 degrees perpendicular to my spine / gravity as opposed to the oft quoted 45 degrees.

First question would be is there other 'fit' issues that would cause this feeling of pulling downward on the shoulders / neck?

If not, I was hoping some might have recommendations for a similar pack with perhaps a slightly longer frame sheet with higher load lifters.

I tried out a few Deuter Act Lite and REI Flash brand packs but didn't like the fit of either (Deuter had a lot going for it but irritated my lower back with its push out foam blocks). Tried the Osprey Atmos and liked it more than Deuter or REI, though the hip belt is no where near as nice as the Blaze and it certainly has a lot of added weight for bells and whistles I don't really need. I also found I am a little long i the torso for an ospray medium but small for the large. ~19.5" torso.

I see a lot of people liking the ULA packs, but since they aren't available in stores near by I am not sure how they compare in fit to the Granite Gear packs. I was also looking at the Boreas lost coast 60 as an alternative but again haven't seen it in person (there is 1 store that I think carries it but is about a 45 minute drive so I haven't made it yet).

Anyone tried the Blaze and one of these? Any others I am missing? Trying to keep it under $250.

Thanks very much!

I have the Blaze and do not have the issue you are having. How long is your torso from neck to waist? Measure that then compare to GC recommendation. If it within range, there might be adjustment to frame sheet to be made? perhaps moving shoulder strap down a notch? It sounds like the backpack is too short for you.

My Torso measurement is about 19.5", which seems like it should be right in the wheel house for this pack. I have read a lot of folks saying that it runs ~2 inches short which seems right as I have to use the 21" holes in order to get the straps to attach to the frame sheet in the correct location ~2 inches below the top of my shoulder.

I tried moving the torso setting to a few different places but didn't have much luck as lowering the shoulder straps to get a better load lifter angle makes the strap attachment point down below my arm pits which I have heard is undesirable. (admittedly i have not taken it out or a day hike setup this way)

Since I am new to larger packs like this (my other pack is 30L) it is possible I am messing up something with the strap / load lifter adjustments but have taken it out for a couple of day hikes and done a lot of fidgeting with no such luck.

I alternate between two packs: the GG Crown 60 and the ULA Catalyst. I use the Crown 60 for shorter trips and the Catalyst for longer, due to its greater weight capacity.

The Crown fits fine up to a little over 30 pounds, then it sags and pulls on my shoulders annoyingly (perhaps what you're experiencing). I've reduced this somewhat with the new accessory air frame, which is also super-comfy on the back.

The Catalyst is almost perfect, except for a shoulder strap that turns inward and bruises my chest if I'm not careful. It can support a week-long trip and is pretty much all the pack I need for bigger loads.

ULA has vast fit options, so I''d bet you can get one to work quite well. They're certainly tough and well-made.

Cheers,

I'd spent the last two years trying to find a pack that would fit me in that 45-50L size - finally discovered that all of the internal frame packs I was trying had the same issue of the load lifters making a zero-degree angle, and I couldn't take the load off my shoulders. (I could avoid the neck-pull issue by keeping the load lifters tightened all the way.)

Finally, some one noticed that the problem wasn't getting the shoulder strap length right (20-plus, but not quite 21, inches.) The problem was that the actual frame length of the pack was too short, so the load lifters wouldn't attach higher than the shoulder straps. He recommended the Atmos 50, and it was perfect. If you haven't tried the current-year version of the Atmos, do so - it no longer has a fixed-length shoulder strap; they changed to an adjustable-length harness this year. (The fixed-length never fit me right: medium was too short, large was too long.) It took a bit of fiddling to get the adjustment just right, but it was worth it.

So, if you haven't tried the adjustable-harness version of the Atmos, give it a look.

Take a look at the Elemental Horizons Aquilo. I have the smaller version of this pack, the Kalais and I love it. The Aquilo and Kalais have the same suspension which, with the optional (required IMO) stay transfers the load to the hip belt better than any other pack I have ever used. And, the hip belt system with two cinch belts makes the belt conform comfortably to ones hips even with heavy (35 lb) loads.

My AC 60 handles 30 lbs. with ease. I spent some time doing adjustments, but my torso is 21 1/2. A great pack, I'm sorry to hear it didn't work.

Thanks for the tips guys! It is interesting to hear the Catalyst has the longer frame sheet vs the GG packs. I wish they sold their packs in stores nearby to try, but may have to order one and see how it goes.

Also interested to hear that the Atmos helped someone with a similar problem as that is the pack which seemed to fit me the best in a store. Glenn your situation seems to match mine exactly, even when I get the shoulder strap / frame connection correct it doesn't make the frame sheet any longer. If you happen to know, did you try the Atmos 65 as well? Any idea if the frame sheet is the same size? I had tried on the 65 in a large and got a fairly good fit but that is a BIG pack and really don't think I need all that space!

I HAD read about the small adjustment added to this years model, but when i tried it on was told it did not have that feature, guess it was the older pack. I will have to hit a few different REIs and see if anyone has the 2013 version. It doesn't appear they changed the name to make it easy? i.e. sometimes you will see the 50L and a 52L which may just be there because the pack actually got slightly larger but is very helpful for finding the latest model.

I should say as was mentioned above that I do believe the Blaze handles 30 lbs with ease, and is an awesome pack that probably fits 90% of folks well. I am quite disappointed to not be among them

Well, that just weird. Sorry the pack is not working out for you. I don't think I ever had more than 28 pounds in mine. Which is about the same as you claim to carry, so I don't know what could cause it. I hope you find your happy medium pack!

Sorry, I didn't try on the Atmos 65; I simply no longer need a pack larger than 50L. There are two "tells" for the new model: the shoulder straps have a rip-and-stick panel that lets you move them up or down, and the hipbelt has two rip-and-stick panels (called "Fit on the Fly" that let you make the long (non-webbing) padded portion of the hipbelt longer if you need to.

It's worth looking around for. I found mine at the local outfitter's, and noticed that REI carries only the adjustable version. If you can't find one locally, just order one from REI, try it on at home and, if it doesn't fit, you can send it back for a full refund - all you're out is the return shipping, which may be less than you'll spend on gas trying to find one.

Thanks again. I have an REI ~10 miles away so can always just return to the store as well. I agree on not really needing 65L, that is what kept me from buying it in the first place (they didn't have any 50s). I had just assumed the 50L would be too short for me but sounds like that may not be the case after all.

The Down Works in Santa Cruz is the only store I'm aware of that has ULA packs in it. You could call ULA and ask about others - wouldn't hurt.

Wanted to follow up here. After trying a bunch of packs on at the store I found that as mentioned earlier in this thread the Atmos 50 gave me the best fit of what was available. At the same time I ordered a ULA circuit with the plan to return whichever I don't like 'as much'. Since the circuit adjusts via the waist belt and not the shoulder straps like most packs I was able to get a great fit with the pack even though I had to adjust the medium to the longest setting.

I really like the circuit, weight features size etc. The one thing that the Atmos really wins on is the hard frame sheet suspension. The Circuit is the first real pack I have worn without a frame sheet and so it is much more important to pack properly or gear juts out into your back. Still trying to get that right and hoping that if I figure it out my seemingly endless search will be over

Have fun with your chooserating!

One observation about frame sheets--they don't really provide mechanical or dynamic load support so much as resist back panel sagging (up to a point) and prevent pack contents from poking through. The perimeter frame tied to the shoulder strap top and bottom attachment points is vastly better in my experience.

Cheers,

Rick,

Agreed! Or at least in my few hours of playing, I don't notice much different in terms of the load support without the frame sheet. I do notice the 'stuff poking through into the back' part of it, though. Which i realize is 100 percent on me in terms of learning to pack the gear appropriately.

In fact the Atmos pack I am comparing the Circuit too also uses a perimeter frame for the load as far as I can tell but has that bouncy trampoline like gap between the gear and your back to make packing easier. Then again, moving the load away from your back doesn't seem to make logical sense....