Hey everyone, or should I say the golitequest backpack users. I've been considering this pack for a while but the main concern I have is will my bearvault fit? I've also considered the odessy, but since I usually only go for 5-6 day's once a year, it may be a little to big. Any feedback apprieciated.. Thanks

I don't know; I had the same question about a different pack a while ago, and someone recommended ULA's packs. If I don't know about a particular pack, I usually go to my local sporting goods stores and shove the floor model canister inside to see how it fits. I found, confusingly, that a smaller capacity pack will sometimes hold a canister better than a large one. Those things are huge. It really varies from brand to brand and on the particular model.

If no one here knows, I'm heading over to REI this weekend for backpack shopping anyway. I can see if one fits in th golite while I'm at it, if they have one.

I have a Golite Quest and I also have a BV-200. I usually put my sleeping bag at the bottom of the pack and then load the rest on top of it. The BV-200 (which is about the same size as the new BV-500) will fit horizontally in the Quest only by stretching the pack fabric to (IMO) an unacceptable degree. The BV will, of course, fit standing upright but then it is difficult to fit the rest of my gear around it.

I will be doing the JMT this summer. I had purchased the Quest to use on the trail since it has a capacity of over 4000 cu in. and has hip-belt pockets. I am now planning to use my old Mountainsmith Phantom at 3400 cu in because I can fit the BV into it horizontally and I can get all my gear inside even though the pack is "smaller". For the final ten-day leg of the trip, I will also be using an Ursack for the first day or so to protect the small amount of food that won't fit inside the BV. The Mountainsmith has room for that as well.

I have used the Quest on several trips now and it is a nice, comfortable pack but I am disappointed that it won't easily handle the Bear Vault in a horizontal position. It seems to me that Golite should have thought about this issue while designing the pack. They would have only needed to add a small amount of fabric to the pack to accommodate the bear cannister and it is not as though bear cannister use is uncommon. Unlike you, I just assumed that the BV would fit either horizontally or vertically. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Live and learn!

Note added in editing. I just rechecked the fit of the Bear Vault in my Quest pack. The BV will fit horizontally in the very bottom of the pack. It will not fit if the sleeping bag goes in first. I am now reconsidering using the pack on the JMT based on this discovery. I think that I will put a piece of 3/8" foam padding between the BV and the fabric of the bag bottom. The last time I carried a Bear Vault on the very bottom of a pack (an Osprey) without padding, the fabric really suffered from down-climbing several granite talus slopes.

Guys,

I wrote a while back (6 months or so) that I duct tape 4 D rings to my Garcia canister (2 on each end W/ tape around the circumfrence) so I can lash it on TOP of my pack, not put it inside. This has worked well and I can see no reason to put it inside any more.

Eric

May I suggest you find a piece of nylon cordura or maybe even one of those thin, flexible plastic cutting boards to sew on the bottom of the pack? I've done the cordura on both my packs to keep the bottoms (and other high-wear places) from becoming abraded on granite. I might try the cutting board with velcro or laced fasteners - that seems like it could do triple duty for cooking and as splint material in an emergency.

“I think that I will put a piece of 3/8" foam padding between the BV and the fabric of the bag bottom.”

Hmmm, that is a neat idea for its quickness and simplicity. That should offer a little give so it will be harder to pierce the pack fabric. If you go that route, would you let us know how it works?

-Barry

My problem with carrying a transparent Bear Vault on the outside of my pack is that the contents get quite hot if the sun is shining. I'm sure that it is the same greenhouse effect that gets the inside of cars and, of course, greenhouses hotter than the ambient temperature. I have had chocolate melt and run, sausages turn green <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> and fats turn rancid when I carried my BV exposed on the top of my old Kelty frame pack. I have never had this problem when carrying the BV inside the pack, even in hot desert conditions.

I also thought of using it in camp as a sit pad. Yep, I'll give you a gear review on it.

To give Osprey their due, they did an excellent repair on the holes in the bottom and even paid for shipping.

Pika,

Maybe you should post that in the thread about solar cooking in the Grand Canyon <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Thanks for the replies everyone. . I’ve been using a noisy Camp Trails external frame pack and really want to give a frameless pack a try. I’m hoping to hike the JMT next summer and trying to break in some gear with some shorter trips this year. I have a bv-200 as well and planning on swapping it out in Mammoth when I get the chance. I think testing some gear out at REI will definitely help in my final decision I think Pika JMT plans have kind of steered me towards the Quest, so if you hear someone out in the Sierra’s yelling out PIKA!!!!, you’ll know not to try the Golite Quest. After reading your post, I'll have to take a closer look Odyssey. Sorry for the trail humor Pika, but this site is the next best thing when it comes to the trail. And thanks for all the info..

Solar cooking in the Grand Canyon????

OK OK, so a canister on top of your pack gets hot. I agree, that's not the best thing.

How about making a light fabric (Dyneema Cloth) "canister sac" with attatchment D rings sewed on W/short nylon webbing reinforcements? That would keep the canister out of your pack, shade it and provide a means of attatchment

That way you don't end up with a pack that is too big for other hikes where you are not carrying a bear canister.

Eric