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Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack
$169.95
Item qualifies for annual
REI Member Refund (typically 10%)
The Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 pack is a winner of the Backpacker Magazine 2003 Editors' Choice Award! Exceptionally light and durable, this pack lets you tote up to 30 pounds in comfort.
- Looking to lose a few pounds on your next trip? This ultralight pack weighs under 3 pounds and can handle enough gear for weekend trips to thru-hikes
- Flexible HDPE plastic frame sheet with soft foam padding and padded, ergonomic harness offer enough support for loads of 30 pounds or less
- Top-loading pack omits a lid and uses a drawcord lock to close extension collar and an adjustable buckle strap to compress and secure load
- Durastretch side pockets are large enough for quart water bottles or fuel bottles and do not snag on brush
- Front straps let you lash on camp chair, sleeping pad or other bulky items
- Dual ice axe loops for strapping on tools and trekking poles
- Side compression straps double as extra lash points for tent poles, camp trowel or trekking poles
- Pack body is a silicon impregnated 70-denier hybrid ripstop nylon; the backpanel and arches are 210-denier Cordura® nylon
- Hydration-compatible design features reservoir pocket and drink tube exit port for on-the-go hydration (reservoir sold separately)
- Size Short comes with a women's hipbelt
Specification for torso/ waist and hips/ base volume and average weight are as follows:
Imported.
Item 699831
Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack Specs
Specification | Description |
| Gender | Unisex |
| Frame type | Internal |
| Backpack style | Ultralight backpack |
| Approximate volume | 3,600 cubic inches |
| Approximate volume - metric | 59 liters |
| Average weight | 2 lbs. 5 oz. |
| Average weight - metric | 0.9 kilograms |
| Adjustable torso | No |
| Fits torso | 18 - 21 inches |
| Fits waist/hips | 30 - 34 inches |
| Material | Cordura nylon and Sil-nylon |
| Frame material | HDPE/foam |
| Number of stays | 0 |
| Number of pockets | 2 + main compartment |
| Access / Loading | Top |
| Sleeping bag compartment | No |
Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack Customer Reviews
REVIEW SNAPSHOT®
by PowerReviewsPros
- Lightweight (22)
- Comfortable (20)
- Highly adjustable (13)
- Easy to load (11)
- Large capacity (11)
Cons
- Not enough pockets (4)
- Delicate (3)
Best Uses
- Extended hikes (21)
- Light loads (16)
- Day hikes (11)
- Wet weather (8)
- Travel (7)
- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (16), Casual adventurer (5)
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Minimalist (4)
Reviewed by 23 customers
Sort by
Pros
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Versatile
Cons
- Needs buckles on straps
- Tool loops too short
Best Uses
- Day Hikes
- Extended Hikes
- Ice climbing
- Ski touring
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
I have about 8 packs right now and this is the one of two that I would not give up. I got a new one when they added the inside water bag pocket and my (now) wife got my old one. The straps are in all the right places for me and I have carried skis, ice tools, ropes, snow shoes, crampons, wands, shovels and other stuff comfortably on this pack. You can get a couple day winter trip out of it without climbing gear. I carry about 20 lbs summer and a little over 30 in winter. I have carried over 40 for training, you need to compress it tightly and it carries just fine. All this for a hair over 2 lbs. Perfect. (I have the lighter Granite Gear Virga too and it is not a keeper)
Pros
- Comfortable
- Easy To Load
- Good Padding
- Lightweight
Cons
- Delicate
- Weak Seams
Best Uses
- Extended Hikes
- Light Loads
- Wet Weather
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
This pack gets consistently good reviews, so take mine with a grain of salt, but I had some serious durability issues. Through hikers note good durability but I suspect this pack has been redesigned recently. Several of the critical seams (main pack to billowy top, two seams lateral of center on front of pack) are single stictched silnylon without reinforcement. These are load/pack bearing seams and rip easily. After 3 days of use with under 30 lbs the fabric showed obvious signs of stretching. I question how this pack has made any thru hike, and have heard rumors older models had fully reinforced seams. Also, the waist belt is too big for any moderately sized man. Plan on replacing with a smaller one after a bit of use and padding compression. On the plus side, it's super comfortable, exceedingly light, not over-featured, and I love the outside hydration pocket. Ultimately though, I traded mine for an Oprey Talon 44. I travel light and small without the hood so the weight difference is minimal, and I've had great results. But there are those who disagree. I merely suggest you see this pack before you buy and sook carefully at the seams.
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Minimalist
Pros
- Easy To Load
- Good Padding
- Lightweight
Cons
- Delicate
- No frame
Best Uses
- Ultralight hiking
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
Good pack for the minimalist but the lack of a stiff frame to distribute the load evenly on the hips and shoulder can create problems. The back padding is ample but because of the lack of a rigid frame the padding only touches my back at my lower hips and upper shoulders and the padding in between hangs there limply in a rather useless fashion. In short it causes me to have back pain. I will in the future gladly sacrifice a extra pound of weight on backpack for some sort of frame to distribute the load more evenly and save my back.
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Comfort Driven
Pros
- Comfortable
- Easy To Load
- Large Capacity
- Lightweight
Cons
- brittle
Best Uses
- Day Hikes
- Extended Hikes
- Light Loads
- Wet Weather
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
Very comfortable and light weight. I think it is mostly a hiking pack. I've taken it on a few climbing trips. Bushwacking and carrying pickets put holes it the pack pretty quickly. In the future I'll have to be carful of where I take it. The hose hole, if that's what it's called, is not large enough for me to easily put my drinking tube through. Still a great pack.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Durable
- Large Capacity
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Extended Hikes
- Light Loads
- Travel
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
I've had this pack for 4 years now and it's been through two summers in the Sierras, Europe and South America and it's still going strong!!! It's extremely comfortable and durable. Only now has it started showing some wear and thinning in the padding. I wanted something with a frame and padded hip belt that still weighed very little. I had tried and didn't like the older version of GoLite's Jam pack (hurt my back and hard to pack comfortably). With some space saving packing (ie. take the tent out of the tent bag and strapping my Z-rest to the outside) this pack carried more then enough for long backpacking trips, I rarely used the extension collar. It even carried a bear canister! Also, there aren't zillions of adjustment straps to deal with, just make sure to buy the right size for your torso length!!! Extremely important!
The only down side is that most people prefer pockets and multiple points of entry. But to save on weight this is the compromise. With thoughtful packing I never really had any problems.
I'd recommend this pack to anyone! Currently I'm looking to invest in the smaller version, the Virga. Happy Adventures!
Pros
- Comfortable
- Easy To Load
- Good Padding
- Highly Adjustable
- Large Capacity
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Day Hikes
- Extended Hikes
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
I love this pack because it can carry a 35lb load effortlessly, weighs next to nothing and is tougher than nails. Its fit is true and although you cannot adjust the shoulder straps, there is really no need as long as you order the correct size.
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Minimalist
Pros
- Comfortable
- Highly Adjustable
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Extended Hikes
- Light Loads
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
I love this pack, simple yet everything I want in a pack. Under 30 pounds is when it seems to work the best.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Highly Adjustable
- Large Capacity
- Lightweight
Cons
- Difficult To Load
- Not Enough Pockets
Best Uses
- Extended Hikes
- Light Loads
- Wet Weather
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
Bought this pack about 1 year ago. Tried every pack out there. This was the most comfortable for me... I generally carry between 25-30 pounds of gear and food. Pack has been on trips to the Holy Cross and Lost Creek Wilderness... Performed well in rain, although it never really rains all that long in Colorado. Only concerns I can think of are long term duribility ( although I have had no issues as yet) and it is kind of a pain to load becuase of the high expansion collar. It could use an external pocket...GG makes one for the hipbelt or shoulder strap...
Pros
- Comfortable
- Easy To Load
- Highly Adjustable
- Large Capacity
- Lightweight
Cons
- None
Best Uses
- Day Hikes
- Extended Hikes
- Light Loads
- Travel
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
If your total load is around 30 pounds or less, this is the only pack to consider. I scrutinized absolutely every other lightweight pack on the market, and concluded this is, by leaps and bounds, the best. It's the "iPod of lightweight packs," if you'll pardon the comparison--everything else simply pales in comparison.
Everything about the pack is perfect. On the one hand it's not one of these insanely light/flimsy packs that provide no realistic load support or comfort features. It's got adequate padding, suspension, and reinforcements. Yet, on the other hand, it's light and spare exactly where it can and should be. So it's not trying to be the "lightest of the light" packs, just for the sake of it. It's a prudent pack that is as reasonably light as current technology allows.
I recommend this pack, without the slightest reservation, for a broad spectrum of uses, including mountaineering, self-supported trips up to 10 days, and supported through-hikes.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Highly Adjustable
- Large Capacity
- Lightweight
Cons
Best Uses
- Day Hikes
- Extended Hikes
- Heavy Loads
- Light Loads
- Travel
- Wet Weather
Comments about Granite Gear Vapor Trail 3600 Pack:
The Vapor is a lightweight alternative to big packs. I am able to comfortably carry everything I need for extended overseas travel. The pack fits well, although women with short torsos may find the pack rides too low on the hips and not on the hip bones, thus putting undue weight on the shoulders - try it out in the store first.
Packing is easy as the back pad is enought to ensure sharp objects don't poke you. No need to worry about your gear moving around.
I find the only con with this pack to be it's color. A black interior makes hunting for an item difficult in poor light. I like the duffle bag approach to loading (no zippers to break) and the roll down sleeve that keeps everything dry. For those times when you need more space, you can simply fill the sleeve up. The top straps are plenty long to still clasp around a bigger load. The best part of this pack is its size, small enough and light enough to set on your lap on a bus ride (and still see over the top) and easy enough to grab with one hand to haul around. I've been in rain storms with this pack and haven't had to worry about wet gear. It isn't water proof, but it does a good job non-the-less on protecting your gear inside. And, it's easy to wash. I'd buy another one, but I don't see a need - this one has lasted and lasted and lasted.
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