Comments on: Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 Backpack Review

By: Dave Collins

Dave Collins — Thu, 25 Oct 2018 19:10:49 +0000

Thanks Barry! Yup, it sounds like the Gorilla would be a great fit. I think 20-30 lbs is the sweet spot for this pack. Anything over 35 lbs will start to get uncomfortable, like almost all lightweight backpacks. It sounds to me like you're dialed in enough for this pack to be a great fit, and it's really comfortable. Happy hiking!

By: Barry Fisher

Barry Fisher — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 02:08:41 +0000

Hi, love your site. I prefer reading reviews by people that actually use the stuff they review. I haven't back packed since my 20's and I'm 67 now and getting back to weekenders and the like. Back in the day, I used an old JanSport 30 lb framed pack. It carried everything I needed for long weekender trips and I liked that I could strap on my sleeping bag and rolled up old foam pad on the frame. These were just a piece of thin cut dense foam. Better than nothing but not much. Everything's packs smaller and lighter now but it seems like this would be a good sized pack to carry the bag, a new self-inflatable pad and a total of 20-30 lbs of stuff and similar in capacity to my old pack. Bag is a down bag that will stuff smaller than my older sleeping bags. Do you think this pack is a good choice for me?

By: Dave Collins

Dave Collins — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 00:33:29 +0000

In reply to David.

Hi David,
Thanks for the comment! I might look for a more specialized daypack for that purpose. Maybe take a look at HMG? Sorry to not be of more help on this one.

By: David

David — Wed, 01 Mar 2017 22:39:59 +0000

Hey Dave. I've been on the hunt for a northeast winter 3 season day pack that can hold snowshoes, poles, maybe crampons and ice pick. Really hard to find a pack for this purpose. Multiply is easy. Single day not so. Do you think the gorilla would work. Overkill, Underhill, roadkill or just right.

Btw, you're site is really user friendly with great info.

By: Dave Collins

Dave Collins — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 08:33:40 +0000

In reply to Joe Vitessa.

Hi Joe,

There's less ventilation with this pack, but it's really not that bad. It's comfortable against the back and I hardly notice it when I'm on the trail. I sweat a lot, so my back is almost always sweaty anyway, even when I'm using a backpack with good ventilation. So, I personally see that as a minor downside, but not a game changer for me. Hope that helps,

Dave

By: Dave Collins

Dave Collins — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 08:30:04 +0000

In reply to Richard Moran.

Yeah, that looks a little strange to me. Interested to check it out, but I haven't had the chance yet.

By: Richard Moran

Richard Moran — Wed, 02 Nov 2016 12:43:22 +0000

Curious as to your thoughts on new 2016 gorilla with brain....

By: Joe Vitessa

Joe Vitessa — Fri, 28 Oct 2016 18:14:36 +0000

What's held me back from getting one of these is that it appears to sit right up against your back, leaving very little opportunity for ventilation. I often hike in hot and humid climates. What do you think about ventilation issues with this pack? Thanks.

By: Andrew

Andrew — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 17:36:14 +0000

Dave,

What is your base setup for gear when you take the Gorilla 40L out? I want to keep my pack smaller but I don't know if I could make my gear work with a bear canister which I have gotten in the habit of taking on my trips. I look forward to hearing from you!

By: Dave Collins

Dave Collins — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 01:19:39 +0000

In reply to Kevin.

Thanks for sharing Kevin! Yeah, I've heard a few of those reasons before, but I still don't see much use for them. I'd be curious to hear from women that use this pack to see if they find value in them. If so, GG should keep putting them on their packs. If not, ditch em. My wife uses this pack and she never saw any use in those extra clips whatsoever, so we took them off her pack.

The "extra secure" on rough terrain explanation seems like nonsense to me as well. I've used this pack (and many others) on extremely rough terrain and never once have I thought about using clips like those. They just don't make much sense.

None of this would be much of an issue if they were easy to remove. But they require plyers and some effort to get off. So, my advice to GG would be to just leave them off their packs. That's just my opinion though.

Thanks again for the great comment!