GoLite Jam 2 Pack - 3100cu in - 2009 BCS

This didn't end up working out for me, as I like a pack to transfer the weight off of my neck and shoulders and to my hips (old guy here). I run fairly light, usually sub-20lbs fully loaded, but it still wasn't comfortable. Maybe I needed to pack it differently, or shave those last few pounds off my load.

The Osprey Exos 46 in medium, at 2lb 5oz, comes in eleven ounces heavier than this, and about nine ounces heavier than the new Jam, but gives me the weight transfer and support I need, so right now it is my lightweight bag. But the new Jam pack, and many of GoLite's products, have gotten great reviews and have a loyal following, which doesn't come without good stuff. With the medium coming in at 1lb 12oz @47L, I may give the Jam another try...

Perhaps I don't know enough about packs, but this pack really was not adequate for any of my needs. Basically I needed a nice pack to hold my clothes, some food and water and some place to attach my sleeping bag and tent. This definitely did not do the job. It seems this pack was probably not made for that, but it has a TON of space in it, so it's disappointing that despite that, I couldn't hold everything I needed to especially do to a lack of straps on the outside or even loops or other places to tie my gear to.

Perhaps I should have gotten a different pack for what I was looking for, as this seems to be for really light backpacking. However, I also did not find the pack comfortable at all. The straps were too thin and dug into my shoulders. Perhaps I should have gotten the larger size L as I had the M.

In any case, I would not recommend this as I can't really see a use to for it that other back packs couldn't do much better.

This pack is comfortable and useful if you carry less that 20lbs. After more than that it's really too much weight for the pack. Keep in the mind that the hipbelt is designed more for stabilization rather than support so it's really difficult to transfer any part of the load off of your shoulders. IF you can keep the weight down, it's a nice pack; very lightweight and well constructed. If you still want something light but want the ability to carry a little more with a better hipbelt, check out the ULA Circuit instead.

I'll tell you right now: if you don't know what ultra-light backpacking is, I wouldn't buy this pack.
Personally I LOVE this pack. I have taken an older model on backpacking trips with over 45 pounds while working for the park service in the Sierra and Colorado, taken it fastpacking and on alpine sieges in winter.
Be warned though, if you don't know how to properly/rigidly pack a frameless pack, then I would not put more than 25-30 pounds in this thing.
Key features: One big center compartment. No padded waistbelt (maybe changed this though). Padded shoulders. The ripstop fabric is good and after one or two thousand miles, it has a bunch of holes but they dont spread.
If you are interested in thru hiking something or doing a bunch more backpacking, read Ray Jardine's books (they pretty much invented it). He has revolutionized the way I think about backpacking and climbing. Read that thru-hiker's post below to see what an ultralight bag looks like.
Some people say that a few ounces here and there don't hurt, and if they do you should just be in better shape... this isn't always true. On big days you will notice a BIG difference having a lighter pack, and for me I have just that much more fun. Ultralight backpacking is a state of mind, it is not just a bag or a tent.
Here's my summer protocol: Golite shangrala, No stove, mountain running shoes, water proof pants, zipoff pants, running shorts, montbell alpine parka, waterproof jacket, breathable shirts, undies, polypro (top bottom), fleece, thermarest z-light pad, down sleepbag, bivy sack, wool socks, med kit, food, pump, kleen canteen and plastic cubic, alum pot, whiskey.

Great frameless pack for ultralight backpacking/fastpacking. Plenty of room and very durable for being so light weight. I recommend this pack for anyone who is looking for a nice lengthy hike. If you are looking for an all around backpack to carry more than about 25 pounds, check out the Golite Pinnacle. Just finished a 4 day, 70 mile trip with nothing but praises, im officially Jammin'

This is a bigger, cushier version of my older Women's Jam2 model; I bought this one as a gift for my boyfriend and it is just awesome. I love my Jam2W, but this has a few improvements over that - notably, a wider hipbelt with stash pockets, and slightly more rugged straps and zippers. We recently spent 10 days out in some pretty gnarly weather, and these carried everything we needed, loaded with about 30 lbs each. I wouldn't put much more than that in here, so know what you're getting into - you're going to have to cut back to the essentials and geek out a little about going ultralight! This is also an awesome attack pack or daypack - super durable, cool, and very, very light. Highly recommended.

First, don't buy this unless you are truly going light. I'd say 20 pounds. This will certainly hold more, but not as comfortably and the weight will not transfer to you hips as well as a pack with a frame (even noting that this has a hipbelt). If you are very experienced you can play around with the center of gravity and the manner in which you pack, but most folks find this easier to talk about than realistically achieve.

The fabric, nylon with dyneema reinforced grid, is fairly robust and water resistant. Great for lightweight 2-3 day trips, climbs or peak bagging. Longer stuff I would recommend an internal frame pack that will carry and transfer weight much better. If you are strong enough that you don't mind carrying extra load on your shoulders (instead of the hips), then you are probably strong enough to not have to worry about every ounce of pack weight. The GoLite Pinnacle model is a bigger version of this, but makes no sense to me. If you are going to carry that much stuff then you will want a frame. Don't make the mistake of fussing about every ounce of weight and then feeling sore all over, kinda defeats the whole purpose of enjoying the trip.

This pack has become my primary day hiking pack, using it for light summer trips and winter ski days... I even bring it along in my expedition pack to use for day climbs on mountaineering trips. It is great to have a roomy pack to throw clothing or gear in vs over stuffing a tiny day pack. Super light pack too. Shoulder straps and waist belt support are challenged with loads over 20 lbs. Keep your loads lighter and you will love it.

I Recently went on a three day alpine climb in Yosemite. I picked up this pack needing an approach pack that would be able to be stuffed into my regular pack. This pack is sick! It is big enough for a 70 m rope, a soft shell jacket, a hydration bag, climbing shoes and power bars and snacks for my climbing partners. I used this pack all day while pulling the west arete on Mt. Conness. The features most appreaciated are the ability to compress and adjust pack, the ability to expand when the load calls for it (rope in vs in use), and the belt pouches that kept a handy supply of power bars and shot blocks while in the climb. I would recommend this pack without reservation. The only caracteristic to be aware is being so light comes at a price of durability. After being beat on over several climbs with complete disreguard there were signs of wear and tear but the dyena grid did stop any tears from running. All in all it has become an essential piece of alpine climbing gear.

I purchased the Large and Medium packs to decide which fit best. My torso is about 19 inches but I have a large chest/shoulders. I seemed to be between sizes. The perfect pack would have been the medium torso length with the shoulder straps from the large pack.

The Large was slightly more comfy overall because of the longer shoulder straps but the torso fit could be better for me. For it's intended purpose of carrying no more than 15-20 pounds, the fit is fine though so I'm keeping the Large and returning the Medium.
I'm really impressed with the overall quality of this pack.