We offer Free Shipping on orders over $50 shipped within the contiguous United States...that's the lower 48 to you and me. If your order is received before 5 PM Eastern Standard Time, we will make every effort to get it out the same day. Make sure to take Free Shipping into account when comparing prices.
Free Shipping (Economy) must be selected inside the shopping cart.
We guarantee complete satisfaction and an unlimited lifetime warranty. If at any time - now, next month, in 30 years - you're not 100% satisfied, send your gear back for a full refund. No questions asked. Need help returning an item? - Click Hereclose
Due to contracts with the following brands, we are unable to ship any of their products outside the US.
more...
Int'l Shipping
Backcountry.com uses UPS Worldwide Express or Worldwide Expedited
for all shipping outside the United States. We have found this method to be quick,
secure, and cost effective.
The GoLite Quest Pack makes it in just over the three-pound mark and still includes a comfortable suspension system, multiple pockets, and mountain-ready features. This all-season pack handles everything from a weekend of backpacking to ambitious alpine ascents. A large front pocket keeps your on-the-go necessities from disappearing into the massive 4400-cubic-inch main compartment. The Quest also compresses down to daypack size for summit pushes or afternoons on your local trails.
At significantly less than 4#, and over 4000ci, this pack is for those who leave the kitchen sink at home. I carried mine around the tetons for 3 days. I got used to the top-loader after switching from a top and panel loading e-frame. My only complaint was the hip pads: they don't come very far forward, so my 35" waist had a few bruises. My solution next time will be to use the cut-off sleeves from a fleece jacket to slide over the straps.
Is this pack large enough for a multi-week trip through Europe? If not, any other recs for a large, comfortable, fairly light pack with multiple access pts?
Fred, it depends on what you intend to pack and how much you wanna bring back. I did 5 weeks in Europe with 2 of my buddies. Two of us had very large packs, but one of my friends brought a very similar GoLite pack. At the end of the trip, everyone's pack was full, except I decided to bring back a load of crap that I didn't need. If you keep it simple and stick to the basics (i.e. the good things in life such as a few simple gifts and some vino or olive oil and a limited amount of clothing) this pack would be totally fine for an extended trip. It is on the small side though, and if you aren't accustomed to traveling light, I'd definitely look for a larger bag.
I used this pack for a 6 night trek through the Yellowstone Backcountry. The lightweight attracted me, and did not disappoint. There are a few nusiances howerver that should be considered. A. this is top loading only, meaning you will unpack it completely each night and repack it comletely each morning. As soon as my group could consume enough food ( I carried supplies for 4). I was happy to get my sleeping bag stuffed into the external compartment. This way I could set-up camp without unpacking the whole bag. To do this, you need a very compact sleeping bag. My Eureka 30 degree bag was about as heavy a bag as can be used this way. There is no way a low temp bag is going to fit (I tested this theory with my -30 Northface down bag. B. I echo other comments about the elastic side pockets. Your Nalgenes will be out of reach in these pockets. C. The belt pockets are well sized and convenient....but your topo map wont fit here....so it gets stuffed out of reach in the overhead or into your pants pocket. D. The lower hang loops are a big concern. I carried a 7lb 3 man tent on these and it was a struggle to attach and carry here. The bag would be signiticantly improved if there were web straps or a more convenient maens to use them. As is, the pack is not well suited for carrying a tent........better for just an external thermarest in a stuff-sack.
Bottom line is I pushed this pack to its limit of near 35 lbs gear revealing some of its shortcomings. You might consider another bag if you will carry a heavy tent regularly.
Yeah - one is last year's model and then this one is the 2009 model. As April hits, a lot of new products are introduced, creating some crossover between 2008 and 2009 gear.
I got this on sale at REI, attracted by the low weight. My other pack is the 5,800 c.in. Dana Terraplane which is ~7 lbs, so I figured I will try to shave off 4+ lbs of the pack weight and try to bring less crap on my trips.The fabric of the pack got ripped by the airline luggage people on my very first flight, while the Terraplane has survived 20+ flights w/o any trouble.The size is enough for only 2-3 day trips. Won't work for winter and for week+ trips.I am back to my Terraplane.Bottom line - expect no miracles. Lighter pack -> more fragile -> less space.
Comment on bva3249603's review >