the osprey is way tougher in my opinion and it fits me better comfort wise.

the osprey is way tougher in my opinion and it fits me better comfort wise.

Let me preface it by this - it is no dana designs terraplane, similarly, it will not withstand nuclear war like the terraplane. that being said, i love the pack. zero problems thru-hiking the John Muir Trail in 20 days. 2 of us chose this pack, another had an aether 60, another had a go-lite.

Carrying 10 days of food + gear (starting weight was 43.5lbs), i felt a bottoming out during the first few days and thought this was the worst pack i've ever hiked with. only to find in the sub-40 range it was incredible (dare i say better than my dana?). i wouldn't say its unbearable, but it certainly reminded me of my torturous boyscout days with a funky peak1 external frame and coleman sleeping bag.

-shoulder straps were fine
-no problem with gear falling out of the vertical zipper.
-was in a 2 day downpour. found the fabric to "breathe" and stuff would get damp, but all stuff that needed to stay dry was wrapped carefully (down bag in a trash compactor bag etc). however, not waterproof. but does a good job of not "holding" water in the fabric
-durability - fabric is light but strong. that being said, don't let boyscouts use it. don't toss the bag down a slope while traversing. don't use it as a step-ladder etc. i view this as a "few thousand mile" bag, vs the dana will last me and my sons many more years,
-no internal straps. one huge compartment
-i have no such creaks, but i met ppl on the JMT that did experience such.

-for lightweight backpacking, this is great. I might have gone with the vapor trail, as I had no need for the lid, to shave a few pounds. I couldn't reach the sub 20 pound mark including a large bear canister, but did reach 22 pounds. The ability to wear lighter footwear with lighter weight backpacking was well worth the investment in a few pieces of better gear. after this endeavor, most weeklong or less trips should put your weight under 40lbs.

I'm a scout leader myself and I've been looking at this pack for a while. From what I've heard it carries weight well for the size and weight of the pack itself. But why are you carrying extra crew gear? Your pack should be lighter than any of your scouts' packs... it would be good for them.

I've had a Gregory Shasta for about eight years and that's been a great pack for 45-60 pound loads, but I'm not a big fan of carrying all that weight. There's a point where it doesn't matter how nice your pack is... you're still going to feel the weight at the end of the day. If you really want to carry that much, though, go with something between 70 and 80 liters. They'll handle extra weight better because of heavier duty suspension systems and they'll have extra room for bulky crew gear and food. I would try looking at the Stratus Access 4500 if you want to still look at Granite Gear. It has more room and a higher weight capacity than the Nimbus.

Just make sure you go to a store and try a few on. Packs are like boots and if your pack doesn't fit you correctly you just won't enjoy your trip as much. Packs all fit differently and you need one to fit your body type and torso length.

To some of your questions:
- I have bony clavicles, so I'd always go with wider shoulder straps
- No problem with gear coming out at the bottom of the zipper
- Water resistant is probably the best word. If you're in a downpour it's going to seep in, but a mist or light shower should be easily repelled by the fabric.
- Fabric feels thin (it is, and is light) but it is remarkably strong and durable. I've scraped boots and poles and snowshoe crampons against it and it doesn't look any worse for wear.
- No interior compression straps, other than the one at the top, but it's more of a front-to-back strap cover.
- Interior is one big bag, with a sleeve against the back sheet that you can stuff things in. The removable top pack is pretty big though.
- I get some squeaking somewhere in the back sheet pivot when I hike, it's a little annoying. Haven't figured out how to get rid of it.
- Overall, it's great if you want something light, well-built, and without a ton of bells and whistles. I'm happy with mine.

The instruction manual that came with the pack shows you how to change out the hipbelt. It specifically describes the use of Ultralight Belt, which it comes with, and the Light Belt which has the polymer exoskeleton for a firmer and heavier duty belt.

You can download this manual from the Granite Gear website as well.

I bought the medium sized-pack but due to my skinny hips I swapped out the belt for a small. Works great, no cost difference for me. I don't have experience with other, non-GG hip belts used on this pack though.

Actually that's not true. The Granite Gear system allows for many different hipbelt combinations and is easily removed by pulling apart the velcro overlap and unscrewing the stainless-steel screw. Lastly undoing the load stabilizing straps releases the belt and allows you to use any of the Nimbus hipbelts Granite Gear makes. What I would do is, after purchasing the pack, sending in the unused hipbelt to Granite Gear and requesting the Nimbus exoskeleton hipbelt. It might cost you a tad bit more, but you will get a more substantial belt that will hold more weight comfortably. The trade-off is a slightly heavier empty pack weight. Customization is a huge advantage that Granite Gear has over the competition! Go to: www.granitegear.com to contact them.

the hipbelt is not removable.

The Vapor Trail is a top-load, ultra-light pack made for the minimalist. It has a maximum carrying capability of around 30lbs. The reason is that it uses a plastic frame sheet vs. the TopoFlex frame of the Nimbus Meridian. The Meridian was designed from much feedback from Justin (trail name Trauma), the only person in recorded history to have ever walked 10,000 miles in one year. His feedback was critical in the design and therefore this pack has everything it needs to have, but not more than is necessary. For instance, it is a hybrid loading pack which means that it can be loaded from the main pack body, not just from the top. Top-loading packs are difficult to organize. Another feature is the top lid can convert to a fanny pack. It also has a ton of compression which is critical in getting a pack to conform to ones back. The TopoFlex frame sheet, a composite material that flexes and never breaks, is arguably one of the best pack suspensions on the market. It breaks away from the traditional aluminum stay and plastic frame sheet. It combines them both into one component, a suspension that is capable of bearing the load, comforms to the back more percisely, but yet still bends and twists with the body's movements. The Meridian is more of a traditional pack than is the Vapor Trail, but still weighs in at about 3lbs. 10oz. It's a great compromise for someone who wants to shed lbs, but doesn't want to sacrifice comfort or convenience. This pack can easily handle up to 50lbs!The Vapor Trail is very minimalistic in nature, although for it's size and weight, is very comfortable as well.

It's strictly a matter of opinion. I like the Osprey suspension system better & their hip belts seem to have more padding. The weight factor is a toss up.----------I disagree. One of the issues with the Airspeed system is the noise they make if dirt gets inbetween the pole sections of the frame. I personally don't think it's near as comfortable or durable either. The Schoeller Dynamic material used by Granite Gear along with the composite suspension makes for the best suspension system in a pack available IMO.