This pack has won a slew of awards and for good reason. It carries loads up to 30 pounds well, and you can stretch it to 35 if your gear is dense. The bottom bellows out at the bottom allowing you to put a cold weather bag in there sideways if you use a compression sack. The hipbelt and back panel are padded like a pack with twice its volume, and the belt molds well to one's hips. The pack comes in three torso lengths and three sizes of hipbelt, and the hipbelt is removable and replaceable if you kill it or need to go up a size. Also, the bottom is made of a durable Cordura nylon to boost durability for every time you take your pack off. All in all, a great pack.

There are a few nitpick issues with the pack. The straps are too long on the top closure, the side compression straps, hipbelt and load lifter straps. The bottom set of compression straps on the sides are poorly placed and if used, eliminate the side pockets of all use. Those straps should be eliminated. Finally, the hydration port is slightly too small - a hiker needs to remove the nipple of their hose to pull it through.

so i got this pack thinking it would be a minimal, well thought out pack. although it is minimal there are too many straps that seem to serve no purpose. the top of the pack extends two feet above the part that is pictured. if you filled the pack to the top, you would be falling over because it was so top heavy. it is a waste of material since the straps that go over the top won't allow you to pack it that full with them cliped in. its hard to explain, i would recommend looking at one in person before buying.there is nothing but one giant bag with two pockets on the side that seem pretty tight and its hard to even fit a water bottle when the pack is full.i would go for the LATITUDE VAPOR which has a smart zipper design to to access everything in the pack. its got a little bag that fits in the top and a hydration compartment that can be use for whatever else. all this for a backbreaking 5 oz more!
oh yea the small is 3300 ci , regular is 3600ci, and large is 3900 ci. the weight of the pack WILL vary depending on size. i believe the regular is 2lbs 5oz.

Believe the hype...this is an awesome lightweight backpack. If you want a pack loaded with compartments and durable enough to launch off the crag, this is not it. But, if you want something durable enough to hold up to a typical backcountry through-hike and light enough to let you enjoy it, this is the pack.

I was able get my base pack weight (before food and water) down to 13 lbs and this pack feels soooo light and comfortable when loaded up for a weekend trip. The backpanel has great padding and the hipbelt is the most comfortable I've ever used. I'm 6'3" and the long version of this pack adjusts to me perfectly with adjustment room to spare.

I do have just a couple of complaints. The water bottle compartments on the outside are a pain with the compression straps running on the outside of them. The "sleeve" at the top is ridiculously long and just creates an additional hassle when trying to get something out of this toploader.

Lastly, the pack is so roomy that it often tempts me to overload it. But, in the end, I can't see myself ever buying a different backcountry pack.

Go hang out on the AT or a while. See what the thru hikers are carrying. Ask yourself what's important to someone when they live out of their bag for 2100 miles. Go buy a Vapor Trail. You won't be disappointed...

Unless you like lots of pockets, fancy suspension that adds pounds, removable fanny packs, etc. etc. If you haven't cut your toothbrush in half yet, you might not like this pack. If you have, I recommend cutting the tags out of this pack.

Now that I'm out west, no one seems to carry this pack. They're all surprised that I'd carry anything other than arcteryx; until they pick mine up. Light! Comfortable! Buy one!

When you are going a super long distance and you have the option to resupply every few days, water is plentiful and all you need to carry is a change of clothes, raingear, Tarptent, Aquamira, food, and a toothbrush, filed down of course to save weight, you carry it all in this baby. This thing is tough, light, and really comfortable to carry all day everyday. I vouch for it and push it to anyone wanting to hike the AT. Amazing product by GG.

I like the pack very much. It is very light and comfortable. I purchased several items from BC Gear - some I liked and some I didn't - the ability to return new gear for exchange (i presume a refund if requested) is a good reason to get the stuff through this website. I would buy Granite gear again and again - it is well built and priced right.

Thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail with this pack (2200 miles in 5 months) not many pieces of gear survive the entire adventure, but this pack did. It's still in great condition.

I've used this pack now for 3 seasons of use. Has worked without a hitch for me! My only gripe is no hood on the pack, I like the hood simply for my packing method, I like to have easy access to my hammock on either the top or an outside stow pocket, this has neither. Featureless pack, but that is the point, barebones and still feels good on your back. I've loved this pack, but I am moving up another pound or 2 in weight so I can get some external pockets and organization! oh, this pack has an extremely large chute to make up for the lack of externals, this chute proves annoying when you need to see in your pack. All in all, I recommend this pack.

I actually ended up sending this pack back after 1 trip. The torso length seemed right and it appeared to fit pretty well loaded up at home but after the first couple miles with a very moderate load (~20lb) my back started to hurt a bit.
Also after I got to where I was going scrambling with this pack was uncomfortable. Every time I stepped up high my leg would interfere with the hip belt.
I've ended up going back to a frameless golite pack for these kind of trips.

I've been using my Vapor Trail for 2 years now and it quickly became my pack of choice. It holds a ton of gear, rides great on high mileage days, and even though it's an ultralight pack, it's surprisingly rugged in design.

I recently took a six day trip in Rocky Mountain National Park where we summitted Long's Peak (14,200 ft.) and Hague's Peak (13,500 ft.). I took the Vapor Trail since we were only out 2-3 nights at a time. I was able to carry everything I needed, less the tent, and was fine. The only complaint I have about the pack is that when the pack is full, it is difficult to get the Nalgenes back in their pockets. Other than that, it was great. And since it only weighed two pounds, I used it as my day pack when making the summit trips.

I recently used this pack for 3 days with 30 pounds of gear while flyfishing 4 different lakes over 11,000 ft. in the Pecos wilderness in NM. I was able to carry all gear including a TNF sleeping bag, TNF tent, MSR stove, lantern, water filter, titanium cookware, food, axe and clothing inside the pack. I also got rained on for 3 hours straight and none of my gear got wet. This pack is extremely comfortable and light yet easily supports 30 pounds.

This pack can be summed up in one word… "comfort". I just got back from a 20 mile hike into the Sawtooth Wilderness in Idaho. This is the first trip out of many where getting the pack off of my back wasn't a priority. Hands down the best pack I have ever used. Good job Granite Gear!

Yes it is bare bones. I was surprised to find a pocket for my water bladder. But on my next hike, with many water sources, I'm using the bladder pocket for all the little stuff (vitamin I, bear bag line, extra trash/dry bags etc. The water bottle side pockets are great/elastic firm. You won't loose anything out of them. There are many ways to strap things to your backside. My first 35 miles with it are coming up - I'll give an update as to how it "feels"! Rob

This is the only backpack I would consider ultralight, that can hold loads for weeklong hikes. It weighs in at 2 pounds exactly. At first it looks like a small pack, but you can topload an extra 600 or so cubic inches. The vapor trail hugs you back well even though it isn't suited with the standard suspension systems, and fits on your hip very comfortably. This pack has no zippers, just alot of adjustable straps. Their is enough room in the middle to stick an ultralight tent in, but if you were to put a larger 6 pound tent it will pull you back a little uncomfortably. Their is a slot for your hydration pack in-between the pack and back padding. Remember don't put more than 30 pounds in, other then that it will stay a good comfortable pack.

I have a 7 day pack that is about 25lb. My Gregory pack was looking a little flat and empty! This pack holds all my stuff and weighs a few pounds less!

I liked: The suspension system which was very comfortable and easily good to 30lb and I liked the compression setup.

I disliked: It is hard to load as the extension gets in the way. The solution is to fold it over the pack inside-out. The pack lacks pockets but the external pockets work well. I use an MSR bladder in the pack’s hydration pouch and don’t put 1l bottles in side pockets. I ordered the Granite Gear “top” for the pack after my last trip.

Yes, I would easily buy this pack again given the chance. It may just be the pack made for me!

As others have said, it's very comfortable carrying loads in the teens and 20F. You can't use the full extension collar, so volume can be tight, but that encourages you to bring less, which is a good thing. Plenty o' straps on the outside for overflow though. I didn't have a problem w/the side pockets, but I have no idea how anyone manages to use either the internal or external hydration sleeves—I did manage to carry my map in one of them though.

I recently completed the 270 mile long "long trail" in Vermont with this pack. With around 30 pounds loaded, including food for 5 days and water, it never felt unstable or uncomfortable. The only problem I had was when it was not packed properly and there was too much weight at the top, the top shoulder straps would work themselves loose a little. Other than that, this pack is incredible.

Had this pack for over a year and have used it on multiple trips. It is light and holds everything I need for up to a week long trip. Just got back from an AT section hike in the Smokies and it came through like always.

The pack fits great. However, the fact that the outside pockets are essentially useless forced me to return the pack. It was tough to turn away from a pack that is so light and feels so comfortable on the back. The problem can be easily resolved by Granite Gear designing the pockets to have buttonhole-like slits allowing the outside horizontal straps to run inside the pocket against the outer wall of the pack. This would allow the user to now place and remove his/her water bottle or whatever item they chose in the pockets with ease. Should the user feel the need to strap a large or bulky item such as tent poles to the side of the pack and slid into the pocket, the horizontal strap could simply be looped around the item to properly secure it. This would add no extra weight to the pack. As an additional change, I suggest the pockets be mesh netting to allow a bit more flexibility outward instead of the material currently in use which further limits the use of the pockets because of the tight fit—especially when the interior of the pack is full. My replacement choice was first the Vapor Latitude. I thought with the larger interior capacity I could overcome the capacity lost by the inadequate pockets. However, I could not find a Vapor Latitude at a sale price a liked. In the end I was relieved I did not purchase the Vapor Latitude. The additional weight was a concern to me. I finally settled on the GoLite Speed Pack. While the stated capacity may be slightly less, in reality I gain more useable space with the Speed and its various outside pockets than with the Vapor Trail with its inefficient outer pockets. I hope this review will be of benefit.
Sincerely,

Clay R. Farris

This two-pound backpack carried 30lb for three days in comfort! I tried on EVERY ultralight out there and wore them in the stores with a 30lb load. The Vapor Trail was the only one comfortable for me. The straps and hip-belt were more comfortable then my heavy duty Kelty. No issues with the single bag concept. Final word—I’m going to buy another for my bride.

Very adjustable, tough, comfortable on the back and seems perfect. I tend to be a tough customer. Be certain what your torso size is and buy accordingly. At about 2lb it makes a great start to go light. Plan on enjoying the hike? You must stay 33lb or less. (Titanium is great!) It has webbed pockets at the bottom on the outside. An elastic web holds your largest item in place inside. It feels more durable than I expected. It will be hot item in early spring. IMO

I bought mine in April '06. I have used it on several 3-day trips, and it has worked very well. It is large enough to hold my gear internally except for my 3lb tent. Normally I carried 22-25lbs. and it felt very comfortable. Once I had to pack an additional 3 quarts of water hanging off the back to a dry camp, and I estimated the weight to be near 30lbs. It handled the extra weight fine. This pack is rated at 30lbs, and I don't think the suspension could handle carrying any more then that for any length of time. My only complaints are the water hose opening was too small for my Big Bite Cammel Back tube to go through, and the extension collar is too tall. It just gets in the way of putting stuff into the pack. You would never be able to carry enough gear in this pack to have the collar fully extended as it wouldn't carry well. Overall, it's nice lightweight pack.

I used this pack for over 500 miles on the AT in 2007 & 2008. I love the fit and carry. I don't know if they have resolved this issue, but in 2007 there were a number of hikers on the AT that had the long seams on the front of the pack fail. I watched mine closely, and when I began to see signs of stress contacted GG. They were quick to get another pack out to me and I've had no further issues. I have no desire to use another pack, and if something happened to this one I would replace it with another GG VT. I have the optional lid: it did not work for me, it was bothersome and prevented me from compressing the load the way I like (I like my pack cinched down TIGHT). What I ended up wit in stead was a rectangluar piece of a foam cut from a discarded ridgerest pad. I would place items I may need to get at during the day in a small stuff sack on top, followed by my folded rain jacket, then the piece of foam (which was used as a sit-upon), the extension collar was then tightened around the edges of the foam pad, and the compression straps cinched to hold it all in place. It made rest stops a breeze. I also used the optional hip pockets, and 1 strap pocket. The hip pockets tended to get in my way (I'm short, 5'2"), but the strap pocket was great. I kept my camera and an energy bar there. I guess if you were using the side pockets for water bottles they wouldn't work well, but I used a hydration bladder, and it worked out great. I also developed a system for loading my gear (which I think any long distance hiker would do), and really liked the stretchy side pockets. I carried my tent poles in 1 side, under the compression strap, and my small fuel bottle on the other side (it fit entirely inside the pocket).

This is a tremendous value. Second season with mine on overnight through 4-night trips. Very comfortable if you keep weight to 30 pounds or less. That can be a challenge for those of us who grew up with heavy frame packs, but once you make the transition your knees and back will thank you.

I'll try to make it short and sweet. I'm new to backcountry backpaking/camping. I bought this because of the reviews. I have taken 2 hikes so far with this pack totalling 16 miles. This is one amazingly comfortable backpack. I carried 25lb. for 6 miles the first time and 10 miles the second. I had my tent with footprint and fly, foor in a bear boxer, clothes, stove, fuel, water, medkit, etc. The only thing that hurt were my feet.

The thick padded hip belt when pulled snug puts almost all the weight on your hips. Very easy to handle there. The straps keep the pack pulled tight to your back and takes any weight off your shoulders. I have had other packs that hurt as soon as I put them on. This one is frankly amazing. The only complaint I have is that no one told me about this earlier.

Thanks Granite Gear!

It's always hard to make exceptions for luxury items, but I try and make room in my pack for my wild edibles book. Not only is it a great resource but you can slide it down between the back pad and the ruck sack as a lumbar support. It helps to stabilize a heavier load and give some rigidity to the back panel.

The Vapor Trail weighs 2lbs 5.25 oz as received and placed on my Ohaus Triple Beam. When I called, Granite Gear danced a jig.

Back is well designed and outfitted for it's purpose. Lightweight excursion with heavyweight expectations. Carried all my gear, food and water comfortably during a weekend outing of mountainous hiking. Will continue to push it's capabilities to see if it has any weaknesses.

After hanging out on the AT for several weeks last year, I kept seeing this Granite Gear Vapor Trail Backpack. It seemed to be the most popular pack out there for thru-hikers, and as an AT enthusiast, I had to see what made this pack so special.

Having now bought and tested it, the pack rides like a champ. It's great because you benefit from the fact that the back has a frame, but it is also extremely light at 2lbs 5oz. That said, it is THE most comfortable back I have owned (I have a lot of backpacks, from 15oz Gossamer Gear packs to 7lb Gregory packs).

The straps on the pack make it easy to find the right settings for the most comfortable ride, but at the same time there isn't an over-excessive amount of straps like some packs. The waist belt isn't removable, but it is extremely comfortable. Assuming you are looking at this pack because you are leaning towards the genre of an ultra-light backpacker, I probably wouldn't recommend putting more than 30 - 35 lbs in this pack. That said, I haven't had more than 25 lbs in this pack.

The simple-yet-effective design of this pack makes it one of the best in the industry. You got to try it to believe it... I'd recommend this pack to anyone who enjoys light-weight backpacking.

3600 cubes my arse. Only if you want to extend the extension collar to the moon and look/feel like a weeble wobble.
Pack is big enough for my gear so the extra material in the form of a bag extension needs cut off IMO.
NOT a water friendly pack. Either dismount or dehydrate. You will have to hang an external pocket on this thing to actually get at anything on the move, which works out well actually.
My Waist is 31, chest 41, torso 17ish. Straps didn't fit me at all. Editior choice Award went to the vastly superior Nimbus Ozone NOT this one??
Backountry was fast to charge my card and slow to credit, but I would definitely buy from them again.

This pack is desperately in need of pockets - somewhere, anywhere - which will obviate the need to dig through the pack searching for the moleskin or power bars. The advertised size of the pack is grossly misleading. You will never load this pack in a way that will come even close to 3600 cu in in volume. The "fantasy/reality" gap with this pack is a chasm.

Very Light