Gear Review
GoLite Odyssey Expedition Pack - 5500-5800 cu in
Great compromise between weight, comfort and features
By Jason Halladay
Ranked #388 - Backpacks
April 17, 2008
To be honest, I was skeptical about this pack. The super light weight for a 5000+cu. in. pack seemed too good to be true. Thankfully, I've been pleasantly surprised. I'm 6'5" with a ~21 inch torso and this pack fits me well. I've used it for winter mountaineering/backpacking and a three-week mountaineering trip in India and it both cases it performed flawlessly. I will admit that with loads of more than 45lbs, I did start to feel a bit of discomfort in the shoulders and hips but I'm happy to take that given the light weight of the pack. It's a good trade off.
The stretchy ice ax attachment loop at the top work well but can be a bit difficult to undo at first when wearing gloves but after a bit of practice, it's not bad. The top lid is easy to adjust and holds a great deal of stuff. The pocket on the front of the pack is also more voluminous than it first appears.
But what I love the most about this pack is the clips on the bottom that allow you to minimize the size of the pack and use it as a day pack. This works very well and when I wore the pack as a day pack it didn't feel like a big, floppy, under-filled backpack. The width of the pack is narrow enough that when climbing or scrambling with it, my elbows don't bump on it and I hardly notice it's there.
I would definitely recommend this pack to friends. GoLite has done a great job with it!
View Details: GoLite Odyssey Expedition Pack - 5500-5800 cu in
Helpful Votes: 2 Yes
Tech Specs:
- Material:
- Velocity nylon
- Volume:
- [Medium] 5500cu in (90L), compacts to 1600cu in (26L); [Large] 5800cu in (95L), compacts to 1700cu in
- Suspension:
- Frame sheet, two aluminum stays, padded shoulder straps
- Hydration Compatible:
- Yes
- Torso Adjustment:
- No
- Detachable Pack:
- No
- Sleeping Bag Compartment:
- Yes
- Rain Cover:
- No
- Access Types:
- Top, bottom
- External Pockets:
- 1 Lid, 1 front, 2 water bottle, 1 waist belt
- Snowboard Carry:
- No
- Ski Carry:
- No
- Gear Loops:
- No
- Ice Axe Loops:
- Yes
- Shovel Pocket:
- No
- Weight:
- 3lb 8oz (1590g)
- Recommended Use:
- Backpacking, mountaineering, alpine climbing
- Warranty:
- 1 Year
- Country of Origin:
- China
Change me.