GoLite Men's Jam Backpacking Backpack

Extremely light and comfortable.
June 27, 2011

The first time I wore it on I was amazed by how light it was. I am 1.83cm tall and I bought the medium size on GoLite Jam. At only 800 grams this bag is ideal for multiple day hikes. I did the Appalachian Trail for four days and I carried less than 10 kg all the way. If you want to go ultralight you should get this bag, other bags to weigh at least 2-3 kg's and even if you do choose meticoulously on what you bring and what you don't you end up with a heavy bag. Also the bag is small on your back. So it is easy to manage it jumping up and down rocks and roots. I had good lumbar support from the two belly pieces. What this bag does not have, however is front access. It is sometimes painful to reach the stuff at the bottom of the backpack. Also there was no place to hang the tent on the bag. There are lots of extensions and straps coming out of the bag, however you could not hang a tent onto the bag without deforming the bag out of shape. The bag (being so light) does have a minimal skeleton, one might say it has cartilage. so it does not need to be full in order to be in upright shape, but it is easy to bring it out of shape by a heavy object. What I ended up doing is to put the tent bag completely inside the bag. It does fit, so there was little problem for me. As a bonus there is a built in whistle in the chest strap that was not mentioned in the reviews, and took me some few days to discover.

Extremely Light but....
April 05, 2011

Disclaimer: I am not a experienced outdoorsman. This pack is for the minimalist. In other words it is crazy light and simple. However, it does not have any frame to support the load. It basically sits on you hips via the hip belt but loads may sag. I actually returned it and plan to find a different although probably quiet a bit heavier. Product looked/felt well made by the way.

Jam Packed!
January 04, 2011

I love this pack! I've just stepped into the world of light/ultralight and this was my starter. Coming from a pack that weighed 6-7lbs to this 1lbs 13oz (large without backpad) was a HUGE step. This pack helped me get my pack base weight down to 8lbs with pack, tent, and sleeping bag. The quality is wonderful! it is very well made a holds everything I need inside the pack. No need to strap anything to the outside with this guy. I couldn't ask for anything more unless I wanted to be really picky on the weight, especially not for the SALE price. I can't wait to put it to the test on the AT in the next coming months. If you're looking for a lightweight all around pack that'll serve as a daypack or multiday hikes...this is it!

Highly Recommend
August 06, 2010

Awesome backpack. Ultralight but still has everything you need. Would highly recommend it. Can use as a daypack or an ultralight backpacking pack.

Comfortable up to 25-27 lbs.
April 13, 2010

Can't say enough about this back. Durable. Lightweight. Easily accessible. Got me through my AT thru-hike. Finished with an 8 lb pack.