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Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 6:16 pm
by kpeter
My GoLite Odyssey is wearing out--a light weight design that sacrificed some durability for lighter weight. I'm not an ultralight packer and not about to convert, although I borrow whatever lessons I can from them to slim down. I am going to continue to carry a tent, large bearcan, big first aid kit, gravity filter, and a few luxuries, but I have gradually whittled my weight from 55-60 lbs down to a typical 40 lbs today. The Odyssey was the perfect pack for this, since it weighs only 3 lbs 8 ounces and yet can carry 95 liters, and can fit my bear can. Here it is:

https://www.rei.com/product/781547/golite-odyssey-pack

It was basically a pack of the same size and shape as most full sized internal frame packs, but built out of the same materials that GoLite was using for their more popular ultralight small packs.

After 10 years, its seams are ripping and its cloth is abraded. It needs to be replaced, but GoLite is out of business. I am having a very hard time finding an equivalent pack made by anyone else. The equivalent size Osprey, North Face, Keltys etc. all come in at around 5 lbs 6 ounces--a full two pounds heavier. I am not going to add 2 pounds just to increase durability. I might as well carry my old Kelty radial light that weighs 6 pounds rather than buy a new pack that is just as heavy.

Where should I look for a similar pack to my Odyssey? I have been striking out....

Re: Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 7:14 pm
by SirBC
I haven't used them but I've seen favorable reviews of custom packs by Zimmerbuilt. I bookmarked the site a while ago when I was considering having a custom backpack made but didn't end up following through. It seems he can pretty much build what you want with whatever options you want in a choice of materials.

Re: Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 8:46 pm
by bobby49
Do you really want or need 95 liters of volume?

I stay down in the 55-60 liter range for backpacks, and I keep my total carried weight around 30 pounds, but the empty backpack itself is less than one pound.

Years ago, GoLite found out that I had purchased several of their products, and they wanted me to be a field tester for them. I'm not sure whether that was good or bad, so I declined.

Re: Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 10:48 pm
by kpeter
bobby49 wrote:Do you really want or need 95 liters of volume?

I stay down in the 55-60 liter range for backpacks, and I keep my total carried weight around 30 pounds, but the empty backpack itself is less than one pound.

Years ago, GoLite found out that I had purchased several of their products, and they wanted me to be a field tester for them. I'm not sure whether that was good or bad, so I declined.
I don't carry as much weight as I used to, but I do carry a lot of bulk, and I fill up the Odyssey snugly. I might be able to get by with less than 95 by hanging things on the outside, like my bulky Crocs, but I have never been a fan of having things flopping around.

Best I've found so far is the Osprey Aether Pro 70, which is still smaller and heavier than the Odyssey, but at least it is under 4 pounds.
https://www.osprey.com/ot/en/product/ae ... PRO70.html

At 5.5 pounds I could just revert back to my Kelty Radial Light, a thirty year old external frame and still the best external frame ever made, in my opinion. It's my diesel truck. I've carried 2 full sized bear canisters in it when packing with the family. I cannot get excited buying anything that doesn't come in well below that weight, and all the conventional internal frames seem to weigh just as much. For my 10 day trip this summer maybe I will have to go back in time and bring that thing out of mothballs.

Re: Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 8:18 am
by SirBC
If you are considering the Aether you might want to also look at the Osprey Volt. It's 75L and weighs ~the same as the medium Aether but unlike the Aether it has a nice big stretchy pocket on the front and left side. I've carried 40 pounds in it and it carried well.

Re: Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 9:59 am
by longri
I feel for you. I went through the same thing last year when my old 65-70 liter pack finally got to the point where it was just so far deteriorated from UV and other abuse that I was forced to finally retire it.

I went shopping for a replacement and discovered that nobody makes a pack like mine.

After a couple of months of shopping I gave up. I removed all of the stitching, completely disassembling my pack. Then I copied it. Now I have my pack again, reborn with fabric that is actually better than the original. It's a tiny bit larger in volume and weighs almost exactly the same (3.9lbs).

It was a lot of work. I would have rather just bought another pack. But sometimes to get what you want you have to do it yourself.

Re: Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 10:44 am
by Wandering Daisy
I also had an Odyssey that wore out. It was my favorite pack and Golite is no more. :crybaby:

The next pack I used was a Bergens of Norway. Got it at Sierra Trading Post. It too is on its last legs. I really liked this pack and could put my bear can in horizontally at the top. This pack is quite similar to the Odyssey. My only complaint is that the top lid is too small.

My newest pack is the Granite Gear Crown 60. I have yet to actually use this.

I do not like to strap things to the outside of my pack, so prefer a pack with a good sized inside volume. The overall volume may not indicate the usefulness of the interior volume. Some packs count an extender (upward at the top) as volume. But this is really deceptive because if that is actually loaded the load becomes highly unbalanced. This is the problem with a Mountain Hardware pack that I bought. The actual usable volume is half of what it is advertised. That now is only a weekend pack.

Unless the pack weighs too much, I never have seen a problem with more than needed volume. You can always cinch it down. But it is really nice to have that volume when needed. I am disciplined enough not to add extra stuff just because I have the volume to do it. Another nice thing about a larger volume pack is that I can loosely stuff my sleeping bag, which is better for the down. With a smaller pack I had to use a compresser stuff sack which was not good for my sleeping bag.

Re: Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 1:32 pm
by kpeter
Wandering Daisy wrote:I also had an Odyssey that wore out. It was my favorite pack and Golite is no more. :crybaby:

The next pack I used was a Bergens of Norway. Got it at Sierra Trading Post. It too is on its last legs. I really liked this pack and could put my bear can in horizontally at the top. This pack is quite similar to the Odyssey. My only complaint is that the top lid is too small.

My newest pack is the Granite Gear Crown 60. I have yet to actually use this.
WD, it is wonderful to find someone who knows exactly what I am going through!

Which Bergens were you using? Volume? When perusing their site they have a huge selection, but most of them look pretty heavy. I'm having fun converting NOK to dollars, though!

Looking over your Granite Gear 60, it is a lot smaller than the Odyssey. Are you cutting down on volume to make things fit? I was looking at those 75s with a jaundiced eye, but a 60 is really frightening to me!

You are absolutely right about the usable volume, though. The Odyssey's 95 liters I think was counting its sleeve extended, which I rarely did except maybe when stuffing a jacket on top. So that gives me some hope I could get by with a 75. I loved that back pocket though.

Re: Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 4:10 pm
by Wandering Daisy
The Bergens was the Lady Helium 55 L. It is under 3 pounds. The shoulder straps are not thick and bulky, but it seems to work well. I can comfortably carry 30-35 pounds, and have had it loaded to 40 (which is the stated weight capacity). Although the volume is less, fitting the bear can (Bearikade weekender) in horizontally really freed up space. The Bergens has no hip belt pocket and I thought I would make some to add on, but found that not having them was OK. I just found my gear fit very efficiently in the space, not sure if this was just coincidence or it was designed for that. The pack was also touted as a ski-touring pack.

I am really not a "gear head". It has been a while and the pack (my memory is terrible lately too) has been tossed, but is the Odyssey the largest GoLite pack? Anyway, my GoLite was a lighter twin with exactly the same suspension system as their "expedition" style pack. Perhaps it was 60-65 liters. It has been tossed, so I do not have the label to look at. Only gripe was that it just would not fit the bear can horizontally. All my packs are small sized, Women's specific when available, thus smaller volume than the same in men's large. I like the Granite Gear pack I bought because you can interchange pack and hip belt sizes. This allowed me to buy a medium pack with more volume and still get the essential small hip belt.

It was chancy to buy the Bergans and the Granite Gear on the internet without trying them on. Hard to say if they are the "most" comfortable pack I have had, but they do suffice. Packs really are not all that expensive, since they are ALWAYS on sale, so I do not worry too much about how long they last. I usually only get 2 years out of any pack. I find that the suspension system in these lighter packs tends to break down over time. This may be because I use the pack for a pillow and that may do something to the stays. I still have a Kelty external frame modified pack that is my back-up if any new pack just does not work out. It still is the most comfortable pack I have had. I have modified it to get the total weight to 3.5 pounds. But then, with an external, you have to also add the weight of a sturdy stuff scack for your sleeping bag. I suppose by the time I get all the straps and sacks it is more like 3.75 pounds.

Re: Replacing my GoLite Odyssey

Posted: Fri Mar 30, 2018 6:30 pm
by kpeter
Wandering Daisy wrote: is the Odyssey the largest GoLite pack?
Yes. And I can't get it to fit my bear can horizontally either.