Light, strong, and simple! - Granite Gear Blaze 60 Backpack - Women's

I am so excited to use the Blaze 60! It got fantastic reviews from several blogs I follow and they are correct. The pack is very lightweight compared to my Gregory Diva but it's strong enough to hold 40 lbs of gear. My favorite feature is the huge side pockets which can hold several water bottles or, when combined with the side compression straps, can be hold a tent, sleeping pad, ropes and other large gear. I also love the adjustability of this pack. The first thing I did was remove the hip belt and dial in my exact waist size. So easy to take the belt off, adjust and reinstall it. Same with torso length. Very easy to adjust the torso length -- so this makes a great pack to share or to buy for a teen who's still growing.

I like a simple pack and this is it. Don't need tons of separate compartments to dig through. It has very generous pockets on the hipbelt to hold even a large phone plus several snacks and other items you might want at hand. I love that you can reach behind you and unzip the lid pocket to get at stuff while you're wearing the pack and you can easily reach your water bottle too - no more stopping to have a buddy get things for you. Instead of a sleeping bag compartment, there's a hidden zipper on the front to open up the body of the pack and get to your sleep system. I like that better than a separate compartment, also makes it more user friendly if carrying it instead of luggage.

There are a couple of things I don't like. The outer pocket on front -- too tight and not very breathable. I normally stash a jacket there or might put wet gear there but it appears the fabric will not breath well enough for wet gear to dry and the pocket is pretty tight too. I wish it had a little more slack. I also miss having extra attachment points -- like bottom straps which I might use to strap on a sleep pad. I also miss having lashing loops or daisy chain for hanging spare shoes or extras. However, I think a pad and tent will definitely fit on the side using the large side pocket and compression straps and extras can be hung from the compression straps. These are minor complaints when you compare how light weight, durable and well designed it is in every other way. I give this pack 4.5 stars!