Throw out the scales. this pack carries as good as it looks. - Granite Gear Nimbus Trace Access 60 KI Backpack - Women's

I ran into a fellow backpacker the other day who was sporting the ULA Circuit. After she raved about the pack for a bit, I mentioned that I was partial to the Granite Gear packs and that I especially liked the Nimbus Trace Access. She asked what it weighed, and when I told her it came in at about 4 lbs, she dismissed it out of hand. Attached to the shoulder strap of her 2 lb 5 oz Circuit was a 7.9 oz can of bear spray, and I thought, ditch the bear spray and get the Nimbus Trace access. It is 4 lbs well spent.

If you size the pack right (and Grainite Gear sizing seems off to me, hence the 4 rather than 5 stars) the pack distributes the weight so well that the same load feels much lighter in this pack than in any other pack I have tried, including those that come in at half its weight.

The pack is easy to load with the zipper access and it is easy to find things in the bottom, middle, or top of the pack when you just happen to need something that is tucked away inside.

The many straps (ah, the many straps: many reviewers complain about the many straps but they are thin, strong, and light weight, so I have no problem with them) enable you to tighten down the load, and the roll top allows the pack to expand at least 10 liters, making the pack equally effective for long or short trips. The stretchy water bottle pockets hold one liter nalgene bottles and filter well (though not easily accessible while carrying the loaded pack) and the stretchy front pocket is perfect for jacket, hat, gloves, rain gear or whatever you want easily accessible.

The fit: I find Granite Gear shoulder straps and hip belts to be very comfortable. The belt wraps the hips really well and tends to stay put. The straps are not too thin or too bulky. The regular size fits my torso like it was custom designed for it, with the maple frame curve exactly fitting the curve of my back and the hip belt perfectly cupping my hip bones. And herein lies the catch. The regular size is marketed to fit 19-22 inch torsos. I have an 18 inch torso on a good day (probably closer to 17). I am a 5' 4" woman with an unusually long back, apparently. Going by the Granite Gear size chart, I originally ordered the short torso, and admittedly stupidly took it out on a backpack trip without adequately trying it out for size. A couple of hours (minutes really, but I was reluctant to admit it) into the trip, I knew the pack was too short in the torso. It worked, but the load lifter straps did nothing to lift the weight off my shoulders since they fit below the top of my shoulders. When I returned home from that trip, I fit the frame up against the curve of my back with the load lifter straps in a position where they would adequately lift the load off the shoulders, and found that, with the pack held against my back in that position, the hip belt hit just below my rib cage. Although the short torso pack is listed to fit 14-18 inch backs, I would say 16 would be the top of that range and that the pack would be best for 12-14 inch backs. Seriously. Unless, and I see it often, you are one of those backpackers who likes to wear the hip belt right at or above the waist.

Aside from the fit issue, which is a non-issue for me with the regular torso pack (but likely would be for someone with a torso at the top of its range), I love the pack. It ventilates well while still holding the load close to the body. It carries beautifully, and the dark red color looks great, even after being tossed around in the dust, sat on, crammed under my mattress pad in the foot of my tent, rained on ... you get the picture.

Ditch your scales: the Granite Gear Nimbus Trace Access is 4 lbs well spent.