I've been using this pack for 4 years and love it. I carry a 2 man tent and a bear vault and have never had a space problem. The 2 hip belt pockets are surprisingly roomy. I wash it 2 or 3 times a season and it still looks good. Not new, but good.
Hello Dixie, thank you for the great review of a fine quality product. You always do a super job on your reviews. Another big thank you for assisting Second Chance on his PCT trek. Always take good care of yourself. The very best to you, your Mom and Fancy. 🤗
Dixie!! Guess who is about to start the Oregon Coast Trail? Thank you so very much for all of your advice. Your insights have been priceless to me during this planning process.
I am so glad that you had a positive experience with the Mariposa! I carried the Mariposa pack on the AT and wanted to love it so much, and it was fine - except my load lifters broke! The right one went first, and luckily it happened right around trail days and the people at Osprey fixed it. Then around the Whites, my left one broke and I finished out the trail with it broken! Ah! Still searching for the perfect pack even after a thru-hike under my belt haha
Aw glad you have a review of this pack! I had my mind set on it for a while but for some reason I never realized you'd made a review on it. Makes me happy to see that it's that good coming from a trusted source 🤗
Glad to hear you liked the Mariposa. I switched to the Mariposa from an Osprey Ariel and have been super happy. I have the upgraded back pad and it does help with the ventilation. The more I use the pack, the more I really love the outside pockets. I keep my shelter and a 1L Smart Water bottle fitted with a tube in the tall pocket then keep a 20 oz bottle with BCAA powder or other electrolyte replacement in one of the short pockets. The zipper pocket on the top is super handy as well.
My Mariposa has held up well since I got it in 2016. It's tougher than it looks at first. Like you, I find the pad makes my back sweat from lack of airflow. The only thing I'd change is to make the hip belt pockets larger, but that's about it. The pack is so well designed with useful features that it makes me happy to wear it. That one tall pocket I consider my wet stuff place. My tarp goes in it, along with my rain gear and pack cover. If I'm carrying an umbrella, it's in there too. That way if it starts raining, I only have to look in one place for whatever I need to deal with the precip. One other possible negative of the Mariposa is that it's so roomy you might be tempted to over pack it. Don't, because once you get much over 28 pounds in it, the ride is not as comfortable. But that scenario is easy to avoid with experience. Anyone considering a 60L pack would do well to try the Mariposa.
Your reviews are great. You give a honest review base on your own actual experiences. However, if you personal dislike something, you also include other people's comments for a complete unbiased point of view. You're doing a great job keep it up. Thank you very much.
I haven't commented in some time: so I just want to say Ur the best & I love the creative way U photograph nature. It was fun watching U, Ur mom & Fancy Mae. I'm still a fan & still watching...wayne
Love this pack! I've had it 4 months and done 2 trips and 400 miles and still looks like new! I bought the phone strap shoulder pocket that GG sell and it fits my massive S9 plus - thanks Dixie! :-)
Thanks for this great review Dixie. I will be testing Gossamer Gear's Silverback 55 on a Sierra Nevada (Mineral King) trip in a few days. Curious how it will hold up, especially as I was also contemplating going with the Mariposa first…. But then went with the Silverback for durability and also the added carry capacity for my camera gear… Let’s see how it will work out. Looking forward to your Camino videos. My brother did one route last year and loved it.
@@JazzFlop212 I really like the Silverback 55 and I might take it with me on the PCT this year… Gossamer Gear is currently redesigning that model and it is not available via their website. Looks like you are planning a hike yourself ;-) Cheers from LA.
Your description of the new pack is interspersed with items you still carry and how to carry them. As the pre-eminent Triple Crowner of our era, it's a good bet that much of what you carry we would find useful too.
Gotta try the LiteAF Curve, Dixie? The curve is revolutionary, because it curves to match your back. Imagine the difference between straight stays vs curved stays (in packs that use stays, e.g. HMG 3400, etc.)? But even packs with stays are cut straight. LiteAF is cut to the curve and thus requires no stays. The pack naturally conforms to the shape of your back and is sooo comfortable. Been hiking fifty-years and never had anything like it. In five years, most packs will "curve." Such an obvious advance, yet nobody else thought of it?
Goose and Turkey Roasting Bags work well for keeping clothes and sleeping bags dry. Either Reynolds or True Liberty brand bags. They are odor resistant as well being made of a type of nylon. I did consider the Mariposa but got the Arc Haul to save weight.
Great review! As for a pack having four side pockets, Zpacks has this option. I have the Scout (I have a small back) and needed more space so I added the optional upper pockets and I don't know how I lived without them!!! I put my Sawyer Kit in one side and my stove/pot in the other for easy access of midday coffee on the trail. ~mary
I have had bad customer service with Zpacks. They starred out as a small company but now they have big company problems.There are too many other manufacturers of high quality gear that are still small enough that they actually care about their customers.
Recently subscribed to your channel and following your prior year adventure on the PCT, and noted your other video where you mentioned this pack. The more I look at it the more I like it. Thank you for pointing out the pack and looking forward to watching this video. Keep up the great work on your video's and your great reviews and thoughts. You are a person a lot of people can relate to. Cannot wait to catch up on all your other videos. Thank you.
Just watched your video again I just got this pack for my thruhike this spring on the AT. I am taking my Standard Poodle along some of the trail and needed some additional space. I have used G4-20 for the past year and absolutely love it!!!! Excited to try out my Mariposa pack!! Again thx so much for your amazing videos!!!!
I saw 3 people with these packs during my TMB hike last month. They all seemed to be happy with the way they carried but they seemed to be hauling way more then I was. I only spotted one ZPacks Arc Haul and my wife and I were the only ones rocking ULA packs. Everybody else seemed to be using Osprey, Gregory, or Dueter packs which is to be expected I guess. My ULA Photon was just the right size for doing a hut to hut style hike and would be my choice on the Camino as well.
I was just researching this pack this afternoon. Then your video popped up. It's a pack I bounced back and forth with against the ULA Catalyst. After 3 years I'm ready to try an even lighter pack. The Mariposa is once again in my cross beams. Thanks.
Glad your enjoying your pack and thanks for posting your experiences. Another option for a quality pack company is ULA. The ULA catalyst or ULA circuit are also durable and lightweight packs made in the USA.
My back feels cooler if I just remove the sit pad and carry it on top. Also for lighter loads I remove the stay and fold my air pad to fit into the hydration sleeve to act a a "frame". This pack is very versatile.
Hey Dixie! Thanks for the review and for all the videos you do! You have been an inspiration for this old guy to get back out there and pound dirt. I watched all your CDT videos as they came out. Looking forward to more. Hiking with dogs is a blast! Fancy is a character! Loved her sliding down the snow and her doing "Zoomies". I can't imagine hiking without my Cattle Dog Gus. He keeps me company and there is never a dull moment with him. Thanks again for all you time making these vids! More hiking with Fancy would be great!
Wonderful that the Mariposa worked for you! I have one and would have loved it except with my lack of hips, I never could keep the weight on my hips with it. Switched to an Arc Haul and after I ordered the extra hip pad to add to it finally could keep it from sliding down and putting all the weight on my shoulders. Still have the Mariposa and may sometime try adding something like that to it and see how it works. Did haul quite a bit more than the Arc Haul.
I’m glad you like this pack. I like my ALICE pack and after adding a few pouches and modifying the waste-belt (added padding with pockets) it weighs twice what yours does but has more volume and has that nifty air gap that keeps my back drier on hot days in the summer.
I had my Mariposa pack since last year and I love it. Great padding and I like the wide hip belt and the pockets. I find it very durable. I just switched to a hammock. I put my minitarp that is wrapped in a snakeskin and put it in the long sleeve. I use the mesh/front pocket to hold my rain gear and camp shoes. If you want an easier access to your phone, I suggest buying the Shoulder Strap Pocket that Gossamer sells
I love my Mariposa 60! I'm not a thru hiker other than something like the John Muir Trail but this pack allows me to do big miles and off trail scrambles. I have managed to tear some small holes in the bottom climbing around granite off trail so I've had to add reinforce that but this is my go to pack for summer hiking.
I love my mariposa! The big side pocket fits the zpacks duplex perfectly, and it’s almost the most comfortable pack I’ve tried. The granite gear crown is the most comfortable to me, buuuut I kept losing things from the outside pockets so that’s a no go for me.
THANK YOU FOR THE BREAK DOWN OF YOUR BACKPACK ! ENJOYED ! GLAD YOUR TRIP WITH YOUR MOM & DAISY WENT WELL TOO . THE VIDEOS WERE AWESOME! CAN'T WAIT FOR MORE! BE SAFE ! HAVE FUN ! GOD BLESS YOU ALWAYS ! ENJOYED !
Hi Jessica. I sure you wish you would expand more on the differences between the Arc Haul and the Mariposa. You mentioned that you wanted better weight handling than the Arc Haul, but did not expand on that. What do you consider the maximum comfortable weight capacity of the Arc Haul? What happens (comfort wise) when you exceed that weight?
Great video, I’m currently between this pack and the Arc Haul trying to figure out which one to buy. I understand you have the liners inside, but with all the external pockets is there a rain cover available? I do most my backpacking in the south, and it rains a good bit lol.
Dixie you are a wonderful women.. thank you so much for surprising Second Chance just when he needed it. that was just too cool. i have watched you since the A.T. videos and that is why because you are caring toward others. God bless you and your family. and give fancy a hug from me.
I used and abused this pack on the PCT. Me and someone else I met using this pack on the PCT both felt it was not durable at all. I developed multiple holes in the water bottle and tent pockets during the first 700 miles. Likewise, the mesh pocket also developed holes. The fabric on the side pockets is not as durable as the bottom of the pack. I am hiking the PCT again this year, and even though I want to try a new pack, the killer feature for this pack are all the pockets, including the tent pocket on the side that Dixie didn't utilize (she said her tent didn't fit, I'm not sure why, I used a Nemo Hornet 2p and it fit perfectly with stakes and tent poles too, and I'd add a few other things as well). I am reluctant to let go of this pack due to how well this pack organizes gear (better than another other lightweight thru-hiking pack), but it's also a somewhat awkward pack (weight distribution of gear on right/left axis is difficult) and it's not very durable.
I started using a osprey levity 45 and I like it ,, it’s really light and feel great on my back ,,, it does need a learning curve to pack but I’ve felt really comfortable and been able to hike fast
I have this same pack...and an original Mariposa from the olden days. Fantastic pack. I would suggest if you are between sizes on the hipbelt...order the larger size. My only complaint is the intense effort needed to remove a hipbelt from this tenacious piece of gear. Wow. Again...fantastic pack.
Last year I watched 2 pct-ers who used this pack and had threads give loose on a couple of straps. The company treated them well though and tried to fix things in some way.
If you were talking about the Camino de Santiago in Spain, I'd hugely recommend the hrp through the pyrenees instead, I did it 2 years ago (with the maraposssa) and it was by far the best hike I've ever done!!
I love my Mariposa. I do carry my tent in the tall pocket and love it. If it’s raining, I can get my shelter set up without having to open my pack. I have the upgraded sit pad. Still sweaty. 😄
😎 You were awesome before, and you're now ultra cool after supporting Second Chance! Two good humans working to light up the world just a bit. Thank you Dixie!
Thanks Dixie! We asked and we have received! :) I am looking at Zpacks Arc Haul Zip and GG Mariposa. I will look at both and compare the fit. Just curious - if you HAD TO choose, which one would you pick - Arc Haul or Mariposa? (perhaps a comp vid? like you made for HMG Windrider 3400 and Arc Haul?) Thanks. BTW , about that Windrider vs Arc Haul review , sounds like HMG customer service sucked, and you didn't want to say it? Well, I (and I guess others as well?) am more interested in your opinion - biased, obnoxious or glorious, offensive or not -- unapologetic. Good, bad, nasty - you name it - I want it :) In general, I don't care so much for general specs - can read them anywhere, on a website, etc.. I care more about YOUR perspective and YOUR opinion. I'd say don't be shy criticizing gear or customer service! (I am trying to get you in trouble LOL) . You put out some great content. Keep up the good work :) Peace. Nice you try to build out hiker community.
Hey Jessica.... I have the ZPacks ARC HAUL and really do not like the shoulder straps, they cause me a lot of pain. Do you think the GG Mariposa 60 is better in that area? Thank you.... Old Man Hiking Club, Charlotte NC
There is a difference in the size of pockets on the small hip belt vs the medium hip belt. I had to exchange my hip belt in order to get the larger pockets and luckily I was able to use the medium size without any problems. The small hip belt pockets were really tiny! (at least I thought so). I do love my pack!
Hi! I saw you have the M pack and M hipbelt - can you provide your measurements? I'm 5'8", 134 lbs, about 27" waist. I thought I need a S belt, but maybe I need M?
I've used a M Mariposa with a S hipbelt since 2017. I'm 5'7" 158lbs, 35" waist (just measured with a fabric measure). The buckles are about halfway through their total length, so there seems to be a lot of room for adjustment. I am a male, and so fitment might be a little different on a female, but I wouldn't think it'd be too different.
I got to watch RU-vid on TV the other night and what did I request? of course homemade Wanderlust! I've enjoyed you on my smartphone for months now, but wow you put National Geographic to shame Dixie. so informative, so inspirational and such a down-to-earth lovely young woman. oh and now my mom and sister are fans to. congratulations on your success, you're Triple Crown and I'm sure a great future!
@Homemade Wanderlust - Dixie - You do not seem like a sweater in all the videos that I have watched (just AT). I am a sweater (yes, I know the joke, but srsly). Any "cool/air" system to keep my back dry fails for me. My back sweat soaks my bag (whole bag - sides, front, back, brain, bottom, all three straps!). The mesh buffer just collapses if I pack anything more than down pillows or marshmallows (base weight minus water and sweat is 30-lbs). My next try will be to tie a few cross-wise pieces of plumbing insulation (the stuff that goes around 1/2-inch copper pipe) at hips and shoulders to create a space for air to move, and an escape route for sweat, to avoid soaking my Gregory 65… so far, nothing keeps my kit dry. Thank you for your hiking videos and for reviewing the gear you tried. You help a lot of people (me, too).
Thanks for a very good review after actually using it on trail. One question, I have a 2p tent from Seek Outside, the Euolus. A trekking pole supported tent that i put in a 8L STS drybag when packed. You think it will fit in the sidepocket like you mentioned others do? Best regards from Sweden
How does the back of the pack do with the Barreling affect? I looks like it pressed out pretty far when you did a close up? I had a problem with the ULA packs pressing into a slipped disc and I’m wondering if the Mariposa is going to do the same thing. I’m also looking at the Arc Haul also which will keep the pack away from my spine. Traditional packs aren’t working so I’m having to go cottage.
Hello Dixie, thank you so much for this review!! I have maybe a strange question but I hope you can help me about choosing the right hip belt size for the Mariposa. You say you have the size medium hip belt, but can I ask you your hip size measurement? I want to purchase the Mariposa and I am in between hip belt sizes Small and Medium. I have sent an e-mail to Grossamer Gear and they suggested to order both belts (medium and small) and send one back, but I live in The Netherlands, so this is a little difficult. If I look at your review about the medium hip belt I see you have some space left, so if i know your measurement I can compare it with my own measurement.... I hope you can help me. Thank you.
Before heading out to the Colorado Trail I did a couple of 10 mile test hikes here at home in Minnesota with the ZPacks Arc Haul and Mariposa 60 w/the optional airflow sitLight camp seat that packs as a back insert to improve padding and ventilation. On the one hand, I really loved the Mariposa and Jessica covered it well. However, in the end solely because I am a very hot hiker, I needed all the ventilation I could find and the Arc Haul accomplished that hands down. They are both great packs but if ventilation is the primary concern for you the Mariposa may be best for shoulder/winter season hiking.
Dixie, did you measure the length of your back, per GG's website? I'm curious as to how many inches it was. I just bought the pack and I measure right in the overlap area between lg and med. The large leaves the bottom of the pack down to my butt, and the medium puts the bottom just above and sitting on the coccyx similar to where yours seems to fit. I can adjust both to get the belt to fit, but I think I'm going with the medium as the lrg. seems to hang really low. Did you have any difficult determining your size? I'm a guy about 5'8". Did you have any sizing issues? Thanks. Love your journeys.
question Dixie, I am looking at Sawyers and up in the air between the squeeze and micro. micro is smaller, lighter, and cheaper- the only negative I've heard is a bad plastic taste. have you had any experience with these? Thanks
Sawyer squeeze all the way. , I have that and a platypus gravity 2 liter filter kit and don’t notice any “plasticy” taste by either. Love how easy it is to fill a platypus large mouth water bag. Can’t vouch for the sawyer mini taste or reliability.
Trail Heart thanks most prefer squeeze but people who have tried micro say equally good but a couple complaints of that Dreadful plastic taste, it's a little more than half the cost so I'll probably try it.
Mariposa is a 60L, Zpack is 62L and they both have the same weight carrying rating so I dont see that much difference. The Mariposa does actually LOOK larger but does it carry more volume?
While the overall capacity is pretty similar, the main compartment on the Arc Haul is much bigger than the Mariposa. The Mariposa makes up for the small main compartment by adding all of those pockets on the outside.
