Granite Gear Blaze 60L Backpack

Hayherder

Comfortable / Useful

Coming from a Gregory Palisade, I found this backpack very comfortable. Since purchasing this summer, I've taken 2 trips totaling about 50 miles. My pack weighed between 30-35 lbs at the start with water. Things I like -- comfortable. The hip belt never hurt me. The torso adjustments are limited, but easy to make (make sure you choose the correct size). I highly recommend going to REI to find out how to fit a pack (would have bought from them but they didn't have this in stock). The weight felt easy. I admit that this is coming from a pack that, after all these years, weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs alone! -- the waist belt removes and attaches to the lid to form the best fanny pack you ever imagined! -- 2 good front hip belt pockets -- waist belt adjusts to your size with velcro, and then you can use the pull straps. -- Access to the internal pack from the outside. I never used this feature. -- large mesh, stretchy pocket on the back of the pack. I found this great for stuffing clothing I might need quickly like a rain jacket or a cap or something. Things I didn't Like -- #1 - and, I admit, in the beginning, this was almost a deal killer for me....no straps on the bottom to put a sleeping pad. Why? So, 1 trip (see pics) I fastened the large roll to the back of the pack (worked fine). 2nd trip I brought a blow up pad that fit inside. -- You cannot put the water bottle back in the pack with it on. I challenge you to work this feat of dexterity! Getting it out was hard but not impossible. -- The stretch strap on the side pocket didn't tighten when I had my nalgene bottle in it. I think it was a little too wide for the pocket's liking. Still you could use the strap that clicks and then tightens if you wanted too (pain b/c that would be each time taking the bottle in and out), but I didn't loose the bottle. Overall - I am really glad I purchased this pack.

Alexander

Bottomless pit of a backpack, and pretty comfortable to wear, too.

Storage: Backpack is huge. Wow. Just, more stuff keeps fitting in there, with little to no regard for positioning or organization necessary. (Though, it does facilitate organization / stacking pretty well, without limiting what you can fit.) Quality: Construction quality is great. Zippers and everything feel good and sturdy. Comfort: Straps are well padded, and the pack is comfortable to carry once adjusted even while loaded heavily. Price: Very affordable for a quality backpack.

Fen Druadìn

The perfect balance of weight and function and looks great too

I bought this for my son to come backpacking with me. I have a UL backpack that I adore for me, but my son is a bit more robustly built and wanted something that was still super lightweight but had more pockets and other functional components. This was the one. For the price, really hard to beat. It's not much heavier than mine, but very versatile and functional. And it looks great too. Definitely would buy this one for him again!

J&A

Love It!!!

I just got back from a 37 mile backpacking trip through the Ozarks. I have an Osprey Atmos that I love and have worn on multiple trips, but wanted to try this one since it was a pound and a half lighter, though I found when caring 40 lbs it made no difference. But I absolutely loved it! It made the Atmos feel bulky and lumbering. It has a sleek design AND you can reach the hip pockets WITHOUT taking off your pack!!! It felt just as comfortable as the Atmos, though your back will get hotter, but I prefer to backback in cool weather so it didn't bother me. The only con is that in order to make it a sleek design (it's more like a tube) and still hold 60L, fully packed it protrudes above your head about 6" (I'm 5'8"). So if you're hiking through the woods (like the Ozarks) and have to go under brush or downed trees, it can be taxing bending down with 40lbs on your back. But overall I LOVE this pack, the Atmos is amazing, but this holds the same weight in a sleeker design.

Paul Junek

Very adjustable, easy to use, not great airflow

This bag is extremely versatile - the adjustments make it easy to get the straps well positioned for a good fit. There are also lots of cinch straps that make it so you can tighten things down to the size of the load, keeping things well secured. This was helpful as my bag got smaller over the course of a few days on the trail. I also liked that the top piece could be removed - I would keep my small items in there and carry that around the site once things were set up. I also really liked that I could pull the plastic support structure out of the bag. It got muddy during my wet hike, but I was able to throw it in the wash. Was like new after that. There are two reasons this didn’t get 5 stars. The first is back airflow. My expectations weren’t high, but this was quite a problem for me. All my sweat just dropped down my back. With nearly zero airflow, that caused it just drip down into my pants. When the weather got warm, it felt like had wet my pants! The second, which is small, is that there’s no clip for a water bladder tube. It would seem like a small item, and maybe I can purchase separately, but my tube just flopped about. Made it hard to find the end to grab a sip. I eventually tucked it into the chest strap, which turned out fine, but it was quite annoying to not have that clip. Overall, extremely good value. Feels very high quality all around. Just wish my back could breathe a little.

Mike Marchini

Great pack

Got this backpack after returning a previous cheaper one. Do not cheap out on a bag this one is 100% worth it especially if it’s on sale. Have only taken it out twice but so far it’s amazing. I like the fanny pack option as well as how much the bag is able to hold. Only thing is I with it had a couple of pockets on the shoulder straps

one world travel

Goldilocks of simple design. Everything you need and nothing more.

Everything you need and nothing you don’t. Comfortably holds heavy loads, easy access, tons of tie down points to add small to bulky items on the outside. Clever system to hang brain on front or convert to summit hip pack.

Doesn’t work.

Cheers

Great one

Lukas Sobkuliak

Great backpack with almost no negative

I've used it with about 20 kg load and it was still really comfortable. + Great quality and ergonomics. - The back material is causing skin to brush on the lower back, when it is hot and you are sweating.

Tim

Missing items

I bought this from US to Aus and it came surprisingly quick, at least a week ahead of schedule. However, when I opened the package, I noticed that the hip belt and top pocket was missing. After looking at the bag to see if there was anything else missing, I noticed that a zipper string was also missing. I bought this bag for a camping trip I have planned soon but might have to look for other options if this can’t be sorted. A shame as I was excited to try it out, have heard many great reviews for the Blaze.