Golite Pinnacle Pack Review
A small pack is all well and good for a day or two in the summer, but if you want to avoid the inevitable squeezing, pushing and forcing when trying to fit four or five days’ kit and supplies into a 35litre pack you’ll probably need to go larger. The Golite Pinnacle pack seeks to ease this problem.
At a maximum capacity of 72 litres, this is positively cavernous compared to other overnight packs that I’ve used (checkout the lightweight challenge!) and the main problem with voluminous packs is that you’re tempted to fill that space. Fortunately, the Pinnacle gets around this somewhat by having effective compression all around so that you can comfortably carry the pack half full. GoLite call this their ComPACKtor™ system, but to you and me it’s just a well designed set of compression straps. It’s also difficult to see how you’d manage to fill it to the stated capacity as the lid is a roll top and if you overfill then it’s a pain to close, this keeps my luxury loving side in check!
For summer, you can comfortably complete an unsupported four or five day trip, and probably longer with this pack. It’s also a handy winter pack, when this sort of volume is essential when you’ve got a tent that wouldn’t look out of place on Everest, a one kilo down mat for a proper nights sleep and a sleeping bag that’s good to the record low temperature on these sceptred isles. Even then, there’s space to throw in half a cheesecake and whole bottle of Talisker complete with bottle, with some room to spare! Couple that with the ice axe loops and you’ve got a pack that’s more than capable for winter backpacking.
It’s not the lightest pack out there, by far, but at just under a kilo for such a large pack neither is it anywhere near heavy. You can go more minimal, but then you usually lose some feature or other. The pack is reasonaby durable in tough Gridstop + Dyneema® and the straps are luxuriously comfortable yet still almost ethereal in presence. The waist pack comes complete with the now obligatory pockets. For me these are a make or break, essential for keeping those essential odds and ends you need at hand, such as your GPS, compass or nibbles.
On the outside, you’ve only one pocket on the front that seems huge at first, but you lose volume in it as the pack fills and it’s only suitable for maps and anything else that’ll flatten. The compression straps hold your poles securely to one side. The only omission is the lid pocket, probably as there”s no lid. This is something I thought would make the pack rather frustrating in use, but I just use the front pocket or put stuff in the top of the pack. The image to the right shows the pack in use on a spring trip in Scotland, ice axe, 4 days’ supplies and all.
The only annoyance is with the chest strap. It’s attached rather poorly to the webbing, which isn’t strong enough for the job. As a result, the webbing has compressed and the strap attachment has nothing to grip to – and it falls off. I’m sure there’s a workaround, but it’s highly annoying just the same and and quite fiddly to reattach!
TL;DR Big yet cavernous pack that manges to be reasonably light comfortable and durable.
What the Manufacturer Says
- New Double-Wishbone™ hipbelt connection transfers weight efficiently to the hips and features quick-access zippered stretch pockets
- High-void meshes on back panel, hipbelt and shoulder harness move moisture quickly and promote rapid drying
- Twin ice axe loops and handle straps
- Removable closed cell foam back pad
- Internal stretch woven hydration sleeve with righty and lefty hydration tube ports
- Tier 1 Recycled 210 Denier Nylon Gridstop + Dyneema® and Nylon Double Ripstop
- High-Void Polyester Mesh
Dave Roberts
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