At age 52 and as of today 53, sadly, I consider every pound that goes in on my backpack. Approx. 1 year ago I purchased a new backpack for leisure use and extended trekking. I relegated my Military Large ‘ALICE” to hunting and rough country hard use trips. As I said this is for leisure, not military combat operations, and contracting / mercenary type applications. I hiked the Grand Canyon for a week recently, the Eastern Sierra, Kings Canyon and a little bit in Israel with it so far.I have been very happy with the ruck, its suspension system and toughness. It’s a 60 liter pack, weighs 2 Lbs. 14oz., very comfortable and I’m really happy with it. I would say it is excellent!
Folk’s leisure backpacking for fun; it’s different than road marching, military applications and rough country mountain climbing. I do about four trips a year ranging from 25 to 60 miles of mountainous terrain and off trail stuff occasionally. These trips last from 5 to 10 days out. This pack is perfect and very comfortable. I must say one of the most comfortable useful and wearable packs I have ever used. It has limitations and restrictions in my opinion. I wouldn’t recommend this pack for hunting applications, rock climbing rough country stuff or military applications. This is an ultra-light pack and has areas that could rip or tear if subjected to regular rock friction or abrasive surface rubbing. The “Blaze” is a 60 liter pack good for up to 20 kilos.
This pack won the pack of the year in 2011 attention, the “Granite Gear Blaze AC 60” carryings approx. 40 pounds of equipment and comes in at less than 3 pounds or 1 ½ kilos. I found it to be a perfect compromise of performance and bulk. For the long haul this pack is excellent and worth every dime. I truly enjoy this ruck, its design and its weight distribution.
It comes equipped with molded frame, assuredly transports mass while bringing ventilation. Formed air canals, mesh materials and helpful features benefit against moisture. Padded shoulder straps and a padded hipbelt provide additional comfort and load support. It comes in two sizes for purchase. The Regular fits torso sizes ranging from 18″-22″ and the Short fits 14″-18″ torso lengths. It also has an adjustable sternum strap and lifter give a custom adjustment to the person.
A huge center compartment delivers sufficient stowage (3660 cubic inches in the Regular and 3350 in the Short) size and a roll-down, cinch-tight spindrift collar protects the contents of the packbag while keeping weight to a minimum. A Line-Loc lid (sold separately) delivers further protection and an additional storage pocket. Lightweight integrated Line-Loc compression cord keeps gear securely in place. A large front stuff-it pocket serves as an additional storage space and twin side mesh pockets are perfect for water bottles or other gear. A combination of 100D Ripstop, 210D Nylon Cordura and stretch mesh fabrics provide the Blaze AC 60 with durability in a lightweight design.
I don’t recommend this pack for carrying heavy loads, rough high country rock climbing trips or extreme travel. I wouldn’t travel with this pack and check into luggage at airports, throw in the back of trucks or military vehicles or use hunting. This is for pure backpacking extended distance with moderate loads.
I’m extremely happy with this pack. In fact it is my favorite pack of the five I own and use with regularity for its intended purpose. I highly recommend this pack for the purist!
The pack used in this article is manufactured by Granite Gear and was bought from REI. The price of the pack was $239,95.
