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The Gorilla 40 rucksack has been in the Gossamer Gear line up for many years and had remained largely unchanged since 2015 but was updated for 2021. This has been the first opportunity to test the updated version, the Gorilla 50. There are several changes including:

• An increase in its capacity to 50 litres (without increasing weight, in fact we found Gorilla 50 to be slightly lighter than the Gorilla 40).
• Improved removeable back/sit pad which is now perforated and has an egg box type finish for increased comfort and breathability.
• Increased stiffness in the hip belt to improve weight transfer.
• The compression straps on the sides have buckles to make them easier to use.

The Gorilla 50 is a light pack at only 858g considering that it’s fully featured with plenty of pockets and a well-padded shoulder harness and hip belt.

Comfort

I’ve used the Gorilla on a couple of treks now and found it to be impressively comfortable as long as you keep the total weight under 10kg. It will cope with more if you need extra water but its sweet spot is definitely around 8-10kg.

The Gorilla 50 Is a rare pack in that it doesn’t appear to have sacrificed any comfort in achieving such a light weight. The shoulder straps are very comfortable and the lack of load lifters doesn’t appear to be an issue, I never missed them.

The hip belt is wide and has firm padding which remained comfortable all day. It has been stiffened to allow better weight transfer from the frame and it certainly seemed to work well for me.

There is a foam back pad that can be removed to use as a sit pad. It was changed for the updated Gorilla 50 and now has perforations and an egg box type surface to increase comfort and breathability. In my experience it is certainly comfortable but I got a sweaty back the same as with other packs which are against your back. It’s not a problem, just something that you accept with this style of pack.

Storage

The ‘50’ in the Gorilla 50 is the sum of the interior volume and all pockets. The main interior volume is 32 litres plus another 18 litres between the numerous pockets.

The fold over lid also doubles as an extension so that you can fit an additional 10 litres if required to carry extra food or water.

The large rear stuff pocket is a great addition. It got plenty of use to store my shell jacket during showery weather, a  Z-Lite seat for breaks, poop trowel etc. It swallows up a huge amount of kit allowing you to keep certain items accessible so you don’t need to keep going into the pack.

The side pockets are also useful for stowing bottles and are designed so that you can reach your bottle whilst on the move. Essential for keeping on top of hydration. I also stored my trekking poles when not in use which can be secured with the webbing straps on the side of the pack. When packing up the tent after heavy rain that also fit easily in a side pocket with the webbing offering additional security that it would stay put.

The zip pocket on the lid is surprisingly big and swallowed up a pair of sunglasses, Garmin In-reach Mini, sun cream, Buff with loads of room to spare.

The pockets on the hip belt are bigger than many packs and can easily fit a 6 inch smart phone. They are big enough to hold a selection of snacks which combined with the ease of access to the water bottle means you need to stop less often!

When carrying a smaller load, the side compression straps do a great job of reducing the pack volume.

A slight niggle is that it can be fiddly getting larger items into the pack due to the long fold over lid which doubles as an extension. For this same reason it’s also difficult to look inside the pack to find things so you end up feeling around for them. Neither were a big issue for me and they are far outweighed by the positives.

Summary

Gossamer Gear have built on their tried and tested design taking the best bits of previous Gorilla packs which has resulted in a great lightweight pack. If you are keeping your total weight below 10kg then you will not be disappointed with the performance of the Gorilla 50. It’s comfortable, has loads of storage options and is well thought out. The Mariposa 60 isn’t much heavier and might be a better option for longer treks where you need more space or have to carry more food and water. Otherwise, I prefer the neater form of the Gorilla 50 and the side compression straps which are missing from the Mariposa.

Danny Pearson
Dan is a keen distance walker who loves to geek over the latest gear. In the last few years, Dan has completed a couple of TGO Challenge crossings of Scotland (with another planned for 2024), GR221 in Mallorca, Dales High Route and Hadrian’s Wall plus countless other self-planned routes. A keen mountain biker but finds he doesn’t bounce so well these days when the inevitable happens. Read more from Danny Pearson