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Gossamer Gear’s Mariposa 60 is an amazing rucksack, there are three elements to it that make it so good;

1.It has a feature set designed by backpackers that actually work

2.It has a very comfortable harness system

3.It is extremely lightweight despite 1 and 2 above.

Feature Set
On a recent trip to Switzerland backpacking the Tour of the Matterhorn we took the Mariposa for a test drive.

Many manufacturers of 60 litre rucksacks make the main compartment about 60 litres and the pockets are incidental, Gossamer Gear on the other hand have built a rucksack ‘system’ whereby the pockets work with the main compartment to keep you organised and give you access to the things you need while on the move, therefore when they quote 60 litres they are counting all of the compartments together.

On the outside of the pack there are four main pockets, there’s the ubiquitous large mesh front pocket which is ideal for stashing a wet tent or whatever making it easy to pull it out at a hopefully sunny lunch stop to get it fully dry. Gossamer Gear’s attention to detail means that the bottom section of the mesh pocket is made from the same tough fabric as the main body so there’s less chance of sustaining damage to this potentially vulnerable pocket.

On the right side are two fabric open pockets, the lower of which I could reach with my right hand without breaking my arm first, and I used this for gloves and hat, sunglasses and snack bars, it’s a surprisingly roomy pocket that takes a lot of that daily use stuff. Above it is a slightly smaller fabric open pocket which I used for my first aid kit and washbag in a watertight dry bag. Not things I would necessarily want on the trail but by keeping them here I always knew where they were.

On the left side of the main compartment, there is one long fabric open pocket. This was ideal for all my cooking stuff, my Soto pot set, stove, gas bottle and utensils all fitted in here keeping them handy and in one place for when I decided to set up my kitchen. I wouldn’t normally cook at lunchtime so this was only needed when I’d stopped, but keeping it in here meant I always knew where it was – and all my kitchen stuff was together.

This left the main compartment for my soft stuff, that I needed to keep dry, my sleeping bag, clothes sleeping mat etc, all went in the main part of the pack protected by a large drybag or pack liner.

This left only the tent, which I stashed inside the main bag when it was dry and in the main external mesh pocket when it was wet.

There are more pockets on the Mariposa, two large-ish zippered hip belt pockets are big enough for telephone, sun cream, lip balm, compass, cereal bars, trail food, pocket knife etc and finally, there’s a flat pocket on the lid which is good for documents or the guide book so long as they are protected from the elements.

The opening to the main compartment is very simple, rather than a drawcord, which would alter the shape of the lid, Gossamer Gear has a simple buckle to take some of the volume out of it and then it simply folds over and clips into the main bag. The design also allows for additional volume in the main compartment when required.

There are loops to allow trekking poles to be fixed to the pack (though you need to buy optional pole storage bungees) and a loop for an ice axe should you need to carry one. There are additional loops sewn into the seams of the pack that would allow you to attach other items etc…

Internally there’s a pocket for a water bladder and a ‘left or right’ tube exit port.

There’s no compression on the pack but I think this because of how the feature ‘system’ works. Typically you’d need extra volume to carry food for a few days – let’s say a week, at the start of your trek the main compartment is full of gear and food, you have your tent in the outer mesh pocket, the kitchen stuff in a side pocket and other stuff in the other two side pockets.

At the end of the trek, without the food, you could bring the tent and whatever other stuff into the main compartment to keep it a stable carry – job done, you don’t need compression straps!

Harness System
The harness system on the Mariposa is undoubtedly a strength, firstly the internal wire frame keys directly into the hip belt at the lumbar area which is critical to transferring the load from the shoulders to the waist and hip area. A deeply padded hip belt folds over the Iliac Crest supporting the load in the right place and allowing the shoulder straps to act more as a stabilising function than a load-carrying one.

The shoulder straps themselves are wide and well padded so they feel comfortable on the shoulders, they feature high volume mesh, an adjustable chest strap, fixings for optional shoulder strap pockets and a loop to keep your hydration tube in place.

The back panel is protected by a foam pad which can be removed and used as a torso length sleeping pad for the hardcore users of a sit mat for normal people.

These harness system elements result in a very comfortable carry, we carried loads of up to 14kgs (30lbs) comfortably. To get the best out of the harness you obviously need to buy the right size for you, the pack comes in three back lengths and three belt sizes. The straps are fixed.

Overall Weight
At a weight of around 900grams (depending on torso length and hip belt size) the Mariposa delivers on all fronts and is a more comfortable and practical rucksack than a whole host of heavier more traditional options. It even delivers on durability, the Robic nylon fabric itself is tough and the build quality is excellent, the only vulnerable area seems to be the mesh pocket, but this is a highly desirable feature as a place to stash wet gear, so, a little care needed there.

Aimed squarely at backpackers the Mariposa 60 is a superb option that will keep your overall weight down yet deliver a large capacity pack with a high level of practicality and organisation. That’s why it's one of our Top Picks.