Gossamer Gear Mariposa Limited Edition

Product detailed description

This year, Gossamer Gear has released a limited edition of its most popular backpacks, the Mariposa and Kumo. The collection pays homage to the retro designs of backpacks that once roamed the trails during the early days of American ultralight brands. The backpack also includes a stylish, retro shoulder strap pouch! I used to use the Osprey Exos and swore by it, but then I set out with the odd-looking Gossamer Gear Mariposa backpack and fell in love with it immediately. When you choose the right size and fit the backpack properly on your back, it’s the most comfortable backpack you can imagine. Over the past few years, this iconic American brand has become one of our favorite backpacks, and we’ve already covered quite a few tens of thousands of kilometers with them—CDT, AT, Around Czechoslovakia, Via Dinarica, INT, GR 54 and more... Please note: starting in 2021, the backpack comes standard with a size M hip belt. If you need a different size, you can purchase it separately at a discounted price here.

Our experience

"I was so impressed with the backpack that I took it on a 5-month hike along the Continental Divide Trail. Over 4,500 km and 153 consecutive days with the backpack on my back, I was convinced every day that it was a good choice. Thanks to the internal reinforcement attached to the hip belt, the backpack transfers weight perfectly to the hips and fits great on the back. The shoulder straps held up and didn’t sag or stretch, so even after 5 months, the backpack is still comfortable. The stitching and fabric held up everywhere; the only exception was where the shoulder straps rest against the hip belt, where a hole wore through the fabric on the hip belt. Fortunately, this doesn’t affect anything at all. The pockets and the hip belt’s functionality remain intact.

The backpack is "inflatable"

Under normal circumstances, I would have chosen a smaller Gorilla for this trek, but it wouldn’t fit our double quilt—a down “duvet” for two that we carried instead of two sleeping bags. It weighs just over a kilo, but it’s bulky. We also sometimes needed to pack 8 kilos of food, which takes up quite a bit of space. In the Mariposa, there was just enough room for that, and we always fit. The huge, mesh, elastic pocket on the outside is great—it fits a rain jacket, a filter, maps, and some food, so you don’t have to open your backpack during the day. The large side pocket on the right comfortably fits two smaller plastic water bottles, but I carried a 1-liter water bottle and a 0.5-liter bottle of fuel for the stove there. I don’t like putting fuel in my backpack because of accidental spills. You can easily reach the water bottle even while riding, so you don’t have to take off your backpack just to get water. The spacious, tall pocket on the left can easily hold a two-person tent (such as Tarptent MoTrail or any tent from Big Agnes) and other small items as well."

Simplicity is power

Most ultralight backpacks cut corners somewhere to save weight. Not the Mariposa. It even has a lid with a pocket. The design is a bit different than usual, but it works. I’ve loaded the backpack heavily a few times (19 kg), but it handled it just fine and held up. I definitely don’t recommend doing this—it can easily ruin lightweight backpacks—but it’s good to know that the backpack can handle it if necessary. Another great feature is that the backpack works well as both a 40L and a 60L—it’s actually a really long “sleeve” that you fill from the top, then fold the top down and secure it with two buckles like a classic backpack lid. This means the backpack can easily handle being filled up to 20 cm higher.

Size including pockets

My only criticism of the Mariposa is perhaps the misleading size label—those 60 liters include all the pockets. The main compartment of the backpack holds “only” about 40 liters. It’s also harder to pack bulky items—the main compartment is definitely smaller and the opening narrower compared to other 60L backpacks. It takes some getting used to. But that shouldn’t deter you from buying it, because it’s still one of the best lightweight backpacks on the market and is designed for lightweight gear. It’s no coincidence that the Mariposa has been the clear number one in the ranking of most popular backpacks for long treks ! If you don’t fit into it, then you need to rethink your gear, not the backpack :-) The backpack is available in three sizes—S, M, and L—based on back length and can be combined with three sizes of hip belt. The weight ranges from 538 to 944 g. If you decide to use the backpack without the hip belt, you must also remove the metal back panel, which is normally housed in the hip belt. If you don’t do this, you will definitely damage the backpack!!!

Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60:

Sizes (depends largely on your body type and how you carry the backpack)

• M (for back length 39–50 cm) Usually fits people between 165 cm and 180 cm tall

Hip belt size

• S (for waist 56–81 cm)
• M (for waist 71–114 cm)
• L (for waist 81–127 cm)

Average weight of the complete backpack (backpack, M hip belt, aluminum frame, foam back panel)

• M: 892 g

Weights of individual components (for size M)

• Backpack: 509 g
• Aluminum stiffener: 86 g
• Foam back panel: 84 g
• Hip belt: 218 g

Hip belt weights

• S: 200 g
• M: 218 g
• L: 236 g

Holster weight:

• 50 grams (size Large)

Capacity (size M)

• 60 L total
• 36 L in the main compartment, without the extension collar
• 16 kg maximum load capacity

Dimensions (size M)  

• Height 56 cm
• Width 28 cm
• Depth 18 cm

The backpack can be expanded by an additional 29 cm in height thanks to the collar Materials

• 100 denier Robic High Tensile Strength Nylon
• 200 denier Robic High Tensile Strength Nylon
• 70 denier double-rip ripstop nylon
• Darlington Mesh
• Supreme Air Mesh
• EVA foam

Replacement buckles for Gossamer Gear backpacks.