Gossamer Gear Mariposa Backpack Review

Pros and Cons

The Specs

• Capacity: 60L
• Capacity (pack body to extension collar seam): 36 L
• Capacity (7 exterior pockets): 24 L
• Max Carry Capacity: 35 lb / 15.8 kg
• Comfort Capacity: 30 lb / 13.6 kg
• Weight (M no belt): 20.8 oz / 590 g
• Weight (M Straight belt): 34.2 oz / 968 g
• Weight (M/L Curved belt): 35.7 oz / 1011 g
• Height (M): 24 in / 61 cm to the extension collar
• Width (M): 11 in / 28 cm
• Depth (M): 5.5in / 14 cm
• Materials: 100D & 210D Recycled Robic Nylon
• PFAS-free: Yes
• Sizes: Small, Medium, Large
• Colors: Grey, Green, Tropical Mist
• MSRP: $315

Features

• 60L capacity
• S-curve harness and load lifters
• Comfy, removable PVT Frame+Belt
• Large external stretch-mesh pocket
• Trekking pole attachments
• Hydration sleeve and tube router
• Headphone port
• Side ice axe loop
• Tough recycled Robic fabric

The Modularity

The Mariposa is made to fit a wide variety of bodies and is available in three different sizes (small, medium, and large) with two different hipbelt options. Curved hipbelts are available in S/M or M/L sizes, and straight hipbelts are available in small, medium, and large. That makes this pack/hipbelt available in 18 different size combinations. Add in the fact the hipbelt is removable and that takes the Gossamer Gear Mariposa up to 21 different combinations. And yes, all the weights of all the combinations are available on the Gossamer Gear website.

The Removable Hipbelt & Frame

I love how easy it is to remove the hipbelt of the Gossamer Gear Mariposa. It slots into a pouch at the base of the pack and winds inside via two low-profile holes. At the top of the pack at the shoulders it attaches via velcro. Hipbelts on other packs I’ve used can sometimes be such a pain to remove and put back on (packs with huge velcro strips on the hipbelt itself, for example) that I sometimes don’t use the pack if it requires me to remove or reinstall a hipbelt (even if I would have otherwise wanted to use it). The Mariposa hipbelt and frame are incredibly easy to remove and replace, making it a more versatile pack for when the extra support isn’t needed on more ultralight adventures.

The Pockets

Many ultralight backpacks have become fairly standardized as far as being large uniform fabric tubes without many bells and whistles. However, one thing that can quickly distinguish one backpack from another is the pack’s exterior pockets (just look at Hyperlite Mountain Gear). The Mariposa has five exterior pockets: one deep side pocket on the hiker’s left, two exterior side pockets on the hiker’s right, one large front stretch mesh pocket, and one zippered pocket at the top of the pack in the flap. There is a notable absence of a bottom pocket and shoulder strap pockets, but Gossamer Gear offers an optional shoulder strap pocket that integrates with gear loops on the shoulder straps.

The Comfort

I loaded up the Gossamer Gear Mariposa with a ton of winter camping gear and food for a solo trip in Yosemite National Park. Never wanting to be caught unprepared (and because I was traveling alone), I probably brought way too much with me. After being concerned I would struggle with the pack’s weight, I instead often forgot I was even wearing a pack, and the Mariposa carried the weight of my kit with ease. Maybe it was the frigid cold, or maybe it was the improved hipbelt – either way, I can’t wait to get this pack out on another trip (probably the Yosemite High Route later this year).

The Foam Backer

One of the unique things you may wonder about when looking at the Mariposa is the Gossamer Gear-branded foam at the back of the pack. If you’re a fan of using a foam sleeping pad (like the NEMO Equipment Switchback), you can use this instead of the included Gossamer Gear foam backer. Alternatively, you can check out the Gossamer Gear Air Flow SitLight Camp Seat as an option. This can be used as a sit mat, to lengthen your sleeping pad, or as a base for your pillow.

The Colors

Yes, at their core, colors are completely unimportant when it comes to outdoor gear – function over fashion, right? Except that sometimes – especially when there are so many awesome products on the market – colors can be one of the few ways to express yourself out on the trail. The Gossamer Gear Mariposa is available in three colors, but (it appears) they’re not all available in all sizes. While I like all three of the new colors more than the previous version, the Tropical Mist (i.e. the best color) doesn’t appear to be available in size large (or maybe it’s just out of stock?)

The Hipbelt

I like that the Gossamer Gear Mariposa has two different hipbelts available in a variety of sizes. Still, I wish there was a more ultralight option available as well – like one without pockets. I use a fanny pack pretty much all the time I’m outdoors and find that backpack pockets are typically added weight I don’t need. Sure, I will fill them with trash eventually, but ultimately they end up adding weight and providing bulk (at least in my case). If you love your hipbelt pockets, they’re fine (they’re large and can be opened with one hand – closing was a bit trickier), but if you’re committed to the fanny pack, you may find them unnecessary.

The Top Pocket

I can appreciate Gossamer Gear’s desire to maximize functionality and storage with the Mariposa, but I am not convinced by the inclusion of a zippered pocket on the lid of the pack (aka the flap that you compress down to close it). The zipper is oriented vertically – parallel to the trail if you’re standing on a trail facing forward – which means that it is difficult to access while wearing the pack (packs with a similar pocket and a horizontally orientated zipper close to the user’s neck are easier to access). Because this pocket is also part of the pack that gets compressed down, and there isn’t extra material allotted to the top part of this panel, the pocket isn’t efficient at storing items. I imagine using this pocket as a “things I won’t need until I get to my car or town” pocket for storing things like keys, cash, credit cards, or a wallet.

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