I've found Granite Gear and Gregory packs gave their torso lengths a more generous length (which works well for my 6'4” frame).

For BPL's Wilderness Trekking III Program (a wintry course), we searched high and low for packs that would carry big, light loads. I think at least six of the ten people we had on the Fall 2008 program used Pinnacles.

It's the pack I chose as well.

For its intended purpose, I honestly cannot find a better pack, and I've now had the chance to use it on a number of winter trips.

My favorite feature is a big, wide, thinly padded hip belt that tucks into hip wings that carries the load against your lumbar very well. This feature should be a standard by which other frameless packs are measured.

My gripes with the pack reflect the same as Doug's: a more abrasion-resistant bottom fabric (mine is showing a bit of wear from abrasion); and better sewing quality (I too have reinforced straps on mine with bartacking).

Fix these two things and if I was the author, I'd have given the pack a "Highly Recommended" rating.

Edited by ryan on 02/11/2008 19:38:53 MST.

Amy,
What is your torso length? Mine is right at 15" and wondered how well this pack would fit even if it is 1/2" too big.

I have tried to contact them via the form on website but I get a code error after I submit the contact form. I thought it was my Firefox but IE does the same thing.

Here is my comment:
"I got a chance to use my Pinnacle carrying my climbing gear on a dayhike/scouting mission of the Narrows Climbing area of th e Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma. The fabric held up great to the rock and when cinched down the pack stayed in place for endless hours of boulder hopping, but about halfway thru the day I kept hearing a whistly squeak. I thought it was a bird at first but it kept following me. It was the bottom half of the male buckle on the waistbelt. It would only latch about 2/3 of the way into the female. It held the waistbelt in place under tension, but it appears that it will give way one of these days. Long story short I need a new male end for the waist belt.

I tried this form yesterday and received a code error, I don't know if my form from yesterday went thru or not.

Thanks,
Chris"

I was carrying a good 35 lbs or so of climbing gear and water. Anyone else had this problem?

Katie Singleton
Customer Service Representative
6325 Gunpark Drive
Suite 102
Boulder, CO 80301
direct 303-339-2326
fax 303-546-6557

info@golite.com

This one should work - I was just corresponding with them regarding the Utopia 2.

Edited by Steve_Evans on 03/02/2008 10:48:36 MST.

Anyone know how the Pinnacle changed from 2008 to 2010 model, aside from gaining weight? My wife and I are considering it for our winter pack.

Andrew - how did you modify the Pinnacle you took on your Alaska Yukon trip?

And can anyone comment on how to best pack it for winter - what type of pads do you use around the inside of the pack bag for support?

Hey EJ, I can comment on a few changes that I recognized.

1) they've changed the hipbelt. It's now sewn in with a wishbone type connection. So imagine each end of the hipbelt being joined at the backpanel at 2 points, with a hole in the middle. It's suppose to wrap around better this way. You can see it clearly in the pack on the right.

2) Sternum strap has changed too. Instead of typical ITW hardwear that slides on a 1 inch piece of webbing, the sternum straps slide on a piping. Not sure why they did this.

3) I think they changed the material on the shoulder straps too. I haven't handled a 10' pack in a while, so i can't recall. It looks different in the pics, and I remember it being different than my 09 jam.

Edited by Konrad1013 on 10/29/2010 18:31:01 MDT.