Since its at such a good price I am about ready to order the GoLite Quest for my thru of the AT, I was originally going to get a ULA catalyst but I cant pass up a deal of $79, is it a good pack choice and will it get the job done and be comfortable? Help any owners or users of the Quest

Thanks

Joe

The golite quest is a great pack IMO, especially at that price. I was thinking of getting one myself but it would be redundant to my own ULA catalyst. My girlfriend currently uses a golite quest for longer (or winter) trips. The hipbelt foam is a bit too stiff for my liking, but the volume, load carrying capability, livability, and weight are very comparable between the two packs.

Ray's review of the Odyssey on BPT.org will give you a good idea of its capabilities. Both packs use the same suspension.

http://tinyurl.com/2jcvg4

Edited by Konrad1013 on 12/27/2011 17:03:26 MST.

Any reccomendations for a pack cover for the GoLite Quest?

I personally don't use one. I prefer to use a trash compacter bag, or other liner bag to store my clothing and sleep insulation in. Keeps it nice and dry from the rain, and I don't have to scramble to get any rain cover on when the storm hits.

The quest is a great pack. I no longer have one (it was the wife's and I sold it), but it worked great for winter trips. I used it when I hiked Shasta and it worked great. Can't beat that price either!

I've got a quest & catalyst and agree they are both excellent packs. Turns out though, that the small hipbelt on my catalyst fits me better after a week in the woods than my medium sized quest hipbelt, so I'll be happy to sell my quest for $79. My quest(2011 model) has been returned to the manufacter for reinforced stitching in the hipbelt. If you search online it seems like quite a few people have had the problem of the stiching where the shoulder strap attaches to the hipbelt comes out. Since the repair I've done a weeklong hike with the pack at 35lbs, no problems at all. The back panel on my quest is super comfy to.

Having just done the A.T this year --- I'd strongly consider scrutinizing your gear list and then also consider snatching up the Jam (1 lb 13 oz. and 50 L) at $69 versus the heavier Quest (2 lb 13 oz. and 62 L). I started with an MLD Exodus (about 57 L with my base weight of 12 lbs) but switched to the Burn (about 35 L at Damascus when I went stoveless and dropped my cold weather gear for a baseweight of about 9 lbs) and loved it. Obviously you'll need to see what volume your gear + food will take up, but they both sound like a pretty good deal to me. Having a smaller pack will force you to limit what you bring, and keep it light. This may be a blessing to you (as it was to me) or this may be unrealistic given the perimeters of your current gear (volume, etc.). Having more of a framed pack has it's advantages also, and having recently picked up a ULA Circuit I'm in love with it for my heavier hikes now.
You could also consider the Pinnacle (1 lb 15 oz. and 63 L) may be a good compromise between volume and weight. This was the pack I bought for my brother to do the Connecticut and part of Massachusetts portion of the A.T with me for 5 days. I worked great and also is big enough for winter trips.

Regardless of your choice - enjoy what will hopefully be a memorable walk in the woods. Cheers!

Edited by Whistler on 12/28/2011 20:18:11 MST.