Vapor Trail $169.95

So you’re ready to take the next step. You’ve gotten your pack weight down to 30 pounds or less. The Vapor Trail uses a high-density polyethylene frame that helps distribute the load evenly over your back and onto your hips. This pack has fixed (not interchangeable) shoulder straps that are well padded and it comes standard with the Ultralight Packer hip belt available in a range of sizes for men and women. The pack is fully hydration compatible with an internal sleeve and port. Reports from our AT thru-hiker pack testers suggest that by the end of last season roughly 40% of AT thru-hikers were carrying the Vapor Trail, largely due to its exceptional comfort.

Use

Ultralight Backpacking

Specifications

Torso Sizes: short | regular | long
Weight: 1kg | 2lbs 5oz
Capacity: 59 liters | 3600 cubic inches
Suspension: Vapor
Load Capacity: 30lbs | 14kg

Materials

70D Ripstop Body
210D Nylon Cordura Reinforcements
Stretch Woven Pockets

Features

• hyrdation compatible
• optional lid (click here)
• interchangeable belt

Roll Top Loader

The concept of our original Vapor Trail and Nimbus Ozone is to eliminate everything that adds weight without adding to the comfort. The lid was the first thing to go. Next came the zippers. What’s left is a top loader with an extended spindrift collar that can be rolled down for waterproofness, and a unique cross strapping system for load security. Weight is further reduced by using lightweight fabrics in the pack body. Durability is accomplished by engineering the compression strap to tie into a heavier arch panel in front.

What torso length should I get?

To find your torso length, measure the distance between your seventh cervical vertebra and the shelf of your hipbones. Do this by standing up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Tilt your head forward and place your hands on your hips, thumbs to the back. With a flexible tape, have someone measure from the most prominent vertebra at the base of your neck to an imaginary line drawn between your thumbs. This will be your torso length.

Vapor Torso Lengths
Short Torso 15” to 18”
Regular Torso 18” to 21”
Long Torso 21” to 25”

NOTE: Vapor suspension packs do not have adjustable torso lengths on the pack body.

What size hipbelt?

Our Vapor Belt is standard equipment on all of our packs with the Vapor Suspension. This belt is a “soft” belt. It has no plastic exoskeleton like our other belts. It is lighter and more comfortable when carrying smaller loads of 40 pounds or less. Although it is our simplest interchangeable belt, it still boasts hip stabilizers, dual density foam and a stretch woven fabric. ( Not Available in XL Size)

What size shoulder strap?

All vapor suspension packs have fixed shoulder straps that cannot be swapped out for other sizes.

Backpacker Editors Choice Award 2003
Nimbus Ozone & Vapor Trail

We applaud every method of shaving pack weight but those that sacrifice carrying comfort or durability. In the field, we don't want to baby fragile materials or fret about overloading a thin suspension.

The Nimbus Ozone passed both tests to become one of our favorite packs. This streamlined pack is light enough (3lbs) to deliver noticeable weight savings, yet big enough for a weeklong trek in three-season conditions and supportive enough to push it beyond the careful-what-you-pack category. Several testers agree the Ozone handles 45 pounds with stability and comfort; credit goes to its rigid framesheet and hip-hugging waistbelt, which are similar to Granite Gear's Precipice, the winner of our overnight pack test (February 2002).

The Ozone's secret is keeping weight in features that count (like the suspension) while cutting other features altogether. There's no top lid, no external pockets or internal organizers, and no hydration sleeve or trailaccessible water bottle pockets. What the Ozone has is a no-exaggeration 3,800-cubic-inch capacity, an expandable top sleeve that can stack halfway to the moon, and enough reinforcement on wear-prone points that it won't get trashed from real-world use. Elasticized nylon wand and shove-it pockets offer functional, simple ways to lash odds and ends on the outside, and effective compression straps keep every load stable. Fine-tuning the torso length is precise, but the operations requires a screwdriver (two torso sizes, 13-23 inches).

Ultralight zealots may prefer the Ozone's sister pack, the Vapor Trail, which has a similar but smaller packbag and a streamlined suspension that's best for loads less than 30 pounds. The Vapor Trail is available in three fixed-length sizes.

Backpacker Magazine August 2003