Multiday Trekking Pack Strips Down to 19 Oz.: Gossamer Mariposa 60L Backpack Review

Leaning against a log along the Colorado Trail, a fellow hiker with the trail name “Papa” eyes my backpack with recognition. He asks if it’s the Gossamer Gear Mariposa, and I stop hiking, excited for an opportunity to talk gear. I whirl around to give him a better view of the pack and start listing off my favorite features. I cinch up the load lifters to better illustrate the load I’m carrying.  

Papa says he’s scared to have a 60L pack because he might be tempted to fill it up. Normally, I’d agree. A big, full pack on a long hike can quickly become a bulky nightmare. However, with the Gossamer Mariposa, I don’t mind adding more. I’m even lugging a Goal Zero solar panel on this hike to power my electronics. The pack is so light it allows me to carry some luxuries like that, without feeling too bogged down.

I’ve spent weeks and countless miles on the trail testing the Mariposa 60 Backpack. I’ve found it to be a versatile lightweight pack for long-distance thru-hikes. Its base weight is 38 ounces, but pare it down and this 60L pack can sneak under 20 ounces — an almost unheard-of weight for a pack of this size.

In short: The Mariposa 60 Backpack ($315) is a lightweight pack designed for multiple days on the trail. Its base weight is 2 pounds, 6 ounces, but it can be stripped down to a scant 19.2 ounces. This ultralight pack is an ideal long-distance backpack for week-long treks to thru-hikes. The PVT frame system, combined with an S-curve harness and load lifters, makes it easy to carry heavier weights over long distances.

Compare the Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 to the packs in GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Backpacking Packs.

Gossamer Mariposa 60L Backpack Review

The pack comfortably carries 30 to 40 pounds. The main compartment is simple and featureless, but with the five external pockets, you can carry a lot of gear. I’ve pushed the pack to around 40 pounds before, and it carried comfortably.

You could push it above that weight, but your carry comfort would likely start to diminish. By 50 pounds, you’d be pushing past the pack’s limit.

This pack is named in honor of the butterflies that can travel 100 miles a day. Hence, the light and long-distance reputation this pack is known for. The Mariposa is made of recycled Robic nylon, so it’s both durable and lightweight. I’ve seen more than one hiker carrying this pack on the trail, and it’s made a name for itself.

The tent-specific tube pocket on the side paired great with the Gossamer The Two trekking pole tent. I could easily slide it in with or without a stuff sack. The other side has two pockets that work well for carrying water bottles or smaller items such as sunscreen or bug spray. 

Weight

Despite the internal frame, this pack is very lightweight at 2 pounds, 6 ounces (for size large). That weight includes the large waist belt, PVT frame, and the sit pad. However, those elements are removable if you want to reduce the weight even more

Without the large straight hip belt, the large Mariposa weighs 1 pound, 11 ounces. If you remove the 3.3-ounce sit pad, the total weight drops to just 1 pound, 8 ounces. Remove the 4.6-ounce PVT frame, and the total weight is just 1 pound, 3.4 ounces. That’s almost unheard of for a 60L backpack. It will have almost no support stripped down to that weight, but for true ultralight endeavors, it offers multiple options for weight reduction.

Without the hip belt, this pack is lighter than every other pack in GearJunkie’s guide to the Best Backpacking Packs. With the hip belt, it would rank fourth as of this writing.

Compared to some of the best ultralight backpacks out there, the Mariposa still holds its own. The Hyperlite Unbound 55L pack weighs 1 pound, 14 ounces. The Z Pack Arc Haul Ultra 50L weighs 1 pound, 8 ounces. 

Construction

The Mariposa 60 Backpack is PFA-free, constructed with durable 100D & 210D recycled Robic nylon. The Mariposa’s PVT Frame System is a standout feature that makes the Mariposa 60 feel very ergonomic. PVT stands for “pivot,” as the aluminum closed-shaped frame moves with your body and pivots on the PVT hip belt.

It connects to the hip belt at the sacrum, so the pack moves naturally with you, independently of the hip belt. You can turn, twist, bend over, and lean sideways without the pack offering too much resistance.

I stand at 6’2” with a large torso and broad shoulders. The closed-shape aluminum frame offered just enough strength and support so that the pack felt stable and moved with me on the trail.

You can upgrade the removable back pad, which doubles as a seat at camp or on the trail, with the Air Flow SitLight pad. 

The pack comes in small, medium, and large sizes to fit any hiker, and there are specific hip belt sizes that ensure it is tailored to your body for optimum weight transfer. The hip belt even has the option of a straight and curved fit to ensure there is no chafing for any body type. The different pack sizes and hip belt shapes have different weights. You can see the specific weights for each on the Gossamer Gear website.

The Mariposa 60 is big enough to accommodate a bear canister either in the pack’s body or strapped on top using the long top closure straps.

In the Field: Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60L Backpack

I’ve put hundreds of miles on the Gossamer Gear Mariposa by now, and it’s become my go-to long-distance hiking pack. I tested this tent on the Continental Divide Trail (CDT) in New Mexico and on the Colorado Trail (CT) in Colorado’s high country.

I tested the pack in both heat and rain, wind and sun, through a variety of conditions. During each of these outings with the Mariposa, I’d spend about a week on trail, covering anywhere from 10 to 20 miles per day.

The pack worked great on the high-mileage hikes in tough terrain. I could easily access snacks in the hip pockets while on the trail. My water bottles and filters in the side pockets were also close at hand, and they were easy to grab on the move with the side pockets’ bottom access.

I rarely had to open the main body of the pack on trail, thanks to all of the easy-to-access pockets. My solar panel hung off the back of the pack as I hiked. Since this pack doesn’t have an included rain cover, I used my Osprey rain cover to protect it if it started coming down. I also carried a small trail umbrella for lighter rains.

The tent pocket was especially nice when I got to camp. I could easily pop out the tent and set up camp without having to unload my entire pack. For moving quickly through the mountains, that’s a really nice feature.

Room for Improvement

Overall, the design, fit, and feel of the Gossamer Mariposa backpack are great, but one thing that gave me some issues at times was the small buckles. 

The pack has very tiny buckles on the back of the pack that can be challenging to snap shut at times, especially if there is any tension on the straps. If you have large hands or anything in your hands, such as a protein bar or pocket knives, closing them can be tough.

Combined with that, one of the straps started to fray over time where the buckle is attached. The strap has not failed or broken yet. However, it seems like an area where this pack’s design could be improved upon. 

The Mariposa also has a pocket on the top flap that is difficult to use when the pack is cinched down tight. You can put something flexible in the pocket, but I found it less useful than others. 

Finally (and this is more of a note to users than a real downside), the pack is not waterproof, nor does it come with its own rain protection. You’ll have to carry a rain cover separately.

Gossamer Mariposa 60 L: Who’s It For?

The Mariposa is made for thru-hikers; it is what Gossamer specializes in. Anyone looking for a well-built lightweight pack for multiday adventures will love the Mariposa 60 L ($315). You could easily take this on an overnight, but it might be overkill for short trips. It is best suited for multiple nights or longer treks.

The $300-plus price tag for this pack will appeal to a more experienced or serious hiker looking for an ultralight technical pack. The design, combined with that price point, is aimed at dedicated backpackers who are looking to shed weight but not features, and spend multiple nights on the trail. While more expensive than some other packs on the market, there’s a reason you see this pack on a lot of thru-hiking trails. It will work great and go the distance for any long-distance backpacker.