Mountainsmith Ghost Review

"I purchased a 2002 Ghost in a deliberate effort to shave weight from my pack. I'd been using (and still own) an EMS 3000 LT, which is already pretty sprightly at a bit over 4 pounds. But the Ghost brought that weight down to 2 pounds, 6 ounces -- and it seems to make a world of difference. The Ghost is a panel-loader, so there's little room for overstuffing the pack beyond its 3100ci rating -- it pretty much makes you adopt a lightweight, or, at least, low-volume approach to hitting the trail. But once you make the transition, it has a good suspension that allows you to transfer most of the weight to your hips. For lightweight packers, the ghost is really a great choice. If you buy one, make sure it's the 2002 model, which fixes a problem with the internal frame found in the 2001 model."

"The features of this pack I like are its obvious lightweight, zippered access to gear, and minimalist approach. Carrying 25 lbs. all day is no effort with this pack. About just the right amount of space for short trips."

"Great product. I used mine for the 1st time on a recent 3 day trip winter trip in the Ouchita Nat'l Forest and it performed wery well. Got my pack weight down to 26lbs. and it made for a very comfortable trip. At that weight I rarely used the hip belt it was so comfortable. For a spring or summer trip by using a lighter weight sleeping bag and hammock you could easily get the pack weight down to 22-23lbs. and still have everything you need. Easy access to the pack with loading/unloading gear through its panel load design and just enough compression straps for your load. Pack volume is pretty good too... 3 days worth of gear & food was no problem and if you're into the total ultra lightweight thing a 5 day outing would be no sweat. There are lighter packs out there but I prefer the durability of the Ghost's material so you don't have to baby it when you're out. Overall, a very comfortable pack with plenty of room for all your stuff."

"This backpack is just okay. For smaller loads, the two upper compression straps are unhelpful. Overall, they are not placed very well for compressing the load. The mesh side pockets are nice and big, providing ample space for a 1 Liter Nalgene bottle. The panel load design is nice, as you have full access to about 80% of the pack. Much easier to load/unload than a top-loading pack. The suspension is average. It is more comfortable to me than the similar REI Outlook daypack (which has about 2500 cu. in. capacity), but I can't say that this pack is comfortable, even with a sub 20 lb load. It seems to me that this pack would be great if the suspension were a little heftier and better padded. If only pack manufacturers (and this is not limited to Mountainsmith) would stop worrying about strictly counting ounces, I think we could get some packs that are lightweight without sacrificing comfort."