User Review: Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone

Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone
Above: The current Nimbus Ozone, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed August 26, 2003 by Mark Shimaura

Rating:
Design: Top-loading internal frame
Size: 3800
Number of Pockets: 2
Max. Load Carried: 42 lbs.
Height of Owner: 5' 1"
Price Paid: $195

Weight (claimed): 3 lb.

Weight (actual): 3 lb. 1 oz.

Weight (as tested with replacement hip belt): 3 lb. 8 oz.

Other lightweight packs owned: Dana Designs Bridger (original design), Gregory Reality, Osprey Aether 60 (2002 version), Russi (Madden) Scrambler.

The Nimbus Ozone is a lightweight pack with a minimalist packbag, but a full suspension. The packbag is simply a main compartment with two side pockets and no lid. But the suspension has well-padded shoulder straps and a true padded wraparound hipbelt. The Nimbus Ozone comes with the narrower “Trim” shoulder straps used on the women’s versions of Granite Gear’s heavier packs, but they are sufficient for this lightweight pack.

Modification: I replaced the standard “Nimbus Light” hipbelt with the plastic supported “Nimbus” hipbelt from Granite Gear’s heavier packs. I did an exchange directly with Granite Gear. On a shakedown hike with a 37 lb. load, I had found that the “light” hipbelt could not maintain its shape and struggled to keep the load up. Even though the Nimbus hipbelt weighs 7 oz. more than the “light” belt, it is worth it.

What I liked:

- With a 42 lb. load, this is the first lightweight pack I’ve tried that is actually comfortable. With a 30 lb. load, the pack doesn’t even feel like it’s there.

- The plastic lined Nimbus hipbelt truly supports the pack, just like a belt on a full-sized pack. The load stays on my hips without the belt contorting or sagging. But it is still narrow enough (in height) to provide freedom of movement so I can lift my legs high for cross country travel, scrambling, and climbing.

- The 3,800 cu. in. capacity is perfect for weeklong trips (with tent, bear can, fishing gear, novel). The stretch side pockets are tight, but I was able to fit a water filter and small water bottle in one, with tent poles, fishing pole and trowel in the other. I strapped my sleeping pad vertically on the front of the pack. I hung other stuff from the various compression straps.

- The suspension is superb, the best I’ve ever tried in a lightweight pack. It is very customizable, though you need a big Phillips screwdriver to adjust it. I’d carry a spare screw (the pack uses three) in my repair kit, just in case. There are 5 sizes of men’s hipbelts and 4 women’s. The standard hipbelt is the “Nimbus Light”, similar to the one used on the lighter Vapor Trail. But the heavier hipbelt, the standard Nimbus version from Granite Gear’s bigger packs, has a plastic exoskeleton and also fits the Nimbus Ozone. All you have to do is call Granite Gear and exchange with them. There are 4 sizes of shoulder harnesses, each available in standard and trim (narrower) versions. And each shoulder harness has 3 attachment points to fine tune the fit even more! There are two pack sizes, each with 5 inches of shoulder strap adjustment, adjustable in 1-inch increments. Pack adjustments can be done without removing any pack parts, and can even be done with the pack fully loaded! Once adjusted, the pack is very, very stable – it feels like a fixed suspension pack. It doesn’t flop around like a lot of packs with adjustable suspensions. All other adjusters work as expected: side stabilizers, compression straps, load lifters, and sternum strap.

- The pack has a “3D Tepex” framesheet. There are no stays to give the pack shape. Instead, Granite Gear claims that the framesheet has zones with varying rigidity. I don’t know how it works, but it feels great. I have no complaints at all about the fit. One note: I usually wear a small sized pack, but a regular fit me perfectly (and on a medium setting).

Major complaints:

- None

Other complaints:

- The packbag material is black with colored highlights. It should be the other way around (see the gold colored Osprey Aether 60). I hate black packbags because I can’t see anything inside the bag while loading or unloading it. You cannot even see halfway into the pack in bright sunlight. The only way I could figure out what was in the pack was to feel around or just flip the pack over and empty everything out.

- The straps that cross over the top of the packbag to stabilize and compress the pack are way too short. With the pack even moderately extended, the straps barely reach.

- There needs to be an exit hole for the drinking tube of a hydration system. The “standard” way to seal the top of the pack (at least in the store and catalog) is to roll up the extension collar, then attach the two compression straps that cross over the top of the pack. But the center of the extension collar is the only exit for my drinking tube. So I just pushed the extension collar down without rolling it, then attached the compression straps. When it rained, I used a rain cover to keep water out of the pack.

Minor complaints:

- The side compression straps and front straps could be a little longer to accommodate larger items.

- The shoulder straps, though, had adjusters that were too long, and the side stabilizers on the replacement hipbelt were way too long.

SUMMARY: The Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone (with the beefier Nimbus hipbelt) is the first lightweight pack that is comfortable with a 40+ pound load. I was comfortable throughout my entire 8-day trip (other packs are torture for the first few days until the load lightens). It was a joy to wear while doing high class 2 and easy class 3 climbing. This is the first pack since my Dana Designs Bridger that makes me feel like running when I have it on! At the end of my trip, when the pack weighed 30 pounds, I was amazed that it nearly felt like I had no pack on! The Nimbus Ozone really made this year’s trip an enjoyable one. No sore shoulders or aching hips from a sagging pack – I could concentrate on my trip instead. I have no major complaints about the pack. My only improvements would be to lengthen the top compression straps significantly, make the pack material lighter in color, and add an exit hole for a hydration tube.

Where to Buy

Buy Online We found the Nimbus Ozone at 6 online stores:

Store

Product Description

Price

Moosejaw

Men's Nimbus Ozone Ultralight Pack (Spring 2008)

$215.00

Buy Now

Backcountry.com

Nimbus Ozone Backpack - 3800cu in

$229.95

Buy Now

CampSaver.com

Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone Pack 3800 cu in

$214.95

Buy Now

Oregon Mountain Community 2 purchase options:	Nimbus Ozone Backpack	$169.95	Buy Now
Oregon Mountain Community 2 purchase options:	Nimbus Ozone	$182.95	Buy Now