jmt hiker Tom Hundley

Dear Gossamer Gear,

My wife and I purchased two Gossamer Gear Riksaks for our July 13 - August 6th, 2011 John Muir Trail hike.

We were impressed by the quality of materials and workmanship shown in their making, as well as the weightless feel of the impressive little blue packs.

We carried and used the Riksaks for the length of the trail - in our case, 227 miles. We wore them as our ultralight daypacks when hiking off trail on side trips and used them on our summit climb up Mt Whitney on day 25 of the hike.

I enjoy sewing my own gear when I can, so I added a sternum strap to my Riksak. My wife's shoulders aren't as broad, so she preferred the feel of the Riksack exactly as designed and went without a strap.

Here's a few photos of Faith and I on Mt Whitney CA, August 6th, 2011. The Riksak is so incognito, you can hardly see it (or feel it) when in use - but it was an integral part of the relied upon gear we carried the length of the trail.

Lord willing, I'm planning a 35 day hike in the Sierras for next summer 2012. The Riksak is already part of the gear for the hike.

–Tom Hundley

October 19, 2011 — Brian Fryer