More Room and Versatility, Somehow Still Ultralight: Gossamer Gear Type II Packs

Type II fun: where nothing went as planned, but you adapted, survived, and now it’s the best story you tell. Gossamer Gear says its Type II Packs line fits the needs of that minimalist outdoor enthusiast who requires versatility and flexibility without compromising comfort and toughness.

With the exploding popularity of ultralight backpacking and fastpacking, Gossamer Gear has grown in popularity thanks to streamlined designs. But what does the Type II pack line add to the brand’s already ultralight offerings?

According to Gossamer Gear designers, the Type II Pack line is meant to be ultralight, durable, and, most of all, versatile. Feedback from consumers and product testers asked for more features and additional versatility in each pack’s function.

Pick Your Pack: 4 New Styles

Gossamer Gear states that each of the four designs in the Type II line offers a unique perspective.

It claims the Piku Sling functions on urban and trail adventures alike. The smallest Type II pack is meant to work in multiple ways: on your handlebars, slung over your back for an urban commute, as a fanny pack on a quick day hike, or attached to a day pack for additional versatility. The Piku also includes a removable sit pad, roll-top access, interior mesh pockets, and a front stretch pocket.

An everyday lightweight workhorse became the intention for the Cima 15L, Gossamer Gear says. It works as a zippered daypack for everyday use and hiking. The interior sleeve holds a hydration reservoir or a 13-inch laptop. An exterior stretch mesh pocket can hold a helmet or extra snacks alongside dual water bottles.

Gossamer Gear boasts about the Cima’s back panel’s ventilation air channels in soft foam and suspended mesh. It also touts the easy-access mesh pockets on its ergonomic shoulder straps.

Fast packers and ultralighters are the targeted users for the Grit 28L vest-style pack. The Grit aims to provide a more streamlined and smaller footprint fastpack with a running vest-like harness system.

Gossamer Gear claims a running harness and double sternum strap lessen bouncing. Traditional features still exist, however, like trekking pole attachment points and an ice axe loop.

The Skala 38L pack plays off the design of Gossamer’s Kumo 36 Ultralight pack, GearJunkie’s Best Budget Pick for Ultralight Backpacks. Users wanted a tougher version of a well-loved classic, Gossamer Gear claims. In answer to that, the Skala added more than 2 L of space to fill with roll-top access.

How Do Gossamer Gear Type II Packs Compare to Previous Models?

The GearJunkie ultralight team will test the new Skala 38L pack on hikes across the West this summer. At first blush (without being hands-on yet), we’re impressed. We’ve highlighted Gossamer Gear’s Kumo 36 as one of the better budget UL packs out there, but the new ripstop fabric, rolltop design, and more generous UHMWPE Stretch Mesh front pocket have us optimistic that the Skala may be even better. Once we learn what makes this pack tick, we’ll report our findings.

What Is Type II Fun?

Better known as a “sufferfest,” Type II or Type 2 fun is part of a “fun scale” that attempts to categorize an experience.

Type I is enjoyed while pursuing that activity and afterward. It’s the gorgeous day, the perfect wave, and the personal best you just set as the sun blazes orange and gold in a tropical paradise.

Type II is fun in retrospect. That incline may have been killer, and the pouring rain ruined snacks, so the outing might not have been so enjoyable at the time. Back at the trailhead with your buddies? It might be the best story you could tell, and you love that you did it.

Type III is the experience no one wants to have, but it makes for a killer Instagram post. This type of fun is neither enjoyed during the experience nor remembered as fun after the fact, but your story will be repeated around the campfire. Of all the types of fun to pull inspiration from, we can’t blame Gossamer Gear for drawing on Type II fun.

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