Philip Werner

The Siren 45 is designed to wrap around an inflatable sleeping pad in order to create a bed-like sleeping experience. There’s nothing to prevent you from using the Siren 45 as more of a backpacking quilt, where you lie on top of a pad instead of sliding it inside the bag, or as a top quilt in a hammock without a sleeping pad at all. But it’s probably best viewed as an alternative to a mummy sleeping bag for ground sleepers and one step less confining than NEMO’s innovative spoon-shaped sleeping bags, which were really the first sleeping bags specifically designed for side-sleeper use. The NEMO Siren 45 is a comfortable warm-weather camping quilt that provides a bed-like experience for people, especially side-sleepers, who find a hooded sleeping bag too confining.

If there’s one thing that remained constant during the Mariposa’s evolution, it’s the configuration of its side pockets, with one long quiver pocket on the left and two smaller pockets on the right side of the pack. This pocket layout is unique and lets you move some of the bulky gear that usually hogs up the main compartment, like a tent and a stove, to an outside pocket, making it much easier to pack the gear that you don’t need during the day and want to keep dry and safe inside the pack. When packing a Mariposa, it’s best to pack the main compartment first before filling the outside pockets with gear, packing it with your sleep insulation on the bottom, your heavier items or food bag in the middle, and lighter weight, more frequently accessed gear at the top. With a little imagination, you can use also the top fold-over pocket to hold awkwardly shaped gear like a foam sleeping pad, cylindrical tent body, or a low volume Bear Boxer Bear Canister (also sold by Gossamer Gear) on the top of the pack, making it easier and more convenient to carry.

60 Backpack (which is colored black with red highlights) is available in both the men’s and women’s sizes, with gender-specific shoulder straps and hip belts. This 2019 model is an updated version of the 2017 olive/black men’s and grey/blue women’s Crown2 60 models. I like the solid side pocket fabric on the 2019 better than the stretch fabric used in the 2017 model or X60 better because it’s much more durable when bashing through vegetation off-trail. Of the three Granite Gear Crown 2 versions available today, I think the 2019 Crown2 is the best and that the new side pocket design is a real win.

The MassDrop x Granite Gear x60 is a roll top backpack with an optional top lid and an adjustable length hip belt. Unfortunately, the X60 is only available in a unisex (men’s) version and in regular and long sizes, unlike the Granite Gear Crown 2 versions which are available in both mens and women’s versions and in short, regular, and long torso lengths. The MassDrop X60 has a 60L main compartment with an internal hydration pocket, two side water bottle pockets, a long front mesh pocket, an optional 5L top lid pocket, and two large hip belt pockets. The MassDrop x Granite Gear x60 is a modified, improved, and significantly less expensive ($120) version of the original Granite Gear Crown2