lightweight fishing paiute trout carson iceberg wilderness wilderness backpacking paiute hiker water trout minimalist

Just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed my Mariposa Plus backpack maiden voyage this last weekend. I journeyed into the Carson-Iceberg Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada for a two-fold purpose–put the new pack to use and pursue the rarest trout in North America (Paiute Cutthroat). I didn't land a Paiute (though I caught quite a few rainbows), and that's OK because the star of the show was the pack. Reasons?

  • The weight is fabulous–lighter by 2 pounds than my old pack.
  • Having ready access to water by just reaching back and not taking the pack off is a dream.
  • Multiple pockets allowed me to be much more efficiently organized. The tall left outside pocket is perfect for my fishing rods, reel, and tackle, and the right top outside pocket is great for carrying snacks, bug goop, sun screen, and all those little things that are nice to have handy.
  • Love the top pocket for quick access.
  • Dropping wet items (like my landing net) into the large outside pocket to dry is brilliant.
  • Discovering that my sleep pad folds into the perfect shape and same size as the sit pad, was just too much fun.

Keep up the great work, and thanks for the ride!

Cheers!

–John Burge

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July 06, 2012 — Brian Fryer