Granite Gear Traditional #4 Portage Pack review

The Granite Gear Traditional #4 Portage Pack is a great option for those of you looking for a light-weight option for a portage pack. I use mine a couple of times a year in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in northern MN where you have to do a lot of portaging.  It holds a shit-ton of gear, but all of your gear is only accessible via one large opening at the top of the pack. I keep my rain gear on top in case I need to access it quickly. By using a plastic 3mm bag as a liner, it makes the bag waterproof.  This pack allows me to carry my tent, 2-30 liter dry bags, which hold clothes for 2 people, all of my camp cookware, and my Drycase Waterproof Backpack. This pack has room for everything 2 people need for a BWCA trip in addition to a dedicated food pack.

The Traditional #4 is very comfortable to wear and put on. The padded shoulder harness allows your shoulders to take the weight that this pack can hold. The padded waist band helps to take the weight off of your back. There is also a small chest strap to help balance the load more. There are 3 straps on the front and 2 compression straps on each side to compact the bag down. There are many spots to attach a Nalgene bottle or anything else you want close at hand using a carabiner.

Traditional #4 Stats:
– Holds 98 liters or 6000 cubic inches
– 27 inches tall, 26 inches wide and 8.5 inches deep
– Weighs 2.7lbs empty
– Made of 210D nylon cordura
– Water resistant, not waterproof

Pros:
– It’s huge/holds a ton of Gear
– Lightweight/strong bag
– Easy to pick up due to multiple handles
– Able to connect a bunch of gear to many of the straps on the bag
– Durable

Cons:
– Only has one opening, although that’s not a big deal to me
– You can make it too heavy to carry, so just test it with your gear before you head out
– Water resistant not waterproof. This isn’t a major issue once you add a liner bag.

The Granite Gear Traditional #4 is a great option in you are looking for a new portage pack. It runs around $150 @ Amazon and I have no complaints with this pack. It costs a lot less than a Duluth Pack and is also much lighter. All off the plastic buckles have held up great so far on multiple BWCA trips. The pack also would work great on any canoe trip, even if you don’t portage. The pure size of the Traditional #4 is the main reason I love this pack. While using the plastic bag as a liner, nothing has ever gotten wet. I would suggest loading your bag before your trip bc you could end up making the pack too heavy to pick up, let alone carry on a portage.

Click below to see my review of the Granite Gear Traditional #4 Portage Pack.

Feel free to ask me any questions you have in the comments below. Caw!

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