Gossamer Gear G4-20 Backpack Complete Review

The Gossamer Gear G4-20 is an ultralight backpack weighing ~24.7 ounces and is designed to carry 25-lbs comfortably. Due to its weight, moderately low volume, and lack of a rigid frame, the G4-20 is ideal for ultralight backpackers with a base weight under 15-lbs.

With its minimalist design, light weight, and sleek look (not to mention a great price point), any backpacker looking to lighten their load should give the G4-20 a long, hard look.

What’s to like about the Gossamer Gear G4-20? And is there anything that may lead you to pass on this pack? Let’s find out.

G4-20 Specs Overview

Weight

As previously mentioned, the Gossamer Gear G4-20 weighs 24.7 ounces (size medium). However, that includes the removable frame that doubles as a sitpad. You can replace this sitpad with another of your choice, like the Z seat from Thermarest, or choose to do without. Using a sitpad as a frame does help to provide shape support, but with lighter loads this isn’t always necessary. Opting to not use the included sitpad, the G4-20 weighs 21.6 ounces.

Volume

With a volume of 42-liters, this pack is great for backpackers who have ultralight and small/compressible gear. It can also serve well for an overnight trip with bulkier gear when less food is necessary.

The main compartment of the backpack up to the bottom of the collar is 30-liters and the exterior pockets (sides and front mesh) add up for another 12-liters. It is unclear if the two hip-belt pockets are included in this volume, but they have enough space for a phone and snacks.

Sizing

The specs I have been describing are for the medium-sized version of the G4-20, but you do have small and large sizes as well. Like most backpacks, the different sizes account for shorter and longer torso lengths as well as waist size. Among the three sizes available, the G4-20 can accommodate waist sizes from 25 – 50 inches and torso lengths as short as 11.5 inches and as tall as 23.5 inches.

Load Capacity

With a 25-pound comfort load capacity, the G4-20 falls right in line with other frameless ultralight backpacks. It maxes out at carrying 30-pounds before discomfort begins to set in. While this weight isn’t concrete, the more you push the limits the more uncomfortable this pack will get. Remember, there is no frame and there are also no load-lifters.

Materials

Made from 70D and 100D Robic Nylon, the G4-20 is a moderately durable backpack when compared to some of its competitors, like the Robic versions of ULA’s backpacks. However, this pack is plenty durable with proper care and caution.

The G4-20 is coated with a DWR (durable water repellent) which will help keep your gear dry in light rain, but you should opt for a pack liner with dry bags and maybe even a pack cover for maximum protection.

My Impressions of the G4-20

Having covered the specs and materials, let’s discuss how the Gossamer Gear G4-20 performs and my overall impressions of this pack.

Pockets

First, I typically prefer a minimalist style backpack. A main compartment, mesh front pocket, two side pockets, and hip belt pockets. This is my baseline in what I look for in a pack and the G4-20 checks off all of these.

It also includes a small, zippered pocket on the front. I personally couldn’t care less about this pocket and have even forgotten it was there, failing to utilize it during any of my trips. It is pretty shallow and I haven’t figured out its best use, so I will likely continue to go about not using it.

The front mesh pocket is perfect for packing away dirty items I don’t want infecting other gear with their filth. Being mesh, it also helps wet gear dry a little faster by providing some airflow.

The side pockets are great for packing various items or gear. I typically keep an extra water bottle in one side and a tripod in the other. One side pocket isn’t as tall as the other, giving you easier access to its contents when reaching around without removing the pack. This is where I will pack my tripod as I am frequently reaching back for it to capture images from the trail. If I had to remove my pack every time for this it would be a deal breaker.

The hip belt pockets do what hip belt pockets do. As long as they are large enough to store a few miscellaneous items I don’t want to remove my pack for to access, they pass in my book. I usually keep small snacks here and maybe wipes for a quick hand washing. A bonus of the G4-20’s hip belt pockets is the zippers can be opened using one hand if the hip belt is buckled and appropriately tightened around the waist.

Enough about pockets though. What other features does the G4-20 have?

Rolltop Closure

As many minimalist backpacks do, the G4-20 has a rolltop closure as opposed to a top flap or a zipper (big no-no for backpacking in my opinion). The collar is 9-inches, so essentially you have extra space if you overpacked a little since this isn’t included in the total volume.

You will want to avoid overstuffing the pack too much though as there are no load lifters to help pull the top weight of the pack into your body. Without this, your balance can feel a little off and you may also have to deal with some discomfort.

Water Bladder Sleeve

A lack of a hydration sleeve for a water bladder is another common trait of minimalist backpacks and the G4-20 is no different, though it does have a hydration port. Most ultralight backpackers do not use a bladder anyway, but if it is something you like, this backpack may not be the pack for you. For that matter, the lightest ultralight backpacks won’t accommodate a bladder either.

Side Compression Straps

Moving to the side compression straps, which help to compress your pack and its contents and bring it into your body. Most backpacks use typical webbing straps with buckles. However, the G4-20 uses cordage with a cord lock, which essentially functions the same way.

What is different though, is these span only the upper portion of the pack leaving the mid to lower sections unable to be cinched. Many packs have multiple compression straps to compress the bulk of a pack. Some do this poorly though as the straps are routed over the side pockets, making items stored in these pockets more difficult to retrieve. Others do this better by routing the straps through the pockets, that way items inside the pockets do not get compressed. The G4-20 avoided this altogether and refrained from using mid/lower side compression straps.

With that mentioned, at lower pack volumes and weight, this isn’t a real issue, at least in my experience with this pack. I believe as long as you keep the weight capacity near its recommended limit, the G4-20 has all the compression you need to stay comfortable on your hikes.

Shoulder Straps

Continuing with straps, let’s discuss the shoulder straps, which are huge when it comes to overall comfort of a backpack. Too thin of a strap will lead to discomfort, and too thick packs on unnecessary weight.

I believe the shoulder straps on the G4-20 are the perfect balance between comfort and weight when carrying near the recommended capacity. If you try to push your carrying weight to 30-lbs and beyond, the straps will begin to dig in. However, the thickness of a strap isn’t the only thing that determines their comfort.

The shape of shoulder straps plays a role in overall comfort, as well. There are J-Straps and S-Straps, the former being the traditional and what the G4-20 is equipped with. If you have more broad or square shoulders, a backpack with S-Straps might be a better option. Unfortunately, Gossamer Gear does not offer this option on their packs.

With that said, I have somewhat broader shoulders and have had no problem with the J-Straps on the G4-20. While this may not be the case for everyone, overall, I find the shape and thickness of the shoulder straps comfortable under light loads.

Materials

As previously mentioned, the G4-20 is made with 70D and 100D Robic Nylon. The bottom of the pack is made with a more durable material to withstand the wear of placing it on the ground or other rough terrain.

Compared to other packs, like those from ULA, this pack uses less durable but lighter materials. Ultimately, this is a sacrifice you must choose to make if you want an ultralight pack. But do not fear that you will easily tear this pack. You should use care when handling it, but you shouldn’t have to baby it either.

Back Breathability

Unfortunately, like most ultralight backpacks, the G4-20 does not have a back ventilation system that promotes air flow. What this means is you can expect a sweaty back, but sweaty backs are the norm rather than the exception. Even with backpacks with a suspended mesh panel, you can still expect back sweat.

However, when comparing the G4-20 against my Granite Gear Crown2, the Crown2’s ventilation, while not great, is much better than having no ventilation at all.

Sitpad

A great feature of Gossamer Gear’s backpacks is the inclusion of a sitpad. This sitpad doubles as a semi-rigid frame, helping to support your pack’s structure.

You can opt to go without the sitpad, but I wouldn’t recommend this for loads over 20-lbs. Or if you do not want to use the included sitpad, you can use one of your choice assuming it will fold down small enough to fit into the sleeve. Most sitpads I have seen will but won’t be as rigid as what Gossamer Gear includes.

The sitpad weighs 3.1 ounces with the medium-sized pack. Without diving too deeply, the sitpad is more comfortable than others like the Z-seat. However, it is less versatile and does not make sense to carry with you if you aren’t using it as a frame.

Add-ons

If you think the G4-20 is too minimalist for your taste, there’s good news. There are a few useful add-ons you can purchase separately to go along with the pack. I personally bought a shoulder strap pocket and water bottle holder.

I use the shoulder strap pocket for my phone which I find more convenient than keeping my phone in my pants pocket or a hip belt pocket. And having the water bottle holder on my shoulder strap is also handy for quick access to water without having to reach around your back to fetch it. Easy access makes you less likely to forget to hydrate frequently when hiking.

Summary

In summary, the biggest positives of the Gossamer Gear G4-20 are:

• It’s ultralight
• Completely functional for my minimalist taste
• Comfortable to carry at recommend capacities

The biggest drawback, in my opinion, is the complete lack of airflow on the back. I hate to knock it for this because most ultralight backpacks have the same issue. Some backpackers probably won’t even consider it a real issue as back sweat is inevitable. I will argue though it isn’t as bad with packs that have a suspended back panel (Zpacks Arc series) or some design for allowing better air flow.

In conclusion, I think the G4-20 is a great pack for an ultralight backpacker or someone wanting to try their hand at ultralight. If you prefer to have more luxuries or have heavier, bulkier gear, then this pack is not for you.

For me, this pack has definitely earned its way into my rotation and I foresee using it for many more miles.