Gregory Contour 60 Pack

Comments about Gregory Contour 60 Pack:

Bought pack as replacement for Arc Teryx Khamsin 64 which I've had for about 12 years. Great pack and one of the first lightweights but looking for a little more padding and comfort. Always wanted a Gregory as they are known for good fit and comfort. Only taken about 20 miles so far and don't have adjustment and loading down just yet but it is definitely more comfortable than Khamsin.
A nice surprise are the compartments on the back that are easy to access and allow you to keep items close at hand without having to open top of pack. Don't know what I would use small pockets in belt for yet- maybe a camera or binoculars

Comments about Gregory Contour 60 Pack:

I researched packs forever before deciding on this one. I am a smaller female and chose the small size 60 Gregory Contour and it fits me fine. The zippered side pocket is my favorite feature and so much more handy than I thought it would be. The top waterproof lid with the 'dry bag roll' is my second favorite - also really convenient and I feel safe knowing my stuff won't get wet.
I have loaded this up with an average of 45 lbs and it feels solid on my hips and I can hike all day. The most comfortable pack I have owned. Super happy with this purchase and I know I will be using it for years to come.

Comments about Gregory Contour 60 Pack:

I tried on several packs in store, and this fit the best. I wanted a pack smaller than my old REI Traverse (85L), and the 60L was perfect. Recently went on a two-night trip in the Ansel Adams Wilderness, and the pack was comfortable throughout. The hip belt is great. Side pockets are a little snug, making it tough to jam in a water bottle if the main compartment is full.

Comments about Gregory Contour 60 Pack:

Having read the review by Mistervee123, I found myself motivated to comment on how some people rate these products.

My experience with the Contour 60 has been extraordinary. As a professional guide who works in Yellowstone and Grand Teton NP, I've logged over 300 miles with this pack already.

Mistervee apparently deducted two stars from this product because he doesn't like the exterior pockets, and feels Gregory missed a step. That's fine, that's his opinion.

However, I offer that we all choose a particular product, at least in part, because that product matches the philosophy of how we personally use gear. But when a piece of gear differs from our philosophy, or has a feature that doesn't match up with how we use gear, that doesn't necessarily make it a bad design. It's usually just a difference of opinion.

The Contour hip and side pockets are not "bad." They work fine if they're used as Gregory intends, and that's how many hikers use them, myself included. I love the size of them, the location, and what I can fit into them. I don't need to take the pack off to close the zippers on those pockets.

But see, that doesn't make the pockets "good" anymore than Mistervee felt they were "bad." It just means that different people use different gear in different ways, and I offer that reviews should be careful when declaring something a poor design just because it doesn't match the reviewer's personal method of using gear.

Is the Contour made with a supremely comfortable suspension? Yes. Is it made with quality materials? Absolutely. Is it a four pound pack that can comfortably carry 40-43 pounds? You bet. Are the ergonomics well considered for how MOST people backpack? Positively. And that makes it a 5 star product, in my assessment. I don't love the over-abundance of straps and buckles all over the place, but that's a ME issue. I'm not going to deduct a star because the Contour is visually "busy."

Are all the Contour features going to match how you use gear, how you use a pack, and how you pack it? No guarantee there, but that's not the pack's fault or your fault. Whether it fits your philosophy on how to make a pack, that's for you to decide. But please, make a distinction between what's merely a difference of design opinion, and what constitutes a poor or mediocre product.

Comments about Gregory Contour 60 Pack:

The suspension on the pack is one of the more comfortable I've ever worn in 20+ years of backpacking and long distance hiking. The idea of the 3 packing areas/zones is very logical and follows long established backpacking principles. The two large compartments and the "brain" making packing the majority of your equipment quick, easy, and secure.

The problems lie in the design of the pockets on the hipbelt and the side pockets.

I don't use water bladders. I use repurposed 1 liter water and gatorade bottles, and I carry them in the side pockets of my packs. They don't leak inside the pack that way, and if they get nasty, you just buy another bottle of water at the next resupply point. Unfortunately, the side pockets of the Contour have no stretch at all-- though there is a stretchy shockcord at the top. The fabric is so tight, that it was very difficult to get 1 liter bottles in and out. Part of the problem is that the pockets have the same rubbery, water resistant coating as the main pack body. On the AT in July and August, I was drinking 8+ liters of water a day. I would hate to have to wrestle with my water bottles all the time like that. The tightness of the side pockets also makes the little zipper compartment (next to the hip belt) useless, unless the side pocket is almost empty. If you have something in the side pocket (i.e. the aforementioned water bottles), once you unzip the little extra pocket, it pops open, and you have to remove the pack to pull the sides of the zipper together enough to get it to zip back up.

The other problem is that the hipbelt pockets are a really too small and they are sewn in a trapezoid shape--even though most everything I'd want to put in my hippockets is rectangular: cameras, snack bars, maps, etc. My little Fuji P&S camera could barely fit in the pocket by itself. On my other packs (from a company that will not be named), I'm able to carry my map, head net, chapstick, hand sanitizer, camera, etc., in the hipbelt pockets with ease...and with easy access.

When you're using a pack day in and day out on long distance hikes, convenience and easy access to the little stuff you need frequently becomes a big deal. If Gregory redesigns their pockets on the Contour, I would keep this pack in a heartbeat. Even though it weighs about 4 lbs., it carries like a dream. As things stand however, I will be returning the pack. I don't want to have to store so many of the little things I use frequently in the main pack, and be forced take the pack on and off to get at things I need. I thought that was the main idea behind Gregory's three zone idea....

Comments about Gregory Contour 60 Pack:

This pack is my go to all-around pack now. Does it all. Hauls more than what you might image on the liter rating alone and keeps it all organized in zones.
Great quality too.