Gregory  Focal 48 Pack - Men's

I have had this pack for a while now - maybe two years? I have put about 350 miles of AT on it. It has performed and held up well. It is a great sub 3lb pack. The only downside, in my opinion, is the skinny little adjustment straps for load lifters and compression straps. While I don't care for them, I understand weight needs to be cut any way it can be cut. Having said that, I pretty much just set it and forget it so being rather nit-picky.

I have three other Gregory packs that I absolutely love. Not the Focal. This is probably the worst fitting pack I have ever tried. The shoulder straps don’t fit comfortably no matter how I tried to adjust them. The chest strap adjusted to the max was still not enough to allow for how broad my chest is. Where th shoulder straps attach is too narrow and it causes the straps to rub on your neck. And there is a seam on the straps will rub you back raw. I purchased a Large, th same as i always have. And I’m not an inexperienced hiker. I have a Paragon 58 that has close to 2000 miles on it. The Focal didn’t make it a full hour of a test walk. It’s being returned and I’ll try something else.

Used on a 40mile trip held up to rain and rough treatment. The bag is very lightweight and took a lot of the load off my back especially uphill.

Love my Gregory Focal 48. Been using it all summer and it helped me get my base weight way down. Great synch and release system for the main compartment (other manufacturers take note, that’s how it should be done). Thought I would miss having multiple compartments but there’s a simplicity to having just one. Nylofume bag at the bottom wrapped up for bedding and clothes, everything else on top. Just have to be mindful when loading each day. Leave rain gear and shorts up top if needed. Thought the Free Float system was just marketing hype, but I can feel a difference, no more hip soreness (although I’m also carrying less weight) and had good mobility when doing some lite scrambling. Back ventilation and side pockets for Smart water bottles are excellent. I ditched the brain on the last few trips and again there’s a simplicity to keeping that stuff in a diddy bag instead. The Focal is so easy to open and close it’s no big deal to keep it near the top if you need to get into it. Hip Belt pockets are pretty small, and the pocket under the hip belt pockets for tucking belt straps is fairly useless (I ended up just trimming the belt straps) Overall highly recommended.

The pack is very lightweight and comfortable. Easy to adjust while on a hike without having to take it off. It would be nice if you could access the inside from the center like the women's 38 version. As other reviews said, the center strap tends to ride up. Good bag for a couple nights out.

I love this pack. It is light, has all I need, but not more. Fits well and is great to carry on long hikes. On the downside, after a few multi-day hikes (less than 30 days combined), the back mesh panel has completely lost its spring. As I was under 12 months, I returned it and am trying another one. Maybe it was just a one off quality issue. I am grateful for the REI member return policy...

I have used this pack on countless trips over the course of a year. It’s very light compared to other traditional packs, but is far more comfortable than Hyperlite. I took this puppy out on the High Sierra Trail (6 days) and weighed in at 35 pounds fully loaded with a bear can and all. It carried the weight good and breathes exceptionally well. My only gripe, which isn’t a big deal, is that the Peak Design camera clip doesn’t feel great on the shoulder strap. However, I can live with that. Highly recommended if you’re looking for an ultralight framed back.

Over-all I was pleased with the pack. I do run into an issue being tall and thin, which means inevitably the waist strap is as tight as it gets, but I get that with every pack.

The main reason I got this pack is for the lighter weight and the front-facing water bottle holder. Definitely lighter weight than a standard pack of the same capacity. But the water bottle holder does not deliver. The water bottle easily falls out when you bend over forward. Very annoying. Gregory need to tighten the opening. I have a Decathlon Quechua pack that does a much better job which I brought to the Camino Portuguese. The other negative is the small belt pockets. I also have a Zulu that has a much larger belt pocket.

great fitting pack for my long torso. The "brain" works great clipped on to the front. just the right size to prevent me from overpacking.