Gregory  Baltoro 65 Pack - 2024 - Men's

The Gregory Baltoro in my opinion is the best large load hauling pack on the market. I know some people are believers in the Osprey AG suspension and I also think Osprey is right there - but specifically for carrying weight comfortably I don't think anything touches the Baltoro. If you get fit correctly this thing will seriously get it done. I am a landscape photographer so I often carry 40lbs even on day hikes (lenses, tripod, water are heavy items). I have used my older Baltoro 65 almost exclusively for all-day dawn to dusk day hikes and overnight/weekenders from about 4 years now. Although Ive dabble in other 50-75L packs, I always came back to the Baltoro and was excited for the new model. After taking it on a 12 mile loop yesterday to break it in here is my take. I loaded it down with 3 liters of water and all my camera equipment and was moving about 40lbs of gear by the time I was done. I was super impressed. No shoulder fatigue at all and a very stable ride. I think the changes in the new model are all positive with NO loss at all in what makes the Baltoro an award winning fav. I love the 2 longer side pockets (like the Kelty RedWing and some Osprey packs) and stretch mesh pocket replacing the single large zipper pocket - this adds more functional organization and Im a fan of the mesh front pocket for easy access and wet gear if needed. It also seems to make for a much more streamlined look and more compressed load. The ventilation is much improved in this version and with no loss in the outstanding suspension. Moving the rain cover to the top lid pocket is neither here nor there but a customer rain cover is always added value. Overall the changes are minor but positive. The ONLY improvement I would make to this pack is to make the hip belt pockets a bit bigger - they are useful and better than none, but still a touch small - maybe another inch or so in length and depth would be perfect. But this is such a small issue given the amazing load carrying and organization of this pack. Yes it is still on the heavy side and ultralighters and ounce counters will bemoan the weight. But my take is that if the pack's main selling point is being able to swallow the pounds and carry them comfortably, then so what if it weighs a bit more. Im truly impressed with this new model and cant wait to put more miles on it. If the quality is there - and it usually is with Gregory - I can see having this be my go to large pack for MANY years.

I bought this purely for the deal that it includes a rain cover and a daypack. I've been an Osprey guy for years now but the price was too much better than anything Osprey had to offer. I specifically bought this for an REI Adventure trip to Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park, so this review is based off my experience with the pack over the 4-day trip. Positives: Great construction, well-thought-out design and sturdy build. - The pockets on the "brain" (i.e. the top part) are very roomy and I like the different layout where they're side by side instead of one on top of or behind the other. - The fact that you can access the contents from the front also proved helpful at times where my bag was laying down and I didn't have to stand it up to access what was inside. - The right side mesh pocket is specifically angled and designed to hold and access a Nalgene water bottle while you're hiking and it ACTUALLY works. Huge plus on the trail. - The daypack was nothing special but it was adequate. I used it in the middle portion of the trip where we hiked to some lakes (about 10 miles round trip), and it held a set of rain pants, a rain shell, a Nalgene bottle, bug spray, and a large bagged lunch. I will say that my shoulders were a bit sore the next day, there is not chest clip to hold the straps in front of you. - The little elastic sunglasses holder on the shoulder strap was pretty handy, a feature I've always wanted on a pack. - There are some auxiliary pockets on the front next to the mesh sleeve that were very helpful holding my rain jacket and pants for easy access. Negatives: - For this experience, the mesh backing behind the straps meant to allow ventilation did not allow ventilation and my back dripped the entire time. I've had previous experience with Osprey's anti-gravity mesh system and I know noticed a big difference between the two, which was one of the things that made me nervous about going with Gregory. Unfortunately my fears came true and it did little to nothing to cool off my back and keep it somewhat dry. For me, it's a deal breaker because I sweat a lot when I hike (sorry to be gross). - I found that after about 4ish miles, I kept having to readjust the pack on my hips because it felt like it kept sliding down. I could've cinched the waist straps down tight enough but it would've cut blood flow to my lower extremity. There was no doubt that there was 40 pounds on my back after that 4 miles. Past experiences with Osprey were much better with it's AG system. - There isn't a trekking pole loop on either of the shoulder straps so I had to keep them inaccessible on the front of the pack and then drop it to get them when I needed the poles. - The waist band zippered pockets were not easy to open and were not very roomy at all, especially the waterproof one. - The main shoulder strap adjustment on the backside meant to adjust fitting does not adjust by much, 2 available notches to be exact. I got the medium so maybe it's different on other sizes. Osprey's AG adjustment is so much more flexible/adjustable. Overall: It really is a good pack, but just not for me. I'm sure a lot of other people could thoroughly enjoy the things I found to be negative, hence my 3 stars. I will be returning thanks to REI's amazing return policy.