How to Choose Daypacks

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The women's Gregory J28 Pack is built tough for all-day, all-mountain use. Throw in your hiking gear, climbing gear or anything else you may need for an escape into the great outdoors.
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View all Gregory DaypacksBest Use | Hiking |
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Bag Style | Backpack |
Frame Type | Internal Frame |
Material(s) | Polyester/nylon |
Frame Material | Tensioned spring steel bar |
Number of Stays | 1 peripheral rod |
Suspended Mesh Back Panel | Yes |
Pack Access | Top |
Number of Exterior Pockets | 6 + main compartment |
Hipbelt | Yes |
Raincover Included | Yes |
Dimensions | Unavailable |
Gender | Women's |
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I agree with the first reviewer above. I have been trying to like this pack but will return it soon. My biggest concern is with the metal bar that gives back support. It bends in so far that it affects how much I can put in the pocket that carries the water reservoir. When I carry a full 3-liter Camelbak, which I do on a regular basis, it takes up most of the room inside. I then have to stuff everything else along the sides of the reservoir, and even then not much fits in. I like all the other pockets, zippers, straps, etc., but the size of the main compartment is just too small if you want lots of water on a hike!
Love this Gregory J28 Day pack, size small. I'm 5' 4,and I can reach my water easily, bonus! In fact this is the only pack that I have found that has big pouches that are convenient for me to reach my drinks. There's ample room for extra clothing, a section for first aid, and one for food. Handy waist pocket for gps, snug fit, but ok. I've hiked in AZ with it, fits well (REI salesman was very helpful), crossflow venting will be great in hot weather. It suits my needs, an easy, comfortable to carry day pack, with room to organize necessities, and fits well, no pulling on shoulders or back discomfort. I don't plan on carrying a reservoir. It's going to be put to good use when I hike in Canada
I didn't even consider this pack based on reviews -- just goes to show, you really need to try the product yourself. I needed a pack for long day hikes, and was looking to get a pack exclusively for that purpose, not for commuting purposes. I also work in the outdoors for work, and have to spend long days on the trails some times. I tried on several packs in the REI store, including the Deuter ACT Trail 28, which was comparable. Being a woman, I've had problems with fit issues with the harness over the shoulders, and have suffered with many day packs that caused terrible shoulder pain by the end of the hike. When I loaded both packs up with weight, and wore them around the store for about 20 minutes each, I noticed a huge difference in the way the Gregory shifts the loads to your hips. I could hardly feel any weight on my shoulders -- it was amazingly comfortable! I know two other reviews talked about space issues -- I could see if you were trying to shove a laptop in, and had the bladder full, it could be tight. But since I am using for hiking and mainly intend to put clothing, snacks and first aid kit in my pack, there's no problem there. Also, I found if you take the rain cover from the pocket it comes in and shift it to top pocket, it creates a bit more room on the interior, when you have bladder full of water. For me, the fit was my number one priority, and this pack was hands-down the best and has proven to be so while on the trails as well.
Purchased this pack about a month ago and finally got to give it a trial run on a trip to Chaco Canyon. The pack did everything I hoped it would do. Carries loads well, rides on my hips, not on my shoulders and with the mesh back keeping the pack off my back was cool carrying in the desert.
Okay so, first of all, this is a day pack for hiking....not for commuting with your laptop. If that's what you want it for, you're going to be sorely disappointed. The design of the back is very curved for taking weight while HIKING, and so will not hold something large, rigid, and flat like a laptop. That being said, if you want to use this pack for hiking, then it's awesome. I've used it on several day hikes and it has been wonderful. Make sure you get the right size and have someone show you how to fit the straps appropriately! If your pack is fit correctly, nearly ALL the weight should be on your hips. The hip straps should be the first ones you buckle and tighten. This pack is great for that. the hip straps take the weight nicely and comfortably so that hardly any weight was put anywhere else. Also the pockets on these straps are SUPER convenient. I keep a camera in one and my emergency inhaler and chapstick in the other so I can easily grab them without the hassle of removing ALL the straps and buckles. Also these straps tend to be longer than on brands like Osprey. I'm 5'5" and 210 lbs, so I needed longer straps and these have well more than enough length to them. Also, for size referencing, I'm fairly evenly proportioned as far as torso to leg length, and I bought a size small and it's perfect. This is not a large pack, and i do agree with the other reviewers that the curved bar in the back makes it shaped oddly inside. However, I didn't find this to be an issue. I do not use a reservoir, only water bottles. With a 1L nalgene in each side pocket the inside space is limited in the middle part of the pack, but still plenty of space for things. I usually put my heavier stuff like my first aid kit, knife, extra water bottles, etc in the bottom, my squishable stuff like extra socks and jacket in the middle part, and use the top compartment for my food, so it doesn't get squished. This compartment is quite large and really handy for stuff you want to be able to access easily. There is also a nice mesh zippered pocket in the top part of the main compartment for keeping small stuff easily at hand within the main compartment. The outer front "pocket" (it doesn't completely close, just stays shut by the pull of the buckles and such) is usually where I put things like a towel or the zip off bottom portion of my pants. The rain fly works great and is SUPER nice to have. We were caught in a sudden rain/hail/lightning storm in the mountains east of Seattle and the fly kept my pack and everything in it very dry, even after an hour and a half in heavy rain and very little tree cover. You DO have to take things like trek poles off the pack for it to fit right, but that's a small sacrifice for keeping your stuff dry. Overall I HIGHLY recommend this pack, on the condition that you are using it for for its intended purposes (NOT commuting....) and that you have it sized appropriately.
I bought this a few weeks ago for a long hike. I was worried about my neck and shoulders getting too sore from the weight and causing a migraine. Luckily this pack places a majority of the weight on my lower back and hips. It's so nice to be able to pack a lot of weight and not have any pain from it. Love this pack!
I have had this pack for a year. At 5'3", I have always had trouble with packs not specifically designed for women. This one hits me in the right places and doesn't rub on the shoulders like other ones. It does keep the weight on my hips, which is good. The adjustable chest strap also allows room for my figure. The curve at the back is a bit too much, in my opinion, because it limits what I can pack. The nylon mesh that lays against my back is too stiff, and feels awkward and hot. I wish it didn't hug my body so closely. The rain cover in its own pocket is a nice plus. Overall, I like this pack. But I have one big complaint. The side pockets are totally useless. Everything I have placed in them has fallen out - large and small, heavy and light - not one thing has stayed in those pockets. There needs to be something on the pockets to tighten them up, like drawstrings or zippers. I had hopes for these pockets, but since they won't hold anything, it severely limits what I can pack, and that is a huge disappointment. I used the outside pockets on my old pack all the time. This one needs some outside zippered pockets too. I really would give this 3½ stars if I could, simply because of the lack of usable outside pockets. Otherwise, it's a really good pack.
I bought this daypack a couple of weeks ago, and I've been trying to hard to like it. But I just don't. I'm actually going to exchange it tomorrow. The shape is just too difficult to fit things in - especially for commuting with my laptop - I have a small 15" laptop and it barely fits width-wise. Also when you fill the top pocket, the weight there makes it really awkward to then get into the main part of the pack. However, I did give 3 stars because the one time I used it as an actual daypack for a 3 hour hike, it was pretty great. Relatively comfortable on the hip straps, easy to pack soft items like a raincoat, balance was good. It just doesn't cut it for me for commuting, unfortunately. Would that I could afford two packs, I'd keep this for a daypack and buy a new one for commuting.
Best backpack I've ever owned. It can be cinched down so it isn't sloppy when you have a light load. It also expands to fit everything and the kitchen sink (laptop, textbooks, tupperware, and extra shoes all fit, no problem). The rain cover works well. I've used it for a couple climbing trips and it's great for carrying loads of layers. Could use a couple more gear loops, but I'm happy with it
It was a bit too short for my torso even in a small...and the medium was too long. It is a decent pack though with lots of pockets and a sturdy waist buckle. I returned it and got something that fit better.