Tester Information
Name: | Duane Lawrence | Email: | delawrence_98 AT yahoo DOT ca | Age: | 42 | Location: | Sparwood,
British Columbia, Canada | Gender: | Male | Height: | 5 ft 9 in (1.79 m) | Weight: | 160 lb (72.6 kg) | Torso: | 20 in (51 cm) | Chest: | 39 in (99 cm) | Waist: | 32 in (81 cm) |
I have been an avid outdoor enthusiast for the past 25
years. I enjoy a variety of outdoor
activities including mountaineering, day hikes, multi-day backpacking trips,
river and ocean kayaking, backcountry skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking and
rock climbing. I have climbed and hiked throughout British Columbia, the United States
and when opportunity presents itself in Europe and India. I carry a wide variety
of gear depending on the type and length of trip. I am a Search and Rescue team member in the
Southern Rockies and am part of the swift water, rope rescue technical teams
and ground search team.
INITIAL REVIEW June 29, 2015 Product Overview
Web Page | http://gregorypacks.com/ | MSRP | $299.00 USD | Manufacture | Gregory Packs | Product | Baltoro 65 | Volume | 65 Liter (3967 in sq) | Fabric | 210 denier (primary) & 300 denier (secondary) Nylon | Listed Weight | 4 lb 12 oz (2.12 kg) | Suggested Max Carrying Weight | 50 lb (22.7 kg) | Measured Weight | 5.2 lb (2.36 kg) | Colours | Navy Blue, Spark Red (tested), Shadow Black | Sizes | Small, Medium (tested), Large | Dimensions | 74x37x34cm (Small) 29.1x14.6x13.4 in 79x38x36 cm (Medium) 31.1x15x14.2 in 84x38x37cm (Large) 33.1x15x14.6 in | Comfort Zone | 50 lb (23 kg) | Torso Fit | 41-46 cm (16-18 in) Small 46-51 cm (18-20 in) Medium 51-56 cm (20-22 in) Large | Manufacture Location | Philippines |
Initial Impressions
I always enjoy getting new gear to test in the mail and the Gregory Baltoro 65
is no exception. I am actually even more excited about testing this pack
as my very first backpack was a Gregory. First impressions of this pack
were very positive. The color is very appealing, Spark Red, and the
overall look of the pack is nice. Closer inspection reveals the high
quality I know Gregory Packs for. The pack is made from
210-denier rip-stop nylon for the exterior and main fabric components and
300-denier nylon for the interior or secondary components with tight stitching.
The pack features include a unique two-pocket top lid with access from
the each side plus an under-lid pocket. The pack is a top loading pack
with additional zippered access from the front and bottom U-zip panel.
There are two, open pouches for water bottles or similar type gear I would
typically attach to the outside of the pack, with one ‘pouch’ that tucks into a
side compartment hiding and protecting it when it is not in use. There is
a large front, zippered pocket with an interior mesh pocket that contains a
rain cover for the pack.
When I opened the pack up I was surprised to find a secondary backpack.
The secondary pack, which doubles as the water bladder container, is very
light weight 149 g (5.26 oz) with thin shoulder straps, a single zippered pocket
and drawstring top closure. Apparently the girth-hitched compression
straps on the bottom of the pack double as a hip belt for this 'ultra-light'
pack. It appears to be more of a nylon stuff sack with shoulder straps and does
not look very comfortable, but on first appearance is a neat idea. I will
have to wait and see if it is at all useful. Other than the bladder
carrier the interior of the pack is just an open area with a small, removable
nylon divider between the lower sleeping bag compartment and the main storage
area. The hip belt has two pockets one, fully waterproof with YYK AquaGuard
zipper, and the other a lighter duty mesh pouch.
For the suspensions the Baltoro 65 uses what Gregory Packs calls a A3 or
Automatic Angle Adjust chassis which allows both the shoulder harness and hip-belt
load panels to pivot independently. This is supposed to allow for the
pack to adjust automatically to your movements. A Wishbone shaped 7075
aluminium alloy internal perimeter frame, dual aluminium stays and HDPE
frame-sheet, ventilated back panel, LifeSpan foam harness padding and removable
lumbar Tune 10 mm (0.39 in) inset foam shims allow the pack to be fully fitted
for comfort. The multi-density EVA foam-padded shoulder straps and hip belt purport
to relieve pressure on the hips and shoulders while adding support where
needed. The designers have also integrated a silicone lumbar grip zone in order
to further secure the pack to the wearer.
The pack is compressible with two external compression straps on either side of
the pack, with two additional bottom straps that can either compress the bottom
sleeping bag compartment or be used as an external attachment point for
additional gear. Two ice ax loops with shock cord locks, a key clip
located in the under-lid pocket, hydration hose clip on the shoulder strap and
removable sleeping bag divider round out this pack. Weighing in at 5 lb 2
oz (2.36 kg) with both the hydration pack and rain cover the pack looks to be a
relatively simple top loading pack that is relatively light weight.
Front View
Rear View
Ultra Light Pack Front & Back
Views
Overall Impressions
The large U-zipper front access and front storage pocket appear to be very
usable and not just for show. The top
loading access point allows for easy packing and access once everything is
stuffed into it. The suspension is going to take a little bit to figure
out but a video the manufacturer's web site appears to provide all the information I will
need to adjust the pack specifically to my physical attributes. I like
the idea of the two top lid pockets that are accessed from the sides rather than
the front or back, this might make it easier for my hiking partners to grab
stuff from the lid so I do not have to take the pack off to grab stuff from the
lid. The one heavy-duty hip belt pocket looks great for electronics or anything
else that I do not want to get wet. I am a little concerned about the
second mesh hip belt pocket as I tend to catch mesh on trees, hopefully it is
tough enough not to tear easily. When I was playing around with the pack
I noted that the clips are of difference sizes which makes sure that I can’t clip
the wrong clips together (compression straps vs. lid closure). The
hydration/ultra-light pack is an interesting bonus. I am really not sure
how usable this 'pack' is going to be, possibly for very short day hikes from a
camp, and with very light loads as the straps look mighty uncomfortable, but I will
have to wait and see. A neat idea regardless. This pack looks very
functional and easy to use and I am really looking forward to testing out this
pack.
Test Plan
This summer I will have plenty of opportunity to test this pack, starting with
a short overnight to Waterton National Park in Southeastern Alberta. This
will be my adjusting trip, to see how easy it is to adjust the pack.
Throughout July, August and September I have several four and five night
trips planned in the Canadian Rockies included one trip into Mt. Assiniboine
which involves a grueling one-day 25 km (15.53 mi) hike into the park which
takes the hiker through alpine forests and passes. Another four-day through
trip, again in the Canadian Rockies, and a week planned for late September and
early October in Yellowstone National Park, which may include a side trip into
the Grand Tetons, will round out the test period. With the variety of
hikes I have planned my pack weight should range from a nice light 35 - 40 lb
(15.88 - 18.14 kg) to the more uncomfortable 50+ lb (22.68 kg) which should provide me with a good feel for
how this pack preforms under load and over a variety of distances.
Summary
Aside
from the fact that I liked the look of this pack right out of the
package it appears to be a very simple versatile pack. The top
pockets on the lid appear to provide easy access, the hip-belt pockets
are large enough to store a wide range of small items. It was
good to see the inclusion of a waterproof pouch on the hip
belt which I can store my more weather delicate items in. I
personally like the top access for loading the pack and front access
points to retrieve gear. It is also nice to see the manufacture
included a rain cover. I'm not sure about how useful the
bladder/ultra-light pack is going to be but it is definitely an
interesting and unique feature. Overall my first impressions of this
pack are very positive and I am looking forward to the next few months
of backpacking.
FIELD REPORT|September 27, 2015
During the first couple of months I was happy to be able to use the Gregory
Baltoro 65 on a couple of fun overnights that included a short one-night trip
and a longer five-night excursion. The first trip was a short 50 km
(31 mi) overnight into Waterton Park in southeastern Alberta. The trail was relatively
flat heading to our camp with a longer hike the next day to a local summit and
back. Overall the pack packed very well under a light load of about 45 lbs (20 kg). I was
able to store everything that I needed in the main compartment without hanging
anything on the outside. The compression straps cinched easily and
tightly making sure nothing moved around and the pack fit snuggly to my
back. On the flat trail with a relatively light load the pack performed
well and was comfortable.
The longer excursion involved a five-night trip into Mt. Assiniboine National
Park in the Canadian Rockies. This trip involved a much heavier pack, around 55 lbs (25 kg),
with five days of food and supplies. The hike in and out involved 600
m (1969 ft) of elevation gain and loss over 29 km (18 mi) of beautiful alpine terrain. Over
the course of the entire trip I put on about 110 km (68 mi) and just shy of 7000 m (23,000 ft) of
elevation using the pack either under full load or as a daypack from camp.
During the second trip is where I felt the pack really showed it strips. After
the first 20 km (12.4 mi), with a full load (about 505 lb (25 kg) ) I noted that I was
constantly fidgeting with the pack trying to make it fit better. What was
bothering me was the fit in the lower back. The pack seemed to push
into me a little causing enough discomfort to make me constantly adjust the
straps in order to ease the pressure. This is when I remembered reading
about how to customize the fit of the pack. Upon investigation I found a
foam shim that fits in the exact spot that was giving me problems. The
foam pad, situated just above the hip belt, was easily removed, being Velcroed
into the pack. Some minor strap adjustments to refit the waist belt and
shoulder straps and I was off on the trail again. The initial result
seemed positive but by end of the trip I was fully convinced that this extra
shim was the problem as the pack performed very well for the rest of the trip.
Seeing that the previous five weeks while I was at work was nothing but
blistering heat and sun, it was inevitable that it would start raining and
continue to do so every day of the trip, at least it was off and on rather than
a steady torrent. On the positive side the rain allowed me to use the
rain cover in all sorts of conditions, from downpours to light showers. Thankfully
the rain cover did very well and kept the pack dry throughout the trip. I also wanted
to see how the pack did without the cover so I left it off for a day and I
must say the pack is just as water repellent without the rain cover as with.
Overall during the first couple of hikes with the Gregory Baltoro 65 I found
the pack very pleasant. The pack fit well, especially when I removed the foam
shim. The straps are easy to adjust and did not seem to slip when I was
on the move. The support harness was comfortable to wear even when fully
loaded with 55 + lb (25 kg). The harness also pulled the pack close
into my back making the pack that much more comfortable to wear regardless of
the load.
This trip also provided me with the opportunity to use the pack as a day pack.
How the pack preforms with light loads for day usage is an important
factor for myself as I typically hike into a camp then head upwards to a summit
or two. I was fairly impressed with the Baltoro 65 as the compression
straps compressed the pack down nicely making the lighter load stay secure in
the pack without moving around. The designers were obviously paying
attention when they built this pack as the lid actually stays exactly where I
wanted it. The center strap under the lid ensured it did not slide down
the front the pack which usually creates an opening at the top of the pack.
Everything cinched down tightly and securely making it a very versatile
pack regardless of the amount of stuff I was carrying.
The one item that I really wanted to report on was the
sticky back pad that is supposed to keep your clothes from sliding up when
wearing the pack. This feature, although a small one, is AWESOME!
Having my shirt ride up and having to pull it down every kilometer or so
is a very annoying thing to have to do. This sticky patch worked like a charm
and although a minor feature I must admit someone was thinking about the end
user of this pack because this was the first time ever that everything stayed
exactly where it should. Kudos to whomever thought of this.
I would be remiss to not touch upon the small day/water pack that comes
with the pack. As a place to store a water bladder it works just fine.
It held my 3-liter water bladder easily and the multiple attachment
points kept the bladder in an upright position when full and throughout the varying
stages of emptiness. I did take an opportunity to use the small pack on a
short day hike of about 5 km (3.1 mi). I will admit that I was not looking forward
to using this pack as it looked incredibly uncomfortable so I kept the weight
down to an absolute minimum with one litter of water and clothing. Sadly
I was not remiss in my trepidation. This little pack is uncomfortable
even with just a very small load. Honestly I just cannot imagine when or
where I would willingly use it as a day pack. It does not fit enough gear
to be useful and being a sack with shoulder straps it is just uncomfortable. I
ended up using the ends of the shoulder straps to pull the shoulder straps off
of my shoulders to the center of my chest and the pack became slightly more
comfortable. Even though it was much better than it was I am not
sure if I will ever use it as a pack. Great idea just not sure if it really
works.
Lastly I wanted to make a couple of general observations regarding the pack.
With respect to storage the pack has a main compartment which can hold a
significant amount of gear, so far I was able to stuff five days’ worth of
food, camping supplies and clothing into it with no problem at all. The
top, split pocket, was convenient and easily accessible. The side access
rather than the more traditional front or back zips was a nice feature as my
wife was able to grab stuff out of the top of my pack from the sides rather
than the front or back. Only problem here was that I always got the sides
mixed up which resulted in having to look in both sides for whatever it is I
was after. The hip belt pouches are of a large enough size to fit a camera,
snacks and various other small objects. One is a waterproof pouch, the
other mesh. Thankfully it rained a lot so I was thrilled to be able to confirm
that the waterproof pouch was actually waterproof. Using a water bladder
rather than a bottle I haven't tested the storable water bottle holder, I'll
try it out next time, but it was a nice to be able to stuff it into the side of
the pack so it was out of the way. The cinch cords for the ice ax were
also a nice feature as they allowed me to attach my poles and keep them securely
anchored to the pack. The front pocket works, holds an adequate amount of
gear and is easy enough to access but more challenging to pack when the main
compartment is stuffed full. I am not sure if I like the center zip or not as
it is hard to do up when it’s full. The buckles are good, small, and easy
to undo and clip in. The draw cord to close the top of the pack is easy
to grab and cinches the top down nicely.
Overall for the first two trips the Gregory Baltoro 65 performed very well.
It is light weight and the designers really put some careful thought into
it. I am looking forward to trying it out on a few more trips to see if I
have the adjustments right.
Long Term Report November 23, 2015 Test Conditions
Overall I was able to use the Gregory Baltoro 65 on 16
nights, 20 plus days and over 200 km (124 mi) in the backcountry this
summer. Although I would have preferred
all my trips to be sunny with no sight of rain, I was not so lucky. Great for testing not so great
for blue sky photos. Weather included
solid days of rain, off and on showers, snow and sleet, sideways rain on a mountain
ridge and pretty much every other type of precipitation. I
was lucky enough to use the Baltoro 65 over a variety of terrain in the
alpine of the Canadian Rockies and through the Alberta Prairies.
Day excursions from base camp, with a light load, ranged from a
short 5 - 7 km (3 - 4.3 mi) to around 20 km (12.4 mi). Hikes into base camp and through hikes
from camp to camp ranged from 16 km to 29 km (10 - 18.1 mi) each. Pack weight
varied quite a bit, but generally my pack weighed in around 45 -
60 lb (20 - 27 kg) under a full load and 20 - 25 lb (9 - 11 kg) for day hikes from base
camp.
Observations
Once
I figured out all the adjustment points and, more specifically,
remembered there was a foam wedge in the lower back that I could
remove, the pack was very comfortable regardless of the load. I
am not sure what to say regarding the A3
or
Automatic Angle Adjustment system. It appears to be dynamic and
able to keep the pack orientated upright when moving, it is just
difficult to confirm without having another pack without the A3 system
to compare it with. Reviewing the overall support system the
shoulder straps and hip belt are well padded and comfortable and the
adjustment straps are simple to use. One thing I did like about
the straps was that they did not loosen off over the course of a long
hike. It was nice not to have to continually re-tighten the
shoulder straps.
Packing-wise the Baltoro has a simple packing system with one main storage
compartment, a front zippered area and a nice top storage area with two
side zips. The main storage compartment has a sleeping bag
divider which I removed as I found it got in the way and reduced the
overall storage capacity of the pack. The front pouch was nice
but hard to do up. It's a good size and I could load in items
that I wanted easy access to but the zipper was a little hard to do
up being right in the middle of the pouch. This was only when the
pack was fully loaded through. I did like the side zippers for the lid
pouch finding them very useful and making it much more accessible
compared to the more traditional front or back zipper designs. I
would like to mention that the Baltoro is a very compressible pack.
This is important for me when utilizing a base camp as once I get
to camp and offload my tent et cetera I want to be able to comfortably
use the pack as a day pack as well. The Baltoro did this very
well. The compression straps were able to tighten up extremely
well holding a small amount of gear tightly. I especially
appreciated that the lid stayed in place with small loads, never
sliding down the front of the pack. For durability and water
resistance the Baltoro stands up to heavy use and even heavier rain.
I made sure to test the pack both with and without the rain cover
and regardless of whether or not I used the rain cover everything
stayed dry even during heavy prolonged periods of rain. I would
like to see an alternate storage spot for the rain cover though as it
is rather bulky when not factory packed and I would have liked to use
the zippered interior mesh pocket for other items rather than the rain
cover.
The side pouches are deep and well made.
I didn't really use the side water pouch as I have a hydration
system so don't typically use a bottle, at least during the summer.
It was nice that it stored away into its own pouch and I
anticipate using it later on this winter when a hydration system is
more susceptible to freezing and I transition to bottles. The hip
belt pockets were a nice size and the water-proof pouch is definitely
water-proof. As previously mentioned in this report the interior
hydration bag works well but I not recommend using it for a day
pack. It was not big enough to hold all the gear I would normally
take on a day hike and it was very uncomfortable even with what little
gear I could put in it. I would recommend transitioning it to a
permanent hydration pouch and skip the day pack option. The
Baltoro 65 is light enough on its own and compresses very well so is a
much better day pack.
Summary
I was very pleased with the Gregory Baltoro 65. It is a
comfortable pack when under heavy loads and over long distances.
It compresses down well for use as a day pack from a base
camp. It is very well constructed and can repel a ridiculous
amount of rain. Packing is easy and there are enough options for
small gear storage. The buckles and straps are easy to use with
gloves and mitts which is very nice when its cold out. My only
criticism is with the day pack/hydration pouch. It just did not
work as a day pack. My favorite thing about this pack though is the
silicone lumbar grip zone. I had no idea how nice it would be not
to have to pull the back of my shirt down during a long hike.
It's the little things like this that make the Baltoro a
fantastic pack that I would highly recommend. Likes
Silicone lumbar grip zone Comfort and overall support system Split top pocket with side access
Weather resistance Compressibility
Dislikes
Secondary day pack
Thank you to Gregory Packs and backpackergeartesters.org for the
opportunity to test this pack. Check back in a couple of months
for my Long Term Report.
Read more gear reviews by Duane Lawrence
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