Tester Bio
I live in North East Alabama. I enjoy hunting, fishing, canoeing, and most other outdoor activities but backpacking is my favorite pastime. I enjoy hiking with friends and family or solo. I hike throughout the year and actually hike the least in the hot humid months of summer. My style is slow and steady and my gear is light. However I will sacrifice weight for comfort and durability. A typical 3-season load for me is around 20 lb (9 kg) not counting food or water. I usually sleep in a hammock and cook with an alcohol stove. My backpacking trips are usually 2, 3 or 4 days in length.

Product Information

Test Item	Gregory G™ Pack
Manufacture	Gregory Mountain Products
Manufacture URL	http://www.gregorypacks.com/
Year of Manufacture	2005
Size Large	2950 cu in (51 L)
Weight Listed	2 lb 14 Oz (1.3 kg)
Verified Weight	2 lb 14 Oz (1.3 kg)
Load Range	up to 25 lb (11 kg)
Color	Bamboo Green
MSRP	$139 US

Product Description
The G™ Pack is one of seven packs in the Anti-Gravity Series of packs. As the name implies, Anti-Gravity series packs are Gregory's answer to the growing demand for lighter weight packs. The G™ Pack is not the biggest or smallest pack in the series, but it is the smallest that I would consider a full-fledged multi-day pack. The smaller packs are more like summit or day-packs.

Gregory describes the series as:

"Slip into something more comfortable. A lightweight pack that shaves weight at the expense of comfort and fit is hardly a technical advancement. Gregory’s Anti-Gravity Series subscribes to a new theory of weight reduction.

New fabrics and weight-saving features allow these packs to retain the technical prowess, load carrying comfort, and stability that fastpackers, alpinists, adventure racers, and other ultralight fanatics crave—at an ounce count that’s competitive with the lightest packs available today. Pull a G Pack™ off the rack; its silicone impregnated pack fabric is 75% lighter than other fabrics. Play around with a Z Pack™; its removable suspension system allows you to customize support for different loads. All Anti-Gravity packs prioritize the features you need—and none you don’t. Now that’s forward progress."

It goes on to describe the G™ Pack as:

"COMPLETELY UPDATED FOR 2005.
Think Z Pack™, streamlined. Minimalist to the core, the G™ Pack has been completely updated to include our new Wraptor™ Stabilizer and Exo•Frame™ Technologies. Designed for the weight conscious, the G™ Pack spans a wide activity range."

I would add, The G™ Pack will be the smallest and lightest overnight pack I have used to date. It uses small hardware, straps and zippers etc to reduce weight. However, in looking over the pack, it looks sturdily built, and tugging hard on the material and seams gives me confidence that it can handle any abuse I may dish out. My biggest challenge will be to par my multi-day loads down to fit within the capacity and weight limitations this pack is design to handle. Now that I have used it I will have to say it was up the challenge. It remains to be seen how it will do with winter loads.

For a much more detailed look at the components and features of the G™ Pack please see my Initial Report

Testing Locations and Conditions
I have managed one multi-day trip so far; a three day, 26 mile (42 k) hike along the Appalachian Trail at the Standing Indian Wilderness area in North Carolina. On this hike the elevations toped out at 5499 ft (1676 m) on the summit of Standing Indian. The roughest trail conditions encountered was probably the scramble up Albert Mountain on this same hike. I have also made one overnight hike in North East Alabama as well as numerous day-hikes. The temperatures while hiking have ranged form just over 90 F (32 C) to a cool 38 F (3 C).

Field Test Results
The short version would read; The G™ Pack has performed exceptionally well. It passed my mutli-day hike test with flying colors. But you want in on the details, right?

The Standing Indian hike is typical for my summertime and early fall trips. It allows me to escape the annoying heat I get this time of year around home. I loaded the pack with my gear and food and found I had a total weight of 20 lb (9 kg) in my pack and another 3 lb (1.4 kg) in a waist pack where I kept my camera, some snacks, water treatment chemicals and water (more on this later).

Packing for this trip was easy. I put my stove and cookset in the bottom of the pack. Next went my main food bag followed by extra socks and a set of thermal underwear (top and bottom) for sleeping. I put my sleeping bag in next by just cramming it in. The main compartment was toped off with my Frogg Togg rain gear. The top lid held my toiletries and first aid kit. The side pockets held my umbrella and alcohol (fuel) bottle while the bucket pocket held my tarp and hammock. I dearly wanted to use one of the mesh hip belt pockets for my camera but I found these pockets better suited for very small or flexible items like extra socks. I just left them empty until the 3rd day on this hike when I put my smelly worn socks in them. Did I leave anything out...Oh yea, my sleeping pad. Actually, I have not carried a sleeping pad with the G™ Pack as of yet. I use a sleeping bag modified to fit over my hammock. This coming winter will change that.

The first day and 6 miles (10 k) of this hike was mostly uphill and with the pack at its heaviest for the entire trip, it felt great. I was cloudy and raining very lightly off and on but I never pulled out my raingear or umbrella. Upon arriving at the first nights campsite I found all my gear still safely dry inside the pack.

The next days hike was about 11 miles (18 k) and my longest continuous hike with this pack to date. This was mostly ridge hiking but still saw a lot of elevation changes. Again, the pack was easy to carry. It rained off and on again during the evening and we had some fairly close lightning. About the only time I really noticed the pack was when I needed to put my umbrella away. I could get it back in but it was easier to just let my hiking partner do it. I also just hiked in the rain quite a bit. It was refreshing. Which leads to the waist pack I wore on this trip. I just never have liked a hydration bladder and I just use two 24 oz (0.7 L) Gator-Aid bottles. I carry these in a waist pack worn in the front because I find it much easier to get them out than when stored in the side pockets of my pack. I also keep my camera handy here and can get it out fast. I even put in a few snacks so I can sneak a snack while walking.

Another handy feature I took advantage of on this day was the bucket pocket. We had hiked fast for about 7 miles (11 km) and arrived at the Carter Gap Shelter around 1 PM. We were trying to catch two teenagers but missed them by less than an hour (long story). My partner and I decided we could use a long break. I did not have to unpack to get my hammock set up as it was right there easy to pull out of its place in the bucket pocket. Putting it away after a quick nap was just as easy.

The last day of hiking involved the scramble up and over Albert Mountain. The sport harness proved its worth here. The pack stayed in place and did not interfere with my climbing. We had started at daybreak and arrived at the top about 2 hours later so it was still chilly. However, the climb had made me sweat pretty hard and my back was soaked. I won't say the ventilation chimney did not do its job because I really was sweating but it was interesting to watch the steam coming off the padded back of the pack. The rest of the hike was mostly downhill. I was down to around 15 lb (7 kg) in the G™ Pack by now. I couldn't tell a big difference in the pack now than from when I started but no doubt, it was easier to hike with just the few pounds of food gone.

The bottom line would be that on this hike the G™ Pack performed great. I did not have sore shoulders and the pack was easy to use both during the day and at night when I needed to get at my gear. My camera was the only thing I kept in a waterproof container, a zip-lock bag. The pack kept my other gear dry even though I hiked quite a bit in rain without using any rain gear or a pack cover.
After this hike I continued to use the G™ Pack as a day pack. I put random gear in the pack for weight mostly to keep myself in better shape to carry a pack. I did carry my camera tripod in one side pocket a couple of times.

I used the pack on one shorter overnight trip down to the creek behind my house. Let's just say that with only 10 lb (4.5 kg) of gear and food it was overkill.

Future Test Plan
I will continue to use the G™ Pack on most of my day hikes and all my longer trips. I hope to return to the Appalachian Trail where it is usually well below freezing in the winter. I will need to figure out which pad(s) I will carry and how I will use the G™ Pack to carry them. For one, the bucket pocket is not ideal for carrying two foam pads and even with one it makes the pad stick up pretty high in the back as my current pad(s) are 27 in (69 cm) wide. I will also be carrying a heavier sleeping bag and more clothes. I get the feeling I will have to be very careful in my gear choices to not exceed the 25 lb (11 kg) weight limit for the pack. I'll see how it goes and report all my findings. Stay tuned!


Read more reviews of Gregory gear
Read more gear reviews by Coy Ray Starnes

Field Report

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