Gregory Reactor

[Courtney Waal]

At 22 oz, this pack is heavy for the 700 in^3 of internal storage space. To the pack’s credit, though, are generous and very useable exterior mesh pockets and just barely enough interior space for my gear. I find the weight acceptable for a pack that I can run with- the hipbelt’s placement really keeps it from budging while I’m skipping over rocks. The fabric is also robust enough that I can cram as much stuff as I want inside without worrying about ripping it. I wish the sternum strap attachment was a little less cumbersome (maybe more like the style that Vaude used) and that the side pockets used an elastic drawcord and some larger pieces of mesh instead of the sewn-on elastic which can be a little tight for water bottles when the pack is full. Overall, it’s a very well thought out pack- the side pockets accomodate 24oz bicycle-style water bottles perfectly and the hipbelt pockets are generous (though the hipbelt just barely fits me- I have to cinch it all the way down to fit with the foam pads almost touching). The large mesh pocket on the back of the pack can hold 2 days of (compact) food for me and the pocket cleverly cinches down with buckled compression straps. Assuming that I don’t have to carry much insulating clothing, I can just barely fit all my overnight gear into the pack. I should be able to get some more clothing in there once I start carrying a more packable bivy.

Finally, a pack to appeal to my inner adventure racer! It’s the first pack that doesn’t slide or bounce all over when I decide to run. It’s also goshdarn adorable :)

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