Gregory

Focal 58L Backpack

I’m hiking the AT and my original pack is 10 years old and outdated. I needed something Lighter and Better fitting. This pack is what was recommended and has made a Huge difference in comfort and Quality plus weight.

Best lightweight airflow suspension backpack

I chose the Gregory focal backpack over the osprey exos line and zpacks arc haul line of backpacks because the Focal is cheaper, has the decent hip beltpockets, has a the best water bottle pockets, has a bestweight to volume ratio. When bought on sale a great deal I paid 180 during spring sale. Pros -Floating brain -best pockets for water bottle -very comfortable - Cons -No adjustable torso legnth -hip belt pockets too small -lightweight vs ultralight I feel like this pack makes a very good use of the extra weight compared to the competition in comfort and weight to volume ratio. Wish I could fit my huge pixel 7 pro in the hip belt pocket. Fits me like a glove and ventilates well, ordering the correct size is critical due to lack of adjustment.

Uncompromising Performance and Comfort in a Lightweight Package

Well-built pack that’s comfortable and carries well. The website lists a max carry weight of 35 lbs and times I’ve loaded up on water before making camp I’ve definitely pushed it to 39-40 and it’s still been remarkably comfortable. Only weighs about 2.6 lbs but is a framed back with partial trampoline mesh ventilation on your back. The hip belt is pliable (contributing to the low carry weight) but substantial enough for moderate weights and is super comfortable. The 58L size makes it a nice all-rounder where I can bring lots of extras and food on a week+ summer trip, or there’s room for layers on a shorter winter trip as well. The compression straps work great, running underneath the water bottle pockets so as not to interfere with them (unlike on the Osprey Exos, where you need to strap down your bottle or not be able to squeeze it in later). And those bottle pockets are extremely accessible without contortionist training - the front angled access kept me easily hydrated all trip with no shoulder discomfort. The shoulder straps are sewn into the frame with no adjustability, so once you buy a size you’re only adjusting tension on the straps and not frame length. It’s amazingly comfortable when you size it right though. Phenomenal pack, couldn’t ask for anything more.

This pack is a home run

I took this pack on a recent trip to the high alpine area of Southern Utah. We hiked 15 miles and this pack carried 30lbs effortlessly. I was a little worried carrying a "lightweight" pack since most of my life I have carried a traditional framed pack with all the zippers/pockets/organization you could ask for. This pack did everything I needed and did it under 3lbs. If you know what you are doing this is all you need for several days in the backcountry.

Lightweight pack for moving fast

Bought the pack for 2-4 day backpacking trips in the Rockies. Overall, super happy with the pack — an order of magnitude lighter than my last, which I can definitely feel at the end of a long day. I regularly carry 30+ lbs (backpacking with kids) and it’s still comfortable. Only minor gripe that comes with the lightweight territory is a couple of small scrapes / holes in the bottom, despite always being conscious that it’s not bulletproof. Nonetheless, super happy and would buy again.

Could be the best but waist belt M size is off :(

This pack feel so comfortable with my typical gear load of 25-30 Lbs! It doesn't have features like zippers and compartments as my other 4 Gregory packs, but over the years, I've been using those extra features less and less. I've used Exos and other cottage ultralight packs too, this pack is of course not ultralight, but to me, this pack is simply the best if one considers not only the weight, but all the factors: weight, features, ventilation, and comfort. Unfortunately, with the M size that fits my torso well, I had to cinch the waist belt all the way to the end for my 30" waist size, although the description states the M belt fits down to 28" waist. Very sad this doesn't work for me as once I lose weight during long distance hikes, the waist belt will not work. I also noticed Youtuber, Justin Outdoors, found exactly the same problem with the waist belt sizing in his Youtube video. Really hope Gregory could solve this size issue in future versions, it seems to me there is space for shifting and shortening the belt for ~2 inches, but I'm of course not a pack designer. With this said, if you have a waist size of 33" or more with M size torso, I highly recommend you give this a try! You will be surprised how comfortable and ventilated you could get from such a lightweight backpack.

Perfect size pack

This pack holds what I need and molds to my back perfectly. At only 2lbs 11oz Gregory has made an incredible backpack and I’m really glad I chose it over do many others.

Excellent Overall

fantastic backpack all the straps you need. side mesh pockets are great size to hold a smart water bottle and still fit trekking poles. the ice axe strap is great for one axe. I am 5'9" and thin with like 30" waist and a small fit very good. As comfortable as my Baltoro 65 but half the weight. Carried 33 pounds very well. One gripe I have is that the chest strap slides up and down very easily, it does not stay in place, this was usually not irritating because it went to a place that did not bother me, however this could be really annoying for some people