User Review: Gregory Palisade (1996)

Gregory Palisade
Above: The current Palisade, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed November 26, 1999 by Driggle@hotmail.com

Rating:
Design: internal
Size: 5400
Number of Pockets: main plus detatchable top
Max. Load Carried: avg 40-50lbs but have carried 75 lbs of meat
Height of Owner: 5'6
Price Paid: $300 u.s.

i've had my gregory for three and a half years now and it has performed extremely well for me. the construction and materials are unbeatatable.

for me, the hip belt took some getting used to. it is by far the least plush belt that i've ever worn (not including the classic army A.L.I.C.E. pack of course) but for the exchange in compfort, you get a belt that will stand up to years of hefty loads and provide consistant performance year in year out. this being said and after wearing the pack for three years, i'll be customizing my hip belt this year for compfort. i'm having the belt from a lowe contour sewn to fit the external plastic stays that the gregory owes it's great load stability to.

the palisade also has a great 4 crossover strap compression system. this system, if your bag is packed correctly, will perform extremely well and makes the pack very versatile.

the negatives to the pack are: i have to buy extra external pockets which leash to the back of the pack if i want extra cargo room. the place to leash these pockets are built into the pack, why did the pockets not come with the pack? at 60 bucks for two pockets, i'm opting to take it in to the seamstress and have pockets sewn in to the rear of the pack which are customized to the items that i'm carrying in them, such as my stove, fuel bottle, first aid kit, and other misc. items. cost? doesn't matter, the damn pockets should have come with the pack in the first place.

all in all, i'm very happy with this pack. it's outlasted two of my hiking buddies packs (one a lowe and one an arc teryx) it carries very well and has treated me well. i would recommend it if you want a pack that will last.