Gregory Shasta

This is the perfect, no-frills week-long pack. I have had mine about 10 years at this point, and besides some dirt, it is still brand new. I have taken it on backpacking and alpine climbing trips with loads as little as 20 pounds and as high as 55 pounds.

Pros: TONS of space, easily accessible exterior water bottle pocket, good belt.
Cons: Heavy, too many straps, detachable daypack is a hassle to adjust.
Do not get this bag if you are planning anything less than long-term trips.

WOW...What more can I say. If you can find one, grab it it is Uber comfortable and able to carry heavy loads with ease.

This is the only pack I've ever owned, but I've never been tempted to switch. This pack is versatile, *very* adjustable, and comfortable.

Three of my friends threw away their external-frame packs and bought the Shasta after trying mine on. Sadly, it seems that Gregory no longer makes this model.

Gggrrrr! The Gregory Shasta is a friggin' monster. I've used it under all conditions and it's done great. It's incredibly adjustable, can comfortably carry staggering amounts of weight, and fits my tall frame just right.

It's not a light pack, but I have lived out of it for months, so I guess there will always be trade-offs.

I will give this pack 5 stars for the quality and price but it is way to big for just a couple of days of backpacking. The Z55 would be way better suited for 2-4 days of backpacking. However this pack carries 65# well even if it is the wrong size.

This is a top quality pack made to handle any reasonable load. It weighs 6 lbs, which isn't the lightest pack of its size out there, but that doesn't matter because it has such an amazing suspension/frame that you don't feel the weight. It has Gregory's famous rigid hip belt that moves with your natural motion, twin stays and a half length framesheet.

Nice pack, fit me almost as well as the mountainsmith expanse, but the gregory was cheaper and had more reviews. Was measured by salesman to barely fit the medium, but now think the small would fit better--oh well. A couple of extra pockets would turn this into the whitney model--not worth the extra $150 in my eyes.

I purchased the Shasta '01 (newer lighter version) for our May 2002 Georgia AT Section hike. The pack performed admirably, never having any problems. All around great pack for the price. The only issue was that I bought a pack too large for my needs.

a nice pack -- exceptionally well-made and durable, and a reasonably comfortable carry. quite a few very nice touches, including a clever water bottle holder (with a stiffened upper rim to keep the slot open), tough rubberized bottom, and a top lid that converts to a waist pack.

Before the Shasta I had a Macpac Glissade and I am very pleased by the difference. Gregory states that the Shasta is designed to carry up to 35 kg and they are right. I put 32 kg on it and the pack still felt great. I personally think, that backpacks bigger than the Shasta are meant for Schwarzeneggers and the like.

The Gregory Shasta is my second large pack. Being interested in Primitive Skills and such, I generally use a shoulder bag and not much else, but as of late, I like to go out just to enjoy nature from a spectators point of view. I first bought a Camp Trails external which served me well for five years.

I carried this pack for a very rough and windy hike on Mt. Hood. It performed wonderfully. The suspension kept it perfectly balanced and was easy to adjust to shift the position of the load. The only problem I had was in finding tie-down spots for gear i.

I almost feel guilty writing this review. Judging by the few previous reviews, everyone liked this pack except me. I spent a 2. 5 week expedition (+others) and there wasn't enough room. I bought extra side pockets and such, but the straps seemed endless and very VERY confusing.

It's my first serious backpack and I found it to be very comfortable on the shoulders and hips. The weight seemed effortless to carry. I took it on a 2 day drill hike and camp and could not get used to my head hitting the pack. I fiddled and adjusted and looked at the pictures and it fits me just right.

Nice and simple bag that got beaten around by a few animals while I was sleeping and survived. Love the shoulder and hip options and love the way it fits. 50 lbs seemed like 25 while hiking. My girlfriend has the Gregory Reality and she managed to put a good 10 days worth of gear and food while the sales person said it was good for 3-4 day jaunts.

Am quite new to carrying a large pack, but am impressed by the stability and relative comfort this pack provides with a fairly heavy load. The wattle bottle holsters are very convenient, and there are all sorts of straps for lashing stuff on the outside of the pack.

My long quest for a good size backpack culminated with my purchase of the Shasta. This is a great pack!! I tried many others including dana and osprey but the gregory simply fit the best. The stiff aluminum stays are bolted directly to the hipbelt and the adjust-a-cant system allows 3 different angular settings for the hipbelt.

The Shasta is a great pack. I have used many times and the load is fabulous. The straps are contoured to your shoulders and the auto-cant and adjust-a-cant make this bag very changeable. My other option was the LL Bean White Mountain and North Face Renegade. Both were bigger, but the Shasta makes up for it in comfort

Very comfortable, stable pack. Awesome suspension. Built simple. An absolute workhorse. I would recommend this pack to anyone looking for a clean, well-designed, dependable pack. Not alot of frills, just the way I like it. I was able to fit everything on the inside (except water bottles and sleeping pad).

I like the pack. It fits. I used it to climb Mt. Gede in Java, Indonesia, 9800 feet. The weight really transferred to my hips. No shoulder pain, no backache, and no sore muscles. I like to wear the pack with the weight transferred to my hips and with the shoulder harness loose so that the back of the pack is not fully on back to allow enough air circulation to reduce perspiration.

This is in response to another earlier post on the Gregory Shasta pack. I also have a '96 Gregory Shasta and I think it is very good pack. Although the pack I purchased is size Large the salesperson had to replace the hip belt with that from a medium pack since my waist size is too small to use the original hip belt.

I liked this pack for the way it hugged my back, especially my lumbar region. Adjusting the straps for the most comfort took some doing, but once I learned how each adjustment changed the fit, it wasn't difficult to get it reasonably comfortable. Compression straps let you keep the load tight to your back.

Previously, I used a custom made external by Antelope. Over the years I've watched internals evolve, and I finally made the switch with the Shasta. I'm very happy with it. It fits well and rides very comfortably, without the sag and wobble I've seen in other packs.

I love this pack! If you're looking for a no-nonsense pack with top notch construction and excellent suspension, look no further. The bag itself is a simple tube with side compression straps and separate large compartment for your bag. The only pocket is a zippered compartment in the top, but a variety of pockets can be added to the "figure eight" clips on the back.