Gregory Citro 36 H2O

This is a good pack for day hikes and weekend trips. It has an excellent hydration system. It's well made and fits well, even for a tall person. Probably not good for multi-day backpacking trips.

I gave this pack a solid workout this summer—hiking and camping in six National Parks and numerous National Forests, monuments and recreation areas, in 10 states, often at altitudes over 10,000 feet and temperatures over 90 degrees, during a three-week, 6,000-mile road trip in July 2020. Gregory’s new Citro 36 H2O hydration pack really came through for me. 

Gregory’s VaporSpan ventilated suspension with moisture-wicking mesh and perimeter alloy frame really proved its value on the (very) hot days. The air flowed well under the pack, and I could feel the cooling effects of evaporation on my back. Big plus for summer use. 

The pack comes complete with Gregory’s nifty 3D Hydro 3-liter reservoir. It fits in its own pocket with easy release clip and features a handle and screw cap for easy filling and a hook for hanging it up to dry at the end of the day. For ease of use and functionality, this is the best hydration system I’ve used.

Gregory has done a nice job of incorporating suspension technology from its venerable backpacks into this daypack. It’s well made from durable, 210D Honeycomb CryptoRip Nylon and 420D High Density Nylon. The shoulder straps and hipbelt (with ample pockets) are padded and ventilated, so it’s plenty comfortable.

The pack provides lots of room for everything you might carry on a good day hike—your lunch, a towel and swimsuit, rain jacket, first-aid kit, map, camera, binoculars, fresh socks, kitchen sink. Unless you’re one of the ultralight fanatics who leave the sink at home. Your choice.

You load it all in through a top opening with big loopy zipper pulls. Nice touch. There’s an inside zip pocket with key clip for your valuables, and a padded top front zip pocket lined with a soft material to protect your phone or point-and-shoot camera. There’s also a generous front stretch pocket and mesh pockets on the side. Like getting familiar with a new car or grocery store, it took a little while to find out where everything is, but the more I used it, the more I liked it.

One issue I had is that this pack only comes in one size, and I’m 6'5". The good news is that it worked fine for me. Granted, the hip belt turned out to be more of a waist belt on me. But it’s a daypack, right? It rides a little high because of my height, and my shirt occasionally rode up underneath the strap, but that’s a problem I have with most packs. I’m not a tucked-in shirt kind of hiker. 

I like the loop and bungee for a trekking pole, which is great for us one-pole types. But it’s only on one side, so you two-polers will have to make other arrangements. There’s a stretchy loop (QuickStow) to hold your sunglasses on the left shoulder strap. However, the way I have the pack rigged meant that the loop was practically under my armpit and out of reach, so I reverted to my usual practice of hooking my shades on the sternum strap when not in use, which worked as well as it ever does. (Meaning that they occasionally fall off when I unhook the sternum strap. My own fault.)

Speaking of sternum straps, this pack has the magnet for the water mouthpiece incorporated into the magnetized clip on the left shoulder strap. I’m used to having the magnetic clip slide/adjust on the sternum strap, and I prefer my clip further to the right. Personal preference. The incorporated clip also means this pack does not have the built-in emergency whistle on the sternum strap clip that some other packmakers provide. I miss that, or I would if I were lost in the wilderness. 

The Citro also comes in 24-liter and 30-liter versions for men, and the women’s Juno hydration line also comes in 24-, 30- and 36-liter sizes. 

I’m sure I’m not the only person who uses packs for weekend trips. The Citro 36 is a good size to hold a change of clothes, a toilet kit, some charging cables, and a book and/or tablet anytime. I count this versatile, good-looking pack an all-around winner. 

Thomas Buell, Jr.

Lifelong hiker/backpacker/camper/paddler/flyfisher/writer/photographer 

TheDyrt.com Pro member/Legend – thomas-b-40

AllTrails.com Pro member – thomas-buell-jr

REI member #303XXX

Background

I gave this pack a solid workout this summer—hiking and camping in six National Parks and numerous National Forests, monuments and recreation areas, in 10 states, often at altitudes over 10,000 feet and temperatures over 90 degrees, during a three-week, 6,000-mile road trip in July 2020. Gregory’s new Citro 36 H2O hydration pack really came through for me.

I'm a bit of a pack rat with packs. I love packs and bags. I've been known to buy one, use it, wear it out, and then just discard it for a younger model.

Every so often though, I'll find one that I buy and...
It gets used, worn out, repaired, and kept.
My wife steals it.
I use it for awhile and pass it down to my kids.

I'm not sure where this pack fits in yet, but I'm definitely using it.

My most common pack activities are:
Biking or rucking to the store and filling it with groceries
Rucking with heavy weights in the pack for fun
Day hiking
Assembling prepper go bags

This pack is amazing and so far works perfect for all those activities. I've tried it for them all.

The suspension is also magical. I can work up a lather when I'm in the outdoors, but the suspension mesh kept the pack off my back and left plenty of space for air flow.

I love the color, but don't leave it in the grass or you may not find it. Check out the pic. All the little added items like the magnetic closures, the zipper pulls, and all the various strapping abilities are perfect. They really add to it.

There are also an amazing number of nooks and crannies with all the pockets that you can separate everything to your heart's content. And the added pockets and dividers don't add much to the weight like some packs I've used.

I'll be holding on to this one for awhile.

I really haven't found anything wrong with it yet. Most packs fail at the bottom because I add a lot of weight to them for rucking. This one has a 30# weight capacity, and I'm really pushing it. It's still holding up great so far. If my kettlebell ever falls through onto my foot, I'll let you know.

Background

Owned it for about a month. Used for several trips, but also for dozens of exercise excursions and rucks. Put about 100 miles of use on it.
Avid hiker for decades and years of experience with various packs from the military onward.

Used mainly in hot humid sunny environments in coastal S.C.