Gregory Jade 70
Reviewed by
Laurel Lopez
+6
October 7, 2014
I am a fairly small woman — 5'4" — and the small pack fit me perfectly. I did have to play around with all the adjustments for a while to get it fit for me. I would recommend having someone help fit your pack if you are a novice. (Like I was) I LOVE how roomy this pack is and how easily it accommodates all the gear I carried.
Pros
- Plenty of place externally to lash extra gear, like trekking poles and Nalgene bottles
- Double zippered main comparment makes retrieving from the bag easy
- Very comfortable on the back
- Roomy top compartment for emergency essentials
- Holds enough for a three-day trek with room to spare
Cons
- Does not come with a rain cover
- No separate compartment for the sleeping bag
- Pockets in waist belt are very small
- Hydration pocket has limited compatiblity with hydration bladders
The Gregory Jade 70 is the first pack I purchased for backpacking. I was headed on a three-day trek through the Sawtooth Wilderness and really wanted to have my own pack instead of a borrowed pack.
This is an excellent pack! A few things I would have changed that I noted in the Cons, but I would definitely purchase Gregory again. The pack frame is super light and yet supports the pack on my back easily. It's easy to get on and off, and I love how easy it is to get into the pack.
I had my Jetboil stored in the center of the pack, so the middle of the pack zipper was awesome when we stopped for lunch. It was so nice to not have to unpack everything on top just to get to my lunch.
I did have some trouble with the Camelbak hydration bladder that I purchased fitting. So I ended up just carrying an extra Nalgene bottle and filtering more often.
Overall, I gave the pack 4 stars instead of five mostly because I really wanted more room in my waist pockets for snacks.
Source: bought it new
Price Paid: $150
