Gregory Paragon 58 Backpack Evaluation

Backside Line

Sporting a superb steadiness of options, capability, and cargo hauling, the Gregory Paragon 58 shines as essentially the most comfy pack in our lineup, incomes our editor’s selection award. All the things about this pack felt easy and pleasant. Once we loaded it up with 30 kilos of weight, the suspension system dealt with it simply. The hip belt was splendidly comfy, the again panel wonderful, and the shoulder straps continued the excellent news. We actually couldn’t complain about our consolation expertise when testing and reviewing the Paragon. 

Though the Paragon isn’t essentially the most feature-rich pack, it strikes a great steadiness for a midweight backpack. The facet zippers are nice to see for accessing objects with out opening up the primary compartment, and the underside sleeping bag pocket will please followers of that characteristic. We nonetheless see ample compression choices and a few first rate exterior lashing factors for strapping bigger objects to the skin if you wish to push the capability a bit. 

It is available in at a worth that’s consistent with lots of its friends but in addition at a weight that’s considerably increased. It’s not as heavy as beefier load hauler packs, like its sibling the Baltoro. As a substitute, it sits in between light-weight packs and packs meant for hauling heavy hundreds. Quite than getting misplaced in that center floor, the Paragon distinguished itself and got here out on prime in our facet by facet testing. If you happen to’re a conventional backpacker on the lookout for a cushty pack the place the whole lot works nicely, the Paragon tops our record of the greatest backpacking backpacks.

How We Examined

We examined the Paragon on forested trails in Minnesota throughout the winter months whereas updating all of our backpack critiques.

Consolation

Though the competitors was shut, the Gregory Paragon ended up being essentially the most comfy pack that we examined. The mixture of the superb mesh again panel and splendidly supportive hit belt meant that the whole lot about this pack felt luxurious. We have been impressed once we loaded it up with 30 kilos and located that the burden distributed evenly by way of the pack’s suspension system. The pack shifted a lot of the weight to our hips – because it ought to – and the rest stayed on the shoulder straps with out creating any hotspots. 

It’s value remembering that consolation is a really subjective metric. What works nicely for one individual gained’t essentially work nicely for one more. That is why it’s all the time vital to strive on packs with acceptable weights your self. That being stated, the Paragon has all the parts of a design that ought to work nicely for many individuals, so we’re assured in our consolation evaluation. 

Though the mesh again panel isn’t as suspended as another backpacks – even ones made by Gregory – it nonetheless supplied an honest quantity of air flow. The mesh on each the shoulder straps and hip belt additionally added to breathability. What we’re left with is a pack that stunned us and impressed us with the quantity of consolation supplied.

Options

The Paragon is a midweight pack with a characteristic set to match. It’s not making an attempt to be essentially the most feature-rich expertise on the market, however it’s additionally not afraid so as to add in additional totally fleshed out concepts on the sacrifice of weight. 

Maybe essentially the most noticeable are the 2 zippers that run down the facet of the backpack in an l form, providing entry to the inside with out opening up the highest a part of the pack. Moreover, the hip belt has extensions which are velcroed in that may enhance or take away help for numerous sizes of hips as mandatory. This can be a nice characteristic to accommodate completely different physique shapes and might particularly be useful on lengthy adventures when your individual physique form might change all through the course of the hike. 

Curiously a vertical water bottle opening is barely discovered on the best facet of the pack. That is in all probability the place most individuals will want to succeed in for his or her water bottles, however we want Gregory would have added this to the opposite facet for extra versatility. Fortuitously, that water bottle pocket additionally has one other characteristic – a compression twine that’s routed beneath the material. This can be a nice characteristic that enables to be used of the pocket with out compromising the compression potential of the pack. It’s a kind of considerate design options that solely comes from listening to your customers or utilizing the merchandise within the subject. 

General, the one nitpick we got here up with is that the hip belt pocket zippers don’t shut one-handed. This isn’t essentially the most essential take a look at, however it’s nonetheless a pleasant characteristic when pack designs do permit this.

Sturdiness

Gregory is understood for making stable merchandise, and the Paragon is not any completely different. Being a mid-weight backpack, it invests a bit of bit greater than some light-weight fashions into extra sturdy supplies and development. The development high quality on this pack is just wonderful. 

Irrespective of how we pulled and harassed the seams, we didn’t see any thread motion, which may be a sign of future failure. Gregory makes use of top quality 100d and 210d nylon for the pack physique, and a properly thick 420d nylon for the pack backside. The pack backside is created from 40% recycled supplies, and the liner can also be 40% recycled. We’d prefer to see higher numbers from Gregory right here sooner or later since rivals supply a lot better. A minimum of the DWR is PFAS free.

Sadly, we do see a bit extra mesh used on pockets than we’d have preferred. Normally water bottle pockets are acceptable right here, however we’re dissatisfied that the again pocket is nearly fully mesh. Different producers have switched to extra sturdy face materials together with smaller quantities of mesh or elastic supplies for improved sturdiness. The mesh right here does really feel very top quality, however it’s prone to fail far prior to the physique cloth.

Ease of Use

With its fastidiously thought-about characteristic set, we have been happy that each facet of the Paragon was simple and straightforward to make use of. Adjusting the torso measurement was so quick that we may see ourselves making micro changes on path to dial in our match. The included buckles have been top quality and didn’t require cautious positioning to snap into place. Though we normally want roll tops, the cinch mechanism was easy and straightforward to make use of each time. Once more the one nitpick is that the hip belt pocket zippers don’t shut one-handed. However that’s is fairly straightforward to miss when the whole lot else works so nicely.

Water bottle pockets are an space during which many packs stumble, however fortunately the Paragon confirmed an above-average efficiency right here. Though just one facet has a vertical opening for a bottle, we discovered it straightforward to get a Nalgene or a Smartwater bottle out and in whereas strolling. A caveat to that is that longer 1 l Sensible water bottles can stick out a bit of bit, so ensure that to check your bottles earlier than committing to them on a visit.

Ought to You Purchase the Gregory Paragon 58 Backpack?

If you happen to’re out there for a conventional backpack, we will’t consider a better option for most individuals than the Paragon 58. It manages to execute nicely on the whole lot that it units out to do, delivering a supremely comfy expertise, nice characteristic set, and stable sturdiness whereas remaining straightforward to make use of. 

The truth that we predict will persuade most individuals is that incredible consolation. One of many truths about backpacking is that more often than not essentially the most comfy pack is the very best one for you. For the reason that Paragon topped our record in that regard, it’s straightforward to see why it earned our editor’s selection right here. That being stated, The Paragon remains to be reasonably heavy for a backpack and different fashions will carry out equally for much less weight – and in lots of instances, much less cash. Hikers who’re extra weight acutely aware ought to contemplate different fashions along with this one. However most conventional backpackers will love the Gregory Paragon 58.

What Different Backpacking packs Ought to You Think about?

The Paragon might prime our lists, however we advocate loads of different fashions in our full information to the greatest backpacking backpacks, together with these:

REI Flash 55 Evaluation – Our finances purchase pack is severely value a glance even when you contemplate your self extra of a traditionalist. Sporting an awesome characteristic set and an excellent higher worth, we predict the Flash is a pack that can make lots of people comfortable. 

ULA Circuit Evaluation – If the superb steadiness of options and luxury within the Paragon attraction to you, the Circuit strikes an analogous steadiness however with thru-hikers and light-weight backpackers in thoughts.