It was love at first fitting when it came to my Gregory Sage 55 (extra-small). It was the perfect size for my frame, and when the store clerk loaded it with enough bean bags to simulate the twenty-ish pounds that I would most likely be carrying in it, it balanced perfectly on my hips. It truly felt at least ten pounds lighter once the clerk finished adjusting all the straps.As with all love, not every step was as rosy as my beautiful "Rosewood Red" pack.
- There was very little ventilation, so every time I took off my pack the back of my shirt was soaked in sweat. (To be fair, it was June-September in Europe, so a good 90 degrees Fahrenheit of pure heat followed me almost everywhere.)
- The straps eventually chafed at the sensitive skin where my arm pits met my shoulder.
- There were nights when I would notice bruises on the front of my hip bones where the weight resting there had been too much to ask of them.
But for the most part -- and in all the parts that were realistic -- this pack was a faithful companion.
First of all, it held an amazing amount of stuff. When I first laid everything out on my bed I was sure that I would have to cut the number of items I wanted to take in half (and I should have, but that's another story). I fit three cubes of clothes, an additional cube of running clothes and running shoes, two pairs of flip flops, a cube of electronics, my laptop and it's cooling pad, a bra pod, a full hanging toiletry kit, a travel purse, a silk sheet, a neti pot, and a travel towel. (The rest went in my second carry on: a drawstring backpack.)
Once I wisened up and parted with the things I didn't actually need, I even had room for a few gifts and souvenirs to bring home.
There were several other little things that made this a great pack including that...
- It was incredibly easy to adjust the straps to shift the weight a little, and also to compress the bulk.
- Despite the fact that they caused a little chafing after three months of wandering, the shoulder straps were very cushioned and comfortable.
- There were several extra pockets: two large mesh ones on the sides that were easily large enough to hold water bottles, a zippered mesh pouch on each waist strap, a hidden security pocket on the hip, and also a decent amount of space in the lid where I kept whichever shoes I wasn't wearing and my dirty laundry.
- There was a built in rain cover. Luckily I only had to use it once, but it was great not to worry about my small umbrella funneling water right down onto my backpack and soaking into my belongings.
- There are so many additional loops and straps to hang things like hiking poles or attach items like sleeping rolls to the outside. Since I was more concerned with keeping my belongings out of sight and out of reach of possible thieves, I didn't utilize all these extras, but can't wait to try them out on my next camping trip.
Gregory Sage 55. 5 stars for you Gregory Sage. You go Gregory Sage.
