Like many people, it takes me a lot of time and trying things out to find the gear that works for me. While my daypack was pretty easy (Osprey Women’s Tempest 20L purchased in March of 2019 from EMS), my backpack for overnights and longer has been harder to find.

There are several “sizes” to be aware of when selecting a pack.

The first is capacity, typically shown in liters, this is the volume of stuff you can put inside the pack. You typically want the smallest capacity that still fits your stuff. Just like a house, the bigger it is, the more crap you’ll put in there.

The second size is the actual size, aka small, medium, large, and this sort of equates to the body size it’s going to fit. However, just like women’s clothing, the sizes vary from brand to brand and even product to product. Most pack manufacturers will show you waist and torso measurement ranges for each “size”.

The third measurement isn’t so much a size, but a weight limit. While capacity tells me I have 55L of space to put stuff in, filling it with quarters is a very different weight than filling it with a sleeping bag. You don’t want to go over the weight limit of the pack, even if it fits in the pack.

The last important size, is the weight of the pack itself. I like to have gear as light as I can afford. Why carry extra weight, if you don’t need to? 55L packs can be as low as two pounds, but as heavy as four or even five pounds. I realize that doesn’t seem like a big difference, but when you’re carrying it on your back up mountains for multiple days, it’s a big difference.

My first backpack, Gregory Octal 45L that I bought in May of 2019 from REI, turned out to be “too small” in terms of capacity. 45 liters was just too small to fit all of my stuff for an overnight. I discovered this just a few nights before my first trip, so I ran out to EMS (closer to me than REI) and hastily bought the Gregory Maven 55 in June of 2019.

It took me quite a few backpacking trips to realize the torso height was way too long. I have a very short torso and the frame of the pack was too tall. If I was climbing up a slab (aka on my hands and feet), I couldn’t lift my head all the way because my head would hit the top of the pack frame.

So in December of 2021, I bought a Women’s XS Gregory Octal 55 from Gregory. It was perfect! The right capacity for my stuff and the right size for my torso. And it came in a pretty blue color!

Thanks to REI’s used gear policy, I was able to sell them my two earlier Gregory packs and get store credit.

I used the Gregory Octal 55 eight times. Four times with full overnight loads (though still well under the weight limit) and four times as my winter pack (less stuff than overnight, but too much for my daypack).

On the 8th use (June, 2023), the shoulder stabilizing strap sheared off on the first day of a two-day trip. Additionally, other connections were frayed.

Luckily, the shoulder stabilizing strap just meant that it was uncomfortable versus any of those other connections which would have made it unusable.

I had a conundrum. I had a broken pack, and another trip scheduled in two weeks. And a weirdly short torso. And no time to try out a new pack. So I went online only to find the Gregory Octal was discontinued (gee, I wonder why), BUT REI’s used gear site just so happened to have a Women’s XS listed. Hoping the frayed straps were a fluke, and without much choice, I ordered it. It arrived on time and looked to be in good condition. I went on my overnight hike. And the same exact thing happened, only this time to BOTH shoulder stabilizing straps.

Gregory Octal 55 #1 got sent to a repair shop for evaluation (per a claim on the Gregory site).

Gregory Octal 55 #2 got sent back to REI used gear for a refund.

Frustrated and needing a new pack quickly, I bought the REI Flash 55 Women’s XS in the world’s ugliest color. It seemed to be the only pack that was light (as in pack weight), had a short enough frame for me, and had the right capacity and weight limit.

The REI return was received and I was credited. Amusingly, when you buy used gear, they include the condition. When I bought this one, it was “Excellent condition”. When they received the return, it was noted as “Extra worn”. No kidding.

The first pack was received by the repair shop, and no surprise determined to be unable to be repaired. Happily, they said it was under warranty and gave me a choice of two packs to replace it. As I said, the Octal was discontinued. The new line is the Facet. From some Reddit comments, I gathered that the Octal has had this issue in the past, but the new line is good. So I received my new pack yesterday. I will try it out, though I have to say I really liked the REI pack on my last trip.

While it was nerve wracking to have my pack break on two separate trips, I am really pleased with REI and Gregory’s customer service. And hey now I have a backup backpack!