Overall the Baltoro 65 is an excellent and comfortable pack for heavier loads. If you need even more capacity, the 75L version has the same feature set.
Gregory’s Baltoro range has been well-established for heavy load carrying for many years. I’ve recently tried the latest version of the Baltoro 65 to see how it performs and I must say I’m impressed.
Chris Townsend Highly Recommends
Overall the Baltoro 65 is an excellent and comfortable pack for heavier loads. If you need even more capacity, the 75L version has the same feature set.- front access
- pockets
- load carrying ability
- adjustability
- weight
| Quick Specs |
|---|
| Price: $280 / £210 (available from Gregory) Weight: 2.4kg (M) Materials: PFC-free nylon with recycled content Closure: floating lid, zipped front panel Back: adjustable, curved frame, foam and mesh panel Hipbelt: foam & mesh Pockets: 2 front zipped, front stretch mesh, 2 external zipped lid, 1 internal zipped lid, 2 zipped hipbelt, open side Features: bottom compartment, bottle holster, internal hydration sleeve, ice axe/trekking pole loops, side and base straps, rain cover Volume: 65l Sizes: S, M, L Women/Mens version: Yes – the Deva eu.gregorypacks.com |
It is designed to handle big loads and provide easy access to gear. This is not a minimalist or lightweight pack. It has a substantial back system and multiple pockets and attachment points. The 65-litre pack bag is made from three different weights of tough high-density nylon that has a recycled content and is PFC-free. The shoulder straps and hipbelt are made of cushy foam and mesh. The frame is alloy steel with a fibre-glass cross stay and an HDPE (high density polyethylene) back panel. There’s a grippy panel in the lumbar area that helps stop the pack slipping down.
The position of the shoulder harness can be adjusted by up to 10cms and the padded sections of the hipbelt extended by 16cms on both sides. There are three back sizes available too so this is a pack that can be finetuned for a good fit. The width of the shoulder straps at the top also adjust to fit your shape. Once adjusted I found the pack very comfortable.
With nine pockets and two compartments the pack is excellent for organising gear so that it’s accessible. A U-zip round the upper compartment means you can easily get gear that’s inside without having to open the top too, something I found very useful when it was snowing or windy. Durability has been improved over earlier models with solid fabric replacing more fragile mesh on the side pocket, and down the centre of the front stretch pocket. I found the two zipped front pockets ideal for hats and gloves while the stretch pocket in front of them held waterproofs on one trip and a wet tent on another occasion. The side pocket held collapsible water containers and day snacks. On the other side is an angled water bottle holster that can easily be accessed when wearing the pack. It holds a litre-size bottle. Small items – headlamp, map, reading glasses, notebook and more – went into the top pocket. The lower compartment has a flap separating it from the upper one. I didn’t use this as I prefer a single compartment. However the zipped access was useful. I didn’t use the shaped rain cover as I prefer to use waterproof bags inside the pack.
It weighs 99 grams. I’ve carried a 19kg load in the Baltoro 65 and found it very comfortable. Gregory recommends a maximum carry weight of 23kg and I’ve no doubt the pack could handle this. After several hours of tough walking over pathless tussocky boggy ground and then high stepping over a seemingly endless succession of fallen trees my shoulders and hips felt fine. The pack balanced well too and was surprisingly stable given the size and weight of the load. Overall the Baltoro 65 is an excellent and comfortable pack for heavier loads. If you need even more capacity, the 75Ltr version has the same feature set.
How we tested
Chris tested the Baltoro at the end of winter over multiday walks in the cairngorms, in mixed weather and over some very challenging terrain.
