The Gregory Stout Backpack is a great pack if you use light to ultralight gear and clothing. The Stout 45 is an excellent middle-of-the-road backpack that bridges the gap between ultralight packs, and larger packs.
Who doesn’t like camping a bit off the beaten path away from cars and RVs? A bit of solitude does wonders for the soul! To get away from camping spots along the road, you are going to need a good backpack to carry all of your camping gear. But, the question remains, how big of a pack do you need? Check out our article about How to Size and Fit the Perfect Backpack to help you narrow down what you need.
6 Things I like about the Gregory Stout Backpack
- Super stretchy front pocket
- Bottom compression straps to carry extra gear like a closed-cell foam pad
- Wishbone alloy frame can carry up to 40 pounds!
- An underside zippered pocket in the top-lid for my valuables
- Trekking pole, ice-ax with bungee attachments
- Just the right amount of volume at 45-liters
Available at:
– Amazon
– REI
– Backcountry
Gregory Stout Backpack Review
At 3 pounds (1380 grams), the Gregory Stout backpack is a lightweight pack that doesn’t weigh you down on your hike. The pack boasts 45-liters of volume, which is more than enough room for a couple of days in the backcountry for your tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, clothes, cook system, and food.
For a long weekend, the Stout 45L has plenty of volume for everything I need. I can easily pack my tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, clothes, food, water bottles, and water filtration. My gear is more on the lightweight side, and there’s still extra room for more gear.
Alloy Support Frame
The alloy frame is shaped like a wishbone and can comfortably carry a lot of weight – up to 40 pounds! The wishbone shape provides what Gregory calls TrailFlex, meaning that if you loosen your stabilizing straps (they connect the lower pack to your hip belt), the pack can move independently from your hip belt. The independent movement of the pack is helpful when I hike through rocky, uneven ground.
The suspension system (shoulder straps, hip belt, and back panel) consists of multi-density closed and open-cell foam that provides an excellent ride. Especially when you have it loaded down with a lot of weight.
Pockets
The hip belt has zippered pockets to store your point-and-shoot camera, sunscreen, or snacks. The pockets are not overly large. If you have an iPhone XR or similar sized phone, it’s hard to fit in the pocket.
The top-lid (brain) is a nice bonus that I use for my toiletries, maps, and snacks. It also has an underside zippered pocket that has an attachment clip for keys and works nicely to store my valuables so that I don’t accidentally lose them while I’m out on the trail.
I love the large stretch pocket on the front of the pack! It works especially well to store my raincoat, tripod, or BTR camp stool. For example, when an afternoon thunderstorm flares up, I can quickly grab my rain jacket, and stuff it back in there once it stops raining.
I use water bottles that I place in the side pockets instead of hydration reservoirs. Still, the pack has a handy hydration sleeve with a universal hangar and exit port if you prefer using hydration reservoirs.
I have never used the zippered bottom sleeping bag compartment. In my opinion, Gregory could save some costs and weight by eliminating that zippered opening. Once I put my sleeping bag in my pack, it’s there for the day until it’s time to set up camp, so I don’t need a separate access point for the sleeping bag.
The Gregory Stout backpack comes with a rain cover. Therefore, you don’t need to spend extra money to buy a separate one, which is nice!
Gregory Stout Backpack Durability
I found that the fabric on the Gregory Stout backpack is highly durable. On the bottom, they use a reinforced dual-layer construction consisting of a 630D ballistic polyester on the exterior and a 135 high-density polyester on the inside. As a result, the bottom of the backpack will hold up well to all rocks, dirt, and debris you set it on. The body is a 200D x 900D Dobby polyester that can withstand tons of abuse.
In addition, Gregory included bottom compression straps on the Stout. That way, if you need to attach extra gear like a closed-cell sleeping pad that is too large to fit inside the backpack.
Dislikes
Until the pack gets broken in, you can feel the top of the ventilated mesh pad across your shoulder blades. Having the pad across your shoulder blades is one of the trade-offs for an adjustable yoke backpack.
My next dislike is that the female end of the sternum strap is attached directly to the shoulder strap. For me, it’s much harder to connect and disconnect the sternum strap when the female side is connected directly to the shoulder strap. I prefer when both the male and female fasteners are attached via webbing. But many backpack companies do this.
One last thing, the side compression straps go over the mesh pockets. I prefer an option to route the compression straps inside the pockets so that I can easily access water bottles from the side pockets without the side straps getting in the way.
Fit and Sizing
The Gregory Stout backpack is a one-size-fits-most pack because it has an adjustable yoke that ranges from 15″ – 22″ frame sizes. To determine your frame size, check out our How to Size and Fit the Perfect Backpack. I’m 6’2″ tall and have a 22″ torso, so this pack is just large enough for me, but can also be used by my wife or someone with a shorter torso.
To adjust the yoke, slide your hand between the ventilated back panel and the yoke to separate the velcro. Once the velcro is separated, you’ll be able to push the yoke up and down to adjust the torso length. In addition, the velcro has 5 handy markings for Small, Medium, and Large. For example, the small will be for a 16″ torso, and Large is the 22″ length.
The Stout is designed for males, while Gregory’s Amber is the female equivalent.
Common Questions
Question: How much does the 45-liter option actually weigh?
Answer: Mine weighs 3.04 pounds (1,379 grams). This includes the rain cover.
Question: How many size options does the Gregory Stout come in?
Answer: The Gregory Stout is available in 35, 45, 60, or 70-liter options.
Question: Does it come with a rain cover?
Answer: Yes
Specs:
- Weight: 3 pounds (1380 grams) – top-lid, waist belt,
- Volume: 45-liters (2746 cubic inches)
- Dimensions: 29” x 13” x 11” (73.7cm x 33.02cm x 27.9cm)
- Load Comfort Range: 40 pounds (18kg)
- MSRP: $159.95
- Cost per Gram: $0.12
Construction & Materials:
- Fabric: 200D x 900D Dobby Polyester, 630D Ballistic Polyester, 135D High-density polyester
- Shoulder Straps: Dual-density foam
- Hip belt: one-size fits all with two zippered pockets
- Pockets: 6
- Compression Straps: yes
- Closure: drawcord/zipper
- Waterproof: no
- Rain Cover: yes
Bottom Line:
The Gregory Stout 45L is a versatile pack for overnight and multi-day backpacking trips. It can comfortably carry a lot of weight due to its Wishbone alloy frame and dual-density foam suspension system. At only $159.95 and adjustable to fit multiple torso lengths, the Stout 45L is a Best Value Backpack.
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