backpack reviews

Gregory Paragon 60 2026 update.

Review: Gregory Paragon 60 and Maven 58

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Backpack
Gregory Paragon 60
$300, 60L/3,661 c.i., 3 lb. 10 oz./1.65kg (men’s SM/MD)
Sizes: men’s Paragon SM/MD and MD/LG, women’s Maven XS/SM and SM/MD
Women’s Maven 58: backcountry.com
Men’s Paragon 60: backcountry.com

This fall, I spent five weeks living out of a backpack in Europe, including a five-day hut trek through the Carnic Alps and countless hours hauling gear through train stations and across cities. For this job, I needed a pack that could remain comfortable and organized while carrying a substantial amount of weight. I chose the 2026 update of the Gregory Paragon 60, having been impressed by it during its 45-mile maiden voyage in Wyoming’s Wind River Range, and it provided the perfect home-away-from-home for my possessions for the whole trip.

The centerpiece of the trip was our family’s trek of the Carnic Peace Trail, which follows a rough ridgeline on the Austrian-Italian border, but I also had four other weeks of various mountain and urban activities to consider while packing. As a result, I ended up with an absolute pig of a pack—somewhere slightly over 50 pounds after adding food and water for the trek—and the Paragon carried the weight resolutely: The perimeter alloy frame with fiberglass cross-stay prevented any barreling or folding of the pack under this heavy load. I actually found this pack to offer some of the best heavyweight comfort I’ve worn, with my back not substantially bothered by about 50 pounds—though I’m 26, exercise a lot, and weigh 180 pounds, and many users would find a lower maximum comfortable weight.

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Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50 on a backpacker with the Grand Canyon in the background

Review: Gossamer Gear Gorilla Ultralight Backpack

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Ultralight Backpack
Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50
$275, 50L/3051 c.i., 2 lbs. 1oz/934g (Medium, S/M Belt)
Sizes: Small (fits torsos 16-18 ins.) Medium (18-20 ins.), Large (20-22 ins.)
gossamergear.com

I’ve always drawn a line when it comes to ultralight backpacks: My backpack is arguably my most important piece of gear on a backpacking trip (it’s literally in the name!), and cutting ounces of weight from my pack delivers no improvement to how I feel if it’s uncomfortable to carry for hours or days. But that logic rests on the assumption that pack comfort requires those extra ounces—and carrying the Gorilla 50 on an arduous, five-day backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon [link] convinced me of this ultralight animal’s ability to comfortably carry everything I need for even that hard of a trip.

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Michael Lanza of The Big Outside hiking Besseggen Ridge above Lake Gjende in Norway's Jotunheimen National Park.

Video: How to Pack a Backpack

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By Michael Lanza

Wonder why I’m smiling in the above photo? Well, sure, two friends and I were hiking the incredibly scenic Besseggen Ridge in Norway’s Jotunheimen National Park; that had something to do with it. But the other big factor was that I was comfortable—and how well my pack carried had a lot to do with that. And how I loaded it greatly affected how well it carried on my back. In this four-minute video, I’ll show you how to properly load a backpack to make your backpacking trips much more enjoyable.

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A backpacker descending the trail off Maze Overlook in the Maze District, Canyonlands National Park.

Why and When to Spend More on Hiking and Backpacking Gear

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By Michael Lanza

You need a new backpack, backpacking tent, rain jacket, boots, or a sleeping bag. You’ve read reviews. You’ve winnowed your short list to a handful of possible choices—with a significant difference in prices. That’s when you struggle with the question that pushes the frugality button in all of us: Why should I spend more?

This story will explain why some gear is more expensive and give you specific advice on buying five big-ticket items: packs, tents, rain jackets, shoes and boots, and sleeping bags.

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A backpacker at Evolution Lake on the John Muir Trail in Evolution Basin, Kings Canyon National Park.

The Best Backpacking Gear for the John Muir Trail

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By Michael Lanza

So you’re planning to thru-hike the John Muir Trail and making all of the necessary preparations, and now you’re wondering: What’s the best gear for a JMT hike? Having thru-hiked the JMT as well as taken numerous other backpacking trips all over the High Sierra—mostly between late August and late September, which I consider that the best time to walk the Sierra, to avoid snow and the voracious mosquitoes and blazing hot afternoons of mid-summer—I offer the following picks for the best ultralight and lightweight backpacking gear and apparel for a JMT thru-hike.

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