2025 Gregory Paragon 60 Review - water bottle holder is useless

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

I just received my 2025 Paragon 60 (M/L) today, an "upgrade" from a 2019 Baltoro 65.

I was excited and planning to write a full review. But I haven't even taken it out for a test. it's going back immediately.

I like that it's more comfortable (back mesh) [NOT - see my update below], breaths better [NOT], and a pound lighter than my Baltoro. And more adjustable.

But the deal breaker for me is the right side water bottle holder.

One Reviewer wrote "I think it's much easier to use the Paragon 60 with a water reservoir/hose for drinking on the go than water bottles."

That's an understatement. It's virtually impossible to use a water bottle while wearing the Paragon.

I'm tall/lanky and somewhat flexible. But no matter how I try, I cannot put a water bottle in the pocket with one hand as I can with my Baltoro. The Paragon's pocket is too far aft, and it's too close to your body.

If I use both hands - which means that, when I want to drink, I have to stop, put my trekking poles aside, pull outward on a tab with my left hand, reach around and aim the bottle blindly with my right - I can just manage to push a small .75 l bottle into the pocket nose first. (Wouldn't be the first time that I didn't close the sports cap tight.) But as this is Arizona, I carry a wide, short (low CG) 1 l bottle in my Baltoro's holder. That bottle will not fit in the Paragon's pocket.

And even when a small .75 l bottle is angled in, I can't walk without my elbow jamming into the body of the bottle. (Where now the widest part of the bottle is at the top.)

And even if I could put a wide bottle in one handed, and even if it didn't interfere with movement, the inside of the holder is the outside of the main compartment. (Unlike my old Baltoro.) So if something hard is packed down there on that side, the pocket won't have the give to allow your water bottle to fit into the pocket.

[Nighthiker]

Still use a stainless steel US military canteen dated 1944.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

An update to my review of the 2025 Gregory Paragon 60: Before sending it back, I decided to try backpacking with it today, for an hour, with my actual loadout for a normal backpack trip. (30+ lbs.)

(I printed a 3D bottle holder to mitigate the fatal flaw with the Paragon's pocket.)

I initially wrote that it was more comfortable than my 2019 Baltoro 65. I assumed that based on reading what other reviewers wrote. But it is less comfortable. If nothing else, the shoulder straps aren't padded as much as my old Baltoro and they hurt after an hour.

(Gregory says that the Paragon can handle 50 lbs like my Baltoro. From a comfort point of view, I don't see how that can be. And I don't see how the skinnier hanging strap won't break/tear out when you try to lift the pack with 50 lbs in it.)

It also doesn't pivot like my old Baltoro. In addition to causing my combined CG to swing back and forth, it makes a subtle noise as I walk, kind of a swish, swish as the load inside shifts back and forth.

And I learned that just because a backpack has nice looking "foam" padding, it doesn't mean that the foam is breathable. Here it is not. I had more liquid sweat in one hour (80 F this morning) than I have in two hours at 90 F with my old Baltoro. (This means that the 2021 Baltoro, which has the same foam padding, will be worse than what I have now.)

The hip pockets are bigger. But sewn in such a way that there's not much increase in capacity.

As we old geezers often say, "They're not making 'em like they used to." Although some technology, like cars, computers and smart phones have become better, here the Paragon 60 isn't an upgrade. It's a downgrade.

[big_load]

The right pack, especially for that much weight, is all about fit and adjustment. I won't buy a pack until I've worn in it the store for at least two hours, loaded with my intended maximum weight, and tweaked all the straps as needed to still feel good at the end. Descriptions and ratings might be useful initial guidance for narrowing down the contenders, but they aren't sufficient for choosing a winner.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@big_load
Agreed. As for fit: I've been using my Baltoro for a couple years now on my "adventures" but only this year did I fully understand how to tweak it to work with my body. (I printed a 3D spacer to compensate for one of my shoulders being 1/2" lower than the other.)

Good writers are supposed to "Avoid cliches like the plague." But I'll say it anyway. Now it fits like a glove.

As for trying on in store: I didn't have the option to try locally. The online retailer offers a 60-day No Questions Asked return policy at the cost of $8 if you ask for a credit back. (As opposed to exchanges or leaving the credit in play.)