Gregory Paragon 58 Review

The Gregory Paragon 58 is an ideal backpack for long hikes, combining plenty of intelligent storage with a lightweight, breathable design.

Gregory Mountain Products Paragon 58 Backpacking Backpack

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Table of Contents

Pros / Reasons to Buy

Lightweight
Rain cover included

Cons / Reasons to Avoid

Can be uncomfortable when carrying a full load

This backpack is lightweight yet fully featured. It offers numerous pockets for organized storage, although it may become uncomfortable when heavily loaded. The fit is easily adjustable to suit your body shape and with the included rain cover, your gear is ensured to stay dry in any weather conditions.

Compare to Similar Products:

Product	Osprey Atmos AG 65	Osprey Kestrel 48	Osprey Aether Plus 70	Gregory Paragon 58	Gregory Baltoro 65	Big Agnes Parkview 63	Osprey Aether 65	Granite Gear Blaze 60 Women	The North Face Women's Terra 55	Dueter Air Contact Core 60+10

Buying Options
Our Award	Best for Men	Best Lighter Backpack for Men	Best Large Capacity Backpack for Men					Best for Women	Best Lighter Backpack for Women	Best Large Capacity Backpack for Women
Size	S/M - L/XL	S/M - L/XL	S/M - L/XL	S/M - M/L	S - M - L	M - L	S/M - L/XL	WS - UL	XS/S - M/L	W - Regular
Weight	2 - 2.2 kg	1.9 - 2.1 kg	2.5 - 2.8 kg	1.5 - 1.6 kg	2.1 - 2.4 kg	1.6 - 1.8 kg	2.2 - 2.3 kg	1.3 - 1.4 kg	1.6 - 1.7 kg	2.1 - 2.3 kg
Capacity	65 - 68 liters	46 - 48 litres	68 - 70 liters	58 litres	65 litres	63 + 10 liters	65 - 68 liters	60 liters	55 litres	60 + 10 liters
Load	13.6 – 18 kg	9.1 – 15.9 kg	14 – 27 kg	22.7 kg	22.7 kg	22.7 kg	14 - 27 kg	22.7 kg	N/A	15 - 20 kg
Pockets	9	10	8	6	10	8	5	6	5	8
Torso Lengths	43 - 58.9	40.5 - 58.5 cm	43 - 58.5 cm	38 - 60 cm	40.6 - 55.9 cm	46 - 56 cm	43 - 58.5 cm	38.1 - 60.9 cm	35.5 - 47.7 cm	35 - 62 cm
Rain Cover	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	No	Yes	No	No	Yes

Editor’s note: This article is part of our buyers guide to waterproof hiking backpacks. See other articles in this series:

Looking for other waterproof gear? Check out our buyers guides on:

Analysis and Test Results

The Gregory Paragon 58 is a lightweight pack, but the wishbone alloy frame and the fiberglass cross-stay help to make it stable and easy to carry. Thought has been put into making the back panel flexible and breathable. As well as the torso length, the hip belt and shoulder straps can be adjusted using a simple Velcro system.

Organizing your equipment is straightforward, with an easy-to-access main compartment and plenty of external pockets, straps, lash points, and compression straps. This backpack has several features, such as a rain cover and a sunglasses holder, that are not usually included with lightweight backpacks. While it can become uncomfortable to carry when fully loaded, this backpack is great for hiking trips.

See the Gregory Paragon 58 in more detail:

Performance Comparison

Material

This backpack features a body constructed of 100-denier and 210-denier high-density nylon, with a base of 210-denier high-density nylon for added durability. Its lining consists of high-density 50% recycled polyester. The padding is made from Lifespan EVA foam. The buckles are high-quality and Bluesign-approved. The frame is constructed from a robust HDPE composite and closed-cell foam.

Breathability

The foam back panel has perforations to increase airflow and breathability. The back panel and hip belt have a mesh covering to wick away moisture and help reduce sweaty patches.

Waterproofing

For protection against bad weather, this pack includes a nylon taffeta rain cover.

Dimensions

The Gregory Paragon 58 comes in two sizes – small/medium and medium/large. Although it can hold 58 liters, if you load it with more than 40 lbs, it can become a bit uncomfortable to carry.

Sizes	Capacity	Weight	Load	Torso Length
Small/ Medium	58 liters 3,539 cubic inches	1.6 kg 3.5lbs	22.7 kg 50 lbs	38.1 – 48.3 cm 15 – 19 inches
Medium/Large	58 liters 3,539 cubic inches	1.2 kg 2.6 lbs	26 kg 57 lbs	45.7 – 55.9 cm 18 – 22 inches

Fit

The Paragon range of backpacks is designed for men, with the female version called Maven. However, Gregory does not make a Maven model for women in the 58-liter size. The torso length is adjusted by moving the back panel up or down as desired and then securing it with the Velcro panel. The shoulder straps and hip belt also have Velcro pads to allow them to be adjusted to suit your body shape.

	Torso Length
Small/ Medium	38.1 – 48.3 cm 15 – 19 inches
Medium/Large	45.7 – 55.9 cm 18 – 22 inches

Storage

With eight pockets, there is no shortage of features to keep your gear organized. The floating top lid has a large zippered compartment and an additional underside zippered pocket with a key clip. There are dual stretch mesh pockets on the sides, one offering side trail access, and both are equipped with a pass-through feature for versatile over or under compression. The front of the pack has an oversized stretch mesh pocket secured with a buckle. Under the front mesh pocket, there is a small pocket that contains the rain cover. Additionally, there is a zippered bottom compartment with a removable divider secured with toggles.

Comfort

The Gregory Paragon 58 has a wishbone alloy frame with a fiberglass anti-barrelling cross-stay. The FreeFloat breathable suspension has dynamic flex panels that move with your body. This combination, especially the cross-stay, helps to make the pack stable and easy to carry.

The back and shoulder straps are well padded with dual-density foam covered with breathable mesh. The hip belt is Gregory’s 3D comfort cradle hip belt with 3D construction that hugs your hips well, but the padding can feel a little thin compared to other models.

Features

Although this backpack is designed to be lightweight, Gregory has not skimped on the features. While it is only a small thing, we really liked the sunglasses holder on the shoulder strap.

The adjustable sternum strap incorporates a whistle and a clip for holding the hose of a hydration system. Inside the main compartment is a sleeve that can hold a 3-liter water pouch with exit ports and a hanging clip, but you would have to buy a hydration system separately as one is not included.

There are compression straps and lash points for attaching extra gear. There is also a loop and bungee system specifically for attaching ice axes or trekking poles.

Durability

The Gregory Paragon 58 is designed to be a durable backpack. The base has tougher material, and the mesh pockets are stretchy and tear-resistant. The zippers and straps are high quality and should last the pack’s lifetime.

The warranty from Gregory covers the lifespan of the product. Damage from improper use or care is not covered. Should a manufacturing defect cause issues with your Gregory backpack, it will be fixed or replaced under the warranty terms. Exclusions include damage from unusual use, accidents, or environmental exposure. Gregory covers all costs for warranted repairs or replacements, including return shipping. A similar Gregory product will be offered when the original product is unavailable.

Sustainability

In 2019, Gregory partnered with a German firm to develop a Life Cycle Assessment tool to assess the environmental footprint of their products from creation to disposal. This transparency allows consumers to understand and offset the products’ impacts. Gregory has stopped using PFAS-based water repellents and is now using PFAS-free DWRs and ensuring supplier compliance. Their focus on durability and repairability aligns with their goal to reduce landfill waste. Moreover, all their products comply with the stringent European REACH standards, eliminating hazardous chemicals.

Conclusion

The Gregory Paragon 58 is a great backpack that is lightweight while still having all the features you need. There are plenty of pockets for organized storage, but it can be uncomfortable when fully loaded. It is easy to adjust the fit to your body shape, and the included rain cover means your gear will stay dry in all weathers.

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