The Gregory Paragon 58 is an ideal backpack for long hikes, combining plenty of intelligent storage with a lightweight, breathable design.
- 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 |
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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:
- Best Waterproof Hiking Backpacks
- How to Choose The Right Waterproof Backpack For Your Hike
- How We Tested Waterproof Hiking Backpacks
- Compare Waterproof Hiking Backpacks
- Water Resistant vs Waterproof vs Water Repellent – What is the Difference
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 – it performed well in our best waterproof backpack round up. 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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