The Gregory Baltoro has long been the Rolls-Royce of multi-day backpacks, combining superb load-carrying comfort with a highly functional set of pockets, access points, and external attachment options for wilderness backpacking and international trekking (available in 65L, 75L, 85L, and 100L models). It has an adjustable torso length and an adjustable length hipbelt with a maximum recommended carry weight of 60 pounds. These features make a huge difference if you have to carry a lot of gear and food in more remote areas that lack the frequent resupply points of many long-distance trails. They're also critical for hunters who need to haul very heavy loads in and out of wilderness areas. While trips of that magnitude are less fashionable among thru-hikers, people still take them and need a different class of backpack to carry their gear and supplies.

• Type: Internal frame
• Weight: 4 lbs 8.3 oz in size medium (this is less than the 4 lbs 11.7 oz Gregory lists on their website)
• Frame: Adjustable torso length and adjustable hip belt length
• Volume: 65L + extension collar and open pockets (approx 10L more)
• Gender: Men's (the women's model is called the Gregory Deva 60)
• Pockets:  7 closed, 3 open
• Access: Top, front panel, sleeping bag compartment
• Hydration compatible: Yes
• Load lifters: Yes
• Rain Cover: No
• Bear canister compatibility: BV500 fits vertically but not horizontally.
• Materials: 210d nylon ripstop (body) and 420d (base) nylon ripstop, high-tenacity nylon, (135d) polyester (lining) – all designed without PFAS
• Maximum recommended load: 60 lbs

Backpack Storage and Organization

The 65L Baltoro can hold an enormous amount of gear, far more than you'd expect in a 65L backpack. Gregory doesn't include the extension collar volume or open pockets in their pack volume computations, which explains why the Baltoro can swallow so much gear (about 10-12 liters more than spec). In addition to the main compartment, the Baltoro also has 7 external closed pockets for storing gear: the main compartment, 3 pockets in the top lid, 2 giant pockets on the hip belt, and 2 on either side of the front stretch pocket, along with 3 external open pockets: a front stretch mesh pocket, a tall side mesh pocket, and a collapsible water bottle sleeve sized to hold a 1L Nalgene bottle. The main compartment includes a hydration sleeve with two side hydration ports.

The Baltoro has front panel access, as well as top access and access from a sleeping bag compartment below.

Main compartment

While the Baltoro is configured as a top-loading backpack with a floating lid pocket, there are several different ways you can access gear stored in the pack without having to pop the lid and grope around blindly inside to find it. These extra openings are a real convenience on high-volume packs, so you can access gear without having to unpack it all.

A BV500 fits vertically. In the previous version, it also fit horizontally

The front of the pack can be opened with a large U-shaped zipper, panel-style, so you can pull out gear buried deep inside. There's also a sleeping bag hatch that opens the bottom of the pack. There's an optional fabric “shelf” that you can attach to toggles inside the pack to create a separate sleeping bag compartment, but you get better space utilization if you remove it. A bear canister, in this case, a BV500, can fit in the main compartment vertically with room to spare or lashed under the floating top lid pocket. A BV500 could fit horizontally in the previous version of the Baltoro, but not this new version.

If you plan to take advantage of the front panel and sleeping bag pocket zippers, you'll probably want to use waterproof stuff sacks to pack the gear stored in the main compartment since these access points are not compatible with a pack liner.

The pack has two long zippered pockets in front (orange lining) that are good for storing shoes or tent components. They're located on top of the panel that opens to the main compartment.

Packing Tips

When packing the Baltoro 65, I found that the best way to maximize space utilization is to pack from the top access point under the lid, especially when using slippery waterproof stuff sacks or Dyneema pods. Once in the field, the other access points, particularly the front panel, make it easier to access gear without unpacking everything. I don't use the sleeping bag compartment, since you'll get such better space utilization if you undo the toggles that hold the fabric divider that creates it inside the pack.

Floating Top Lid

The top lid is floating, so you can scrunch bulky gear underneath it, like rope, snowshoes, a tent body, or a sleeping pad if you need extra carrying capacity. The lid has three zippered pockets: one small pocket on top, one large one, and a pocket on the underside of the lid. I like to put essentials in the small top pocket, like a headlamp, compass, map, and SmartPhone, while using the large pocket for gloves, hats, and snacks. The underside pocket is good for stashing my wallet, keys (on the provided key fob), and toiletry articles so they're easily accessible but out of the way.

The Baltoro has a floating lid so you can scrunch bulky gear between the lid and the pack.

Front Panel Pockets

The front panel flap has three pockets built into it: an open stuffit pocket and two long zippered side pockets underneath it. The stuffit pocket has mesh along the sides and is good for storing damp clothing that you don't want mixing with your dry clothes or rain gear for fast access. The mesh is very durable, with small holes that resist snagging or tearing. The side pockets under the mesh pocket are long and tall, with enough capacity to hold a jacket, extra pair of shoes, or sandals, one on each side. You can also easily fit a small tent body or a hammock and tarp in these pockets, so you can set them up in the rain without having to open your pack up and expose the contents. All of the coil zippers on these pockets have burly #5 or #8 YKK sliders and are covered with rain flaps to reduce leaking.

Side pockets

The Baltoro is a bit unusual because it doesn't have symmetric side pockets. There is a side pocket on the left side of the pack that's rather high, although you could put two smart water bottles in it if you really wanted to. But I don't think the pack designers had that use case in mind, since there's a separate holster pocket on the other side of the pack that is designed to fit a 1L Nalgene bottle. If you were short on internal storage space, the pocket is large enough to store a rolled-up tent body in it and lash it down with the upper compression strap on that side. It can also hold long, skinny objects like a fishing rod case or tent poles.

You can, however, store a water bottle on the right side of the pack in a water bottle holster, sized for a 1-liter Nalgene bottle, making it easy to reach back and grab or replace the water bottle while wearing the Baltoro. If you don't want to use the holster, it folds away under a protective flap on the side of the pack. The top of the bottle pocket has an elastic tensioner to keep the bottle from falling out, especially when you put the pack on the ground. Use it religiously or attach a leash to the bottle. If you prefer carrying more water than that 1 liter, you have to use a hydration reservoir w/hose or pack extra bottles elsewhere on the pack.

The side bottle holster folds away in a hidden side pocket if not needed.

Hip belt pockets

The hip belt comes with two very large pockets, both zippered, with solid external faces for durability. The zippers have large pulltabs and are easy to pull open when wearing gloves. They provide excellent accessible storage when wearing the pack and can help make up for the lack of storage and attachment points on the pack's shoulder straps. More on that below.

Eternal Attachment System

The Baltoro comes with two tiers of side compression (webbing) straps on the right side, and one upper compression strap on the left with a second compression strap sewn inside that can also run outside the left pocket. That inside compression strap is intended to secure long, skinny items in that pocket, like tent poles. It's an unusual arrangement that makes it difficult to strap snowshoes to that side of the pack.

It's easy to attach a sleeping pad or tent body at the base of the pack.

Sleeping Pad Straps

The Baltoro also comes with sleeping pad straps that can be used to attach a foam sleeping pad or tent body to the underside of the backpack. They are permanently attached to the Baltoro and not removable.

Ice/Axe and Trekking Pole Holders

The pack comes with two ice axe loops just above the sleeping bag compartment. Shaft holders are not provided, but you can use the side compression straps to hold ice axes or tie in your own elastic cord.

Backpack Frame and Suspension

If the storage, organizational, compression, and external attachment features on the Baltoro haven't wowed you, the backpack frame and suspension system surely will. This is an internal-frame backpack designed to comfortably carry heavy loads and dynamically adapt to a wide range of body shapes.

The Baltoro frame is a 360-degree aluminum hoop with an additional horizontal stay to prevent barrelling when the main compartment is overstuffed or carrying a rounded bear canister.

The pack has an adjustable torso length, which is highly desirable when carrying a heavier load to dial in a custom fit.

The adjustable torso length feature is a rip-and-stick style that lets you reposition the height of the shoulder straps to lengthen or shrink the distance between the shoulder straps and hipbelt. Available in 3 torso lengths: S (16-19″), M (17-20″), and L (18-21″), each size has three inches of torso length adjustability, with two inches of overlap between the sizes so you can dial in a great fit. If you're on the boundary between two sizes, it's usually best to size up.

The shoulder pads are S-shaped and will accommodate any chest geometry, while the sternum strap height is an easy-to-adjust rail system. The shoulder pads are heavily padded with wicking mesh covers for added comfort and to keep you drier, and they rotate freely to conform to the slant of your chest.

The shoulder straps pivot freely (at the top where they’re anchored to the pack), adapting to your chest geometry,

The top of the shoulder straps is designed to dynamically pivot on hidden hinges as your torso angle changes, so the pack moves with you for scrambling or climbing, and you don't have to fight against its inertia. The pivot mechanism also provides an important fit benefit, even when you're not moving, since the shoulder straps adapt to your body shape and curves. It's an innovative way to address individual fit differences across a wide range of body shapes.

There is one mesh pocket on the shoulder straps sized for a Garmin inReach mini2 (shown).

Unfortunately, it's difficult to attach gear to the shoulder straps, and the only attachment point you have are hose keeper loops, which are inadequate for attaching third-party pockets or bottle sleeves. While there is one tiny mesh pocket on the left shoulder strap, just large enough to hold an inReach Mini 2, it's simply not large enough to hold a decent-sized smartphone like an iPhone. You'd have to keep it in one of the hip belt pockets, which are large enough to hold it.

The hipbelt is seamless and also adjustable in length using a rip-and-stick system, with different hip belt sizes S (26-48″), M (28-50″), L (30-52″) corresponding to the pack's torso lengths.

The hipbelt comes with adjustable extensions that are also velcro’d in place.

The hipbelt is well padded and also covered with wicking mesh. It closes with a push-forward buckle system for mechanical advantage. The hipbelt is engineered to adapt to changes in your body position, so that the pack moves with you, enhancing your stability when scrambling or hiking over uneven terrain. The base of the hip belt is still anchored on the frame for load transfer, but there's a little more freedom of movement in the hip belt wings to adapt to the angle of your hips and gait.

There's a sticky but unobtrusive lumbar pad at the bottom of the hipbelt that prevents slippage.

There's an unobtrusive sticky lumbar pad designed to prevent the hip belt from slipping down the back of your pants. It works great, and it's an especially clever addition to a backpack that's intended to carry heavier loads.

What does the Baltoro feel like when it's bursting with gear? Surprisingly lightweight. The hipbelt, frame, and load lifters do such a great job of transferring the load to your hips and keeping the center of gravity close to your spine/core muscles that heavy loads feel lighter. If you have to carry heavier loads, upwards of 40 lbs, it does pay to have a beefier hip belt and frame to reduce fatigue and increase your comfort.

Comparable Backpacks

Recommendation

The Gregory Baltoro 65 is a highly configurable, high-volume backpack designed for carrying heavy or high-volume loads, up to 60 lbs. It's loaded with features that make it easy to pack and organize your gear, with an innovative frame and suspension system that lets you dial in a custom fit.

Who is this pack designed for? It's intended for backpackers who need to carry higher-volume, heavier loads when hiking with a family group (where dad carries more), for couples, or on extended backpacking trips with infrequent resupply. When you carry a high-volume backpack, you quickly discover the value of having multiple access points (top, bottom, panel) to extract gear without having to unpack the entire load to get gear at the bottom of the pack. The same goes for having more closed external pockets, like the three in the Baltoro top lid and the two long pockets sandwiched in between the front mesh pocket and the main compartment. The Baltoro is pretty unique and highly functional in this respect, when compared to other backpacks in its volume class. The Baltoro is quite a busy pack though, with myriad straps and pockets, and backpackers used to the clean lines and sparse features of ultralight backpacks will bristle at being forced to pack the pack using what one may consider an old-school paradigm.

Disclosure: Gregory donated a backpack for this review.

SectionHiker never accepts payment for gear reviews or editorial coverage. When you buy through affiliate links on our site, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Help us continue to test and write unsponsored and independent gear reviews, hiking and backpacking FAQs, and free hiking guides.