Gregory Citro 24 H20

There are a lot of choices for daypacks and many features and specs to consider. I tend to like my packs with the ability to provide separation of gear based on my style of hiking. The Gregory Pack lines are in my opinion the best at balancing compartments with lighter weight construction making them my go-to. The Citro 24 H20 didn't disappoint.

This is my third Gregory pack and it looks like another winner. I mainly focus on mountain day hiking and multiday backpacking. I picked up the Citro 24 H20 to fill a gap. I have gone on many more day hikes recently in mild weather so the larger daypacks that I had been using at elevation toting colder weather gear was overkill. The 24l Citro is the perfect size for carrying the gear needed for a safe and comfortable 8-10 hour dayhike.

Right off the bat, you notice the quality of the product. The build quality is amazing, and the comfort is the best I've ever experienced. I was coming from an Osprey pack which had super plush webbing on the back, but the lumbar and mid-back support on this bag blew me away. I'll never use anything other than Gregory. The fabric is tough enough for scrambles and sheds light precipitation. It will need a rain cover for heavy rain. 

I tend to like my packs with the ability to provide separation of gear based on my style of hiking. The Gregory Pack lines are in my opinion the best at balancing compartments with lighter weight construction making them my go-to. The Citro 24 H20 comes well equipped with storage pockets, chambers, latches, and pouches making it perfect to separate your gear as you see fit.

Front stretch and dual side mesh pockets for quick storage; hip belt zippered pouches for access to snacks and phone on the go; padded top chamber for fragile gear and a large main pouch with a mesh zippered pocket for small item storage. Add the bungee closure system for trekking poles or other tools and a sunglass QuickStow system on shoulder harness and you have a daypack able to handle all you gear hauling needs.

Every point on the pack that will come in contact with you during a hike has moisture wicking material, breathable mesh padding or what they call VaporSpan. It's a ventilated suspension system with moisture-wicking mesh to keep the pack off you back and cool during the hike. Extremely important in weather where heat can build up.

Don't underestimate the importance of the padded hipbelts the Citro has. Common on the larger packs, it is one thing that some companies replace with simple straps on the smaller volume packs. Gregory Packs keeps the comfortable padded hipbelt with easy access pouches and it makes this one of the most comfortable packs you can find in this volume range.  

"One size fits all" design fit me just fine. I'm a 19-20" torso size guy, 5'8" at 170lbs. Plenty of adjustment opportunities for best fit.

Finally, Gregory Packs has set the bar high with their 3D molded bladder. Easy to load/unload and because of the soft mold design, very easy to fill and dry. I'm not usually a fan of bladders but the design and efficiency of the Gregory bladder makes this an easy choice on trips.

Background

Have had this on three day hikes so far with each trip lasting 8-10 hours. All in forested, and on well maintained trails. Weather was mild (70 degrees) to hot (95 degrees). Was sprinkled on on two of the trips and the pack shed the water just fine. I have done similar hikes with lighter, duffel style bags with straps instead of padded hip belts. The Gregory design made a dramatic difference in the comfort level I experienced.

This backpack is great for a day hike, even if the heat is high.

The backpack is very lightweight and stylish. It is very functional and has many pockets. I came into it thinking it was a small backpacking backpack and I was mistaken. It is just a very large daypack, although I have stretched it into an overnight bag. 

The frame feels amazing and puts the weight on your hips. It has tons of nice features that you can tell someone put a lot of time thinking about. Overall this backpack is what I would call the perfect daypack.

Background

I love to backpack so having a backpack for a day hike is very nice.