We tested the new-for-2021 Gregory Mountain Kalmia 65 backpack over 400 miles in diverse terrains and weather conditions, including a no-food-resupply, week-long hike with all 4 packs loaded with over 50 pounds at the start. Other, shorter day or weekend hikes included a few trail runs to see how these large packs performed when fully compressed.
Note that Gregory’s female version of the Katmai is called Kalmia. They also sell a 55 liter Katmai which we do not recommend since gaining just a few ounces of weight by loosing 10 liters of capacity is a bad trade-off. Here are the product links as of this writing:
Gregory Mountain Katmai 65 (MSRP with rain cover before tax: $325) https://www.gregorypacks.com/packs-bags/backpacking-packs/katmai-65-1369KAT65.html?dwvar_1369KAT65_color=Volcano%20Black&cgidmaster=#q=katmai&start=1
Gregory Mountain Baltoro 65 (MSRP with rain cover (included): $300): https://www.gregorypacks.com/packs-bags/backpacking-packs/baltoro-65-916BAL65.html
Osprey Atmos AG 65 (MSRP with rain cover: $307): https://www.osprey.com/us/en/product/atmos-ag-65-ATMOS65S18.html
Deuter Vario 50+10 (MSRP with rain cover (included): $230)
https://www.deuter.com/us-en/shop/backpacks/p24156-hiking-backpack-futura-vario-50-10
(I’m including a link that will hopefully stay intact for a while as Deuter and most vendors now automatically redirect any search for the Vario to the 2021 AirTrek or Futura models, which we definitely do not recommend (PM me a link if you’re not sure, more feedback on these new packs in upcoming post.)
In this article I will keep things as short and simple as possible while focusing primarily on the aspects that matter most to us as hiking photographers. Since this is a comparative review, I will of course report our findings about other packs as needed – I strongly recommend that you first refresh your memory by reading Article/Post 2 about the Deuter Vario 50+10 (DFV60.)
What we liked
1 – New and great suspension system and harness
The Katmai is essentially a Baltoro with a hugely improved carry system and things started just great since this new TMP harness is top-notch, some saying even a hair better than the Atmos (of which it seems to be an almost exact copy) and on par with the Vario. The Katmai, Baltoro and Atmos have slightly wider and thicker shoulder straps padding than the Vario, making them a bit more comfortable with loads above 30 pounds. On the other hand, the Vario’s unique slightly padded “shoulders” on the edges on the tensioned mesh panel make it more stable and comfortable than the others on technical sections, particularly in hot weather, therefore we ranked all 3 packs equally good (read: best in the business.)
In contrast, the Baltoro’s “fake TMP”, a weird “3D” contraption, actually traps heat right behind you, quickly inducing drenched backs, even in mild 85 degrees weather. In such comparative test hikes we switch packs at least once a day and it became clear that everybody was trying really hard not to end up with the Baltoro… So much so that after just 3 days, its new owner begged his wife to drive up to a mountain crossroads and bring his old Vario to him.
2 – Available in “Plus” sizes
Kudos to Gregory for offering special versions of these models (Item 1392KAT65PLUS) for the overweight population (74 percent of adults in the U.S. are overweight and 43% are obese.) As a once borderline obese person, I know full well that walking and hiking are hands-down the best physical activities for getting back in shape slowly, but surely. And they are just as good for your soul as they are for your body!
It’s a clever business move too, given the huge size of this market (no pun intended) and we appreciate that Gregory does not charge more for their “Plus” models.
3 – Recycled fabrics
They sure took their Texas time, but Gregory is finally using (partially) recycled fabrics and PFC-free coatings on this pack. Yeah!
4 – Good build, quiet in use
While these new fabrics are clearly flimsier that older Gregory models (we had an old Stout at hand) and only years of hiking would tell how they will hold up, the Katmai is a well-built pack that has good zippers and is quiet in use:
Contrast that with our brand-new Osprey Atmos AG 65 that behaves exactly like the ones other folks bought around 5 years ago: it squeaks like an annoying little squirrel in two places (bottom and upper frame area) and still has those cheap, horrible hipbelt pocket zippers that you can open but not close with one hand (same as a recently-acquired Osprey Manta 34.) Those pockets also have much less capacity than the competition thanks to the waist belt encroaching quite a bit into the pocket space.
What we did not like
Sadly, the list (in no particular order) is quite long.
1 – The way the TMP anchors into the frame gives you a very limited “awesome space” ((the vertical opening just behind your back, see Article 2) ) that is only about 3 inches tall on the Katmai, and barely taller on the Atmos. This design still allows for decent air circulation but of course it severely limits what you can stash in the space behind your back, making it far less awesome than on the Deuter (which by the way also keeps your back noticeably cooler than the others.)
2 – The dual-access feature simply does not deliver
Those who like side-access for their lenses or cams were excited when Gregory announced the Katmai because it eschews a large, front U-shaped zipper for a long, crescent-shaped side zipper that runs on the right side of the pack.
While it is more flexible than a single-access pack via the top opening, Gregory’s designers botched their implementation by using a one-way zipper that only runs from the top to the bottom. In other words, stashing your ICU at the bottom of the pack and accessing say, a low-placed ICU by pulling the zipper up without dropping the pack is simply impossible.
In addition, the side zip is not covered by a rain flap and easily takes water, forcing you to stop and drop the pack at the slightest shower.
Finally, compared to the large U-zip of the Vario, accessing your stuff through this side zipper is awkward and rather impractical. First, you have to set your pack down on its side, which is far less stable than setting it flat on the TMP side. Second, you do not have that wide opening that makes it a cinch to see and access all your items, you find yourself instead fumbling in there from the side with much less room to work with. It’s definitely far more difficult to remove or replace items with this type of system than with a front-opening panel.
3 – No rain cover
Such an omission is simply unforgivable, and even more so at this price point. To make things worse, once you have spent another ridiculous $45 on a rain cover (for reference, the out-of-factory cost of a mass-produced rain cover rarely exceeds $3) you cannot stash it underneath the pack, where it needs to be (Deuter has done this for decades) because there simply is no pocket there…
Note that Osprey sells the Atmos AG 65 with a rain cover in Europe, but without one in the U.S. (if you interpret this as a mark of disrespect for their homeland customers, you’re not the only one!) and here again, you absolutely need a rain cover because the Atmos, weirdly, is a uniquely hydrophilic pack; we’re not sure if due to the fabric or the coating, but a one-day hike in the fog (no rain) resulted in very humid pack contents, versus bone-dry in the other packs.
The Baltoro and Vario both come with a rain cover. The Vario’s implementation is perfect, it deploys out of a pocket at the packs bottom and has both a large, well-placed drain hole and a clip that ensures the cover won’t fly off in the types of high winds that are common in some mountain areas.
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RAIN COVER TIP: we never “drop the pack” to put the rain cover on or off, unless we hike solo.
How? We just have a buddy reach under the pack from behind, unzip the pocket and schlep the cover on. That takes under a minute, and then we return the favor. We obviously do the reverse when the rain is gone for good. This trick makes a big difference out on the trail and works with all our Deuter packs. Ditto for some Vaude models and the Cosyspeed Photohiker 44.
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4 – Excessive price
This Kalmia + rain cover cost its owner close to $350 with tax in CA. That is over $100 more than the Vario 60, a significantly better pack overall (again, see Article 2 for full review.)
5 – The low, slanted “Sidewinder” water pocket on the right side looks good on paper but here again important details have been overlooked. It is okay for 1 liter bottles but not deep enough for 40-46oz bottles which tend to fall off as soon as you bend forward a little (we had to rig a temporary fastening system with some paracord.) Also, when in the stashed position, that pocket snags on branches while bushwhacking and rips open.
Of the 4 packs tested, the Atmos offers by far the easiest access to your water bottles, thanks to its low, front-facing, slanted opening of its “dual access stretch mesh side pockets:” A pleasure to use!
6 – Very limited tripod carry options
We found only two workable tripod options on the Katmai: stashed under the compression straps on the right side (but the long side zipper is then blocked) and at the bottom, cinched under the bottom compartment compression straps. The Atmos has pretty much the same limitations, while the Vario has no less than 5 options.
7 – Very poor choice for the adjustment systems
Yes, Velcro is cheap, we all know that. Way cheaper than the little (and fragile) claws that grab onto the frame on the Atmos, or the (best-in-the-business) central strap with metal clasp on the Vario. BUT, its use for the torso length adjustment system is simply a disaster in rainy and dusty environments. To wit:
As we were trudging through one of those rain-all-day hikes, the Velcro on the Atmos and Katmai belts got waterlogged after a couple of hours (Osprey’s “Fit-on-the-Fly” hipbelt length adjustment system also relies on Velcro,) forcing their users to constantly readjust the belt buckle. An hour later, Tim, the carrier of the Katmai heard a big “schluuump” and realized that the central Velcro pad, which sits hidden the TMP, had basically given up all pretense to hold its position. The pack had dropped several inches and was now resting in the middle of his butt, not where you want it to be while hiking treacherous terrain with a heavy load… There was no way to reset the back panel since the Velcro had lost all adhesive capability and this would have been a disaster had he been hiking solo. We were lucky this time because one of the hikers in the group, whose 22 inches torso is at the top end of the Katmai’s torso range, volunteered to swap his Vario with Tim. Once the pack had dried out, we were able to readjust the torso length, but it was clear that the Velcro was already not sticking as well as before. And, we know from experience that this type of Velcro failure gets much worse, much quicker in successive freeze/thaw conditions, like the ones we encounter frequently at high altitude.
Bottom line, such a Velcro adjustment system may remain in place if you set it once and do not ever hike in the rain or on dusty trails, where Velcro also looses its grip, but we think that this is an unacceptable risk to take.
8 – Non-existent straps management, a fact that is concealed by deceptive product pictures
The Vario is the only pack here that comes with anything kind of strap sleeves: two of those (arguably the most important ones) for the belt buckle.
The Katmai, Kalmia, Baltoro and Atmos web pages show incredibly neat pack straps. Yet, these packs do not have a single sleeve to keep various straps from dangling and flopping around, hitting your thighs, arms, etc. How is this miracle possible? The only possible explanation is that all the pictured straps were glued together just for the photos, probably with double-sided tape, to make the customer believe that there is some kind of strap management when in fact, there is none. One simply does not “accidentally” produce such doctored product pictures and while such deceptive practices are not rare in the outdoors industry, these are among the most egregious examples we have ever seen. Call it deceptive, call it false advertising, call it whatever… it’s just plain wrong.
9 – Poorly designed bottom compartment divider
When small items find their way to the bottom of the main compartment on the Vario, they stay there (that pack has an excellent divider that closes with a zipper) and you find them easily: just open the front zipper and here they are.
In comparison, the Katmai is a real pain because small things, already hard to find via the side zipper, tend to slip past the edges of poorly designed bottom divider (a simple panel that only fastens at the corners) and fall all the way to the bottom.
10 – Bad load lifter straps
In fairness, this is true for all 4 packs, but as you know from my previous articles, real load lifters make a big difference on the trail, compared to the cheesy load adjusters we have here. All are too short, and you are lucly if you can slip one finger into the end loop, as opposed to your full hand as should be.
One new Katmai feature that resulted in a split opinion is Gregory’s new odor control fabric treatment for the harness. Some felt that it is overkill, some thought is just fine given that the technology they use is not harmful (many body or fabric odor control products are seriously toxic.)
Summary
We are always excited to test new packs and on paper the Katmai/Kalmia seemed like a potentially great one. But as you read above, while Gregory has hugely improved the harness over the Baltoro, these packs still have major flaws: cheap and unreliable Velcro back and belt adjustments, zero strap sleeve, no rain cover, limited side access, etc.
Not for the first time, we could not help but wonder how or even if Gregory Mountain tests their packs… Contrast our findings, for example, with the features and performance of a Quechua MH500 40L, which is smaller but retails for one third the money, and Decathlon truly puts Gregory Mountain (owned by Samsonite) to shame. Decathlon has a full design and testing team, based not far from the famed Mont Blanc in the French Alps, that actually tests their new equipment in real conditions (just like my community does) and the results speak for themselves.
Sadly we cannot recommend this Gregory Mountain Katmai / Kalmia. Its owner, whose old DFV60 was getting beat up after over 10,000 miles, returned the Katmai and bought himself another Deuter Vario 50+10 (he said that these are getting very hard to find in North America.)
I wish you all some happy hikes in this beautiful Fall season !
