Gregory Optic & Octal Backpacks Discussions | Drop

Free Standard Shipping in the US on orders over $99

Gregory Optic & Octal Backpacks

Showing 1 of 49 conversations about:

Gregory Optic & Octal Backpacks

Brett919

128

Oct 1, 2018

To me, the quick-access side/water bottle pockets are one of the biggest selling points. I've gotten away from bladders and this permits access to water without doffing the pack. I first encountered these on my previous generation Exos, and it led me to purchase a Gregory Paragon 58 which has it on one side. The Optic has it on both sides. I haven't carried bottles horizontally as shown but I find it doable to pull the bottle out bottom first. I don't know about the strength of the mesh on this pack but I often carry two smart water bottles in the quick-access pocket on the Paragon. Given that this pack has two quick-access pockets, even if the pockets couldn't handle two bottles each, that's still 2 liters of available water which generally is a few hours worth of hydration. I've had the Paragon on my back continuously for up to 7-8 hours before stopping to filter water and camp (I slept very well that night). I don't hike fast but I try to just keep moving, and accessible food and water while on-the-move are critical to me making a decent number of miles by the end of the day.