Gregory Robson Pro versus Osprey Eos 58

[billdnc]

I am training to hike NOBO in March. I have been doing 12 to 22 mile hikes with my Osprey Eos 58 loaded to 35 lbs which is my max cold weather weight. It seems to ride ok. Just for fun I loaded the same weight in my old Gregory Robson pro and did twelve miles with it today and it literally felt like I wasn't carrying anything. Obviously, I am going to go with the Osprey. At 2.5 lbs. versus the Gregory at 7.5 lbs. In fact, the Osprey with my bag, pad and tent weighs less that the Gregory empty. My point is that the RIDE and suspension is also very important. Of course if I had to I could carry twice as much weight and volume in the Gregory. (My Gates of the Artic hike, I carried 65 lbs in the Gregory for 100 miles.)



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[lynn523]

"I have been doing 12 to 22 mile hikes with my Osprey Eos 58 loaded to 35 lbs which is my max cold weather weight. It seems to ride ok. Just for fun I loaded the same weight in my old Gregory Robson pro and did twelve miles with it today and it literally felt like I wasn't carrying anything. Obviously, I am going to go with the Osprey. At 2.5 lbs. versus the Gregory at 7.5 lbs"

I hate to ask a stupid question but here goes: if the Gregory carried the same weight and literally felt like you weren't carrying anything, why is going with the lighter Osprey the obvious choice?

[Venchka]

Exactly!
The Emperor's New Clothes might be weightless, but if they don't do the job, what good are they?
He said having owned a Dana Design ArcFlex Terraplane since forever.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[nsherry61]

Drop your load to 20 or 25 lbs (not counting the backpack) and compare the packs.

The Exos doesn't carry more than 30 lbs very well. I think of 35 as the max tolerable weight for the Exos. If you're planning on carrying 35 lbs most of the time, the Exos is not your best choice. If you are carrying 20-25 most of the time and occasionally up to 35, the Exos is a top notch choice.

I would hope you can get your load down to the 20-25 range for March (less for later in the year), especially if your bag and tent combined is only five pounds.

[Venchka]

And what if...
The Exos doesn't play nice with my physical being at 20-25 pounds? Hey!
On the other hand, if 23 pounds of stuff in my 6.75 pound Terraplane is just fine for me and PAID FOR why should I play backpack roulette looking for the perfect UL pack? Been there done that.
And...
I can add winter gear without fear of busting out of the Exos comfort zone.

And...
I can always use my 2.5 pound Jensen pack in that same 20-25 + pound range, but I didn't want to show off.

Every thing old is new again.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[nsherry61]

And what if...
The Exos doesn't play nice with my physical being at 20-25 pounds?

That's a big no duh!

. . . if 23 pounds of stuff in my 6.75 pound Terraplane is just fine for me and PAID FOR why should I play backpack roulette . . .

Most of us would suggest that you should use what works for you. No argument there. This thread is about the OP that already has the Exos and is questioning which pack to use.

[Venchka]

Maybe the question should be, "Why buy an Exos?"
Besides, this isn't even close to the thread drift that happens routinely at WhiteBlaze.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[Water Rat]

I am training to hike NOBO in March. I have been doing 12 to 22 mile hikes with my Osprey Eos 58 loaded to 35 lbs which is my max cold weather weight. It seems to ride ok. Just for fun I loaded the same weight in my old Gregory Robson pro and did twelve miles with it today and it literally felt like I wasn't carrying anything. Obviously, I am going to go with the Osprey. At 2.5 lbs. versus the Gregory at 7.5 lbs. In fact, the Osprey with my bag, pad and tent weighs less that the Gregory empty. My point is that the RIDE and suspension is also very important. Of course if I had to I could carry twice as much weight and volume in the Gregory. (My Gates of the Artic hike, I carried 65 lbs in the Gregory for 100 miles.)



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Since you already own both packs, I would suggest going with the pack that will be the most comfortable for the majority of the trip. From your own words, it sounds like you might be more comfortable with the Gregory. You seem a bit more hesitant about the Osprey. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that - Both packs have their place in the backpacking world. At the end of the day you need to use the pack that will be the most comfortable for you. You are the one who will be carrying it 2100+ miles, not anyone else.

For the record - many of us have multiple backpacks. I personally have 3 packs - an old-school Jansport external frame, an Osprey Volt (for field work & living outdoors for months), and an Osprey Exos 48. All 3 packs fit me and I love them, but I tend to use them for different hikes. I am about to add an Arc Haul to the mix, but will most likely continue to grab the pack that best fits the hike at that moment.

Don't be swayed by the popular vote of "you must go with the lighter pack." Play with both (with the gear you will be using on this thru attempt) and see which one gets the best overall ratings from you.

Have fun and have a great hike!

[Carl7]

I used to use my Gregory Robson Pro for off trail backpacking in the Grand Canyon. Some of these trips were over 2 weeks with no resupply with up to 13 liters of water and sometimes with a pack raft. The Robson is a great pack for very heavy loads in a rough environment with sharp rocks, etc. It is a tank of a pack. It really does feel like nothing on your back with a very light load as noted above. However, for hiking the AT or similar trail, the new light packs are the only way to go. There really are a lot of really nice light packs out there.