ProView – Gregory Alpaca 100 Review

Packing for a trip requiring lots of gear can leave you with a luggage dilemma. Duffels are always appealing with their large storage capacity, but carrying them any long distance can be tedious. Backpacks are the most comfortable, but can be limiting in size and hard to organize. Of course, if your bag will be exposed to the elements, perhaps a dry bag is in order but they are heavier and near impossible to organize on the go. Enter the Gregory Alpaca duffle specifically designed for the adventurous traveler. 

Over the past couple of months, I’ve used this duffle for two different jobs and a wide variety of field work. During the summer time, I work for a tribe in south central Alaska studying salmon. This bag was perfect for days in the field requiring minimal hiking and a large amount of gear. It was perfect to load up and throw on the back of the side by side, in a boat, or on my back. 

This fall, I have been working for the state studying subsistence fish use in rural Alaskan villages along the Yukon River. For those unfamiliar with rural Alaska, the villages are not connected by roads and can only be reach by plane or boat. Travel within the villages is typically done by 4-wheeler or by foot. I needed a bag large enough to store all of my gear for efficient travel and be able to keep it dry when exposed to the weather. The Gregory Alpaca has performed flawlessly. 

Capacity, Fit, and Comfort

The current Gregory Alpaca line is available in a 40, 60, 80, or 100 liter size. Having jobs that sometimes require me to haul large amounts of gear such, as when running education days, or be in the field for weeks to months at a time, I selected the 100 liter. I was slightly afraid the size would be too large to manage and easy to overload for air travel. The capacity is perfect for me. I’ve had it consistently loaded with 40-45lbs of gear, which is a reasonable load for me to carry and I’ve seen no signs of weakness from the bag. When packed, it is approximately 31”x17.5”x14.5”. 

The duffle handle has a reinforced fiberglass bar inside providing easy carrying when in duffle mode. The backpack straps are full padded and very adjustable. While plenty comfortable for short term hauls, it is definitely not designed to be a backpack for long distances. Did it work when I had to hike a mile and half from the village to the airport? Yes. Would I recommend doing it? No. 

Look/Style

This bag looks like a nicely built piece of gear matching the quality of any other high end brand. I have received many compliments moving through various airports. Additionally, the shiny new look continues to persevere despite being rained on, placed in the mud, stuffed into small planes, and on 4-wheelers multiple times. The water and dirt wipe off easily.

Features 

The features the Gregory Alpaca offers are nearly too numerous to list. In addition to the reinforced fiberglass duffle handle and padded backpack straps, it has a highly weather resistant exterior, heavy duty handles on each end for easy handling, sewn in daisy chain webbing along both sides to clip on extra gear, T-grip heavy duty zippers for easy opening and closing, plus extended flaps over the zippers to further increase weather resistance. Internally, you will find two zippered pockets along the inside of the top flap and a separate compartment accessible from one end of the bag to store dirty shoes or laundry. Finally, the original packaging the duffle arrives in is intended for reuse and can be used to store the duffle or as an extra packing cube to help you stay organized. Most recently, I have been using mine as my shower bag. It easily holds a towel, sandals, soaps, and a couple weeks worth of clean undergarments. 

Weight/packability

At just under 4lbs, I consider this a lightweight bag. While I love owning a wide variety of packs, it can be challenging to find space to store them all. I love that this bag easily packs down into its original cube for storage. This also makes it a great option for trips you might take where you will be bringing home more than you leave with and don’t want to haul an extra suitcase. 

Function/performance 

The Gregory Alpaca has delivered on every promise its advertisers make. It’s sat next to me for hours on a muddy runway in the rain while waiting for an overdue bush plane without letting a drop of water in from the seams, zippers, or base. Similarly, it has shed off the mud from a rough ride on a 4-wheeler or choppy boat ride with ease. It’s been stuffed into belly pods of small planes, smashed by dropped boat anchors, and stuffed into interesting luggage transport systems. The shiny exterior shows no signs of scratching or fading and this bag, some how, looks as good as the day it arrived in the mail. The backpack straps clip off and on in seconds and stay attached even under a heavy load. The spacious interior allows room for all necessary gear. I’m currently carrying a sleeping bag, two weeks worth of food, a couple outfits, lots of puffy layers, a cooking pot, and regular toiletries with ease. The T grip zippers make closing it a breeze and zippers show no signs of straining when fully packed. 

Eco-friendly

The external material on this bag is made from 100% blended recycled polyester materials, the pack body/bottom 40% recycled 900D polyester, and the lining 40% post-consumer recycled 135D polyester. Gregory uses the more eco friendly durable water repellents without PFAs on all of their products. Beyond having a lifetime guarantee (it doesn’t much matter how green your materials are if they end up in landfills), they design their products to be easily repairable and repurpose useable parts from products that are beyond repair. Gregory also uses low impact packaging and tracks their own carbon footprint. They are constantly working towards greener products and creating a better world for future generations. 

Room for Improvement 

While I love this bag and highly recommend it to other adventurous travelers, there are a few small improvements I would make. First, the Velcro that wraps around the duffle handle is a bit short and easily come apart. While not a huge deal, it’s nice to store the bag for travel with the handles tucked neatly together. Speaking of the handles, it would be nice to have a way to secure them to the bag when you have it in backpack mode. Currently, they are either bunched up behind your back or hanging off to the sides. I’d love to see the “dirty” compartment have some waterproofing (think storing wet sneakers or rain soaked clothes. I currently keep this compartment lined with a plastic bag. While I love that the backpack straps are fully removable, I wish there was a dedicated pocket or clip for them on the inside of the bag. More than once, I have had a moment of panic having dropped one or both straps. Similarly, I wish there was a key clip in one of the mesh pockets. I am constantly misplacing my keys and love utilizing those clips when available. 

Final Thoughts

The Gregory Alpaca has truly helped make traveling to remote villages a breeze. Not only is it easy to move around and spacious, it is easy to keep organized. Not having to worry about my gear getting wet during whatever conditions it faces without the inconvenience of using a top load dry bag has been incredible. The practical uses for this bag are unlimited for anyone traveling, but especially for those of us who travel using unconventional transportation. You will not regret buying this duffle!

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