Hunting for a new backpack can be an overwhelming and daunting challenge: features, bells, whistles, pockets - even trying to decide what you're looking for in a daypack can be dizzying. Pleasingly, however, we've found the Gregory Citro 24 pack to be a very safe bet.
US brand Gregory is a backpack specialist – it doesn’t make anything else – and this specialism and expertise shines through with the Citro 24.
It is well-designed with loads of features, good ventilation, an excellent back system, and a comfortable carrying experience. It ticks all of the boxes and, for a high-end hiking daypack, is fairly priced at £125.
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Pros
- Excellent design
- Fully featured
- Comfortable carrying experience
- Durable
Cons
- Only one back length sizes
- Could be more sustainable
Back system: panel, frame, and harness
The Citro 24 is extremely comfortable to wear. The shoulder straps, hipbelt, and back system work in harmony, with each element offering high levels of performance. The load transfers to your hips nicely when required, and the back system hugs the body snugly - striking a nice balance between stability and lightness.
Gregory says the pack is suitable for loads up to 9.1kg, and for day walks this is more than enough.
Around the Citro’s perimeter there is an internal rectangular alloy steel frame, which gives the pack good stability and rigidity, while externally the back system consists of a suspended VaporSpan mesh panel.
This leaves an air gap between your back and the frame to improve ventilation and a less sweaty carrying experience. The VaporSpan back panel has hundreds of perforated holes too, which further enhances breathability and ventilation. It is also very springy and flexible, and feels very comfy against your back.
In terms of the Citro’s ActiveFlex harness, the shoulders straps and hipbelt are both made from perforated EVA foam. These aren’t the most thickly padded, but they hug your figure tightly for a fine-tuned, tailored fit. The hipbelt is pre-curved with a shape that cradles the hips excellently.
Back length and sizing
The Gregory Citro 24 is available in one back length size only, although there is a women’s specific version – the Juno 24. The back length is suitable for torso lengths of 16 to 21 inches, according to Gregory.
The back system is non-adjustable, so it either fits or it doesn’t. For us, at 5ft 9” tall, it fitted well and we imagine it would be fine for anyone a few inches either side of that height.
If you want a Gregory pack with more back length size options, the premium Zulu 30 is available in two sizes. The small/medium version fits people with a torso length of 15 to 19 inches, while the medium/large fits those with a torso length of 18 to 22 inches.
Volume, shape, and weight
The Gregory Citro 24 has a capacity of 24 litres, but it’s also available in a 30 litre option. The women’s version of the Citro is called the Juno, and it’s available in the Juno 24 and Juno 30 sizes.
The Citro 24 has a standard, well-proportioned backpack shape, with a slightly more angular cut than some others. It measures 52cm (height) x 28cm (width) x 20cm (depth), and it weighs 920g. This is a mid-range weight; far from the heaviest daypack out there, but definitely not ultralight either.
Features: lid, straps, pockets, and weather protection
The Citro 24 does not have a lid. Instead there’s a U-shaped zipper, which is protected by a stormflap over the top of the bag, providing quick and easy access to the main compartment. You get an excellent number and arrangement of pockets. On both sides a stretchy, mesh bottle pocket is big enough to securely store a one-litre Nalgene, and – with a bit of arm contorting – you can just about grab and stash said bottles on-the-go, without taking the pack off.
On the front of the pack, at the top, there’s a small zippered pocket (commonly used to store the included Gregory rain cover). Below this is a medium-sized stash pocket made from stretchy mesh. We found this extremely useful for stashing a spare warm layer, waterproof, snacks or whatever else you need to grab quickly.
Internally there’s another zippered mesh pocket, which is useful for car keys, a wallet or other small items, and both of the hip fins have zippered pockets too.
External straps on the pack include a trekking pole attachment point with a bungee closure system, as well as side compression straps which are useful if you’re storing something long and thin (such as a camera tripod) in the bottle pockets.
Other features are plentiful. The interior of the bag has a sleeve to house a hydration bladder (Gregory recommends pairing the Citro 24 with the Gregory 3D Hydro reservoir). Above the sleeve there’s a clip – Gregory’s SpeedClip hydration hanger – for securely “hanging” the reservoir in place. The bladder’s hose can be threaded through a narrow slit in the top of the backpack and then a clever little groove on the sternum strap will hold the hose in place below your shoulder.
Another nice touch – although one this might be redundant for much of the year in the overcast UK climate – is Gregory’s Sunglasses QuickStow system, a combo of a stretchy tab and a bungee cord for securely storing your sunglasses on the left shoulder strap. You also get reflective webbing loops for visibility and moulded zipper pulls.
In terms of durability and weather protection, the Gregory Citro 24 feels robust and sturdy. The lack
of a lid may expose the top of the bag to the rain more than you’d hope, but you can always use the
included rain cover for added waterproofing. The rain cover has a handy little clip that attaches to the bag, thus preventing it flying off in the wind.
The main body of the bag is made from a mix of 210-denier and 420-denier nylon, both of which feel very tough and abrasion-resistant. The base of the pack – a common area of wear and tear, caused when the bag is plonked on the ground time after time – has a dual-layer of 420-denier, high density nylon. The bag’s internal lining is a lighter 135-denier polyester that’s 50% recycled.
Verdict
The Gregory Citro 24 Backpack is a comfortable and durable daypack with loads of practical features and an excellent back system – but there’s only one back length size option.
How we tested
Our tester for the Gregory Citro 24 was James Forrest. James is one of our long-time freelance gear testers both for LFTO and our print magazine, Trail.
As well as being a prolific long distance walker James is also one of the most high profile outdoor writers in the UK.