I have been using the GR1 for over a year now and have not seen something else that has made me think about replacing it, or regret the purchase. I am constantly researching and wanting new gear and I love bags, so that is incredibly surprising.

My Desired Everyday Backpack Features

Size:

An everyday backpack should be big enough to carry everything you need for a day with extra room to toss in your coat, mail, shopping, or clothes to extend one day into two. For me this means it can handle my laptop, kindle, packable grocery bag, glasses, chargers and gym gear (usually climbing shoes and an extra shirt) with extra room. At the same time carrying around a bag that is too big, so all your things end up bouncing around inside of it is no good. I have found the ideal size is around 25L, but this is also bag dependent. I have used 28L bags that feel smaller than 24L bags due to differences in layout.

Opens Flat:

Tired of losing things at the bottom of your backpack, like that now rotten banana you put in a week ago? There is a surprisingly simple solution. Get a backpack that unzips completely on three sides. If a bag is designed to unzip all but one side when you lay the bag down and unzip it you can see the entire inside. No more feeling around in the bottom of your bag.

This makes organizing and retrieving specific items from your bag much easier. Packing becomes more like tetris and less like filling a stuff sack. You know exactly where you put everything. Then, instead of having to take everything out to find what you want, you can either unzip it entirely, or just unzip the section where your item is, even if it is towards the bottom of the pack, and get out only what you want.

Organization without limitation:

Having internal organization in a backpack is extremely useful, especially for smaller items. You do not want fragile items, or items you need to access frequently, like glasses, floating around in a big compartment. On the other hand you do not want your bag so subdivided that you can’t fit something larger, like that package you are taking to the post office.

Pockets that you can put things in when needed, but flatten out and do not interfere with the overall versatility of your bag’s space are key.

Comfortable to carry:

If a backpack is not comfortable to carry then you will not use it. The pack should have some structure. If it does not different loads will completely change how it feels, with its contents poking you in the back, or throwing off the balance of the bag, and it will not stand up to heavier loads.

The shoulder straps should be comfortable, even when you have a lot of weight in the pack, without requiring waist straps. With a laptop and fully loaded ~25L you can end up with a heavy pack. Waist straps are useful, but I do not like having to use them on my everyday backpack. Frequently it will not be so loaded down, so they will be unnecessary and this pack will be put on and taken off a lot, so waist straps become a nuisance. They end up not getting used and just getting in the way. Even stow away waist straps generally end up messing with how the backpack sits on your back by creating a lump where your lower back meets the back panel.

Durable:

This bag is going to get used a lot… every day… It is going to get overstuffed, dropped in the dirt, rained on, left in the sun, scuffed and whatever else your life throws at it. It has to be able to withstand all of this, or you’re going to be replacing it all the time.

Water resistant:

Waterproof means the bag can be submerged without letting in any water. That is overkill, but not having to worry about the contents of your bag, especially if there is a laptop in it, when you are walking through the rain without an umbrella is wonderful.

Goruck GR1

It opens flat making it incredibly easy to organize. I frequently use it for overnights, or weekend trips. It works very well with packing cubes if you are into those. If you are not you probably haven’t used them and should check them out. Recently I got everything I needed for a 5 day trip to Budapest in my GR1 with room leftover.

The top internal zip pocket is great for glasses, keys, wallet, phone. The bottom internal pocket is great for chargers, or whatever else. Somehow these pockets seem to have a lot of room without taking away from the overall internal volume.

During the weeks I put my climbing gear in the bottom of it; kindle and bike lights in the external slash compartment; glasses, wallet, phone and other small items in the top internal zippered compartment, which is easy to access on the go; laptop in the laptop compartment. This leaves enough room in the main compartment for overnight clothes, my coat and sweater, a package, or whatever else.

It is the most comfortable bag I have ever carried. With thick padded shoulder straps and a stiff frame sheet giving the back structure it sandwiches your body, so even with extremely heavy loads the weight does not rest on top of your shoulders leading to fatigue and cutting off blood to your arms. It is a little like what a waist strap normally does, but without a waist strap. The setup makes you stand up straight, but not in an uncomfortable way. I frequently bike to work and have found the GR1 just as comfortable on a bike.

In terms of durability it may be overkill. I have used it for over a year and barely notice the wear. All that has changed is the color has faded a bit. No matter how full I pack it I never feel like a seam, or zipper is going to break when I am putting all my strength into compressing it and and pulling the zipper to get it closed.

The zippers are wonderful. They pull easily, but will not unzip on their own. I have accidentally left the bag unzipped at the top when it was fully loaded and it did not unzip further on its own.

The bag is also water resistant and even in heavy downpours, like the Boston Marathon in 2018, the contents have remained dry. The material has just felt a little damp on the inside.

Flaws

Laptop compartment waterproofness:

I am not confident in the waterproofness of the laptop compartment. The laptop compartment is located right on your back, which is ideal for weight distribution. It has a zipper that goes under the backpack straps, so it cannot be accessed while it is on your back, which is good for security. The issue with this setup, though, is that this zipper sticks out a little from the top of the pack, so when it is raining hard rain can roll down through the zipper. It is generally not an issue, but I did get water in the laptop compartment during an extended stay in a really heavy downpour. If that is a situation you know you are going to be in I would recommend simply putting your laptop in the stretch pocket of the main compartment

Back Ventilation:

To be fair I have not met a backpack that does not make my back sweat more than it would be without a backpack on. That said the GR1 does not expend much effort ventilating the back panel. This is the price you pay for the efficient shape and comfort. In my opinion it is worth it.

Cost:

This bag costs $395. I have never seen Goruck have a sale, so you are not likely to get it cheaper. That is a lot of money for a backpack. That said if your backpack is incredibly durable and designed to do everything you want it to exceptionally well it’s a one time cost unlike most backpacks in my experience.

Features

• 26L
• 1000D Cordura Nylon
• laptop compartment
• internal ⅔ stretch compartment
• two internal zip pockets
• one outside slash pocket

Alternatives

Goruck Rucker (25L) - cheaper without a laptop compartment

The only difference between this backpack and the GR1 is that it does not have a laptop compartment, it has more handles and costs $265 ($130 less than the GR1). If you do not mind using a laptop sleeve your laptop could go in the internal stretch compartment. It would just be harder to access when the bag is full

Goruck GR1 21L - does not require such a long back

The GR1 26L is quite a tall bag, so this can be a good option if you have a shorter back.

Evergoods CPL 24 - cheaper without the military styling

Evergoods was started by a product engineer from patagonia and a co-founder of Goruck, so their products have some similarities. The CPL 24 has a nearly identical layout to the GR1. It uses 500D cordura nylon, so it is not quite a durable, but keep in mind the GR1 is overkill. From what I have read it meets all of my criteria. The only thing I am not sure about is how comfortable it is to carry, but the straps look padded and it has a frame sheet like the GR1, so it is probably pretty good. It would also fit in a little better in a business environment, although I have never felt out of place with the GR1 in Boston, or Berlin.

Pictures