This pack is marketed for backpacking, but I have found it invaluable for long approaches, moderate alpine climbing, and high altitude work. For a pack in this price range I expected the Gregory Shasta to be a little uncomfortable, but after three seasons of slogging heavy loads up all kinds of terrain, I have come to trust this pack for all my heavy duty work. It is important to remember that each pack fits every person differently, but if this pack fits your body style like it does mine (20-21 inch torso, narrow-er waist, pack size L), even 60+lbs of gear will ride like a dream. The suspension is smart but simple, transferring weight to the hips well, but then feels like a piece of clothing when cinched tight for steeper terrain. The Shasta seems to easily adjust to fit over everything from down jackets to single base layers, pending you buy a model where your torso size in nearer the bottom the size range- which is my suggestion. The materials are rugged and have suffered no tears or rips against 3 years of rock and ice, and the beefy zippers have managed many serious over-stuffings. The hipbelt mounted waterbottle holster is very nice for drinking on the fly. Simple, strong, no frills, and carries well during all activities.

I broke in my Gregory Shasta backpack up in the John Muir Wilderness July 2-8. This pack is awesome!. I am 6'-1" and went for the medium. My torso measurement is 19" which is right on the border between med amd lg. I was carrying 55lbs and had plenty of room for the trek. I had a day of fine-tuning and I then got it right for the rest of the hike (I strongly recommend a 1-day trek for fine-tuning prior to extended trips). The auto-cant harness system and adjust-a-cant waist belt allowed me to custom-fit my pack to my body and carrying load. I found that I could fine-tune the weight-bearing areas of my waist and shoulders to always be comfortable. The flo-form harness and waistbelt was extremely comfortable and the aerotech mesh backpanel kept my back very cool and dry.
I love the top and bottom access to the pack and my sleeping bag packed well at the bottom. The top of the pack includes a removable fanny pack for quick day hikes.
Overall, the Gregory Shasta backpack is a great value and is very comfortable. I recommend it for extended trips in the backcountry.

I have owned three diferent packs, and I was finally happy that I found a match to my torso. I guess the third is a charm. Well in did it has been a charm, excellent design, weight distribution is superb, I had a 35lb load on a 3 day trip, didn't even feel it, and what surprised me the most, the space between the pack and my back kept it very cool and not soaked in sweat. This baby has it all.

Once, I hiked 600 miles on the AT with this pack, from Katahdin to Massachusetts. Soon after the 100 Mile Wilderness, where I carried 10 days' supply, I mailed home the removable daypack on top. The Shasta is a bit too heavy for my liking, but practically bomb proof, without lotsa straps and such. For large packs, I prefer GoLite, which give you cubic inches while cutting down on one of your heaviest items, the pack. Notably, the top compartment has proven to be one of my most reliable daypacks, tested in the Northwoods, Utah's high deserts and the Mayan Mountains of Belize. A worthy investment, indeed.

I needed a pack to take with me on multi-day fishing trips. I read dozens of reviews and chose the Shasta because buyers consistently raved about its durability and suspension. I wasn't disappointed. However, I'm not a seasoned hiker, I only hike to get to the fishing spots. I decided to hike from White Wolf (in Yosemite) to the Tuolomne River. The 8 mile hike wasn't bad, and even the 3700 ft elevation was endurable. I didn't weigh the pack, but I'm guessing was 20-25 lbs. The dumbest part was thinking I could make a day trip out of this! I left the river at 5:00, giving myself 4 hours to get back to the camp. 8 hours later, at 1:00 am, I arrived. My legs were rubber, but I had no blisters or burns from the pack. It's hard to imagine completing the trip with a pack that didn't fit like a glove. In the future I will be much smarter about trip planning, but at least I know I have the right pack.

Good pack...survived several days of bad weather while rain forest trekking. Kept things dry and felt good on the back.