Gregory Rhune 22 Review

Hello! I have bought a Gregory Rhune 22 backpack a few weeks ago and I want to make a review to contribute to the community!

So, first off: this is some of the most thoughtful organization I have seen in a backpack. You can tell that this bag was made by people who would want to use it. It has everything you need for day-to-day organization, even down to a dedicated AirPods/earbuds pocket right on your left strap that I use every single day (so so convenient).

So pros:

• it is a Gregory pack, so it comes with the Gregory quality and warranty support you would expect from them.
• Made with lightweight recycled rip-stop polyester (in some places, too much so)
• Organization is abundant. You will not run out of places to put things in this bag, and I have lost my habit of letting things fall to the bottom of the bag immediately after getting this due to its thoughtful organization.
• Almost clamshell main compartment is great for travel, and the fact that it opens right up with no lip on top of the (wonderfully false-bottomed) laptop pocket means you will not miss a dedicated laptop compartment at all. Even if it is fully packed, you will have no troubles just getting your laptop out of the bag in a single zip.

Cons:

• the lightweight, thin rip-stop is great for hiking bags and bags of that sort, but I feel like Gregory definitely should have added some more durable fabric or at least a protective PVC or TPU coating to the bottom of the pack, similar to how The North Face does things on their commuter bags. The single thin sheet of fabric on the bottom of the bag has no padding at all, leading to sagging if you put something even slightly heavy in the main compartment, and offers no drop protection for anything in the main compartment. Though, this can be easily fixed with just a piece of cardboard cut and put into the bottom, but that’s an extra hassle that should have been fixed in the beginning imo.
• the entire bag is made from the same recycled plastic material, which is great for the environment, but that plastic is rough, especially on the straps and back of the pack. It sorta scratches you every time you put the pack on. This is a non-issue once you get used to it, but if you are expecting some soft material, this is not it. I also wonder how the rough material rubbing on your back all day would affect shirts with graphic designs on the back.
• lack of a bungee system kinda sucks, as I wish I could just throw a wet jacket outside of the pack itself, but it’s not like you expected it to come with one if you looked at the listing.
• the water bottle holder is verrrry loose for bottles less than 30oz or less than 3” in diameter. My 24oz hydroflask has slipped out multiple times while putting it down. I wish it had some securing straps over the holder like TNF borealis or recon does.

Overall, this is a great pack, but misses the mark on a few things that you would not think of when you use it, but seem like a bit of an oversight when you use it regularly and notice those things. For the price I would expect just a bit more durability on the bottom of the pack especially, but if I’m honest, I believe this will be a non-issue unless if you are very rough with your pack. Rip stop is a great material, but if there is only a single thin 300d layer, things can happen. Regardless, I love this pack, as I would not find such thoughtful organization and zipper placement in any other pack I have researched. Just a few improvements would make this the perfect go-to commuter backpack.

Hope this was insightful to anyone looking for a new bag!