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Gregory Miwok 24 Review

A simple, versatile, hiking focussed daypack that comfortably carries all of your essentials
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Gregory Miwok 24 Review
Credit: Gregory
Price:  $130 List
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Manufacturer:   Gregory
By Jacob Clark ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Oct 28, 2021
73
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 25% 9.0
  • Versatility - 25% 7.0
  • Ease of Use - 25% 6.0
  • Weight - 15% 7.0
  • Durability - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

The Miwok 24 is a versatile, comfortable, and accessible backpack designed specifically for day hiking that is equally useful for daily use around town. It includes special features tailored to hiking in all four seasons and is offered in a size capable of carrying all of your essentials. The pack is capable of carrying a substantial load and conforms well to the body with little movement. This pack is ideal for an avid day hiker, though less suited to more technical activities, such as climbing or alpinism. Its simple nature lends well to everyday use, on or off the trails.
REASONS TO BUY
Comfortable
Useful hipbelt storage
Form fitting
Versatile
REASONS TO AVOID
One size only
Water bottle pockets are hard to access

Our Analysis and Test Results

Gregory created a solid midweight contender for the daypack category, capable of holding its own with our best-in-class award winners. The Miwok 24 offers a mid-level range weight-to-volume ratio, a comfortable minimal suspension system, and enough features to satisfy your needs without being an overwhelming amount.

Performance Comparison


gregory miwok 24 - the miwok 24 provides solid all-around performance in a simple yet...
The Miwok 24 provides solid all-around performance in a simple yet convenient design.
Credit: Jacob Clark

Comfort


Daypacks by design don't carry heavy loads. Despite this fact, Gregory's Miwok 24 has a mesh and foam suspension style keeping weight to a minimum while providing adequate comfort for decent loads. The mesh and foam design brings the pack slightly off the back of the user, increasing the breathability of the pack and while maintaining comfortable support. The foam itself is cut with ridges that provide relief for common pressure points like the spine. While there isn't as much ventilation as a full mesh suspension style back panel, the comfort and ventilation outperform other models with similar weight and size.

gregory miwok 24 - the miwok's back panel offers a nice balance of comfortable padding...
The Miwok's back panel offers a nice balance of comfortable padding and mesh ventilation.
Credit: Jacob Clark

Weight


For having a rather robust feature set, the Miwok stays at a rather humble weight for the class. At under two pounds (29.6 ounces), the pack is in the mid-range for its weight-to-volume ratio. Although it's a bit too large for the fast and light crown, it performs well for its weight range and is ideal for most normal hikers. It is actually a bit lighter than other higher-rated packs in the same size range.

Versatility


The Miwok 24 is a fairly simple pack that is versatile enough for various uses, though it has some features specifically tailored to hiking. The pack features compression straps, an ice axe strap and loop, hip belt pockets, a sunglasses holder, and a reflector tab for a bike light. The pack remains flexible enough to comfortably be used for cycling, hiking, and scrambling. The pack doesn't have as many external pockets and attachment points like some other packs, but the features it does have are well executed and lend themselves well to multiple disciplines. The narrower profile doesn't hinder its range of motion either. The lack of an included rain cover and average wet weather performance leaves room for some improvement.

The Gregory Miwok 24 has convenient and large hip belt pockets.
The Gregory Miwok 24 has convenient and large hip belt pockets.
The chest strap includes a handy whistle in case of emergency or...
The chest strap includes a handy whistle in case of emergency or just a pup too far out of sight.

Ease of Use


Gregory struck a good balance between features and simplicity. The Miwok 24 has only the necessary features and straps to get the job done. When not in use, they stay well hidden and out of the way. The hip belts, in particular, are a wonderful feature on a pack of this size. They are large enough to fit the essentials without being overwhelming or awkward. Big plastic zipper pulls, and orange lined interior makes opening and finding items in any compartment a breeze. The small organization compartment is even lined with a soft fabric to help protect sensitive items.

gregory miwok 24 - capable of holding all the adventure goodies
Capable of holding all the adventure goodies
Credit: Jacob Clark

Durability


With the typical quality that we've experienced with other Gergory products, we didn't have any durability concerns with the Miwok 24 during our testing. The back panel and mesh pockets are tight weaves and thicker material that are not likely to snag on branches or tear from being dragged. The water-resistant nature of the pack leaves a bit to be desired, though. Without a rain cover, the pack did well, showing minimal signs of water inside. However, some soaking through of the fabric was noticed and a little bleeding through the zipper. Marginal, but still not waterproof. We would recommend a rain cover or individual protection for sensitive items inside the pack.

gregory miwok 24 - this pack continues the reputation of gregory's solid construction...
This pack continues the reputation of Gregory's solid construction, though its water-resistance left a little to be desired.
Credit: Jacob Clark

Value


The Gregory Miwok 24 offers solid value as a well-versed daypack. It is competitively priced and has a solid range of features across the board. If your goal is to find a daypack that you can take on or off the trail without breaking the budget, this is a solid contender. If you have more specific needs for a more technical pack, we would recommend looking elsewhere. While it does have some useful features, it is still a fairly simple backpack.

Conclusion


The Miwok 24 pack is a jack of all trades pack but master of none. It is best as a hiking or commuting pack, and there are still enough features, capacity, and comfort to work well no matter the activity.

gregory miwok 24 - the miwok is a simple and solid all-around performer.
The Miwok is a simple and solid all-around performer.
Credit: Jacob Clark

Jacob Clark