ProView – Gregory Women’s Juno 30

Gregory is stepping up their game with their H2O packs. Just looking at the Juno 30 you can see that it has beefy hip straps, impressive back ventilation and suspension, and a sleek, clean look. Once you put it on, it’s even better. The hip belt is both supportive and comfortable and easily carries most of the weight on the hips, where you want it. The VaporSpan ventilated suspension back panel does exactly what it’s supposed to do by keeping sweat and weight off your back. I also appreciate that Gregory made this pack in both bright blue and orange as well as the more muted purple and gray options that I tested. As someone who recommends gear as a side hustle, I know that colors can be a final deciding factor when someone is torn between two choices, and Gregory did a good job providing options for different tastes.

The Hydration System

Features

This is where Gregory is really up-leveling against the competition for daypacks. The bladder itself is 3L – the perfect size for a 30L pack for longer days. I hiked two 14ers (Columbia and Yale) with this pack and the 3L was the perfect amount to get me through the long, high hikes. It also has a thin, comfortable handle that makes filling it a breeze – no more fumbling to try to hold onto your bladder while it starts to reach its maximum and end up accidentally dumping a bunch back in your sink or on your pants.

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In addition, the bladder has a quick release system for the hose, so you can leave the hose threaded through the pack when you take the bladder out to fill it. I popped this on and off dozens of times to fill, with no leaking or issues. It also has a drying hook attached, so when you get home from the trails you can just flip up the hook, hang it up and dry it out without having to use a special rack or finagle some sort of stick/hanger/whatever you find to dry it out. One of my favorite features, though, is just the bite valve open close mechanism. On some of my other brand bladders, the open close is a twist mechanism that will sometimes allow you to forget or not realize if your bite valve is open or closed… this has happened to me more times than I can count when I get distracted on the trail during a break and then get dripped on, reminding me to shut it. On the Gregory Bladder, you push a button down to close it and pop-it up to open it; it’s intuitive and there’s never a question about whether it’s open or closed (I also have another of their bladders similar to this one that I’ve used in the winter, and I’ve found that it’s easier to get unstuck while frozen.) 

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Finally, the top of the bladder has a hook to integrate perfectly into the pack. Some of my other day packs have small hooks or fabric loops for you to attach the bladder too that often leave it shifting in the pack (or they are a pain to use so I just drop the bladder into the back and it ends up sinking or squishing to the bottom). Gregory has solved this problem beautifully with this system to keep the bladder in place right where you want it – the pack and bladder are made for each other and it shows. The pack also features a hook on the shoulder strap to keep the hose from bouncing around and the bite valve has a magnetic home on the sternum strap so you can easily pop it off and into your mouth with one hand to sip on the go.

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The Pack

Features

In addition to the hydration system, this bag is full of other great features worth noting – the most important being the fit and comfort of this one size pack. The VaporSpan suspension back panel does its job well and is both comfortable and sweat-wicking. The way the back panel integrates with the hip belt, too, is key to the weight distribution, and even when I filled this bag with water, a large emergency kit, layers, InReach, and snacks, it felt virtually empty – I was continuously impressed with how well it sits and carries loads. 

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The hip belt also has large zipper pockets which I like for quick access to snacks on one side and sunscreen/lip balm on the other as well as room for a phone. I’ve noticed many brands like to shrink these pockets on their day packs and lose the functionality, but Gregory has it dialed. I also like the quick clip chest strap so you can pop it on and off with ease instead of a traditional buckle and the sunglasses QuickStow system for when you pop into the trees and want to stash your sunglasses temporarily without taking off the pack. Finally, in addition to these stand out areas, the Juno 30 also includes (and did a good job on) the standards in each category like the reinforced bottom for durability, external pockets for additional water bottles and gear, a padded valuables pocket for items that can get scratched and other internal keys and small goods pocket.

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Final Thoughts

I think Gregory knocked it out of the park with the Juno 30 H2O pack. It’s thoughtful features, superior hydration system, and top-notch comfort and support make it a great choice for a higher-volume daypack that can handle everything from a quick jaunt to an alpine lake to the top of a long 14er. I’m trying to think of some negatives and really have nothing coming to mind which might be a first. I’ve already started recommending this pack to friends and customers!

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