It's just an inch - Gregory Juno 30 Daypack

I’ve been searching for a supportive day hiking pack for a while. Questioning if the Juno H2O 24L version of this pack that I also ordered was a bit too small as the outside pockets were difficult to access with a full load (see my review on the 24L for details as it will apply to the 30L), I ordered the Juno H2O 30L to compare. When I opened the box and tossed the 30L pack on the couch next to the 24L they looked utterly identical. Same size, same frame, same pockets, same semi-rigid hip belt, same everything. I was convinced that CampSaver had sent me another 24L by mistake. I looked at the tag and it said 30L. Ah, I thought, that’s why CampSaver sent the wrong pack - Gregory labeled it incorrectly. Then I saw “30L’” stenciled on the pack itself. I guess this was a twin by another name.

The only difference I saw between the 24L and the 30L was that the belt straps on the 24L were 1” wide and the belt straps on the 30L were a more supportive 1.5” wide, as on most much larger packs. It wasn’t until I got out a tape measure that I found another difference: from the main compartment’s zipper to the zipper of the water sleeve it is 1” deeper. That’s it. An inch. Look at your index finger. That’s the length from its tip to its first joint. I don't know how this itty bitty inch creates an extra 6L - geez, I was told there’d be no math - but it does give just enough space to be able to use the small interior zip pocket and still access the large compartment, something that can't easily be done on the 24L. It also results in the side water bottle pockets being wider and therefore they may be easier to access. I don't know as I use the hydration bladder instead and put my Keen water shoes in these pockets (a tight fit). All other pockets are identical in size to the 24L. On my luggage scale the 24L is 2.2# and the 30L is 2.9#.

So to recap, the 30L is…

1” deeper
1/2” wider belt straps
1” wider side water bottle pockets
.7# heavier
$10 more

…than the 24L. They are identical in every other way.

As I said in the 24L review, the pack is comfortable, and the wider belt straps make it more so. The padding is not as substantial as my Osprey Aura AG 50 but it doesn't have to be as I won't carry the weight in this as I do for thru hiking. (Gregory says the 30L can handle 30# but I don't think that can be done comfortably, at least not by me, with this level of padding.)

It is large enough for the times I need to carry a week’s worth of toiletries and clothing when I do warm weather Point A to Point B day hikes in warm weather, staying the nights at B&Bs. Not that I’d ever do this, but I discovered a Bear Vault 450/500 fits inside but leaves not much room for anything else. (It does not fit in the 24L.) The stretch back (front?) stuff pocket only stretches side to side and modestly so, not side to side AND up and down like the stretch stuff pocket on my big Osprey. That lack of all-around stretch limits the pocket’s volume. Don't even think of carrying a helmet in the stuff pocket but you could get it in the main compartment.

The back length on the Juno is not adjustable. Not a deal breaker but it does seem just a wee bit short for my 18.5 back length so the belt rests around my waist not my hips. However when one looks at Gregory’s own photos, their model is wearing it up around her waist (her midriff, actually!) on the 24, 30 and the 36, so perhaps they intend for it to be worn this way. (Probably not. I’m being kind.)

BTW the chest strap magnet (and/or the bite valve magnet) is tiny and insufficient. It doesn’t stick at all. Truly. Note that the Gregory photos with the model-with-the-midriff-hip-belt show the tube hanging down loose so they know. I moved an Osprey sternum magnet over to the Gregory pack and it works great. C’mon, Gregory. It’s an item that costs under a buck. I shouldn’t have to retro fit a new $150 hydration pack. (CampSaver sells the Osprey sternum magnets.)

But despite all that, I do like the pack better than others I’ve tried. Net net: I will return the 24L (and boo-hoo lose the 20% coupon) and keep the 30L (with a puny 7% coupon). With the larger pack I’ll be able to load the main compartment with a lesser volume in order to have enough slack in the outside pockets so I don’t have to bloody my cuticles trying to get things in and out.

If you’re on the fence between the 24 and the 30 and can handle the extra half pound weight, get the 30. You can always cinch down but you can't create more space.