As a retired professional guide, I find this pack to be ruggedly constructed and designed for comfort. The zippers, seams, loops, fabric, all the essential materials, are designed to function well and take abuse without failing. The zippers flow easily and do not jam. The pack is designed for versatility with access from numerous locations. The top telescopes to a considerable height to accommodate increased volume. Smaller loads are easily cinched down by compression straps. The downside to all this is the seemingly endless number of straps hanging everywhere, resembling Medusa's head. I miss the big side pockets that used to be almost standard on all backpacks. Fortunately, one Osprey Crampon Pocket straps perfectly to each side of this pack, with the pair adding an extra 400 cubic inches of volume. The yoke system of this pack is superb. Weight is distributed to the top of the sacrum and the hip points by the well designed and very large padding in the waist system. Some believe the weight of the pack to be a disadvantage. This pack plus the Osprey pockets come in at around 9 pounds. I have put 40 pounds of gear into this pack for a 49 lb. total. I have put the same 40 pounds in a 5 lb pack (45 lb. total) and into a 4 lb. pack (44 lb. total) and the 49 lb. total of this pack is immensely more comfortable and easy to carry than the others. I am now close to 60 y.o. and the most I have put in this pack is about 70 lb. In my 20s, I carried as much as 120 lb in my old Synergy Works pack and I can tell that this pack would easily carry that much and in far more comfort. There are other great load haulers such as McHale and Mystery Ranch, but the M.R. weighs even more and both are extremely more expensive than the Denali Pro. For serious backpackers and Sherpa duties on up to medium rated rated world class mountaineering expeditions, this pack is as good as it gets.
As the previous reviewer did a very fine job of explaining many of the features of this FIVE STAR pack, I prefer to instead focus my review on the importance of sizing this pack correctly, which in my opinion, is absolutely crucial to your happiness. The pack itself comes in three sizes, the belt also comes in three sizes, and the adjust-a-cant system can be set at three different hip angles. While there are of course other fine adjustments to be made, these three main adjustments are the most crucial for a proper and comfortable fit.
First, the pack comes in small torsos 16 to 18 inches, medium torsos 18 to 20 inches, and large torsos 20 to 22 inches. These sizes relate to different overall pack storage amounts of 100, 106, and 115 liters. This is definitely not a case of you getting to choose your desired storage capacity. It is about correct torso sizing only. You must have your torso properly measured, either by a local backpacking professional, or by using the guidelines listed at numerous websites. An incorrect torso size, either too big or too small, will cause the pack to sit uncomfortably on your back and could also cause excess swing (movement up and down) and sway (movement side to side.) Both will cause at the least, discomfort, and at the worst, suffering when carrying heavy loads. In addition you will be wasting a fair amount of your energy. You absolutely must get your torso size correct!
Second, the hip belt comes in small, medium, and large. When you wrap the belt around your waist the padded portion should come to no closer than 4 inches from your belly button, 5 inches would be even better. (Hopefully, the dealer you go to will have more than one belt size for you to try.) If you don't have the proper distance from pads' end to navel, the pack's weight will not properly distribute around your hips and again, you will suffer. One size may not fit you for any length of time so you must be prepared to switch out the belt if you gain or loose weight. Personally, I have gone from a large to a medium, and am now going to switch to a small. Even if your dealer doesn't have your belt size, or you buy online here at Amazon.com, so you can't test different belt sizes, this is not a major issue, as you can order a new belt set directly from Gregory/Black Diamond Customer Service in Salt Lake City.
Third, the adjust-a-cant waist harness can be set at three different angles depending on the slope of your hips. In general, men will set it to the least or medium slope and women will set it to the medium or greatest slope. Try the cant at more than one angle so that you can get a better idea of which slope angle works best for your hips' slope.
It is true that the pack is loaded with straps everywhere. However, each set of straps serves a very different purpose and it should take no time at all to understand each strap's function. I use and appreciate every strap.
A nice feature of this pack is its removable top, which converts into a very roomy lumber day pack. It has its own belt with its own belt clasp set, or if you don't want to carry two clasp sets, you can remove the belt clasps from the pack itself and use them with the lumber pack. I usually carry a Marmot shoulder strap with me to provide extra stability and security when I use the lumbar pack by itself.
I don't know if it is still the case, since Gregory sold-out to Black Diamond, but in the past, the Denali Pro was the only major product in the Gregory line made in the United States. The quality of American workmanship (versus Asian workmanship, which is where all of their other packs are manufactured, the Philipines I think.) shows remarkably and this is another great plus with this pack. It is tough as nails!
After all of these years, this pack is still the be-all-end-all of expedition packs, a veritable tank. As the previous reviewer has very well pointed out, don't be put-off by the pack's seemingly high empty weight. There are darn good reasons why this pack is on the heavy side when empty. It is due to its outstanding quality, durability, features, and last but not least, its unrivalled ability to carry heavy loads comfortably.
This pack is somewhat expensive, but as far as I am concerned, it is worth its weight in gold. In fact, I consider the Gregory Denali Pro to be the gold standard in expedition backpacks.
Buy Gregory Denali Pro 105 Mountaineering Pack Now
There are THREE critical things in backpacking :
1. Pack
2. Boots
3. Shelter
any one of these is not right, you simply will not be right, no matter how well everything else goes.
picking a backpack is first & foremost dependent upon your style ... if you are a trail burner, who joyously mocks others on the trail with comments such as "the lighter go farther!" then this definitely is NOT the pack for you. i'm not making a case for endurance packing or ultra-lightweight backpacking, because i enjoy both, having learned each style provides their own unique rewards.
back to real backpacking ... i'm talking about stuffing 2 weeks worth of supplies into your backpack, including shelter, clothing, cooking, food stored in bear canister, tools, rope, gloves, compass, water bottles/bladder, toiletries, water shoes ... i mean it ALL fits inside this bad boy !!!
the top portion of the pack detaches and functions as a day pack ... this is great, because it allows for day-long excursions from base camp, without having to bring your whole pack. i now dedicate that portion of the pack to my "survival gear", when i want to make a day trip i just disconnect that piece, grab some water, and i'm on my way. when teaching the boy scouts wilderness survival, they are only allowed to bring their "survival pack" ... they are always amazed what is inside my survival pack, including a mini sleeping bag from S.O.L. ... lets put it this way, i'm comfy, they're learning, and the detachable pack is what i use that makes that possible ... great little feature, use it well ;)
any good pack should be adjustable, and this pack definitely shines in this department. depending on how you stow your gear, where the weight is distributed, whether your gear has already been compressed or not, these factors all dictate different adjustments you should make to ensure the load is properly distributed to your body. compression straps everywhere allow for cinching your load, keeping it from swaying side to side or bobbing up & down when walking. ANY movement at all is BAD ... its going to tire you quicker, and many times leads to painful and unnecessary chafing/rubbing spots on your hips, back, shoulders, or neck.
buy the right size pack, bigger is not better, its just a size that is made for big guys in this case ... buy the pack that is SIZED for your body !!!
my northface superlight down sleeing bag fits perfectly in the sleeping bag compartment, and is easily accessible. my raingear fits nicely in the pack and is also easily available in the event of a sudden rain storm. the secret i have found to use this pack most effectively is dividing my gear up functionally (cooking, hygiene, clothes, etc.) and to use separate ditty bags to store those in. that way, instead of a pile of stuff falling out when opening my pack, out pops about 5-6 neat little storage bags all color coded for easy identification. an extra little tip, i use waterproof ditty bags that have a bladder on them ... when i'm going where the pack may fall into water, i actually inflate the bags before putting them into the backpack, to help create buoyancy ... and when i know i need as much space as possible for really long trips, i suck the air out of the ditty bags through the bladder valve, which helps maximize compression and reduce space required.
the shoulder straps feel like a couch, and the belt does not feel like a strap cutting into your skin, which is good because this pack is capable of carrying a 100 pound load. i don't get there any more, a heavy load for me is 80 pounds, or 90 pounds if bringing the camera gear for special occasions & scenery. and that is another excelling point of this pack, it can expand and contract very efficiently, so at the beginning of a trip it may be completely telescoped, but as you travel deeper into your trip, it easily collapses to maintain a proper fit on your torso.
the fabric, stitching, straps, and buckles are all top notch ... if you don't throw this pack around, and keep it clean and free of mildew, it could very well last you the rest of your backpacking career. this is my second one, and the first one lasted over 10 years of very heavy use as a scoutmaster. as an aside, i do NOT recommend this for boy scouts, because its really more pack than they will need at this point in their life. get a smaller pack, more suited for 1 week and weekend outings ... they will KNOW if/when they need this pack, because they will have been bitten by the bug ;)
i don't have a bad thing to say about this pack, even the price is fair for what you are getting, especially when compared to other packs that are maybe 1-2 pounds lighter, but so much more flimsy. amazon had this pack on sale for $386 when i bought it ... which is LESS than what i paid for my first one 10 years ago !!!
don't buy this as your first backpack ... buy it as your LAST backpack ... it REALLY is that good, and thats coming from a user with well over 2,000 trail miles wearing one of these on his back, NEVER complaining about the pack (just those darn switchbacks ;)
EDIT 12.10.12 a camera tripod fits perfectly where skis are normally stored on the backpack.
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I love this bag! Very comfortable.
It is perfect as expected.
If you love hiking, this is a dream bag.
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These packs are strong and do exactly what they're supposed to do. They hold quite a lot, as advertised, but when full you'll find the belts a little short. The only other thing I can gripe about is the lack of drain holes; fortunately these are built with adequate rain flaps over the zippers and if I really think I'll need drain holes I can easily install them without any trouble. Again, despite my crabbing, these are excellent packs and well worth the price.
