Outdoor gear storage made easy: Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection review
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In a world with seemingly endless outdoor equipment — from sleeping bags and sleeping pads to camping tents and backpacking gear — it’s easy for your gear closet, garage or storage unit to get unwieldy in no time. Proper storage and organization are key to keeping your gear in order (and long-lasting too). Not to mention, knowing exactly where your gear is when you need it can make all the difference in getting out the door and into nature faster and more efficiently, whether it’s a weekend at the campground or a quick hike or bike ride near home.
Legacy backpack brand Gregory, known for its hiking, backpacking and travel packs and accessories, recently launched a new line of gear storage and organizers: the Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection. The eight-piece set includes totes, boxes, baskets, duffels, pods and a wagon, all built for storing, hauling and keeping your gear secure and organized both indoors and out. Gregory prides this collection on its versatility and durability and proudly touts that this set of gear organizers is likely the last you’ll ever need (or want) to buy.
Over the last few months, I’ve completely overhauled my gear closet with the Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection. The bins, bags, baskets and more have drastically improved how I organize, store and protect my outdoor equipment both at home and in the great outdoors. Let’s get into why the Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection has changed the gear organization and storage game.
Gregory 30-Liter Alpaca Gear Tote
Designed for quick and easy access to your equipment. A sturdy aluminum frame provides durability and protection while recycled fabric sidewalls allow you to pack down and save space when not in use. Arguably one of the top picks in the collection for its uniqueness and versatility, the tote features easy-to-grab handles, reflective gear loops, a large interior zippered pocket to carry smaller items and a mesh bag for storing when you aren’t using it.
Gregory 70-Liter Alpaca Gear Basket
A favorite of the collection, this tough, flexible and spacious basket is fit for all types of adventures. A strong aluminum frame provides durability and strength for carrying heavy, bulky items while its fabric sidewalls collapse to save space when empty. Perfect for packing camping essentials or organizing gear in storage, it fits a plethora of gear, thanks to its impressive capacity. You can easily carry gear from the car to the campsite to the closet using the basket’s built-in handholds on all sides of the frame.
Gregory 45-Liter Alpaca Gear Box
Waterproof, dustproof and durable, the Alpaca Gear Box prevents your gear from getting wet, dirty or damaged, thanks to its smash-proof polycarbonate construction, sealed gasket interior and drainage channels on the lid. The clear, flip-flop hinged lid lets you see your gear with a glance and get inside with ease, and the boxes were designed to nest when empty and stack securely on top of one another when full. This heavy-duty storage container is fully worth the investment.
Gregory 10-Liter Alpaca Gear Pod
Bite-sized organizers for gear of all sizes. Keep your items protected, secure and in view with these padded bottom and side storage cubes. A zipper mesh lid gives you visibility into the contents inside and top handles make it easy to grab each pod and carry them where you need to. Designed with a durable ripstop outer fabric, these small but mighty soft-sided organizers can withstand wear and tear while in tow. A smaller, 5-liter size is also available.
Gregory 25-Liter Alpaca Wide-Mouth Case
A framed, zippered opening pops open and stays that way for convenient packing, unloading and access, and two sturdy fabric handles allow you to carry the case with ease. The 25-liter main interior compartment fits accessories like electronics, bug spray, headlamps and tools, while interior mesh pockets and exterior zipper pockets organize even smaller accessories.
$100 at Gregory Packs
$100 at REI
Gregory 50-Liter Alpaca Wide-Mouth Duffel
A bigger version of the 25-liter Alpaca Wide-Mouth Case, the 50-liter Alpaca Wide-Mouth Duffel can fit larger items, including tents, camp chairs and clothes. Large interior zippered pockets and mesh pouches keep smaller essentials separate from bigger gear and secure them while traveling. Exterior zipper pockets provide extra organization as needed, and an attachable shoulder strap helps you comfortably carry the duffel on the go.
Gregory 140-Liter Alpaca Gear Wagon
With 140 liters of storage space on wheels, the Alpaca Gear Wagon is the ultimate gear hauler. Its durable, rust-resistant frame allows you to carry up to 250 pounds of equipment, and four 8-inch all-terrain wheels can stand up to bumpy, muddy terrain at the campground, in the backyard or at the park. Interior access pockets help you store and secure smaller items while on the go and a durable mesh bottom with a removable floor allows for easy cleaning. The collapsible wagon also comes with a rain and sun cover to protect your gear from the elements.
What we liked about it
Gear storage, organization and transport come easy with the Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection. The mix of duffels, bags, boxes and even a wagon provides the proper means of protection for and tidiness of your gear. Read on to learn how this collection keeps your gear exactly where you need it, for whenever you need it.
Durable and built to withstand the elements
What stands out most about the gear in this collection is its highly durable design that’s rip-, tear- and smash-proof. All soft-sided items, including the tote, basket, case, duffel and wagon are constructed with a rugged exterior ripstop fabric made from blended recycled polyester that’s built for long-lasting use. Even after moving the 5-liter and 10-liter gear pods in and out of the Alpaca Gear Box to chucking the wide-mouth duffel and case on the ground and into my trunk, I didn’t run into any issues with abrasion or wear and tear while testing the collection over the last three months.
I’m specifically impressed with the Gregory Alpaca Gear Box’s design and durability. Billed as fully waterproof and dustproof, this box seals out the elements including water, debris and dirt. Channels on the top of the box lid allow water to drain off the sides of the box instead of pooling on top. Surrounding the underside of the lid, Gregory has also installed an inner rubber gasket to prevent water and dust from seeping inside. That said, the gear box is not fully submersible in water but, rather, can withstand water infiltration from all directions. In other words, you can leave this outside at the campsite in a torrential rainstorm and your gear won’t get wet.
I’m also a big fan of the 1-inch gear loops on the sides of the gear box, which allow you to securely fasten down the container in or on your car. You can also thread a padlock through to lock the box and prevent anyone (or anything) from tampering with your gear inside.
Impressively spacious
The Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection boasts a whopping 375 liters of combined storage across the entire line. Double up on some of the items in the collection and you can increase the capacity of your gear storage even more. I was able to fill up all the containers in the collection (with the exception of the wagon) with gear to sustain me and my partner for a full camping weekend. That included two sleeping pads, two camp pillows, two camp chairs, a Jetboil, two pots and pans, a throw blanket, an AeroPress, coffee mugs, a portable power bank, headlamps, cooking utensils, a tent and more. That’s a lot of gear.
Loaded with pockets and thoughtful features
Pockets come in handy when trying to organize and keep track of smaller items and accessories — from headlamps and multitools to tent stakes and camp kitchen utensils. Especially while traveling from gear closet to the campground, organizing gear in its proper place can mitigate headaches and waves of panic when you can’t find what you’re looking for once you’re out in nature.
In particular, the Alpaca Wide-Mouth Duffel and Alpaca Wide-Mouth Case are jam-packed with zippered and mesh pockets for fine-tuned storage. Large and small interior pockets are great for storing smaller items alongside bigger pieces of gear and a discreet zippered pocket with a key clip on the Alpaca Wide-Mouth Duffel keeps your important belongings safe and secure. Trust me, there have been plenty of times when I’ve misplaced my car and house keys after a long camping weekend.
Another one of my favorite features of the collection is Gregory’s thoughtful design of the flip-flop hinge lid on the Alpaca Gear Box. It allows you to open the top of the box from either side of the container. This especially came in handy when I accidentally packed the box tight on my gear shelf with little room to spare on one side. Instead of needing to lift the heavy box from the middle of the shelf, I simple was able to open the box lid. The lid is also fully removable, making it easier to load and unload bulky items.
What we didn’t like about it
With testing comes the need to consider critical feedback too. There are a few things that might make the Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection less desirable than alternative options for gear storage and organization.
Price point
At just shy of $650 for the full roster of items, it’s not lost on us that the Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection comes at a steep price — especially when you consider you can get a six-pack of Lifetime Home Storage Bins on Amazon for nearly the same price as a single Gregory Gear Box. However, I’ve said this before and I will continue to say it again and again: You get what you pay for. Gregory’s attention to detail and investment in creating products with high-quality and durable materials means you can rest assured these products will last much longer than those cheap bins. And if your gear does take a bigger beating than expected, you can always tap into Gregory’s product lifetime guarantee.
A bit bulky
If you’re looking for slim and trim storage system and gear organizers, this might not be the best purchase for you. With eight different items across the Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection, many of which are heavy in weight and have a bulkier design, these gear organizers definitely take up a lot of room. I stacked all eight items in my gear closet, and the collection took up almost two full shelves. Unpacked out of organizers, I could fit nearly double the amount of gear on the same shelf space. That said, my gear is significantly more organized and protected inside the Gregory gear storage accessories.
If space and finances are limited, of course, you can always pick and choose which specific items from the collection suit your needs instead of buying the whole line. Of all the items in the collection, I wouldn’t want to live without the Alpaca Gear Tote, Alpaca Gear Basket or Alpaca Gear Box. In my opinion, these three items are the most practical and worthwhile purchases for their storage capacity and uniqueness. On the flip side, I’d pass on the Alpaca Gear Wagon and Alpaca Gear Pods if I wanted to save some money, as there are more affordable and lighter-weight alternatives out on the market. More on that below.
How it compares
Gear storage and organizers are a growing category in the outdoor gear space. Many brands from Topo Designs to Kelty to The North Face have launched their own versions of soft- and hard-sided storage containers and organizers for outdoor and camping gear. While we love the Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection for its durability, design and versatility, there are certainly other options we’d recommend.
If you’re on the hunt for soft-sided storage bins for your basement or the campground, the Kelty Car-Go-Box ($105) is a great pick. Perfect for organizing camping, climbing or bike gear or setting up your car for a road trip, the four-piece set comes with three color-coded packing pods (an alternative to the Alpaca Gear Pods) and a larger structured folding case they fit inside. The Topo Designs Mountain Gear Bag ($145) and Mountain Hardware Camp Tough Tote ($75) are also great picks, especially if you’re a fan of an easy-to-travel-with tote that’s got an abundance of pockets to stash smaller items.
Need more budget-friendly options? A four-pack of classic 66-Quart Rubbermaid Roughneck storage bins ($105) are a safe bet. Plus, since they’re clear on all sides, you can easily see what gear is inside. The more rugged two-packs of 24-Gallon Rubbermaid ActionPacker️ ($119) bins and 27-Gallon Homz Durabilt ($72) storage containers are solid options too. On the wagon front, consider this Collapsible Folding Outdoor Utility Wagon ($64), which is less than half the price of Gregory’s burly beast.
Bottom line
Getting your gear organized and secure is a smart move — especially if you want your expensive outdoor equipment to last a lifetime. Even more, staying organized is a sure way to avoid forgetting what you need when preparing to go outdoors. Hikers, campers, climbers, bikers and general outdoor enthusiasts in the market for gear storage containers will love the durable and versatile Gregory Alpaca Gear Collection. Regardless of whether you own the full collection or just have a few items, keeping your camping and outdoor equipment safe and secure (and your sanity in check with an organized gear closet) pays for itself. You’ll thank yourself when your gear is organized, protected and ready to pick up, pack up and go.
Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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