Gregory Mountain Products Icarus 40 Pack for Youth (Ultra Light)

Gregory Mountain Products Icarus 40 Pack for Youth is quality but affordable fully-featured hiking pack designed with an adjustable shoulder harness so it will grow with the kid.

Key features

Where to buy

This pack is available on Amazon. So follow the link and check shipping conditions from your location. They have a global shipping service.

What this is about

This Gregory Icarus 40 pack is from their series of two packs which includes also Icarus 30. These are fully featured hiking packs designed for youth and for smaller people in general, with a fully adjustable shoulder harness so that the pack can grow with the kid.

This is a top-loading pack with classic lid and collar underneath it, but it has also the bottom access. Note that there is no divider, so this is just an extra access point to the main compartment.

The pack is hydration compatible with the usual sleeve inside the main compartment and with the port on the top. This is a durable construction, you will see in the specifications below that they used very strong and quality fabric.

Suspension & other features

Here you have what they call Versa Fit system with an adjustable torso size in the range 13-18 inches (33-46 cm). This works together with a contoured, wrap-around hip belt, very breathable and with generous padding. This brings the load closer to the body and the pack is stable when fully loaded.

There is no metal frame here, but the pack is with an HDPE frame instead. This is partly behind its great weight which is only 2.27 lb (1.03 kg). But this pack is with the weight capacity of up to 25 lb (11.3 kg).

The back panel which you see in the picture above is from a dual density and perforated foams layered on top of one another to create a supportive yet breathable back panel.

Pockets

The pack has 5 pockets and they include:

• Two external zippered pockets on the lid.
• Two side stretch mesh pockets for water bottles or any other elongated item to carry fixed with the side straps.
• One large stretch mesh pocket on the front.

Attachment elements and straps

Here is what this pack offers:

• Dual compression straps are in the sides. The lower straps are with inside-out features which means you can pass them through the side pocket to stabilize the main compartment’s load, or over it to stabilize items carried in the side pockets.
• There is a loop on the bottom for hiking poles and it is paired with a bungee tie-off higher on the side, see the picture below.
• 4 Attachment loops are on the lid.
• 4 Attachment loops are on the bottom.
• 2 Extra loops are on the front, see the picture below.
• Dual attachment loops are on the hip belt, they are orange and you can see them in the pictures.

Please see a bit more in this short video:

Specifications

• Weight: 2.27 lb (1.03 kg).
• Weight capacity: 25 lb (11.3 kg).
• Volume: 2441 in³ (40 L).
• Dimensions: 23.6 x 11.5 x 10.6 in (60 x 29 x 27 cm).
• Torso size: 13 – 18 in (33 – 46 cm).
• Fabric:
  – Body: 210D big rip nylon & 420D high density nylon.
  – Base: 420D high-density nylon.
  – Lining: 135D high-density polyester.

Gregory Icarus 40 Pack for Youth vs Competitors

It may be a good idea to see how this pack stands when compared with some other packs for youth. So here I show it side by side with one pack from Deuter and one from Osprey.

Deuter Fox 40 is slightly heavier but it is with a metal frame, I have had it in hands recently and can tell you it feels so light. Osprey Ace 38 is also with a metal frame but see its great weight, and it comes with a rain cover as well. Please follow the links for more details.

Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons

Please see how I rate it against the same criteria used for all the packs here in the site:

Gregory Mountain Products Icarus 40 Liter Kid's Hiking Backpack

$119.95

8.9

Volume-Weight ratio

9.8/10

Features & bonuses

8.0/10

Comfort

8.8/10

Pros

• Adjustable harness.
• Very good hip belt.
• Great weight.
• Reasonable price.
• Top-quality materials and workmanship.

Cons

• No hip belt pockets.
• No rain cover.
• No bottom straps.

Buy on Amazon

Note that this is not a sponsored text and I am not paid by the brand. I love to hear from you so please use the comment box below in the case of questions or comments. I wish you a nice day.