Review on Gregory Arrio 22 Flame Black by Bryce Wohlman

This backpack does not come with a hydration reservoir - Gregory sells it separately. I have a bladder but no pocket. It's perfect. In my opinion, the mesh back is one of the greatest backpack inventions of the 21st century. No more sweaty back and very comfortable. That should be in every package. It's surprisingly hard to find, Osprey and Gregory seem to be one of the two main companies to have it, and even then few kits in their line offer it. I think it should be in every backpack on the market. The rest of the backpack meets your expectations: a large main compartment for a jacket, snack, binoculars and, if you want, a rain jacket. That's enough for a full day hike. Not much organization inside; There's a bubble pocket and then just a large adjacent area. There is a smaller pocket on the upper front for things like a sunglass case, car keys and other small "quick access" items. On the side there is a rather small and a large pocket with a zipper; I imagine putting in a sunglass case or a 1/2 liter water bottle, certainly not a 1 liter bottle of Nalgene or anything like that. On the other side there is a mesh pocket for a water bottle. There are straps on the outside, perfect for stowing your sweater/jacket when the backpack is full inside. Just fill it in and it's a very safe way to store clothes because it kind of 'tangles' them. I deliberately bought this 22L backpack instead of the 24L backpack because of this feature. The zippers work well with fingers, the stitching is very good and there are many adjustments including a shoulder adjustment for cargo lifting that I typically only see on a 50.70L touring pack. Nice waist belt, but it's just a belt. quality in everything. As an everyday backpack, this backpack is highly recommended.