Gregory Alpaca Backpack Duffel Reviewed in 2025

At first glance

The Alpaca duffel comes compacted down in a rectangular case, which can cleverly double up as a packing cube. The duffel’s exterior and the packing cube are both the same 900D Polyester Ripstop with TPU Weather resistant coating, which is 40% recycled. This material is shiny and slippery to the touch, ensuring that any water should slide off effortlessly.

The duffel itself is one main compartment with one extra external pocket for perhaps your shoes or dirty laundry- anything you might want to keep separate from your main haul. This isn’t a feature we see often with other duffels, and we think it’s a useful addition to the duffel.

The Gregory Alpaca Duffel does come with removable backpack straps, two grab handles, and carry straps. There are also a dozen lash points around the pack for extras or to strap the bag down.

The best part of this bag is really its ability to be used without thinking about it. Packing it and wearing it is easy and comfortable. It’s only after considering its use that the features and quality stand-out in subsequent thought and review.

Carrying capacity and Sizes

The Gregory Alpaca duffel bag comes in four sizes: 40L, 60L, 80L, and 100L. All are designed and constructed the same. The 40L is a good carry-on size and can fit all our clothes and cosmetics you’d probably pack for a city break or some sports equipment.

The 60L and 80L are both mid-range sizes, and the uses for these are endless. As if going for a weekend camping trip, we packed into the 60L a small tent, two sleeping bags, an inflatable mattress, and then a change of clothes in the packing cube. Having everything in the same duffel bag will save you multiple trips back to the car and carrying it all much more efficiently and comfortably.

Some duffel bags like the the Jack Wolfskin 65L Expedition Trunk have a simpler cylindrical design, whereas these Alpacas are more rounded. This “ballooning” at each end means the bag can extend its volume beyond the back panel, and there’s usually a small nook to take advantage of.

A unique feature of this Alpaca duffel is the separate external pocket. Gregory does market this as a shoe/dirty laundry compartment, but of course, it’s up to you. For reference, in the 60L the external pocket could easily fit male shoes so there’s ample room.

The lining isn’t waterproof; when we poured water directly into it, it slowly trickled through. Some improvement would be if the lining were more water-repellent/waterproof. So if you want to store something damp like a towel or a tarp, we’d pop it in a plastic bag just to be sure.

The third pocket here is the one on the inside of the lid, a pretty standard feature with most duffel bags. This mesh pocket runs the full length of the lid and includes a key catcher. On the 40L it is one full pocket, whereas on the other sizes, it’s split into two. This is good for storing smaller or more important items that you want to keep separate, and since it’s mesh it’s easier to what you need.

Comfort is key

The Alpaca duffel bag has three main ways it can be worn or carried – backpack style, with the briefcase straps, or by the two grab handles.

The backpack straps are removable and have a decent amount of padding. When wearing the duffel bag, it was comfortable and curved nicely around the body. The backpack straps are removed very easily and with the external pocket, you can backpack carry the duffel and stow away the straps at the last moment.

Duffel bags are never meant to be worn for long periods, i.e. a full day, since most don’t have off-loading capacities or waist straps. Although they are great for camping and road trips, hiking backpacks will be much more comfortable and better designed for long trails.

The briefcase handles have been reinforced with an internal fiberglass rod to evenly distribute weight. Hurray to no more pinching! There is a velcro strap attached so you can close the straps together when you need to.

Lastly, two grab handles are at each end of the bag. They seem well stitched, and we liked how flush they sat against the bag. Some duffels, like the Osprey Transporter, have extra grab handles on the side. This is particularly useful with larger sizes so that 2 people can share the bag’s carrying capacity.

So, although not an issue, perhaps with the smaller 40L and 60L, we think an extra pair of handles would have been a good addition to the larger models.

Fabric and Durability

Probably the standout detail of this duffel is that it is made from 900D Polyester Ripstop with a weather-resistant coating. This fabric is the same as the Patagonia Black Hole duffels. The only difference is that Patagonia’s body fabric is 100% recycled, whereas Gregory Pack is 40%.

Polyester ripstop is a durable and lightweight fabric, popular within the outdoor industry for gear like tents, apparel, luggage, etc. By using 900D polyester ripstop (the D is for denier-like stockings) with an additional thermoplastic polyurethane weather-resistant coating, these Gregory Alpaca duffels are hardy and resilient. 

They are not 100% waterproof like the scuba-specific Stalshac, but the Alpaca will be able to withstand wet and wild weather. Their zips aren’t welded or waterproof so if they do fall overboard then you’re in trouble!

Your contents will be fine if you throw it around camp and on muddy grounds. The base of the bag is three-layer padded, with an internal coating that provides weather and abrasion resistance. This means water won’t soak through, and ragged rocks won’t rip through the bottom.

Attention to Detail

As the saying goes “the devil is the details”. Even if you have a large and hardy duffel, if the zip breaks then it’s game over.

The Gregory Alpaca uses reliable YKK zippers, including a smooth-action #10 YKK zipper for its

large U-opening lid. This opening has two zips, which feature oversized T-Grip zipper pullers for maximum leverage. These large pullers are easy to hold with gloves, so no frosty fingers when setting up camp. The external shoe compartment is also a big D-shaped YKK zip.

On each of the long sides of the duffel, there is a daisy chain of 7 loops. This can be for hanging some extra gear or perhaps to strap down on the car roof.

A unique selling point of these Alpaca Duffels has got to be their compact case. And not like some brands that claim their duffel is compactable (we’re looking at you, Patagonia Black Hole!), the Alpaca folded and packed down nicely.

Just by making the case rectangular, it can double up as a packing cube. Not only is this subtlety a genius move, but it also means we don’t accidentally lose the case since it’s always in use.

Price/Quality Ratio

Compared to the varied range of other duffels we have tested, this Alpaca Gregory is mid- to high-range. The 40L is $140, and the 100L is $200. Similar-priced duffels are the North Face Base Camp or the Patagonia Black Hole. However, with Alpaca’s tough exterior, well-thought-out design, and additional packing cube, we believe it’s better value for money.

Why choose Gregory and their Alpaca Duffel?

The 60s and 70s brought about the golden age of outdoor exploration and innovative gear companies. Think North Face, Osprey, Patagonia, and Marmot, amongst others. Each with its unique selling point, Gregory Packs’ specialty was, you guessed it, backpacks.

Still going strong today, Gregory Packs’s simple design philosophy—“Great packs should be worn, not carried”—has ensured ergonomically fitted backpacks that are insanely comfortable and last a lifetime. 

So when we got to try out their Alpaca collection, we had high expectations. We were also interested to see how Gregory had used their time-tested experience to design a duffel bag.

Do we recommend Gregory Alpaca?

Gregory Packs has always impressed us, and this Alpaca duffel collection is no exception. With extra features, obvious attention to detail, and an extra packing cube that you can actually store the duffel in, the Gregory Alpaca is a worthy backpack duffel that should last many adventures and many more years.