The new Gregory Jade 53 (2023 model) is a ventilated backpack with an adjustable-length torso designed for women for multi-day trips. It has a women’s specific hip belt and shoulder harness and has big hip belt pockets and other pockets and features that you would expect from a Gregory pack in this size & price range. I’ve been a fan of the Gregory Jade line of packs for a while and have been backpacking and winter day hiking with the previous generation Jade 53 and day hiking the rest of the year with a Jade 33 for several years. This version of the Gregory Jade 53 lives up to expectations in terms of general comfort, quality of materials and construction, and overall usability. It’s a solid choice for a comfortable multi-day pack that will haul a pretty big load with ease.
Specs at a Glance
- Volume: 53L
- Weight: 4.02 lbs (64.3 oz) / 1823g
- Gender: Women
- Type: Internal frame
- Access: 3 (top, bottom, front)
- Adjustable Torso Length: Yes
- Ventilation: Tensioned mesh with open space
- Hydration Compatible: Yes
- Sleeping Bag Compartment: Yes
- Trekking Pole Attachment: Yes
- Rain Cover: No
- Pockets: 6 + main
- Torso Size: XS/SM 14”-17”, SM/M 15”-19”
- Hipbelt Sizing: XS/SM 24″-46″, 25-48”
- Max Recommended Load: 50 lbs
Backpack Frame and Suspension
The new Gregory Jade 53 has a ventilated back panel to keep your back cooler in hot weather and help perspiration dry faster. The torso length is adjustable and uses a simple rip-and-stick mechanism to move the shoulder yoke up or down, in order to make the torso length longer or shorter. It’s very intuitive, although you may want to ask an experienced friend to help you fit the pack if you’ve never done it before so that the load rests on your hips for the most part and not on your shoulders.
The Jade 53 also features a free-floating hipbelt that follows the movements of your hips when you walk. Gregory leads the industry on this dimension and it really improves the carry with moderate to heavy loads because the pack moves with your hips instead of your back. Ladies, I’m sure you understand what I mean!
This pack also has a women’s specific shoulder harness and waist belt that are quite comfortable. The material covering the shoulder straps in this new model has been changed to something that is less abrasive so it is less irritating to your skin. The sternum strap also has an integrated whistle and hydration clip.
Backpack Storage and Organization
The Gregory Jade 53 is a top-loading backpack with a floating top lid. The main compartment can also be accessed via a zipper on the bottom which opens into the sleeping bag compartment and through a U-shaped zipper on the front of the pack under the stretch pocket that offers panel access to the interior. Panel loaders are great because they let you access gear deep inside the backpack without having to remove everything from the top first.
The floating top lid has a roomy pocket on top that has plenty of space to store snacks and essential gear with quick and easy access. There is also a pocket on the underside of the top lid which has a key clip and is handy for smaller items that you like to keep handy. The top pocket straps can be extended up, so you can overload more gear under the lid and scrunch it against the top of the main compartment.
The main compartment is roomy and the divider for the sleeping bag compartment can be disconnected so that you have a single large compartment. There is an interior pocket for a hydration system and a hose port in the center back of the pack.
The front stretch pocket is part mesh and part solid cloth for improved durability. It still works for things you want a stretch pocket for but should hold up better over time than less durable mesh pockets.
The side water bottle pockets are made with sturdy stretch mesh. They will hold a 1-liter Nalgene bottle upright placed in from the top of the pocket. There’s also a front, holster-style opening.
However, even though there is a holster-style opening, it is not possible to put a 1-liter Nalgene in the pocket that way. This opening will only work with smaller-diameter bottles. This is a change from the previous Jade 53 that could accommodate 1-liter Nalgenes holstered.
The two large hip belt pockets easily hold snacks, an average-sized cell phone, gloves, and other small items. The pockets are big enough that the curvature around my hips does not make it difficult to get the phone out of the pocket. These are much larger pockets than the previous Jade 53 and can hold quite a lot of stuff: finally, hip belt pockets big enough to be useful.
The Jade 53 is hydration system compatible. There is a pocket inside the pack for your hydration bladder with a clip to keep the bladder from sinking to the bottom of the pocket. There is a port for the hose at the top of the pack in the back and a hose clip on the right shoulder strap.
External Attachment and Compression
There are two side compression straps on each side of the pack. The lower one can be run inside the pocket, so it can be used for compression even though you have a bottle in the pocket. If used on the outside of the pocket, you can use the compression strap to attach gear to the side of the pack like a tent or pair of snowshoes.
There is a set of straps on the back at the bottom of the pack for a sleeping pad or other gear you wish to store externally like a tent or chair.
There is one set of hiking pole/ice axe loops which consists of a bungee at the top and an adjustable webbing loop at the bottom.
Similar Women’s Ventilated Backpacks
Recommendation
While the new Gregory Jade 53 is a very nice backpack and a pleasure to use, it’s worth noting that it’s around 8 ounces heavier than the previous version. I feel like we are in the age of expecting increasingly lightweight packs and that Gregory may have missed the mark by going the other way on this one. They already have a high-end, heavy load hauler in the Deva line of packs and the 60-liter Deva only weighs 9 ounces more than the new Jade 53. That said, the Jade 53 is an excellent load hauler and a very good value if you want something a bit lighter. If you don’t need to haul really heavy loads (35-50 bs) and want one for carrying 25-35 lbs instead, I’d also recommend the women’s Gregory Facet 55, which shares any of the attributes of the Jade 53, but is intended for lightweight backpacking loads.
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About the author
Wanda Rice has been backpacking since the late 1980’s. She has climbed the New Hampshire 48, the New Hampshire 48 in winter, the New England 67, the New England Hundred Highest, and the Four-Season 48. Wanda also teaches for the Appalachian Mountain Club’s (AMC) Mountain Leadership School, the AMC New Hampshire Chapter Spring and Winter Schools as well as the AMC NH Winter Hiking Series. She leads day and overnight trips for AMC NH year-round and loves mentoring new leaders. She is a gear junkie, a self-proclaimed Queen of Gear Hacks, and loves sharing her tips and tricks with others. Wanda lives in southern NH and is looking forward to moving closer to the mountains in the next few years.
