It’s a gear review today, and I’m thrilled to be reviewing my day hiking backpack! The G4Free 45L (45 liter) Hiking Backpack has done me extremely well over the last 5-ish years (I forget exactly when I got it, though pictures suggest it was sometime in 2021). It’s durable, has so many useful pockets, and is the perfect size for my full-day hikes.
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I’ll mostly talk about the backpack in the video review (below), but I’ll also give some quick pros and cons, as well as mention my favorite features. Note that I did not receive this backpack in exchange for a review; a family member purchased it on sale for me for Christmas (or was it a birthday?) as a regular buyer. All thoughts are my own. I have used this pack for approximately 5 years at this point, so I can talk about it with familiarity from lots of use (and abuse…) Or you can purchase the backpack here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOEat4DJaZU
G4Free 45L Hiking Backpack Pros:
Durability. This pack is seriously durable. I’m not gentle on my packs, and this one has held up well (except for the side pockets – I’ll get to those in the cons section). All the zippers are still going strong, all of the seams have held (no easy feat for me), and the buckles haven’t broken. (Can you tell I’ve had issues with other packs?) The bottom, while it’s not leather, has held up reasonably if not perfectly to sliding over rocks from time to time.
Lots of pockets. And they’re useful! In some backpacks, the pockets are either so numerous that none of them are big enough to store anything of any size or else there is one big pocket and everything gets lost inside of it. This pack strikes a good balance between the size of the pockets and the number of pockets.
Very Adjustable. I struggle with most backpacks to get them adjusted small enough for my small size and short waist. This one is adjustable enough to fit me, and it could still get smaller. It can also be adjusted to be big enough for the 6ft. members of my group.
Very Comfortable. Sure, the pack gets heavy when I’m carrying a full bag of tortillas, a couple of raincoats, a full size bag of trail mix, lunch, jackets, snacks, 96oz. of water, and who-knows-what-all-else. I have yet to weigh my pack on a “heavy” day, but it has to be in the realm of 10-20lb. Yet the padded arm straps and the waist strap are still comfortable.
Waist Strap and Chest Strap. Both of these is a real asset in distributing the weight someplace other than my shoulders, though you don’t have to use either unless you want to. The chest strap buckle has a whistle for emergency situations and a place to hang a bottle of bear spray.
Breathable Back Padding. While I certainly still sweat beneath this pack (what do you expect at 80+ F plus intense sunshine?), it breathes reasonably.
Rain Cover. The pack comes with a rain cover that folds very small into the base of the pack (and yes, you can put it back in and it isn’t in the way when it’s not raining). The cover is nowhere near as waterproof as the advertisements say, but it’s perfect for a misty day as long as it’s not pouring rain.
Trekking Pole Attachment. I can easily carry my hiking poles on the outside of the pack. This may be one of my all-time favorite features of the pack. To see how I do it, watch the video.
Size. It’s big enough for me to carry all of my gear (and some of my companions’ gear) for the entire day. If you do short hikes, this pack is way overkill on size. But if you need all of your gear for a day, including multiple layers and water and lots of snacks, there is space for everything.
Media pocket. I don’t usually carry a laptop with me, but every once in a while I’ll use this as a travel backpack, and then it’s great to be able to so easily carry my laptop.
G4Free 45L Hiking Backpack Cons:
Side Water Bottle Pockets. These are terrific – a good size; perfect for a 32oz. Nalgene bottle of water plus sunscreen and bug spray. However, they have not held up well to slot canyons. I’ve tried mending them, but that’s proven difficult, and it just rips in another place. So I have to be very careful not to lose my bug spray out one or another of the holes in the mesh.
“Waterproof” Rain Cover. It’s not waterproof, but it will keep your pack dry in a mist or light rain.
Size. The backpack is too large to be a “personal item” or even a carry-on while flying, and it’s too inflexible to make the cut even if you don’t fill it full. (The inflexibility is a pro most of the time, though, because it gives the backpack enough structure to be comfortable even with quite a bit of gear inside it.) However, all that size means you can pack more into it for a road trip.
No Padding on the Media Pocket. The title says it all – I haven’t found this to be an issue, but for traveling a lot with a laptop, you might want to put said laptop in a padded case.
Overall, I’d recommend this pack to anyone who is looking for a large daypack or a combo daypack/overnight pack. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below!
You can find more information and buy the G4Free 45L Backpack here.
