My new GR1 arrived yesterday and I was like a kid in a candy store opening it. The pack is well made and tough as nails. It doesn't have a ton of pockets, it's designed to be very simplistic in nature.

I hauled 23 pounds worth of bricks for 4.2 miles today in it, along with a 1.5L hydration reservoir, a hoodie and some snacks. It held the bricks a lot better than my Kelty Redwing 3100 did.

All in all, I'd say it's worth the extra $ that it costs. I seriously doubt it'll ever get damaged enough to need repair, but it comes with a lifetime warranty if it does.

I love my GR1. Makes me want a GR2.

I use water bottles for test weights...nice and heavy, no corners to rub and can dump when the test is finished, ( and smaller bottles for the pockets)

Izzy, could you provide some details?

Thanks-
Pete

Yeah, I had read about that right after we placed the order. The stitching on mine is all 100% awesome. I got the Coyote. Haven't checked every zipper yet but the ones I did look at appear to be the US-made ones.

I have had my bricks double-stacked in pairs, then wrapped in Gorilla Tape, then a thin sleeping pad, then another layer of Gorilla Tape. Probably going to rethink the stack design as it leaves very little room for the hydration bladder in the main pocket.

My GRC is on December 14th so I have a lot of time to get ready but I've already been rucking 5+ miles at least twice a week. And given that I carry a tool bag around most every day at work, I'm actually considering doing some kind of removable insert to carry my tools inside the GR1 at work during the day.

Given that a GR1 is too small for the listed size for Selection, I'll be buying a GR2 also before December 2014. My current plans are to do Challenge in December this year, then Heavy in Atlanta in October 2014 and Selection in Atlanta in December 2014.

I haven't paid much attention,but a lot of my zippers, if not most, are YKK. Big deal!

I don't think there's a better zipper on this planet that the YKK. No matter where the rest of the item is made, the zipper should be YKK!

I put in 5 miles today in 1:36 with 6 bricks and a 1.5L water bladder in the pack and it is really getting more comfortable as I break it in.

The shoulder straps aren't as soft as my Kelty Redwing 3100 I've been hauling, but I may add a layer of sleeping pad to the underside of them. It's the same stuff I have my bricks wrapped in.

Can't wait to order a Source 3L hydration bladder to replace my 1.5L one with though.

I do find myself wishing that they had put the zippered pockets on the inside of the flap upside down. The ones on my Kelty were right-side-up when the flap was open, upside down when it was closed.

I know the clamshell design of the bag means that you CAN lay it down and open it all the way to get something out, but you shouldn't really HAVE to if you don't want to.

Also repacked the bricks so they're not one huge, tall stack like I had them and the bag now feels a lot roomier. Don't really like the digital camo duct tape, but it's what I had on hand after I ran out of Gorilla Tape. (first layer is still Gorilla Tape to keep the stack together).

Right now I'm using a foam yoga block (not pictured) under them like one guy recommended after he tried it in the GRC. I'm still very much in the "seeing what works best" phase though.

Threaded a carabiner through the molle on one of the chest straps for my hydration hose today and that worked flippin' excellent to keep it under control.