In August of 2011 I received my first GORUCK GR1. It’s hard to believe that was over five years ago… time just keeps flying. Jason recently posted some changes that had been made to the GORUCK GR1 since it was released.
I finally found some time to grab my packs and photograph the changes he mentioned and the ones I had noticed. The goal of this post is two fold: to show the history of the GR1 and to inform people who are looking for GR1s on the secondary market.
There are three GORUCK GR1s in this post each from different production time frames: August 2011, December 2015, and November 2016. It should be noted that the GR1 from August, 2011 has been through maybe a dozen GORUCK events… it did not arrive this dirty.
It should also be noted that any color shade “differences” are due to dirt on the packs. All of the packs are black… or at least were black at one time.
The best way to illustrate some of the differences is using GORUCK’s Wire Dopp. The Wire Dopp was designed to fit in both the outside and inside large pockets and hold cords. If you’re curious about it you can check out our GORUCK Wire Dopp review or the product page at GORUCK.
Production Differences
Without any further rambling here are all of the production differences I was able to notice while looking over these packs. Did I miss anything? Has something else changed? Leave a comment and I’ll do my best to investigate.
Outside Pocket Size
The Wire Dopp is perfect for measuring the outside pocket of the GR1. You can see in the above picture that it fits nicely into the 2015 model. That version’s flat outside pocket went from the zipper down to about the middle row of MOLLE.
The pocket on the GR1 from 2016 runs even deeper and ends at the bottom of the pack. This is very similar (maybe identical) to the outer pocket on the Rucker.
The 2011 model was built with a smaller outside pocket than the newer packs as you can see above. The Wire Dopp needs to be folded slightly to even fit inside it.
Once folded and pushed to the bottom you can see that it doesn’t even fit in the entire way. The older GR1s have both a thinner and more shallow outside pocket than the newer ones. I’m not sure when those changes were made but they were at some point and I definitely prefer the newest version.
Outside MOLLE Sizing
This might not have been as much of a “planned” change but the outside webbing is definitely different between the packs.
The 2015/2016 packs are very similar as the width of the ruck is the same however the 2011 version is quite a bit different as shown below.
As you can pretty easily see there are six columns of webbing on each. The first and last columns are both the same size which differ from the widths of the four middle columns. On the newer GR1 (on the bottom) the first and last columns are both wider than the middle four. On the older GR1 (on the top) the first and last columns are both skinnier than the middle four. If you’re looking to attach something on the outside and use the first or last column then the newer widths are definitely easier to work with.
Zippers
Sometime between the packs built in 2011 and those in 2015 the zippers on the outside were changed. The 2011 packs feature giant YKK zippers that are made in the US while the newer packs feature skinnier zippers that are from YKK and made in Taiwan.
Shoulder Strap Top Attachment Point
Sometime between 2015 and 2016 GORUCK started sewing their shoulder straps into the packs differently. Can you see the difference above?
Before, they used to sew the shoulder straps into webbing then sew the webbing into the pack. Now the shoulder straps are sewn directly into the backpacks. Jason touched on this recently on Reddit and wrote about it on the GORUCK blog.
It’s hard to tell that there’s any difference when looking at it straight on so, if buying on the secondary, it’s worth asking for a picture of the attachment point if that matters to you.
It’s easiest to get access to the laptop compartment by flipping the straps around.
Although the new attachment system still “flips” around it doesn’t sit nearly as flat against the pack as the others.
For a better view here’s the 2016 GR1 on the left and the 2015 GR1 on the right. The shoulder straps flare out a bit more on the 2016 pack.
Here’s a closer look at that flare action.
Then for good measure here’s the 2011 GR1 with its straps folded around the back.
Shoulder Strap Lower Attachment Point
GORUCK stopped sewing the shoulder straps directly into the base of the pack and started using a flap (they call it a batwing) to attach it.
Internal Mesh Pocket
From far away you can’t exactly tell that there’s a size difference between the internal mesh pockets.
It’s not until you grab a Wire Dopp and try to fit it in that you notice they fit very well in the newer (pack above is from 2015) packs…
… and not nearly as well in the older (2011 pack above) packs.
Above you can see the Wire Dopp fitting nicely in the 2016 GR1 and below you can see how it looks completely shoved into the 2011 GR1.
Internal Webbing Columns
The GR1 from 2011 only has five columns of webbing across the three rows. The newer versions all have the full six columns that you see in most pictures. You can also see that the shoulder strap attachment point is a bit cleaner on the newer packs.
Bag Size
I haven’t heard it mentioned anywhere officially but I strongly believe the original GR1s were not 26L packs. Above we have a GR1 from 2013 on the left and a GR1 from 2011 on the right. Right away you can see there’s a slight height difference in the packs. In addition it’s important to note that there are nine panels on the back of each pack (which means GR1) and that the panel sizes vary a little between the two packs.
Opening them both up to prove that both packs are indeed GORUCK GR1s.
The 2011 GR1 fits nicely inside of the 2013 Ranger Green GR1.
One could argue that due to the rigidity of these two packs (frame sheet, bottom Cordura) if both packs were identical in size this should not be possible. Add this information to the notes above about the mesh pocket size, different internal webbing columns, and what you can see with the back panel sizing and I think there is some question as to whether these two GR1s are the same size.
Bladder Hose Hole
There were a number of people upset that the bladder hose hole was removed from the inside of the GR1. Based on the comments you would have thought that the GORUCK removed the hole for the hose to exit the GR1 instead of from the laptop area to the main pack compartment. The 2011 and 2015 GR1s are on the left while the 2016 GR1 is on the right. As you can see the cutout from the laptop area to the main compartment is no longer present.
Here’s a quick picture comparing the 2011 and 2015 GR1s… you can see that the quality of the hole is a lot better on the 2015 version. Likewise you can also see the extra column of webbing and how they get that in there.
Above you see the 2015 and 2016 packs… only difference is no cutout on the newer ones.
Cordura Used On Bottom
The older GR1s have a 1050d Cordura bottom while the newer packs have a 1000d Cordura bottom. Here’s a quote from GORUCK on the change.
NOTE: over the last years, we have seen limited but still too many problems associated with using 1050D on the bottoms of the rucks. It’s bulkier than 1000D and therefore harder to sew, kind of like trying to eat a sandwich that’s bigger than your mouth. Yeah, you’ll figure it out, but it’s messier than usual. We do not and have not seen any problems from our Scars Department with the 1000D bottoms (which have been on the colored GR1’s since forever), so we made uniform 1000D Cordura bottoms on all black rucks as well in 2016. All still come with our Scars Lifetime Guarantee, and offer all the abrasion resistance you’ll need, and then some.
Honestly I haven’t noticed a difference between the 1000d and 1050d and neither have failed on me.
Bottom Cut
The 2011 GR1 will not stand on its own (even when full) while the 2015 and 2016 packs have very little issue as long as there’s some gear in them. At some point between 2011 and 2015 GORUCK must have changed the way the bottom of the packs are cut to allow for that.
Length of Shoulder Strap Webbing
The GR1s all have different lengths of shoulder strap webbing with the 2011 and 2015 being very similar and the 2016 being a bit shorter.
The webbing from the 2011 GR1 measures about 16.5″ from the buckle to where it’s sewn directly into the pack.
The 2015 GR1 measures approximately 15″ to where the strap is sewn into the batwing and about 17″ to where it’s sewn into the pack.
The 2016 GR1 measures about 13″ to where it’s sewn into the batwing and 15″ to where it reaches the pack… which makes it 2″ shorter than the previous version.
Conclusion
Hopefully you found this post informative and somewhat useful. If you’re looking for a GR1 on the secondary market then you should be able to use this to figure out which version you want or are going to receive. If you’ve read reviews of the GR1 in the past then hopefully this will help you identify differences between the reviewer’s pack and the one you will receive.
Over the years, the method has also been changed how the zippers are sewn in. Sometimes the seam edges of the surrounding zipper are covered with seam tape, sometimes not. On my new 2022 Gr2 26L (Wolf Gray, all 1000d Cordura) I find both: covered at the main compartment, not covered on the front compartment. Of course, the covered variant looks more elegant and decent. Both versions are stable enough. In the pictures, the 2016 GR can be seen without the seam tape cover on the zipper.
Glad that I found this article.
I was worried when I found out that only one of my two GR 1 has bladder hose hole in it.
I can sleep well now.. Thank you
Glad it helped out! Some of these changes are subtle and some are not… when you compare the packs side by side you can definitely see the differences though. I’m glad this helped remove some of that anxiety that you might have from thinking you have a fake GR1!
Brian, good detailing update on the straps.
Does the thickness & stiffness of the straps from different era feel the same?
Thanks!
The 2015 and 2016 thickness feel about the same. There’s definitely a little less padding in the 2011 straps but that could either be from design or because that pack has been through a lot of events so the padding is condensed.
I think the switch to 6 PALS channels internally was a mistake. The outer channels on the 6-wide are rather tight, so only the middle 4 are really usable. 5-wide is the sweet spot and allows to mount/hang something along the spine if desired.
I’ve never had an issue with using the first or last channels but I only mount things that are sewn to PALS widths, not GORUCK’s widths. From what I’ve seen the PALS grid has bartacks every 1.5 inches while GORUCK’s grid system has bartacks every 2 inches.
I should try another GORUCK pouch in there and see if there are any issues.
Brian, another great article write up on GR1 evolutions. I get the feeling that the 2015 version is probably the best to have.
I am lucky I have the GR0 (2nd hand from eBay) and another GR1 26L bought direct from Jason in June 2016 are the both 2015 version you shown here.
I feel the removal of the top hole Meaning less labour to produce but surely a limiting options one has to set up the pack.
Like now I can put the weight plates or bricks in the main compartment and place my bladder inside the laptop compartment.
I also can put weight plates inside the laptop compartment and using the main opening to store my bladder, which seems not possible anymore using the 2016 version.
Looks like another controversial changes after the new 2016 bullet.
Thanks.
It was definitely a controversial change which sparked a number of discussions on Reddit, RuckMall, and other groups which eventually led to Jason posting a write-up and this post being made. We’ll see what happens in the future if they decide to add it back in or keep it the way it is.
Brian, excellent article. The only thing missing are your thoughts on the change that GoRuck made to how the straps are sewn onto the packs. For instance, is there a difference in comfort? Do the straps now get in the way of the laptop compartment when taking a device in or out? Etc, etc.
Brian, what are the differences you feel of the lower shoulder straps insert: with batwing and without?
I remember reading somewhere Jason was commenting that adding batwing enable consistency in production, but the trade off is less than 400 pounds of weight resistance.
I don’t feel any differences with or without the batwing since it’s on the lower end. My original GR1 didn’t have any issues with the “angle of departure” that Jason mentions in GORUCK’s Radio Ruck Explained post.
Jason does mention in the RR Explained post that the original set up could withstand over 400 lb of stress but he doesn’t say that the batwing doesn’t give the same amount. I would be curious if the batwing did somehow reduce it… might be a good question to ask Jason next time he does an AMA. My guess is that there is no difference in how much weight can be withstood with or without the batwing.
Another bonus on the batwing is that if the strap does break at the bottom end it will most likely happen where the nylon connects to the cordura. Having the batwing makes it easier to fix any straps that break in that method.
Hope that helps!
I’ve only had the newest GR1 for two weeks or so and am still trying to figure out just how much of a difference there is in the “feeling” when it comes to shoulder straps. There’s definitely something though… but I want to make sure it’s not because the new GR1 isn’t “broken in” yet.
I’ll get some more pics up of the straps folded over… thanks for the ideas as always Blaine!
Got some updates made which includes a new spot on strap length and flipping the straps around. Really not feeling much difference at all between the 2015 and 2016 versions anymore.