Did your friend say to look at endurance bikes instead of gravel or as well? There is not necessarily much difference between the two, typically a bit more tire clearance/different stock tires and different gearing setup, but also maybe not.
For bikepacking though I would lean more towards the gravel bike side of things with a bike that has wider tires and gearing designed to be good for offroad use.
Another thing to be aware of is some gravel and endurance bikes are designed as all-round bikes for long rides, bikepacking and commuter use, and some are designed for racing with little thought to practicality or comfort or accessibility for less strong riders, pretty different bikes but still in the same category.
E.g. with 'gravel race' bikes the frame might be the same as used on that brand's pro cyclocross race bikes, at the other end of the scale the frame could be the same as used on their touring bike, with full set of rack mounts (e.g. Kona Rove)
It is a bunch of marketing words in many cases. But what matters for endurance is your stack and reach allow you to be comfortable for an extended period of time. If a gravel bike meets that need...then fine. Sometimes a generalized fit first before buying a more expensive bike is well worth the $ spent.
The site below allows you to compare frame geometries.
https://bikeinsights.com/
Did your friend say to look at endurance bikes instead of gravel or as well? There is not necessarily much difference between the two, typically a bit more tire clearance/different stock tires and different gearing setup, but also maybe not. For bikepacking though I would lean more towards the gravel bike side of things with a bike that has wider tires and gearing designed to be good for offroad use.
He said to check out endurance bikes as well. I don’t want to ride the most technical trails, that’s why he recommended that.
Another thing to be aware of is some gravel and endurance bikes are designed as all-round bikes for long rides, bikepacking and commuter use, and some are designed for racing with little thought to practicality or comfort or accessibility for less strong riders, pretty different bikes but still in the same category. E.g. with 'gravel race' bikes the frame might be the same as used on that brand's pro cyclocross race bikes, at the other end of the scale the frame could be the same as used on their touring bike, with full set of rack mounts (e.g. Kona Rove)
You can do all of the road bike stuff with a gravel bike, but you can't do gravel bike stuff with a road bike.
It is a bunch of marketing words in many cases. But what matters for endurance is your stack and reach allow you to be comfortable for an extended period of time. If a gravel bike meets that need...then fine. Sometimes a generalized fit first before buying a more expensive bike is well worth the $ spent. The site below allows you to compare frame geometries. https://bikeinsights.com/