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Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Deva 2006 > Heather Oakes Palmer > Long Term ReportLong Term Report Gregory Deva 60 Pack
Contents: Tester Info:
Name: Heather Oakes Palmer Backpacking Background: I consider myself an intermediate hiker and beginning backpacker for over five years; my longest backpacking trip being only three nights. Day hiking and weekend backpacking comprise most of my weekend warrior experience averaging one backpacking trip per month and two day hikes per month averaging between 10-15 miles (16.1- 24.2 km) per day. I tend to backpack in warm, humid climates, with a good amount of hiking in the southern Appalachian Mountains and I have rarely hiked in below freezing or snowy conditions yet. I am a lightweight backpacker and buy my gear accordingly, often splitting various objects and amounts of weight with my husband. Product Information:
Manufacturer: Gregory Mountain Products Product Description: The Gregory Deva 60 is a 3700 cu in (70L) capacity internal frame backpack with a female specific suspension system. The Deva 60 features: top, front, and bottom zipper access, 3 side zippered pockets, removable hydration sleeve and port, mobile separator between top and bottom sections, waterproof bottom, several straps and holders for different items, compression straps, ventilated back panel, and a lid that converts to a fanny pack. The unique suspension has an independent camming waistbelt and shoulder straps that allow the straps to move with you. If internal frame backpacks were cars; the Gregory Deva 60 would be a Cadillac. The Deva 60 is not an ultralight pack, it has a weighty but cushy suspension system that has extremely good balance and fits so well that I felt as if it could handle much more weight than I was putting into it. I never ended a hike with red marks or sore spots from the waist belt system or the shoulder straps. The suspension system is the real hero of this pack, it was easy to shift weight and allow the pack to move with me, or not move at all if tightened close to my body. The ventilated back panels were a little slice of heaven as I found myself in some hot days in the mountains of North Carolina during and after slight rain. Keeping my back pretty dry and cool in all but the hottest and most humid weather; the back panel vents are another huge design coup for the Deva 60. Extra bells and whistles such as multiple access points, removable hydration sleeve, waterproof bottom were all well worth it. Some extras such as the overly long compression straps, outside mesh pockets, bottom divider that is mobile but not removable, and the lid that converts to a fanny pack; were not a hit with me.
For further product information please read my initial report , and for further anecdotal information please read my field report . From a short 8 mile (13 km) day hike to a 27 mile (43 km) two day one night backpacking trip, the first thing that pops into my head when I think about the Deva 60 is comfort. Since my field report I’ve had between 23lbs (10.4 kg) and 32 lbs (14.5 kg) in this pack on any given trip and I would say that the pack is equally comfortable with those weight ranges. The well padded shoulder straps don’t rub me the wrong way and are easily adjustable if they do happen to move into the danger zone. The waist belt rides higher than most internal frame backpacks I’ve tried on and I had to get used to the new way of fitting this pack at first. The easy to adjust, thick waist belt padding does not entirely encircle my waist leaving a gap in the front with only the belt itself. The belt does not dig into my stomach and the entire waist belt system is strong and comfortable leaving no gaps between me and the belt for chafing to happen. The padded back panels and padding on the lower back also add to the comfort level as they cushion my body from the pack as it bounces with my movement. A little strange to get used to at first, the suspension system is top notch; I can easily loosen the straps for hikes downhill, and tighten everything to bring the pack closer to my body for balance intensive rock hopping or uphill climbs where I do not want the pack moving around a whole lot. With all the belts and straps, no pack is able to put itself on but the Deva 60 is fairly easy to get in and out of with a minimum of fuss. Packing and repacking does take a little more time to complete due to the multiple access points and multiple compression straps. Having used top loading only packs, I was looking forward to discovering whether or not multiple access points and multiple pockets were useful to me. My smaller sleeping bag and clothing in a dry bag were able to fit into the bottom compartment of the pack with only a minimum of struggle so I found that I would unzip the bottom access point as soon as the tent was pitched as my primary way to get to the sleeping bag quickly. I would also load the pack from the bottom up when I could, though an empty Deva 60 could still stand upright while empty. I pretty much never used the access point in the back. It tended to be awkward for me to use; other things would fall out, that one thing that I needed would have invariably shifted somewhere else, and I would end up moving things around which would alter the balance. The outside zippered pockets were all useful and helped me have easy access to specific gear. My opinion on the uselessness of the outside mesh pockets has not changed since my Field Report; everything that I put in them falls out. I have tried to use the convertible lid/fanny pack again and my opinion of its uselessness remains the same as well. Another great feature of the Deva 60 is the back panel area and its ventilation. This pack keeps a respectful distance from my back; close enough to provide good balance but far enough to help keep my back dry and sweat free. Of course, a recent hike in 96 F (36 C) weather negated any back panel ventilation and also caused the shoulder straps to become so soaked with sweat that I needed to hand wash them the next day. A couple of hikes in very, very humid weather has made a mockery of the back panel ventilation; but I assume that Gregory was not intending for a sweat free back in those kinds of heinous weather conditions. During my day hikes with the Deva 60, I’ve packed a range of gear and weights to keep me on my toes. The largest load containing winter gear, three days two nights food supply for two, plus the average 1.8 L (110 cu in) of water only came to 32 lbs (14.5 kg). The pack was easily able to handle enough gear for my average weekend backpacking trip with plenty of room to spare. I was also able to put the lid inside the body of the pack when I only had enough gear for one night out, or two nights in warm weather. The crossover compression straps were easily adjustable to whatever size load I had. After four months of testing the Deva 60, the pack has held together very well. The Deva 60 has handled encounters with shoulder high brush and tree branches, scraping upon rocks, and smacking against a tree while hanging for the night with aplomb. The shoulder straps and waist/hip belt show no signs of wear and the harness system that sways with my gait also seems to look really solid still. No seams seem to be falling apart and the only evidence of wear can be seen in scuff marks on the rubberized bottom of the pack. The zipper to the bottom section of the pack does have the tendency to get caught on the fabric or otherwise jam up so that I need to work at it to get it zipped sometimes but there is no evidence of rust on the zipper. I think it is just hard to corner with the zipper on the packs bottom. In my opinion several of the compression straps seem overly lengthy and often smack my legs, but I will admit that they have not caught on anything that forced me to stop and take notice. The pack had very little exposure to water. During the couple of hikes with slight precipitation, the pack was kept dry by my pack cover. Overnight I would either cover the pack or hang it from a tree with the cover on as well, so no real soaking for the pack then either. I did manage to cross some waist deep water with the pack and the waterproof bottom did keep everything dry during that short exposure. So far the pack has been tested exclusively in the mountains of north Georgia and western North Carolina, and in trails near metro Atlanta. The average elevations I hiked in ranged from 1500 ft (457 m) on the trails near the city, to 2500 through 5500 ft (762 through 1676 m) in the mountains. The day temperatures have been anywhere from 50 F to a horrible day of 96 F (10 C to 36 C) and has dropped to low 40's F (4.4 C) at night. I have tested the pack in increasingly high relative humidity at 80% or higher. As I’ve tested the pack further into spring and summer, the trails have become more and more overgrown with brush making for sharp obstacles and opportunities for slight pack damage. The trails also have their fair share of big rocks that make me keenly aware of my balance as I scramble and hop on them. I've had little precipitation so far, but I have gotten the pack a little wet from standing water, streams, and overnight rain/dew. I would like to thank Backpackgeartest.org and Gregory Mountain Products for the chance to test this pack!
Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Deva 2006 > Heather Oakes Palmer > Long Term Report | |||
