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Field Report: Gregory Deva 60
TESTER BIO
Name: Jennifer Williams
Age: 27
Gender: Female
Height: 5 ft 3 in (1.6 m)
Weight: 120 lbs (56 kg)
Shoulder width: 16 in (41 cm)
Hip width: 15 in (38 cm)
Email: jensmail78 (at) yahoo.com
Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Date: April 25, 2006
Backpacking Background:
I grew up horseback riding, skiing, camping, and hiking, but I just started backpacking about three years ago. All of my trips have been one or two night stays. My trips normally range from coastal trails in the redwoods to mountainous terrain in the Sierra Nevada. I tend to hike where I encounter rain and dampness. This year I am looking forward to making some longer trips in northern California and gaining more experience. I am not a lightweight backpacker yet, but would like to reduce my current pack weight significantly.
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PRODUCT INFORMATION
Manufacturer: Gregory Mountain Products
Year of manufacture: 2006
URL: www.gregorypacks.com
Pack Size: women's small
Waistbelt Size: women's small
Volume: 3700 cu in (61 L)
Listed Pack Weight: 5 lb 3 oz (2.4 kg)
Pack Weight as Delivered: 5 lb 2 oz (2.3 kg)
Lid/Fanny Pack Weight as Delivered: 7 oz (198 g)
Number of Stays: 1
Color: Azure (also available in Plum)
MSRP: $249.00 (US)
Materials
Body:630 D/210 D high tenacity nylon
Harness & Waistbelt: polyethylene closed cell foam
Stay: aircraft grade aluminum |
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Product Description
The Gregory Deva 60 is a women's specific pack in Gregory's "Weekend Warrior" Series designed to carry up to 45 lbs (20 kg). It is equipped with their Auto-Cant Harness and new Response Suspension System that is designed to automatically adjusts to your hip angle and has a women's specific narrow back panel. Refer to my Initial Report for a more detailed description of the pack and how it fits.
FIELD INFORMATION
Northern California Coast:
During this phase of testing (in between record setting rain and mud slides) I went on a very pleasant 2-night trip to Castle Rock State Park. The elevation was around 2900 ft (900 m) and temperatures were around 40 F (4 C) at night and 70 F (21 C) during the days. The weather was warm and sunny and the trail was a little damp from previous rainstorms but there was no rain during this trip. The trail was about 3 mi (5 km) each way with moderate elevation changes. The terrain was hard packed dirt and forest litter with redwood trees and some shrubs along the trail.
I also got a short overnight trip in at the last minute at Henry Coe State Park. Temperatures while hiking were around 60 F (15 C) and it was overcast but not rainy. The trail was about 5 mi (8 km) and the elevation was around 2000 ft (610 m) and was downhill on the way in and all uphill on the way out.
On both trips my pack weighed about 20 lbs (9 kg). I carried my down sleeping bag in a compression sack, a sleeping pad, a first aid kit, a canister stove, cooking pot, water, food, and clothing; as well as miscellaneous items.
FIELD TEST
Due to the record-breaking rain for the bay area during this test phase, and the dangerous landslides that ensued afterwards, I only got to go backpacking twice. However, the trip in February was definitely worth it, since it felt more like May and was unseasonably pleasant the whole weekend. The second trip in April was actually colder and more overcast than the February trip, but was a good test of the pack.
Fit/Comfort:
Overall, I found the pack more comfortable than my previous pack, but I still had some sore areas in my problem areas on my hips and collar bones. The pre-formed foam on the harness and waistbelt was very comfortable and did not bunch up or chafe. The lumbar pad at the base of the pack was very comfortable and really made the pack feel stable on my hips. The back panel has two pads on either side with a gap down the middle to let air flow between the pack and my back. However, once I had the pack loaded and adjusted correctly (according to Gregory's instructions), the back panel did not touch my back anywhere, even where the side pads were. I read on the Gregory website that a proper fitting pack should not have any gaps between my body and the waistbelt, shoulder harness, and back panel. There were no gaps between my lower back and the lumbar pad and the pack felt secure, so I decided to just try it out and try different adjustments on the trail. On both trips I tried tightening and loosening the stabilizer straps on the shoulder harness and the waistbelt to try to bring the pack closer to my body, but it did not bring the back panel any closer to me. Despite this, the lumbar pad and back panel remained comfortable despite not ever being "in contact" with the back panel.
I made multiple adjustments on the first trip and eventually found the right adjustment for my body. It is very easy to shift the weight between my shoulders and hips when I get tired or start hiking uphill. I found the waistbelt particularly easy to loosen and tighten because the buckles are facing towards each other instead of away from each other. Thus, to tighten the belt, I pull the straps in, towards my bellybutton, instead of out, towards my sides. It made taking the pack on and off much easier. The sternum strap was also very easy to adjust vertically on the shoulder harness due to the cables it is attached to. I also tried attaching my camera case to the nylon/Velcro straps that are attached to the harness padding and it worked pretty well. The camera stayed in place but did bounce around a little bit.
Suspension:
On both trips, my pack weight was relatively light and was not close to the weight limit for the pack (45 lbs, 20 kg). However, the pack itself did make up about 25% of the total weight, which seems a bit high for a weekend outing. The suspension system handled the weight just fine with no sagging or shifting. The suspension system on the Deva 60 is made up of a shoulder harness and wasitbelt that both pivot on rivets attached to the stay. Thus, the harness is supposed to adjust to the angles of your hips and shoulders as you move. I noticed this happening with the waistbelt, but not as much with the harness. The pivoting did seem to help prevent some of the tenderness that I develop on my hips after a day of backpacking, but it did not alleviate it completely. This might be because the more I tightened the stabilizer straps on the waistbelt, when scrambling over rocks or going uphill, the less it seemed to pivot. The shoulder harness did not seem to adjust as much, and my collarbones were still sore at the end of the day.
Lid/Fanny Pack:
I used the detachable lid/fanny pack for a short side trip on my first outing. Again, it was easy to remove from the pack and adjust. I put a small first aid kit, some granola bars, a map, and a camera in it. This did not quite fill it up, but I would not have been able to fit a lot more in it. The fanny pack was comfortable at first, but after a while the strap started shifting and became a little annoying and flapped around a bit. On my way back to camp I tried wearing it over my neck and shoulder like a messenger bag and that was a little more comfortable, but not as convenient.
Functionality:
All of the water resistant zippers seem quite sturdy and easy to use. However, the one for the sleeping bag compartment is a regular zipper covered by a bungeed section of the pack material and this cover makes it very difficult to use the zipper. I have to hold one side taught while zipping with the other hand or it snags easily. I haven't used the similar zipper, that provides front access to the pack body, very much, but it also seems to have the same problem. I have primarily used the top access to the bag because I haven't packed it very full yet and didn't find it necessary. The small pockets on the sides of the pack are convenient to organize small items and makes it easy to tell my partner where to find something so that I don't have to take the pack off to look for it. My down sleeping bag fits easily into the sleeping bag compartment at the bottom and I like being able to get to it separately from the rest of my gear. It was also easy to fit my sleeping pad into the body of the pack (instead of strapping it to the side) due to the ample room. The canted bottle holder on the side made it easy to pull the bottle out for a drink, but I still need help putting it back in the holder because I couldn't reach back much farther. The waterproof bottom on the pack definitely kept the moisture from the damp ground out of the pack at night, but it did not encounter particularly wet conditions during these tests.
SUMMARY
Overall, the Gregory Deva 60 has performed well on a couple of short backpacking trips. It handles a moderate load well, and feels stable. While the suspension did not get rid of all of the sore areas that I tend to have, it was more comfortable than other packs I have tried and I really liked the support from the lumbar pad. I look forward to breaking it in more on some longer trips. The fanny pack did not perform that well, but I will try using it more to see if it redeems itself.
Long Term Testing:
For the remainder of the test I will take the pack on some longer trips with heavier loads to test out the comfort and suspension. I will evaluate the durability of the pack after multiple uses and try out some of the features I have not used yet, such as the hydration sleeve/port and the water resistance of the pack.
Read more reviews of Gregory gear
Read more gear reviews by Jennifer Williams
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