Reviewer Information

• Name: Cora Hussey
• Age: 23
• Gender: Female
• Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
• Weight: 150 lb (70 kg)
• Email address: cahhmc "at" yahoo "dot" com
• Location: Los Angeles, California, USA
• Date: March 23, 2004

Basic Product Information

• Year of Manufacture: 2004
• URL: http://www.gregorypacks.com/
• Listed weight: 5 lb 4 oz (2.4 kg)
• Weight as delivered:
  • Removable top lid alone: 5 oz (140 g)
  • Body alone: 5 lb 5 oz (2.4 kg)
  • Total pack: 5 lb 10 oz (2.55 kg)
• Advertised Capacity: 3650 cu in (60 L)
• Size: Medium frame, Medium hipbelt, Medium harness
• My waist and torso: Waist 31 in (80 cm), Torso approximately 19 in (48 cm)
• I used a Gregory Fit-O-Matic to correctly fit before choosing my size

Preliminary Information

• Date of arrival: March 22, 2004
• Contents of package (contents were complete):
  • One Deva 60 backpack with hipbelt installed
• Condition upon arrival: Excellent
• The Deva was intuitive and easy to pack and fit right out of the box
• The Deva was what I expected from the Gregory website, although some terms such as Shelter-Rite I did not have a good image of until arrival. In addition, the website says that the Deva has a hydration sleeve, but I found no such sleeve on the pack itself.

Product Description

General:

The Gregory Deva 60 is a women's specific pack with a multitude of pockets and access zippers, and a sturdy and concise frame. Gregory lists the following features of the pack:

• Auto-Cant harness (This allows the shoulder straps to rotate)
• Women’s Stealth harness (A nice molded stiff foam harness with nice subtle curvature around the shoulders)
• Sport backpanel and Chimney ventilation channel (The backpanel has a small gap between the two side pads which is advertised to allow vertical air flow)
• Hourglass HDPE framesheet (I can feel it curve in along the middle of the pack, and flare at the top, like an hourglass. This appears to be a double framesheet at the top.)
• Top, front, and bottom access (Through the extension skirt, through a panel in the middle front pocket, and through the bottom to the sleeping bag compartment)
• Water resistant top pocket zipper (The middle front pocket also has a water resistant zipper on my Deva)
• Front pocket with access (The middle horseshoe-opening pocket with the daisy chain. I found another panel which unzips inside this pocket to allow me to access the main body contents.)
• Two side pockets
• Canted water bottle holder (This is a water bottle slot on the side of the pack which I can slide a water bottle into for easy access while wearing the pack.)
• 210 d double box HT nylon body (The red and gray fabric.)
• Shelter-Rite bottom (This is a tough rubbery fabric on the bottom of the Deva. It is also the fabric layer right against the framesheet all along the back of the pack.)

Harness and Hipbelt

The first thing that impressed me was how stiff yet squishy the foam in the hipbelt and shoulder strap pads was. It feels like it has a high degree of rubber, and yet also feels like stiff closed cell foam. The hipbelt padding has two hard flat plastic supports on the outside of each side. The top plastic curves in a bit more than the plastic on the bottom. The shoulder straps have sewn fabric chains on the front, a sternum strap with elastic for breathing room, and load lifters which rise slightly and attach to the frame.

The Deva seems to be very adjustable. The shoulder straps have an adjustment range of 2 ft (60 cm), and the hipbelt buckles slide on their straps up to being each a foot (30 cm) away from the end of their padding. However, the padding only has 1 in (2.5 cm) of leeway before my waist would be too big for the padding to cover the fronts of my hip bones. The sternum strap has 1 ft (30 cm) (!) of adjustment, and can be moved up and down along the shoulder straps by unsnapping and slotting through another point on the sewn fabric chain on the shoulder pads.

The hipbelt padding is one long piece of foam which attaches behind the lumbar pad with Velcro-type material. The shoulder straps have the Auto-Cant feature which is essentially a hinge where they attach to the frame, allowing them to rotate closer to or away from my neck while wearing the pack. Each Auto-Cant attachment has two slots for the shoulder straps to attach to, one for taller folks and one for shorter folks. Here is a picture of the attachment with the straps in the lower slots (I later changed them to the upper ones for fit). I am able to move the shoulder straps up and down between the two slots by pulling a metal stopper on the other side sideways and through the current slot, and then reversing the motion in the slot I want to put it in. The shiny rubber Shelter-Rite fabric can be seen behind where I pulled down the protective flap which is held in place by a strap. I also pulled the viewer's left side shoulder strap down lower so you can see that it rotates quite a bit.

Frame

The frame itself is the Hourglass HDPE sheet mentioned above, and a single flat stay runs along the middle. The sheet is put into a pocket on the inside of the pack, and a large rivet holds the sheet to the Shelter-Rite fabric on the outside. The shoulder strap Auto-Cant pieces are also riveted to the frame through the Shelter-Rite fabric.

The rest of the backpanel can be seen in the picture below. It has two light gray long lumbar pads made of nice squishy foam, and a red upside-down-T shaped gap which I presume is the Chimney ventilation. The bottom lumbar pad is nice and petite (the big ones on other packs often dig into my bones back there) and is covered by some sticky rubber mesh:

Pockets

There are an impressive number of pockets on this pack. I will start with the main body 'pocket', and work from there. The main body has a division at the bottom to form the sleeping bag compartment. This division consists of a flap which can be unattached and folded back. On top of the main body, the top lid has a single pocket which I can access via a horseshoe-shaped zipper which runs around the top of the lid. On the front of the main body, there is a long middle pocket which is also accessed by a horseshoe shaped zipper. Inside this middle front pocket is another inner zipper which gives access to the main body.

There are two relatively large side pockets. I can fit a 32 oz (1 L) water bottle in each of them along with some long underwear and a warm hat. These open by zippers running their full length on the side. There is a single stretchy mesh pocket on the bottom of the wearer's left, and an open-top slot type pocket (the canted water bottle pocket) for putting a 32 oz (1 L) water bottle in on the bottom of the wearer's right. The inside of all pockets except the mesh and the water bottle slot are the same nylon ripstop as the outside. The mesh pocket is only mesh with an elastic top, and the sides of the canted water bottle pocket is stiff and slightly textured material, presumably to add friction to keep a bottle from falling out.

Straps

This pack has more straps than I could think of, and they all seem to have clear and useful purposes. Here are the straps I found and their placements:

• The top lid is held on by three straps and adjustable buckles and can be extended up to 12 in (30 cm) above the frame. It cinches down over the top by attaching to two straps on the front with buckles.
• A single side compression strap attached with a buckle exists on either side of the pack.
• Two straps run from the bottom, over the sleeping bag compartment, and attach with buckles. This is where I usually put my sleeping pad or tarp, and both fit there with room to spare.
• The front pocket has a daisy chain running up its outside face.
• An ice axe loop is attached to the bottom of the pack, and a (very convenient) small loop strap with a slide-lock buckle is on the daisy chain for securing the shaft of an axe in the bottom loop. (I found this works nicely with my axe).
• The canted water bottle pocket has a bungee strap to loop around and secure the top of an inserted water bottle. I took this on and off the bottle easily while wearing the pack.
• A strap with a buckle comes over the top of the full load and allows me to cinch down over the top entry skirt. I have also used these types of straps to secure ropes on other packs, and a rope fit under this strap.

Details and Other Notes

A loop of cord protected by soft plastic piping is located at the wearer's left of the bottom of the pack, under the mesh side pocket. I usually use loops like this on other packs for racking climbing equipment. The top closure of the main compartment consists of an extension skirt and two drawcords. The lower drawcord is at the level of the frame, the other is 5 in (17 cm) above it. These cords draw the skirt over the top of the load. Also, the inside of the top lid has a small clip for keys and the like.

Field Testing Plan

Trip Details:

My testing of the Deva will be over six overnight trips from spring to early summer. The type of trips will range from simple backpacking overnights to more off-trail off-kilter adventures, and all will be between one and two days. Locations will include the Sierras and Angeles and San Bernardino forests of California, although locations change as my trip leading schedule changes. Weather will likely include wind, rain, snow, and temperatures ranging from 80 F (27 C) to below freezing. Elevations will range between sea level and 11,000 ft (3,000 m), and the trips will range from desert to beach to mountains.

Test Plan Details:

• Packing
  • How well does my normal packing style adapt to the Deva? (Sleeping bag on bottom, map in the top, etc)
  • What options are there to organize small gear? Options to rearrange large gear?
  • How well do the straps (ice axe, side loops) and add ons (water bottle holster) provide their functions?
  • Can I fit awkward gear such as a bear canister? A large tent that is too heavy for a friend to carry? An extra sleeping pad for the snow?
• Comfort
  • How much weight can I comfortably carry?
  • How adjustable is the fit on the fly? How do the Auto-Cant and Multi-Cant adjustments help?
  • How well does the pack ventilate?
  • How comfortable are the shoulder straps to my shoulders? The hip belt to my hips? The sternum strap to my chest? Over time and miles?
  • Is the Deva bearable during a lot of jostling? Does it dig into my skin on uphills or rub on downhills?
  • How soft is the padding? How supportive?
  • How well does the back panel and framesheet fit my torso, as a woman?
• Stability
  • How well does the Deva stick to my back? While scrambling? Talus hopping? River crossing?
  • Can the Deva be easily packed for stability in different activities? (i.e. on/off trail)
  • Is the Deva equally stable when underloaded? Overloaded? Improperly loaded? Loaded with odd and awkward gear?
• Durability
  • How well does the Deva hold up to my normal weekend warrior abuses?
  • Is the 210d adequate for heavy-duty weekend use? Overkill?
  • How does the Shelter-Rite bottom work, and how does it add to the durability?
  • What care and maintenance does the Deva need?

Initial Tests and Personal Observations

The first thing I did upon receiving the Deva was try it on. I also had the sense to look at the included hangtag, and was pleasantly rewarded with a very informative and complete instruction set. The sections of the instruction booklet are:

• One page on why one might choose to buy a Gregory Pack
• One page on how to choose a pack (the Deva was listed for loads up to 40 lbs / 18 kg and for overnight trips)
• One page on the features of the Deva Pack (outlined above in this report)
• One page of terminology of the suspension system (needed for the next section)
• Four (!) pages on fitting and adjusting the suspension system, including sizing charts.
• One page on how to properly use the pockets and pack the Deva

I then scrutinized myself in the mirror while wearing the Deva. I have had both good and bad experiences with packs, and I very much wanted to make sure the Deva fit. All looked good, and I was glad to have gone in to get fit on a Gregory Fit-O-Matic -- I was right in-between a Medium and Large frame. For the Deva, I chose a Medium, and with the shoulder straps in the 'taller person' slot it fits perfectly for me as per Gregory's fit guidelines (and as per my own experience). The shoulder strap pads came down nicely past my armpits, the hipbelt covered the pointy fronts of my hipbones, and nothing on the harness interfered with swinging my arms and legs (my arms would hit the pack behind me on a full swing). I practiced moving the weight completely onto my hips, which worked thanks to the effective load lifters, and then back onto my shoulders, which also worked. I have had a bit of pack-fitting experience, but I feel the Deva was very easy to fit to my torso.

The next thing I did was pack it up. I inserted my most compact sleeping bag, which is 8 x 15 in (20 x 38 cm) and compresses a little bit further with some shoving. This is probably the most bulky bag I will be able to pack in the Deva, since it required a lot of futzing to insert end-wise, turn around, and slot into the bottom space. This was mostly due to the fact that the sleeping bag compartment has a small horseshoe opening in the middle which is only 9 in (22 cm) in diameter. Luckily, the divider between the sleeping bag compartment and main compartment can be unhooked and folded back. I did this, and the sleeping bag was much easier to shove to the bottom, which is where I like to pack it. Next came a big and stiff plastic bear-resistant canister. To my surprise, this fit wonderfully straight in the top, and even left room for cramming some long underwear on the sides. My pots and stove fit on top of the bear canister, a fleece fit around the pots, and my headlamp and various small items fit in the top lid. I barely squeezed a 22 oz (0.6 L) fuel bottle in the front middle pocket (I could also squeeze my crampons there, without the bear canister in the main body). One side pocket took a warm hat and water bottle, the other took some light weatherproof shells. The second water bottle went in the canted space. Then, both my tarp and sleeping pad strapped to the straps running over the sleeping bag compartment. Nice! Here is a side view of the packed Deva (without the tarp -- it kept flopping over into the picture):

I did notice a few things. First, there is really no easy way to strap items to the side of this pack. For starters, nothing would fit in the side pocket if something was strapped on the side, and second, there is only one strap to use on each side. Theoretically an option still exists to put something long and skinny on the side by inserting it into the mesh pocket and using the single strap to stabilize it. I will experiment with this over the test period. Second, all the zippers were rather difficult to operate. The waterproof zippers seem very nice, but I cannot just grip and pull them due to their friction, rather, I need two hands to open them. The non-waterproof zippers have gotten caught on their protective flaps about half the time I've zipped and unzipped them so far.

However, one thing that I most especially like about the pack design is the slightly larger capacity around the shoulder area. This gives the pack a nice athletic and well-proportioned feel. You can see this nice curvature in the picture above. I have enjoyed the stability that this increased mass distribution on the upper torso adds to other packs I've used, so I am excited to take the Deva out. I also like how the frame feels stiff and close to my back. Finally, the Deva has all of those little details (daisy chains, lots of straps, a side loop, etc) which I have come to appreciate over the years of using packs. I can't wait to pack it up and start testing!

Read more reviews of Gregory gear
Read more gear reviews by Cora Hussey

Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Deva > Cora Hussey > Initial Report