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Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Keeler > Coy Starnes > Long Term ReportGregory Keeler™
Long Term Report May 31, 2005
Tester Bio I live outside a small town in northeast Alabama. I enjoy hunting, fishing, canoeing and most other outdoor activities. Backpacking is my favorite pastime. I enjoy hiking with my friends and family or solo. I hike throughout the year and actually hike the least in the hot humid months of summer. My style is slow and steady and my gear is light. However, I will sacrifice weight for comfort and durability. A typical 3-season load for me is around 20 lb (9 kg) not counting food or water. I usually sleep in a hammock and cook with an alcohol stove. My backpacking trips are usually 2, 3 or 4 days in length. Product Information
Product Description The Keeler™ is the newest of four packs in the Escape Series of packs. Gregory describes the series as "Our aptly named Escape Series packs are your getaway vehicles. Made for the kinds of short trips that keep you sane, their pared down single-stay suspension systems offer comfort, fit and performance—without weight and bulk. So you can move fast when time is short. They’re designed to carry loads less than 40 pounds, and three models offer different capacities and features for different kinds of trips. Count on them to facilitate your disappearing act. How long you stay gone is up to you." The website goes on to describe the Keeler™ as "NEW FOR 2005. The Keeler™ rounds out the Escape series with a more full featured version of the Forester™, like the Whitney™ in the Adventure series. It offers expanded access, pockets and organization." I would describe the pack as a mid-sized to large pack which seems to uphold the Gregory tradition of well-designed packs. My test pack consists of the large frame, bag and suspension components. It is rather hefty which is understandable given all the features on the pack. Briefly, it is an internal frame, top loader (with access from both sides) hydration ready pack. In addition to the main compartment, there is a top lid, a separate compartment in the bottom of the pack (usually called a sleeping bag compartment) and a fairly big front pocket, which I always want to call a rear pocket due to the orientation of the pocket when the pack is being carried. Please see my Initial Report for a more in-depth description of all the packs features and my Field Report for a full description of how I used the pack. Field Testing Locations and Conditions Testing was conducted on local trails within a 100-mile (161 km) radius of my home in Grant, in the northeast corner of Alabama. I also used the Keeler™ for several more overnight hikes in the woods within walking distance of my home. The temperatures were mostly warm for winter but a few hikes were in cold weather. A few nights were just below freezing and a few of the daytime hiking temperatures were just above freezing. I used the pack as a suitcase on an overnight campout to Hot Springs, North Carolina. It snowed a little on this trip. Trail conditions in all areas hiked were a mixed bag, steep in places and had plenty of rocks and roots. They were also wet and slick a lot of the time. I encountered blow downs and other obstacles and even had to remove my pack occasionally where the trail became to tight. In a few places I had to pass my pack ahead (either up or down) when climbing some big ledges and rocks. Long Term Test Results I ended my Field Report "As winter fades into spring I anticipate getting out even more. I will not need the Hinman pad so will most likely use my blue foam pad. This will make loading the Keeler™ to capacity a challenge but maybe I will be able to take a few longer hikes and carry more food. Regardless, I will continue to monitor the pack for any signs of failure. I have already convinced myself that the Keeler™ is a very comfortable and versatile pack. I will continue to look for better ways to pack my water and camera." I have used the Keeler™ for many more short trips but have not managed a long distance hike. With winter weather ending, my loads have also decreased by several orders of magnitude. Not only have I been able to leave the Hinman pad at home, I have dispensed with my trusty blue closed-cell pad as well. This has made using the Keeler™ a little like hunting rabbits with deer rifle. I have been on overnight hikes with loads as light as 15 lb (7 kg) which is counting the 6 lb 1 oz (2.8 kg) of the Keeler™. I did load the pack up with 45 lb (20 kg) just recently for a fairly long day-hike to observe some new boots with a loaded pack. The good news is the boots and pack were great on this hike. However, this led to one interesting observation. Another tester reported that his pack squeaked. My previous loads up to 35 lb (16 kg) had not led to the pack making any noise. When I put the pack on and headed out with the 45 lb (20 kg) load, I immediately noticed a squeak with every step. The noise seemed to come from where the shoulder straps connected to the pack framsheet so I tried to move the weight from the shoulder straps to the hip-belt. While this helped, it did not silence the pack. Then, on a hike to the Walls of Jericho I had a load of 25 lb (11 kg). I notice the pack squeaking like a rocking chair. I tightened my waist belt and loosened the shoulder straps a little and the pack was silent again. For me, when a lighter load is being carried the pack may squeak but can be silenced. I concluded that the Keeler™ works great for heavy loads but it complains vocally and won't shut up. Perhaps it has been spoiled with a steady diet of lighter gear. I used the Keeler™ for several winter overnight hikes and usually had a load of around 33 lb (15 kg). Then I took several more hikes this spring with much lighter loads, sometimes as light as 15 lb (7 kg) when I did not carry any water or cooking gear and only a few snacks. On a hike on The Fiery Gizzard I carried enough water for the entire trip so I was still a little heavy for an overnight hike at 33 lb (15 kg). I ran out of my chemical water treatment and had not replaced it and carried 1.5 US gal (5.7 L) of water. My last hike (mentioned above) was with a moderate load and again the Keeler™ performed flawlessly. This hike was back to The Walls of Jericho, which I had made last winter and nearly froze to death (honestly). My pack weighed 25 lb (11 kg) with water and food. I brought some 2% Iodine for water treatment so I only carried one 32 oz (1 L) water bottle. I was actually able to keep up with 2 teenage boys for the most part. In fact on the creek section of the hike I got ahead. I had on waterproof boots and they didn't. But the Keeler™ was a much bigger pack than the packs the boys were using. I was a little envious, but as I was still testing a big pack it was no big deal. Maybe next time I will reverse the tables. On this hike I did not carry my fanny pack. My load was small and it just seemed silly to carry my water and camera on a different pack (fanny pack). As experienced earlier, getting my water bottle out of the side mesh pocket proved difficult and even harder to get back in. I had to either loosen the hip belt and pull the pack around some or have one of my hiking partners place it back in for me. I put my bug spray and fuel in the other side pocket. While not being able to get at my water easily was inconvenient, it was not a showstopper. What was more aggravating was missing several photo opportunities. I had my camera in the Top Lid compartment. I need to rig a place on the front of the hip belt or a shoulder strap to carry my camera, or carry my fanny pack. In the winter when I have a lot of gear it seems practical to carry the fanny packs so I am not all that concerned. Conclusion I can best sum up the Keeler™ by saying it is extraordinarily comfortable with medium loads and handles the heavier loads, 45 lb (20 kg) in my case, just as well. I won't say I liked the heavier loads as well though. Not only is it great on the trail, it makes camp life simpler. The front pocket and lid pocket swallowed most of my gear that I needed during the day. The side access pockets made getting things out of the main compartment easier without dumping the entire pack. The pockets inside the side access doors held my wallet and keys safely as well as several other small items. The pack material is tough and the bottom of the pack is extremely durable. The water resistant zippers handled small showers without letting in a drop of moisture. The main compartment held all my winter gear, even when packing a radically big sleep pad. If I had a better way to carry my camera, I would not have any complaints. To be fair though, this is not a Keeler™ specific problem. I wish all packs made provisions for quick camera access while hiking. Overall the pack was all I could want in a winter pack. I will continue to use it when I need the extra room this pack offers. It may be slightly bigger than I need even in winter and is absolutely too much pack in the summer. However, in the winter I'd rather have too much room than not enough. I would boldly say the Keeler™ is not just a weekend pack. With my normal winter gear I still had plenty of room in this pack for several days worth of food. It is also a very robust pack. I could not kill the Keeler™. I would like to thank BackpackGearTest.org and Gregory for the opportunity to test this pack. Read more reviews of Gregory gear Read more gear reviews by Coy Ray Starnes Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Keeler > Coy Starnes > Long Term Report | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||