Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Tega > Karin Claus > Initial Report

Initial Report: Gregory Mountain Products Tega ™ Backpack
Name: Karin Claus
Age: 44
Gender: Female
Height: 5’ 6” (167 cm)
Weight: 120 lb (54 kg) 
Email Address: KarinClaus@yahoo.com
Region: Evergreen, CO USA
Date: December 1, 2004

Backpacking Background: 
I live and play in the Colorado Rockies.  I through-hiked the Appalachian Trail in ’02 and the Pacific Crest Trail in '04.  In general I have a minimalist, light-weight through-hiker mentality and do not like to carry equipment that is not essential and light.  I'd rather suffer some discomfort than to carry extra weight in my pack.  I have used hammocks, tents, tarps, and slept shelter-less under the stars.  I love long weekend loop hikes.  I go backpacking because I enjoy walking, camping is just something I do because I am caught outside overnight.

Product Description:

The Gregory Tega™ is an internal frame, top loading pack designed for women.  The booklet that came with the pack says that there are three things that were done on this pack specifically for women.  

It was designed by women with light and fast femme fatales in mind.  The female specific design is reflected in the harness shape, waistbelt and narrow backpanel.

-Female Specific Harness: Curved women's harness provides a custom fit
-Female Specific Gullwing™ Plus Waistbelt: Light, comfortable, and supportive
-Narrow Backpanel: 1" narrower to provide superior female fit


The pack has a loop and a strap for holding an ice axe.  The pack has two side lower mesh pockets, two upper side fabric pockets, and one large mesh pocket across the back.

Pack Fabric:
The pack fabric is made from 140 D Dyneema®.  My pack is blue with white horizontal and vertical lines.  The storm collar, mesh pockets and all straps and buckles are black.  The stitching is all black.

The pack has numerous straps and buckles.
Load lifter buckles/straps - called "shoulder stabilizer straps" by Gregory
Top compression strap/buckle
Shoulder strap - nice and cushy
Middle compression strap/buckle (connects to large mesh pocket)
Adjustable sternum strap/buckle - (they snap on, and can be unsnapped and moved up/down the shoulder strap)
Waist belt stabilizer straps/buckles 
Hip belt/buckle - the hip belt fabric is very thin
Lower compression strap/buckles
Ice axe strap
Side compression strap/buckles
Strap for picking up

The shoulder straps and back panel feel well padded.  The fabric on the shoulder straps is about  0.5 in  (1.3 cm) thick Gregory calls the backpanel "Chimney ventilated".  The hipbelt is about half of the thickness of the shoulder strap.  It is about 0.24 in ( 0.7 cm) thick.

Booklet:
The booklet has Gregory's phone number and website.  It has the weight, size and comfort range on the back of the booklet.  Inside the booklet are the following sections:  vision, why buy a Gregory pack, how to select a pack from their product line, why to buy the Gregory Tega™ pack, a description of the different components of the pack, and how to fit and adjust the pack.  The final section is how to care for the pack.

Removable Top:
The top of the pack is removable.  To remove, unbuckle the 2 front buckles, and unlace the two back straps.  The top has a waterproof U-shaped zipper.  Inside the top, there is a snap to hold keys.  The zipper has a cord for a zipper pull.  The raw ends of the cord are encased in a black plastic zipper pull.  The top edge of the pack itself has a nice drawstring, and also a strap with a buckle to compress the load of the pack.  I am going to start using the pack without the top, and see if I like this configuration.

Removable Hydration Sleeve:
The hydration insert easily comes off the pack.  It is held on by two metal buckles.  I twisted the metal buckles slightly sideways, and eased it off of the black plastic rings that attached it to the pack.  The hydration insert looks like it might be water resistant.  I put about a cup of water in the insert, and squeezed the insert.  The water reluctantly came through the seams.  I am going to start using the pack without the hydration insert, and see if I like this configuration.  I have used packs both with and without hydration pockets, and I would prefer to save the weight.

Removable Stay and Frame Sheet:
Next, I wanted to pull out the optional stay.  I tried yanking the stay out, and succeeded in pulling the black plastic protector piece off of the stay.  I thought about using a pair of pliers, but was afraid of damaging the stay.  I also wanted to remove the removable frame sheet.  I don't see how the framesheet comes out.  I looked on the web site, and could not see any instructions there for removing the framesheet.  I looked around on their web site, and found a customer service email address.  I just emailed them, to see how these are removed.  I got an answer back from Summit Hut.  They handle correspondence for Gregory.  They do not recommend removing the stay or the framesheet.  They suggested I talk with Summit Hut's "repair and warranty" department.  I asked the representative to forward my request to the proper department.  I will report more on this in the next report.  But, for now, it looks like the "removable" stay and framesheet are not going to be removed.

Packing the pack:
There is not a separate compartment for a sleeping bag.  I placed my sleeping bag, loose (without a stuff sack) in the bottom of the pack.  Next, in went the tent, groundcloth, Platypus water bottle, foodbag, clothesbag, dittybag and cookkit.  It all fit in nicely, without having to compact the load at all.  Next I placed my soda bottle of denatured alcohol in the lower left hand mesh pocket.  The lower right hand mesh pocket is a water holster.  I placed my plastic bike water bottle in this pocket, and held it in with the adjustable cord.  I placed my 3/4 length Z-Rest in the bottom buckles which rests on the sleeping bag.  My pack is now all packed.  I still have two empty zippered upper pockets, and a large empty mesh pocket along the back of the pack.


Size of Components:
Large mesh pocket: 10 in wide x 12 in high (25 cm x 30)  This pocket is stretchy, and stretches out large.
Upper fabric side pockets: 7 in wide x 10 in high (18 cm x 25 cm).
Water Holster: 5 in high x 9 in around (13 cm x 23 cm) The holster is curved, and the first dimension is its smallest measurement.

Large Mesh Pocket:
The large mesh pocket does not have a compression strap over it.  This makes access to this pocket nice.  The top band of the pocket is elastic.  There is a strip of solid fabric down the middle of the pocket, to which a strap is sewn.  On this strap is a buckle/strap to hold an ice axe.

Water Holster Pocket:
The water holster is made of a mesh fabric.  The top edge is made of a firm fabric which holds its shape.  Even without a bottle in this pocket, the pocket keeps its cylindrical shape.  The bottom of the holster is also made of mesh.

Web Site:
The web site has a lot of information.  One of the sections is "Fitting your pack".  From there, I selected "Women's Series".  This brought about the same information as is in my booklet, but the web site has a little more information, and a few more pictures. 

The web site also has an area called "Warranty Registration".  I clicked on that, and it brought me to a form to fill out to register my pack.

The other sections of their website are: About Us, Products, Fitting your pack, Dealer Locator, Catalog Request, Warranty Registration, General Information, Team Gregory, and Home

Warranty:
The pack has a lifetime warranty to the original buyer, that it is free from defects.  The pack also has "Limited Warranty" that says they don't cover repairs for unreasonable use or improper care  "Sorry, no free repairs if you have been using your pack as a feed bag for bears or cleaning with white gas!"

Care of Pack:
The pack can be hand washed with a mild detergent or soap.  It can be scrubbed with a soft-bristle nylon brush.  It should be rinsed and left to dry with the zippers open.  It should not be stored until it is thoroughly dry.  It should not be placed in a dryer.

Weight:
Generally I like to keep my backpack at less than 20 pounds (9 kg).  Packed at this weight, the pack still has plenty of available space.

First Impressions:
My initial impression of the pack is that it is well made.  There are no loose edges, the seams are all bound.  The edges of the straps are all neatly sewn and melted.

Location:
I will be using the pack at least once a month on local weekend trips here in Colorado.  Towards the end of the test, I hope to take the pack out for a two week trip on the Continental Divide Trail here in Colorado.  The terrain will be varied, consisting of rocky climbs, dusty, muddy and snowy trail.  Temperatures during the test period will probably range from freezing to about 80 F (44 C).  I hope to use it in the snow, rain, sleet and hot weather.


Test Plan/Strategy:
-Will the water bottle stay in the holster?
- Is it easy to reach the water bottle while wearing the pack?
- Is the pack easy to adjust, and does it stay adjusted?
- Do the zippers operate smoothly and easily?
- Is the pack comfortable to carry for long distances?
- Is there a way to attach snowshoes to the pack?
- Is it easy to  adjust the weight from my shoulders to my hips?
- Does my bear canister fit easily into the pack?
- Is it possible to remove the optional stays and framesheet?
- Are the side pockets big enough to stuff in my snow stake (trowel)  and toilet paper?
- Do things placed in the pockets stay in the pockets, or fall out?
- Will my Platypus fit in the hydration sleeve?
- Will the water weight feel stable when placed in the hydration sleeve?
- Do the bottom compression straps securely hold my Z-Rest?
- Does the ventilated back panel keep my back dry when walking?
- Will the pack be stable enough, and narrow enough to snowshoe or ski, while wearing the pack?
- Is the pack fabric durable?
- Is the pack waterproof or water resistant?  Will I need to line the pack with a trash compactor bag?
- Will I need to be careful about the way I load the pack to make it stable, or is the pack stable by design?
- Does the pack stand up on its own, or will it fall over? 
- Will the pack fit comfortably in my tarp, near my head?
- Are the straps easy to adjust?
- Are the seams sewn well and sturdy?
- Are the instructions for adjusting the pack easy to follow?
- Does the pack "squeak" when walking, or is it quiet?


Summary:
I look forward to using this pack for the next six months.

Likes:  
 I like the color.  
All of my gear fit in/on the pack with room to spare.

Dislikes:  I would to see information regarding removal of the removable stays and frame sheet in Gregory's literature and their web site..

Thank you, Gregory and BackPackGearTest  for the opportunity to test this pack, and stay tuned for the field report.

Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Tega > Karin Claus > Initial Report