Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Tega > Shandra Hunt > Long Term Report

Gregory Mountain Products Tega Backpack - Long Term Report

Name: Shandra Hunt

Age: 26

Gender: Female

Height: 5' 3" (1.6 m)

Weight: 145 lb (66 kg)

Location: Ben Lomond, California

Email: jns170@yahoo.com

Date: 06/01/05

Biography:

Growing up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, I have always been an avid hiker and camper. I evolved into a backpacker about three years ago. Since then I have done many trips throughout California and the Southwest. I spent five days packing in Grand Canyon, which fueled my love for the sport even more. I try to backpack as often as possible, I think I may be addicted. The more I backpack, the more lightweight, functional and efficient I try to make my setup.

Product Information:

URL: http://www.gregorypacks.com

Manufacturer: Gregory Mountain products

Measured weight: 3 lb 3 oz (1.5 kg) (medium)

Listed weight: 3 lb 3 oz (1.5 kg)

Shipping Weight: 5 lb (2.3 kg)

Capacity: 2,900cu in (48 L) (medium)

MSRP: $179.00 U.S.

Year of Manufacture: 2004

Fabric: 140 D Dyneema

Sizes Available: Extra small, small and medium

Colors Available: Dusty blue and desert rose

Test Results:

I have used the Gregory Tega pack for every backpacking trip I have gone on during the last six months. My first test run with the Tega pack was to Castle Rock State Park. An account of this trip can be found in my field report. There were a few great features that I noticed right away on my first trip. The Tega has five main pockets that make it easy to organize all of my smaller pieces of gear. I usually pack my gear the same way every time so that it is easy to find what I'm looking for. I pack my emergency and first aid gear in one of the side pockets. In the other side pocket I pack items like my headlamp, knife, and pack towel. I find that the top cap pocket works well for storing my trail snacks and other miscellaneous items. The mesh pocket on the front of the pack can fit my small djembe drum, if I bring it, and a long sleeve shirt.

The Tega pack is very comfortable, probably one of the more comfortable packs I have used, and there are a lot of different ways that it can be adjusted and leveled. The Tega is designed to carry between 25 lb (11.3 kg) and 35 lb (15.9 kg). I used the Tega on a two night trip to Point Reyes National Seashore. The hike is 6.3 mi (10.1 km) over varying terrain along the coast. I carried 28 lb (12.7 kg) on the hike out and found the pack to be comfortable at this weight. This was a trip that I took a lot of extra gear because I was responsible for another person. I had the Tega packed to the brim. The Tega is smaller in size than the pack I have previously used and I found that I have to be conscientious of how I pack if I have a lot of gear to take. The back panel of the Tega is an hourglass shape. While this is great for the fit of the pack and makes it more streamlined when the pack is on, I find there is a lot of dead space left in the bottom of the pack. I have found that it is easier and more efficient to pack the main compartment before packing the side pockets. If the side pockets are full they tend to encroach on the main compartment, making it even more frustrating to pack. I have been using the hydration sleeve for my Platypus bag and there is extra room to pack foods that I want to stay cool. I find that I have to load the hydration sleeve first and pack around it. This makes it difficult to pack the bottom of the pack, and I think a side zipper would make it easier to access the lower part of the pack. If there is an item that I need from the bottom of the pack I have to unpack the entire pack which is a hassle.

Until I went to Point Reyes, I was packing my sleeping bag in the main compartment. As I said, I had a full load on the Point Reyes trip, so for this trip I used the lower straps on the outside of the pack to secure my sleeping bag and sleeping pad.. These two adjustable 3/4 in (2cm) wide compression straps extend from the bottom of the pack to the bottom of the mesh pocket on the front. These straps are 24 in (61 cm) long and have an attached slide that allows for two small items, or one large one, to be attached. These straps are frustrating to use because they only have a sliding buckle to adjust them. I had to slide my pad and sleeping bag through the straps which is difficult with two items. If these straps attached with a buckle, they would be much easier to use.

Another trip I used the Tega pack on was to the Los Padres National forest near Big Sur, Ca. This was a fairly short hike near the coast, only about 4 mi (6.4 km), and I carried 32 lb (14.5 kg). The Tega seems to be the most comfortable around this weight. I was concerned when I first got the Tega because the waist belt and shoulder straps seemed thin and I was worried that this would be uncomfortable. This has not seemed to be a problem and I have found that the waist belt has straps that can be tightened to bring the pack load closer to the lower back. This has become one of my favorite adjustments because that little bit of tightening makes a big difference in the pack fit. I did a lot of bushwhacking on this trip and found the Tega held up well against sharp sticks. There were quite a few downed trees on the trail. The Tega is really compact and I was able to get through most of the obstacles without having to remove the pack.

On this same trip, I discovered a couple of small problems in the design of the Tega. The hydration sleeve is supposed to be removable but there is no way that mine can be detached. It looks like the strap is too short to allow the buckles holding the sleeve in to be turned so the sleeve can be removed. I had another issue with the hydration port because it is too small to push my Platypus' bite valve through. I had to take the bite valve off of the Platypus tubing to fit it through the port and ended up spilling water on the inside of the pack. I ended up cutting the hydration port so that I don't have to take the bite valve off. When I tried to cut a small slit on the edge of the port, the fabric cut too easily and I made the slit larger than I had intended. The fabric of the Tega has held up really well despite being dragged over rocks and through brush so I was surprised that the fabric cut so easily. Overall, the fabric of the Tega looks as good as the day I got it. I have used the Tega on trips where I have experienced moderate rain and very heavy fog, which leaves things pretty soaked. Despite being wet on the outside, my gear was dry inside.

I really like the mesh water bottle holster on the side of the pack. I was concerned when I first examined it because the holster sits sideways on the pack. I was worried that this would make it easier for my water bottle to fall out of the holster. There is an elastic loop to secure around the top of the bottle that helps to hold it in place and this works really well. I have used the holster for a Nalgene bottle and a large Gatorade bottle and both fit and stayed in with no problem. I think that Gregory is on to something with the sideways holster because it gives easier access to my water bottle. I find that I don't have to stop to try to retrieve or put back my water bottle.

I was concerned when I first used the pack because there are a lot of straps and there seems to be a lot of extra strap material. I still haven't cut any of the straps shorter, but I think as I continue to use this pack I may have to. I definitely recommend shorter straps on any future models. This pack cannot hold enough gear that the straps would ever be fully extended. The most annoying straps are the ones that adjust the top cap. They tend to hang down near my face and every so often I catch one in the eye. All of the straps have a function, but I think I could do without a few that seem to be just plain frustrating to use. If I want to pack the upper side pockets full, the "V" straps that cross over them are hard to loosen and only give so much so that they end up crushing whatever is in the pockets. I am not sure how this could be remedied other than not having the straps there.

Another concern I have about this pack are the zippers. The Tega features water resistant zippers. The zippers have a stiff covering over them, I'm not exactly sure what it is made of, maybe some type of plastic. This covering makes the zippers stiff to use, especially the zipper on the top cap. On the positive side, the zippers don't catch on the fabric and they all seem clean and in good condition.

Summary:

My general impressions of the Tega pack is that it is a great overall pack for women who want a smaller, compact, comfortable pack. I am impressed how comfortable and compact the Tega pack is. This pack performs best when it is used for carrying the recommended weight of 25 lb (11.3 kg) to 35 lb (15.9 kg). The female specific design is my favorite feature of this pack, I feel like I can move freely and efficiently when using the Tega. I like that this pack has many different ways that it can be adjusted for a custom fit and it really pulls in close to the back which makes it more stable. I like that the Tega features several pockets which make it easy to organize small things. These pockets hold and impressive amount of small items which helps to free up space in the main compartment. I really like the mesh pocket on the front of the Tega, it works really well for storing items quickly that may need to be accessed, like a long sleeve shirt, or for wet items that need to be dried out.

There are a few things that I think would make this pack more user friendly. My most frustrating issue with the Tega is packing it. There is definitely a specific way that this pack has to be loaded if the maximum space is to be used. The more I use it, I figure out the most efficient way to pack it, but it was extremely frustrating at first. I would like this pack much better if it had at least one side zipper. It would be much easier to pack and access gear if there was another way to access the inside compartment. I think the strap length needs to be addressed. Way to much unused and loose strap for my liking. I think the hydration port should be larger to accommodate a wider range of different sized bite valves. The lower straps on the pack would be much easier to use if they had detaching buckles instead of sliding adjustments, but they still function. It would be nice if the top cap was detachable so that it could be used as a day pack. On my Point Reyes trip, I ended up packing a small summit pack off of my other pack to use as a daypack when I hiked down the beach for the day. My main dislike in the Tega pack is that it is so compact that it only serves for a three night trip at most. I would like to use the Tega for longer trips but it just doesn't have the capacity.

Overall, the few issues I have with the Tega will not prevent me from continuing to use it. The fit, comfort and compactness of this pack out weighs the few things I don't like about it. I think the Tega is durable enough that it will serve as a great overnight and weekend pack for years to come.

Likes:

> Fit and compact

> Easily adjustable for a comfortable, custom fit

> Enough pockets to efficiently organize gear

> Lightweight

Dislikes:

> Too much extra strap material

> Hard to pack efficiently

> Small capacity - can't be used on longer trips

> Not compatible with some hydration pack bite valves

Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Tega > Shandra Hunt > Long Term Report