Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Tega > Stephanie Martin > Initial Report

Initial Report: Gregory Tega

Contents

- It's Here! The Tega Arrives!

- Words on the Web

- Product Features and Construction

- Initial Impressions

- Test Strategy

Joyous day, it's here! The Tega has arrived!
The Tega arrived in good condition inside a large unmarked brown box via UPS. Inside the box, I found the Tega inside a clear plastic bag with no additional packaging material. Attached to the pack was a hangtag for the Tega, identifying it as a member of Gregory's Womens Series of packs.  The hangtag includes information about Gregory's vision, some key Gregory pack features, pack selection, a brief description of the Tega's features and care as well as info on sizing, fitting, packing and adjusting the pack in addition to information on Gregory's Lifetime Guarantee.
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Words on the Web
The Gregory website is nicely organized and easy to navigate.  Each individual product page has a nice photo of the pack, in addition to information on the packs' volume, weight, materials and design features.  In addition, there is a link on the bottom of the page to a series comparison chart that compares a family of packs by listing pack volume, weight, harness and waistbelt system type, stay material, framesheet type and access style.  My only minor complaint on the site is that it is not possible to open links off the left side rollover menus in a separate browser window by right clicking the links.
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Product Features and Construction:
The Tega is a close cousin of the the Gregory Z and G packs, and has been made specifically to fit a women's form by incorporating a female specific harness shape and waistbelt in addition to trimming an inch (two and a half centimeters) off the width of the back panel to make it a bit narrower.

The Tega is a roomy top loading pack recommended for weekend loads of twenty-five to thirty-five pounds (eleven to sixteen kilograms).  The pack is made of 140-denier Dyneema fabric with 210-denier HT nylon fabric reinforcements on the pack bottom, front pocket and extension collar.  The pack body is approximately twenty-two inches (fifty-six centimeters) in length with an eight inch (twenty centimeter) extension collar.  The extension collar is closed by a cord and cordlock; a cross-the-top compression strap backs this up.

For gear storage, the pack has a single, undivided main storage compartment and is topped with a detachable lid which is connected by three 3/4-inch (2 centimeter) webbing straps and triglides.  The lid pocket is made of the same materials as the body and features a u-shaped water resistant zipper with two zipper-pulls for access.  A mitten hook is included inside the pocket, which I usually use to attach a keyring and/or a photon light to (for easy access).  Inside the pack, a pouch large 16 x 10 inch (40.6 x 25.4 centimeter) pouch is provided to house a water bladder (or other goodies).  The pouch appears to be detachable, but I can't figure out how to separate it from the main body of the pack.  The Tega has a single exit port for a drink tube located on the right side of the pack (when worn on your back). 

The outside of the pack sports several additional storage and organizational features.  On the right (again, while worn on your back), there is a horizontally accessed mesh water bottle holster.  The holster has wire stiffeners to help it retain its shape to ease placement of a water bottle and also has a shock cord and cordlock sewn into the body of the pack to help keep the water bottle in place while bending over when the pack is on.  On the left and rear of the pack are mesh pockets made of a durable-looking non-stretchy mesh.  The tops of both of these pouches are slightly gathered and bound with elastic.  The left side pocket has a sloping top, presumably to provide easy access to frequently used items (camera or snacks in my case) without removing the pack.  The rear pocket has a center 210-denier HT nylon panel with daisy-chain loops sewn on and comes with a detachable webbing strap to aid in securing an ice axe or trekking poles to the pack when used in conjunction with the single ice axe loop located at the bottom center of the pack. This rear pocket also has a side release buckle on its top to help keep it secured.  On both the left and right sides of the pack, towards the top, there are oval-shaped low profile pockets that are closed by the same type of water resistant zipper used on the lid pocket.  The Tega has a wide compression range with "V-Pull" compression straps on the either side of the pack which are tensioned using triglides and can be quickly released using the side-buckle redirects at the bottom of the "V".  If that wasn't enough compression, the pack bottom also has a pair of compression straps, similar to those found on bottom compartments on some heavier packs.  

The Tega's harness/hip belt assembly consists of sewn in padded and contoured shoulder and hip belt.  The shoulder straps are equipped with a detachable sternum strap which can be moved to several attachment points along the straps for a custom fit.  The backpad is designed so that it has an upside-down-Y-shaped cutout, or "chimney vent", up its center, which provides room for air to circulate up and down the center of one's back along the spine (see photo on the right).  The backpad, waistbelt and shoulder straps are all lined with breathable Aerotech fabric.

In order to give the pack form and to transfer the load of the pack from the shoulders to the hips, the Tega features a single removable half-inch (1.3 centimeter) hollow aluminum stay and Foam-X hourglass framesheet for suspension.  In the product literature, it is mentioned that both the framesheet and stay can removed to save 1.4 ounces (39.7 grams) in weight, however I can't get either item out of my pack.  While I can access the stay through hook and loop sealed flap, I can't seem to free it from its tight confines.  Unlike the stay, I cannot access the framesheet at all, as it appears to be sewn in completely.
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Initial Impressions
Having had the pleasure to acquaint myself with the quality manufacturing of Gregory Packs in a previous test, I'm pleased to report that the Tega is another fine example of Gregory's quality workmanship.  The pack appears to be well made, and all interior seams are bound with webbing.  In terms of appearance, the Tega is exactly what I expected based on reviewing the website with the exception of the removable aluminum stay and framesheet.

While I am mostly pleased with the Tega's design, a couple things niggle at my mind.  Amongst these, are the fact that there is only one exit port for a reservoir drink tube and the port is a very tight fit for my particular reservoir bite valve.  While it is possible to feed the valve through the provided opening, it requires some finagling and I certainly can't leave my hose clip attached while completing this procedure.  The other feature on the pack that I'm not so keen on are the water resistant zippers.  Previous exposure to these types of zippers have made me realize that they really aren't terribly water resistant at all, and do have a tendency to let moisture inside.  In addition, these types of zipper seem more "sticky" and difficult to maneuver.  While they do present a very clean appearance, I personally prefer zippers of the traditional variety.
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Testing Strategy
During the course of the test period, I will be testing the Tega primarily in the desert southwest where terrain is generally rocky, definitely sandy, and probably prickly, as things are prone to being in the desert southwest.  Prime hiking season is upon me during this test period with daytime highs ranging from the 60's to 70's F (15 to 20 C) during the day and night time temperatures down to freezing, depending on location. Starting in May, things get interesting and everything starts heating up with temperatures approaching and exceeding 100 degrees F (40 C) in the low desert.  I plan on testing the Tega on both dayhikes and backpacking trips, some of which may include fully loaded technical canyoneering trips (requiring rope and miscellaneous hardware to push the weight limit) depending on the approaches.

There are several features of the Tega that I plan to evaluate as a part of my test plan.  These include the following:

Suspension:
The feature that seems most likely to make or break a pack for me is its suspension.  The suspension typically dictates how well the pack carries over long days and difficult terrain.  I'll be evaluating the Tega's ability to handle light loads as well as loads close to its carrying capacity of thirty-five pounds (sixteen kilograms).  I'll be evaluating just how easy it is to shift the pack's load from my shoulders to my hips and back again.  In addition, I'll be evaluating how close of a carry the Tega has - I like for my packs to ride close on my back while flexing with me as I move.  I really hate it when a pack shifts weight, throwing off my balance, while I'm scrambling around.

Comfort:
Obviously comfort while hiking is important; in fact it's the main reason I've moved to light weight gear in the first place. In addition to evaluating the pack's suspension as it contributes to comfort, I will be investigating the pack's breathability.  The pack features Aerotech mesh fabric and a chimney vent to help ventilation along the user's back and spine - I'll be examining how these features contribute to how the pack breathes, and will have no trouble at all generating some sweat during the blazing heat often found in Arizona.

In addition to the pack's breathability, I plan to test the comfort of the padded hip belt and harness, as well as its ease of adjustment, and comfort of the overall ride.

Durability:
In order to attain weight savings, some light weight pack manufacturers use less durable materials in their design. Experience proven that many sil-nylon and mesh constructions of some ultralight packs are not hardy enough to withstand the sharp plants and rough rock found in the desert landscape. The Tega features 140-denier Dyneema fabric that is reinfored with 210-denier HT nylon in high wear areas.  I would attempt to determine if the Dyneema and HT nylon pairing is rugged enough to withstand on and off trail hiking conditions found in a desert environment. It will come as no surprise to learn that many desert plants have sharp spines and thorns. I will see if these plants are prone to snagging on the external mesh of the pack and whether the mesh has sufficient strength to hold up to these plants.

Weather Resistance:
No backpack I've run across is made to be water tight. However, a bit of weather resistance is desirable in a pack. It allows my gear to stay dry under most conditions and prevents my pack weight from increasing due to added water weight.  While the Tega is not touted as water resistant, I am curious to see how well it sheds water since it is outfitted with water resistant zips and it appears that all of the fabric used in the pack is treated with some sort of water repellant finish.

Care and Maintenance:
While I am not overly harsh on my gear, it sometimes gets a bit grubby and dirty.  I'll be evaluating how dirt and stain resistant the pack is, as well as checking to ensure that the zippers maintain smooth functionality during the course of my testing.
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My thanks to BackpackGearTest.org and Gregory for the opportunity to participate in this test.

Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Tega > Stephanie Martin > Initial Report