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Gregory
Triconi
| Initial Report |
February 15, 2006 |
Personal Biographical Information
Name:
Michael Herman
Age: 22
Gender:
Male
Height:
5' 11'' (1.8 m)
Weight:
195 lb (89 kg)
Email: Backpackman (at) mailbolt (dot) com
Location: Central, Ohio
Backpacking
Background
I stated camping with my family in the car and the RV when I was real young. I did a lot of camping with the Boy Scouts and then did my first
backpacking trip (three days) with my dad when I as 13. From then on I took a
backpacking trip once a year until high school where I started going more often.
Now in college I do many outdoor activities with the outing club. I backpack
often as well as participate in other activities such as caving, adventure racing, kayaking and
climbing; however, backpacking is my primary activity.
My backpacking style is packing light
but not ultralight (yet); however, I do not skimp on eating well. I continually
want to find ways to get better meals on the trail while not adding much weight.
I also don't want to shortchange myself with low living conditions just to save
a couple of ounces (grams). I want to find other ways to reduce weight while
staying comfortable.
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Product Information
This picture is from Gregory Mountain
Products
Product: Triconi Backpack
Manufacturer: Gregory Mountain Products
Year of
Manufacturer: 2006
URL: http://www.GregoryPacks.com
Listed Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz (2.6 kg)
Measured Weight: 5 lbs 12 oz (2.6 kg)
Size: Medium (Other sizes are available)
Waistbelt: 28 to 34 in (71 to 86 cm)
Capacity: 3800 cubic inch (62 L)
MSRP: $249.00 US
Description: The Triconi is a 3800 cubic inch (62 L) backpack part of the
Gregory's Escape Series line of backpacks. It has top, bottom and side access in
to the main compartment. Gregory's "Response Suspension System" and precurved
harness are part of the features included with the backpack. Two stretchable
pockets are located on the side where water bottle holders often are. Lastly it has a
front pocket, sleeping bag compartment and a sleeve inside the main compartment
for a hydration bladder.
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Initial Impression
My first impression of this
pack as I unpacked it was
that it looked very slick. I first began to play around with all of the
adjustments the pack has to offer. The first adjustment that I came across that
I liked to see was that the chest strap is able to be put at any spot on the
shoulder straps. This is a great feature for me since I like my chest strap to
be just at the right spot. I also noticed while trying the pack on that the two
sides of the waist belt are able to freely rotate up and down, independent of
each other. I looked this feature up on Gregory's site and it is the Response
Suspension System and is designed to pivot with your hips to increase stability.
I am looking forward to testing this feature out in the upcoming months. The top
flap/pocket is able to be removed from the pack; although, at this time I do not
see a way for me to use this pocket as a fanny pack. I will look in to seeing if
it can be used as a fanny pack and report my findings in future reports. The
hydration sleeve inside the pack is not permanently attached to the pack. Being able to take it out will be
great for cleaning. There are spots on both sides of the pack that allow me to
put a hydration systems hose through. All of the other typical adjustments to a
pack seem to be present after my first inspection. Most adjustments are made by
tightening nylon straps. I am curious to know how all
of the adjustments will work with a loaded pack. Will I be able to fine-tune all
adjustments to make this pack as comfortable as possible? So far I have tried
the pack on with little weight in the pack so I cannot report yet how well the
adjustments work. On the front of the pack there is one V-shaped pocket that is
opened by zipper that goes straight down the middle of the pocket. The top of
this pocket is sealed by Velcro. You can not get in to the main compartment of
this pack through this pocket; however, on both sides of the pocket there are
zippers that runs 14 in (35 cm) down the pack that open up to the main
compartment. Next to these zippers (on both sides) are straps with Gregory
printed on them that can be used to strap tent poles too. Each strap has a total
of four Velcro strips so that the poles can be Velcroed twice for extra
security. There are also compression straps on both sides of the pack. The
sleeping bag compartment it is separated from the main compartment by a
removable separator. There are two loops on the front of the pack at the bottom
for ice picks (or other tools). There are also loops on the side of the pack at
the bottom that are 5 in (13 cm) wide. Above these loops are large stretchable
pockets that are in the place of water bottle holders. This is one thing of the
bag that I wish was different. I would prefer at least one water bottle holder
on the outside of the pack that I could reach with the pack on. A Nalagene could
not fit in these pockets so I am stuck without a water bottle holder.
Before I received the pack I spent time on Gregory Mountain Products` website
looking at this pack. The description of the pack was vague and did not tell
about all of the features of the pack. I did not expect the pack to have a lot
of features, instead I expected a pack with the bare essentials. When I received
the pack I did not get what I expected. As I have described above this pack is
full of features. I expected the pack to have water bottle holders on the
outside of the pack which it did not. I could not find a location on the website
that said it did or did not have a water bottle holder on the outside of the
pack; although, before I received the pack I did expect it to have one. I would
sat that the website lacks a detailed description of this pack.
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Test Plan
This pack will be put through some great backpacking during the next few months.
During my backpacking trips I will first and foremost be looking on how the pack
fits. This is the most important criteria in a bag for me. I will report on how
the adjustments work. Will I be able to fine-tune all parts of the pack or just
some parts? Can I make all of the adjustments myself while the pack is on so I
can quickly get the best fit? How easy will it be to put the pack on and take it
off? Does the waist strap fit nicely? Secondly (but not less important) I will
observe how the construction of the pack hold up. I want to know if the fabric
starts to wear after the pack has been roughed around during the backpacking
trips. Will all of the seams hold up or will some of them start to fray? Will
the zippers continue to glide freely or will the get jammed and hard to open? I
will also report on how waterproof the pack seems to be. I am sure that I will
get chances to backpack in the rain during the spring and early summer months.
What parts of the bag leak, if any, and how much will they leak. Does it take a downpour
for water to sneak in to the pack or will a drizzle make my gear wet? There is
only one front pocket, I want to know how much of my gear can be stored in there.
This is going to be a great test and I am sure I will have loads to report to
you in my other reports.
I live in Central Ohio and often make trips to Southern Ohio, Northeast Ohio,
and West Virginia. During the winter months while I will be testing the Triconi
I will see quite a bit of snow and cold nights, although I will also be do
backpacking before there is snow. Possible locations that I will be going to
during the testing period are: East Fork State Park, Zaleski State Forest,
Ceaser Creek, and the Appalachians in West Virginia. The elevations I will se in
Ohio will be from 700 ft (213 m) to 950 ft (290 m). The temperatures could get
as low as 10 F (-12 C) during the heart of winter. During the days I will see
temperatures that stay below freezing to temperatures as warm as 55 F (13 C).
The elevation changes will be minimum. The terrain in West Virginia will have
elevations up to around 1100 ft (335 m). The elevation changes will be somewhat
moderate. The temperatures get as cold as 10 F (-12 C). I may see warmer months
at the end of the testing period, during the spring months. I will see weather
that is between 50 F (11 C) and 75 F (24 C). These numbers are typical for a
normal winter and spring in the areas I will be backpacking; although, this has
been a warmer winter than normal in Central Ohio and I may see warmer weather
that I have predicted here.
Some of the things I want to test:
The fit of this backpack. Will I be able
to adjust it to give me a great fit?
The construction of this pack. Will it look like an old pack or still look new at
the end of the testing period?
How does my gear fit in to the pack?
Does water get in to the pack while raining and where?
Will all of the features work as they were intended to or do changes need to be
made?
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Read more reviews of Gregory gear
Read more gear reviews by Michael Herman
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