Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Whitney > Rami Benhameda > Field Report

www.gregorypacks.com

PERSONAL BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION:

BACKPACKING BACKGROUND: (back to top)

I've been hiking and backpacking in and around Central and Southern Indiana for the past 20+ years either solo or with my wife and daughters. Within the last 5 years, I've become an avid long distance hiker with sections of the Appalachian Trail (AT) in Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia under my belt, as well as other long distance hiking.

PRODUCT INFORMATION: (back to top)

Manufacturer:    Gregory Mountain Products

Web Address:    www.gregorypacks.com

Year of Manufacture:    2004

Series:    Adventure Series

Model:    Whitney

MSRP:    USD $329.00

FIELD TESTING RESULTS part I: (back to top)

In my Initial Report I listed several component features of the Whitney pack.  I didn't, at that time, have enough experience with the pack to discuss each item in any significant way.  At the time of this writing I still have areas I need more time with, but I can now speak to each component's value and function in my testing to date.

Components:

•  Packbag - size medium ( 5450 CU. IN. / 89 liters )
  • This is the right size packbag for my usage needs.  It is wide and deep enough to hold an enormous amount of gear.  While I could conceivably put more gear into a larger bag, I doubt I could safely or comfortably carry it.
• Top, front, side and bottom access
  • While still in the early testing phases of my Whitney use, I found myself consistently accessing the contents of the pack via the top opening almost exclusively.  It took me a few weekend trips and an effort of will to use the front and side openings on a regular basis.  Now that I'm used to using multiple access points, I find them to be invaluable tools in maintaining a highly organized pack.
• Top pocket converts to a fanny pack
  • I haven't had the time I had originally anticipated with the fanny pack feature of the Whitney.  The few times I have used it, I found it to be comfortable if somewhat less capable of supporting the items I had carried than I had expected.
• 210d ‘double box’ HT ® nylon body
  • The term which comes to mind when describing the material used in making the packbag is 'Bombproof', but that is simply because there isn't a better understood term to describe how sturdy, strong, resistant to abuse, and redundantly secure the Whitney is.
• Shelter-Rite® bottom
  • This is the feature I have used least.  I have certainly set the Whitney down while taking breaks on the trail.  What I haven't experienced is any situation where the specific materials have been just what I needed to fit any particular trail condition.
•  Canted water bottle holder
  • What a difference this makes!  The ability to actually reach and use a water bottle without having to wiggle, squirm, or contort my way around to getting it out of a pocket (not to mention getting it back in again) makes this feature the single most valuable aspect of the Whitney.
• Side mesh pocket
  • A standard mesh pocket (behind the left hand when wearing the pack) that's easy to access and large enough to hold white a lot of stuff.
• Hydration sleeve and port
  • I love hydration bladders!  3 liters of water certainly adds a lot weight to one's pack though.
• Chimney ventilation channel
  • What can I say here?  Taking your backpack for a walk is hot sweaty work.  Anything that helps to mitigate that is appreciated.  The channel runs up the length of the torso (excepting the lumbar pad) and actually does promote ventilation to some degree.
• Floating partial framesheet , Twin 7001-T6 stays
  • Working together to provide enough stiffness to support heavy loads, while providing the torsional flex we expect in an internal frame pack.  The Whitney makes even a very heavy load feel stable and as comfortable as possible.

    Shoulder Harness - size large

• Auto-Cant™ harness
  • It's difficult to describe how much of a difference this harness system makes in a comfortable fitting pack.  How many times have you been on the trail futzing with load lifters and sternum straps to get that knot out of your shoulder?  No more with this pack.  The shoulder harness pieces are individual and adjust automatically to the optimal position.  Wow!
• Flo-Form® II shoulder harness
  • I'm not sure that this has made that much difference in the fit and function of the Whitney, but I haven't worn any other shoulder harness with the pack to compare functionality.

    Waistbelt - size large

• Adjust-A-Cant™ waistbelt
  • Not nearly as easily adjustable as the shoulder harness, but easily more valuable in attaining the best fit possible.  The Adjust-A-Cant waistbelt is set by screws before your trip and allows custom fitting of the waistbelt to maximize surface contact between the wearer's waist and the pack's waistbelt.
• Flo-Form® II waistbelt padding
  • The air movement possible because of this feature is slightly less valuable to me than the fact that the segments prevent bunching of the waistbelt under heavy loading.  The sturdiness of the waistbelt obviously aids in this greatly too.

    Colors - Midnight Blue / Black

    Weight - 7 LBS 1 OZ (3.2 KG )

FIELD TESTING RESULTS part II: (back to top)

Coming up with enough gear to significantly load the Whitney as a solo hiker was quite a task initially.  I finally settled on the following list plus food.

All of this amounts to a pre food  weight of around 28 lbs (12.7 kg).  Adding a weekend worth of food brings me into the mid 30's as an average pack weight for each trip.  There were times when the load was significantly higher (when taking both daughters backpacking recently for example) and others when the load was lighter (when day hiking in our local park for example)

The Whitney handles both loads easily and capably.  I realized upon returning from a recent trip that not only would the gear I had taken never fit in my previous pack, I would never have tried to get it all in there for fear of breaking some component or another (zippers, harnesses, etc.).  I did experience some discomfort when hauling heavy loads, but this was never a case of the packs, but rather a result of me being physically uncomfortable with such weight on my back.  I think I just admitted to being some sort of 'gram weenie'.

The only instance of "I wish" that I have thus far experienced is the occasional desire for more (I can't believe I'm saying this) medium and small sized pockets on the outer pack bag.  This is not to say that I can't fit enough stuff in the pack, but rather that the very large side pockets, which also provide access to the main pack bag, don't provide the segregation I like when packing for a trip.  The front pocket is also very nice and large, but it too provides access to the main pack bag.  Because of this double duty feature of the pockets, they tend to get used up by volume from the main pack bag.

I have been enjoying the testing of the Whitney.  I anticipate using it quite regularly long after the test series is over.  It is not a light-weight option, but it is supremely suited for making a heavy load as comfortable as is possible.  I have, and continue to recommend the Whitney to many people.

FUTURE TESTING PLAN: (back to top)

I still have lots of testing to do with the Whitney.  In addition to the regular routine of day and weekend hiking, I am looking forward to a get together with some friends at Cumberland Gap National Historic Park in September.  Cumberland Gap is located in South-Eastern Kentucky at an elevation of around 1600 ft (488 m).  In September the mean daytime temperature of Cumberland Gap has been around 67 degrees F (19 C).

I will continue to examine and evaluate all components and aspects of the pack with focus on how it handles medium and heavy loads as well as how each piece complements (or not) the whole pack. 

Thank you to Gregory Mountain Products and BGT for the opportunity to participate in this test!

Rami Benhameda

Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Whitney > Rami Benhameda > Field Report