Reviews > Packs > Internal and External Framed Backpacks > Gregory Whitney > Rami Benhameda > Long Term 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

LONG TERM TESTING RESULTS: (back to top)

Once you start lightening your load, it becomes difficult to bring yourself to carry as large a load as you used to...

Since beginning this test, have have really enjoyed playing with the Whitney.  I've taken it to work with me, used it as a family overnight bag for weekend stays at the in-laws, and of course as a backpack.  Since writing about my experience with the pack in my Field Report, my opinions haven't changed drastically.  I love the Whitney.  It is strong, sturdy, comfortable, and extremely reliable.  The pack bag is huge and incredibly versatile.  The waist belt and shoulder harness systems are far more comfortable than any other backpack I have used.  The Whitney is in excellent condition despite my normal level of abuse over the past six months of this test.  The zippers, stitching, and materials are all in perfect condition.

I have two complaints with the Whitney.  Both are very minor in nature and only really approach the level of irritation.  First is the size, and function of the pockets of the pack bag.  This is what I said about it in my Field Report:

    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.

This issue really only requires that I spend a little more time planning my load before packing. 

The other issue is one I did not mention in my field report.  The waist belt squeaks.  The squeak has been present since the time of the first test, but it was something I believed would go away over time and use.  This has not happened, and in fact the persistence of the problem has led me to examine ways in which I might modify the pact after the close of this test.  The squeak is a result of two pieces of the waist belt adjustment system rubbing against each other while I walk.  These pieces are important components to allow the waist belt to be adjusted to fit the hips of individual users, the drawback is that the adjustability is the cause of the squeaking.  As the two component pieces of each side of the waist belt rub against each other (whenever I walk), the movement causes this noise to occur.

This is not a major issue, and isn't even one that I would classify above minor irritation, but it is there so I will experiment with some form of barrier or lubrication to alleviate the noise.  If this fails, I will still continue to use the Whitney.  I do not find it so troublesome as to cause me to want to deface the waist belt in order to correct the issue.

I look forward to many long miles in the woods with the Whitney and would like to say, once again, 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 > Long Term Report