High Sierra Topix

Just some ramblings about the older Gregory Deva backpacks.

I realize that the Deva is "officially" listed as a woman's pack but…Take a second look. Swap out the straps/waist belt and you have a cheap, almost perfect, men's, 10-day, almost ultralight backpack.

I am talking about the older ones (blue - medium) that are listed (actually weigh in) at ~4 pounds...built rock solid, and carry 45 pounds easily. Add in great suspension, (for those who fit Gregory's), and essentially you have a 65 liter, (with collar - 3900+ cc), slightly stripped down, mini version of the Whitney.

My TT Rainbow fits in one side pocket, everything else has a place...Bearikade Weekender fits inside easily.
Good bottle holder and a separate sleeping bag compartment too (room for ground cloth and WM Badger).
It is a better made pack (better fabric/ certainly better suspension) than the current Z models, and weighs 2 pounds less than the Baltoro or Triconi. Better made than the Deuter-65 too and carries better for me than any of the Osprey's or Granite Gear's. Hard to find a lighter pack that can comfortably carry a bearcan and 40 pounds.

Maybe this is a tad too heavy, as designed: first time hike with the wife/girlfriend? ...(common gripe I hear), but after swapping out the shoulder straps and belt (same suspension as my Shasta) for the larger and straighter men's versions, it works exceptionally well for me. (6 foot, 230+ lbs).

I was skeptical at first too, but as compared to the Trance XXX, (another option...cannot afford a McHale), it is considerably cheaper and not surprisingly...carries like a dream with some weight…one thing great about Gregory packs – the suspension, if it fits - mine does.

Turns out that this purportedly heavy “women’s” backpack Deva turns into an excellent 10-day pack with bomber suspension, lasting fabric, ~4-pounds, a good bottle holder, reservoir ready, without all the crapola (floating top pocket?) that Gregory adds on to his current line men’s line...dirt cheap too.

Just my 2¢

No argument from me. I joined search and rescue and looked all over the place for something that was NOT bigger than 50 liters, fit my back comfortably while carrying a load, and let me tweak the hip belt to more comfortable settings. I ended up with a Gregory Jade 40 - weighs 3 lbs, but I can load it with 40 lbs of whatever and be okay. A Bearikade Weekender will fit into it. All my usual weekender gear fits with room to spare. I thrashed around for a while on a search in some manzanita and it didn't even tear the fabric.

I'm sure folks think I'm crazy moving into this from the ultralight pack - but an ultralight pack won't survive the abuse of a good bushwhack. Osprey's lighter packs didn't work for me (pack frame hurts my lower back after about a mile) and the Granite Gear I have, while it carries the load well enough, also sits out from my back so far that ducking under a tree involves crawling on my belly. The Gregory rides on my hips in such a way that I am able to move around and climb class III without being thrown off balance the way I would in the Granite Gear.

We all have our styles and our own needs - makes perfect sense that some backpacks just don't have what it takes for some... I've been throwing rough hikes at the Gregory for a few months and I'm impressed. First of the brand that I've had, but it might end up being the only and the last, at the rate it's going... I may get another ulralight pack some day for the straightforward easy backpacking. But sometimes you just need a backpack that you can throw out of a helicopter.

Just a small disagreement -- 3-4 pounds for a pack is NOT ultra-light. Even though the Deva is a woman-specific pack, I do not like it. It is too heavy for the volume. However, I do applaud pack makers who have interchangeable shoulder straps and hip belts. I have the opposite problem - I can never get a pack hipbelt small enough.

I'm confused. Who said a 3 lb pack was ultralight?

Original post called it "almost ultra-light". I still do not think 3 pounds is "almost" ultra-light. If you read the ultra-light web sites, they are usually talking about packs 1 pound and less.

Ah. I took it to mean subjectively "as compared to 6-9 lb bomber old style packs." By your criteria my Gossamer Gear looks heavy.... But I never claimed to be an ultralight hiker either.

My next pack will be a ULA - tried on three models, thinking the Circuit will be about perfect. Not too small, not too heavy, still handles a bear canister.