MY THRU HIKE

…how really wonderful that Deva 60 pack is. All the men in my life thought I should elect a more light-weight pack. (Yeah that pack, empty, really does weigh-in at 6 pounds 3 ounces.) And commonsense would dictate that I select a lighter pack. But let me explain some of the things that made me choose this one.

1) It has an independent camming waistbelt system. There are 2 parts to this beauty. It automatically registers hip angle, while the customizable pivot control system that mirrors your body’s movements, evenly distributes weight, increasing both load support and comfort. (Sound like a Gregory blurb? Well it is, but let me explain.) With this system I never feel like I’ve lost control of the pack. I’ve used packs (no names mentioned) that made me feel like the pack was controlling the load, my steps, balance, etc. Not so with the Gregory Deva 60.

2) The precurved harness and hip belt with all that padding. They call it a 3D system and it is. The padding is thick and it is really wonderful!

3) There are three convenient points of entry into the bag; top entry (like a grocery sack), mid front entry, like a side pocket inside your purse and the separate sleeping bag compartment entry. This is the tie breaker. I’ve always like having my sleeping bag accessible from the outside. O.K. I confess, I’ve always owned a Gregory pack and for this reason. I don’t have to empty my pack to get to my sleeping bag.

4) The top pouch (aka”brain”) is completely removable to become a fanny pack. Lock up your pack in the hotel or hostel and just carry the fanny pack to town. It’s actually plenty big enough to carry for a slack-pack day. Loads of room for snacks, lunch and water.

OH! I forgot. The volume of this pack is huge. I’ve packed it with everything…tent, tarp, clothes, sleeping bag and liner, Essential 10+4 plastic jar, clothes, food, toiletries, kitchen…the entire pack list. That pack is nowhere near full. There’s about 600 cubic inches available should PassionPhish’s “LittlePhish” comes along for part of the hike. I will have plenty of room to carry anything of her’s that I’ll need to. The “LittlePhish” is only 10, and her pack will max-out at about 10 or 12 pounds. Aware that the AT is a really tough hike, overall; and knowing that young hikers can do long term joint damage; and knowing that we want her to enjoy the trip and have room/weight to add to her rock collection; we are prepared to tote her stuff.

So there you have it. Four, five if you count the volume overabundance, good reasons to select the Deva 60 pack from Gregory.