Jen used the Deva 60 on a backpacking trip along the Na Pali Coast of Kauai.
It’s a well-made pack, and comes with an impressive set of reviews. This includes a top rating from Backpacker magazine.
But, there is just one problem…
You see, Jen is 5’4″ and 108 pounds, with a 24 inch waist. So, she is on the small end of the size range, and even though we purchased a pack that the Gregory sizing chart said would work for her, it didn’t once we hit the trail under load. It wasn’t the torso length that was the problem, or the strap placement — those were just fine. It was the waist belt. There just wasn’t enough play in it to cinch down once the load settled, despite the Gregory sizing chart saying their small waist band had a 22″ low end. It was tolerable, but not proper.
I called Gregory about this to see if a replacement belt was available for a smaller waist size, but there isn’t. The Gregory representative suggested we try the Jade 60 pack, saying it has a waistband with more play in it to accomodate smaller waists.
So, the Deva 60 is being added to the growing pile of discarded packs in our storage locker, and the Jade 60 is next in the queue.
Now, a comment on buying gear in Hawaii…
There ain’t no REI’s or such in Hawaii. Closest thing is a Sports Authority that carries team sports gear and day packs suitable for school kids. Hawaii just isn’t much on rucking up and heading into the bush. So, you gotta buy your gear on the internet, occasionally pay some crazy-assed shipping costs, and do a lot of return mailing and reordering to accomplish what can be done in a single store trip on the Mainland.
Oh, well…a small price for paradise, right?
POSTSCRIPT:
Well, we received the Gregory Jade 60 pack. Even after adjusting the waistbelt to it’s smallest size (and it does have a good range of adjustment), it still didn’t fit.
So, I called Gregory, sent their representative photographs of Jen wearing both the Deva 60 and Jade 60 with a 25 pound load, and mentioned that Jen still found the Deva 60 more comfortable despite the waistbelt sizing. The response was that the Deva 60 was designed to be more comfortable, but that the Jade 60 fit her better (despite being less comfortable, I guess); and that Gregory didn’t make smaller waistbelts. Gotta say that feedback wasn’t much help. But I was out over $30 in shipping to send the Jade 60 back from whence it came, and you gotta be happy about that.
From there, we went to the web and the phone, looking for any pack that might work, and then calling the manufacturer to check. North Face, Arc’teryx, Deuter, GoLite, Mountain Hardwear…called ’em all. Bottom line is that no one seems to carry a pack in the 60 liter range with a waist band suitable for a woman with a 24″ waist.
So, for you enterprising folks, there’s a whole in the market needing a fill.