Gregory Jade 34 Day Pack for Women
Product Review & Walking Gear Test
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 Jade 34 Day Pack for Women Vital Statistics: Colours: Sizes: Weight: SRP: |
Features to Note:
- Women specific fit
- Dual hydration points
- Auto-fit harness system
- CrossFlo Dynamic Transfer System (DTS)
- Padded lumbar pad
- Moisture wicking mesh plus perforated foam in harness and waistbelt.
- Removable rain cover in zippered pocket
- Single axe/tool attachment point
- Material: 210d double diamond ripstop and 330d nylon oxford flatweave
In-use Test:
The Jade 34 is part of Gregory's ventilated back pack range featuring their proprietary Dynamc Transfer system (DTS) - which claims to minimise the contact between pack and your back (thereby maximising airflow) without sacrificing the transfer of load to your hips.
I'm female, 5'7'', of average build and I tried out the Jade 34 - with my usual winter day walk load - on several Peak District walks.
The main compartment is easily accessed from the top. There is also a second zipped way in from the front which means you can reach items at the bottom without unpacking the whole lot. (I usually use a liner in a daypack - so I have to admit I didn't find this feature particularly useful.)
There are a number of other pockets. Firstly - there's a front stuff pocket which I found handy for waterproof over-trousers once they'd become wet; there's a pocket inside the lid, one on top of the lid, 2 side mesh pockets plus 2 zipped pockets inside the hip belt. So a number of options for stashing items you need during the day - hats, gloves, keys, energy bars etc. The zips are all well toggled and the other openings easy to use wearing gloves.
Fitting the backpack is straight-forward and easily achieved by adjusting the shoulder straps, belt and chest strap.
I think I was most impressed, though, with the comfort of this backpack. I tended to have the pack about 2/3 full - and the load was very stable. The shoulder straps and belt are well padded. There really was no strain on my shoulders at all and I certainly didn't experience any build-up of moisture on my back. (It was winter and I was wearing breathable base-layer and waterproof jacket but did have lots of high energy periods during my days' out.)
The fabric feels reasonably robust so I would hope that it will be reasonably resilient to abrasion - but have yet to really test this out.
The inner is curved - so I think using this as a 'commuting' daypack to carry books, papers etc may be a bit tricky. However as a walking/hiking daypack, it is impressive.
The Jade 34 from Gregory is relatively expensive as a day pack. However, it is extremely comfortable, is big enough for an overnight trip ... and this (really) is a women specific fit. For some frequent walkers, this may be a worthwhile investment.
Have you got a Gregory Jade 34 Day Pack for Women?
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