Review: Gregory Packs

I got this Gregory backpack for Christmas in 1991. It has been my steady companion for 18 years, hundreds of miles, thousands upon thousands of vertical feet and through more baggage claim turnstyles than I can count. It has been taking it all and is ready for more. Sure, the color has faded some after years of exposure to the sun and weather and at one point a few years ago, I must have ripped the bottom of it somewhat.

So I took it to REI where they took care of shipping it back to Gregory for me to get that rip repaired and what I got back made me a great fan of Gregory’s customer service department. Not only did they patch the rip, but they meticulously searched over every square inch of the pack and added a few stitches here and sewed up a bit there in spots that were starting to fray and show wear.

One would think it would be in Gregory’s best interest to let the well worn pack continue to fall apart so I would buy a new one sooner. That does not seem to be the mentality at Gregory and I really appreciate it. It may be true for other outdoor gear companies as well, and as I gain personal experience to that end, I’ll post a review to their credit.

Clearly, this is not so much a review on the backpack itself, which obviously fits well, carries enough and is sufficiently rugged to endure both airports and mountains alike. Rather this is a great kudos to Gregory and their customer care.

Thanks Gregory!

Pingback reply from Gregory on their blog.

About the author

Adventure Correspondent Cameron L. Martindell is a freelance adventure travel and expedition writer, photographer and filmmaker who founded Offyonder.com in 2000. He has contributed to Elevation Outdoors Magazine, The Gear Junkie, National Geographic, The Christian Science Monitor, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Outside, Backpacker, Wired, Australian Geographic, Mountainzone.com and others. He has been to all seven continents and lived on five of them, including a four-month stint at the South Pole. Cameron has more than 10 years of mountain search and rescue experience, is an Eagle Scout, has been an Australian bush firefighter, competes in sailing regattas, plans national and international youth programs, guides Oregon rafting trips and Australian bush backpacking trips.

Comments

  1. I have to agree that Gregory's warranty service is awesome! I had a busted zipper on a Gregory Deva backpack and they fixed it and sent it back by FedEx. I hope my pack lasts for 18 years like yours.

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