Gregory Z 55 Backpack - 3050-3660cu in

Where do I start? First off, big kudos to these guys for having such amazing customer service and helpful employees. Our packs were lost in transit by UPS. Zach managed to find me a replacement pack, along with a pack for my gf, and got it to me overnight. What could have been a terribly disappointing set back, turned out to be no problem at all! Bought this pack to replace a Northface pack I had for several years. It's first trip was to the Sabine National Forest and the Indian Mounds Wilderness. During our week trip I put this pack through serious hell. It was ziplined through the trees, hauled through the mud, dropped, slept on, stuffed to excruciating levels, and hauled up the side of white cliffs. This pack is very versatile. It rained the first few days we were out, and all my gear stayed perfectly dry. A few things worth noting; Zippers are rugged and do not leak. A lot can be strapped to the outside of this pack, and I do mean a lot. The bags compression ratio when not full is amazing, and can and has been used for day excursions. The bladder sack is huge, but is on the outer most point of the pack, store your water bladder in a box or cooler or stiff container during transit nozzle up. When in use, place a 10x14 piece of cardboard between the material of your pack and your bladder to help protect the bladder from thorn, nail, branch, etc, punctures. This also adds a little durability to the backside of the pack in case you find it necessary to bail on your pack while being chased by bees. (amazing how fast you can move through the forest when being pursued by bees isn't it?) The waist belt is awesome with lots of storage. The bright color keeps it highly visible even in foggy conditions. The suspension of the pack is fantastic, even with about 50-60lbs of gear loaded down on the pack, the load remained balanced and easily managed. The one thing I have against this pack is I ran out of pockets! I'm a little OCD about having things stored properly, so I'll be investing in some stuff sacks to better separate the goods. Over-all I'm loving this pack! Another bit of advice, practice disassembly and reassembly of the pack before your first trip with it. The amount of buckles and loops all being very close together can be somewhat confusing, and in my gf's case, very irritating. Great buy! especially for the price!

...like a thanksgiving turkey, she can handle it. i loaded this thing up with way more than i originally thought i would need. maybe i overpacked for a four day trek through the everglades but it was well worth it. and keeps your back very cool. you can strap a whole lot more to the outside of the pack than it may seem in the photo.

I'm a pretty tall guy(6'5"), but with a little adjusting this pack fit perfectly, so well that i could hardly feel it on my back with 30 lbs in it! great buy!

This pack is awesome! I use it almost everytime I go climbing or backpacking. I've abused it and it still looks and works great. I like this pack much better than my first generation Z pack, Gregory really got it right with this one.

This is the second generation of Z packs. The first Z pack was great, This Z pack is fabulous. Super lightweight and still rock solid even with heavy loads. Rated to 35 sure, but I've carried nearly 45 pounds in this pack with no discomfort. At 45 pounds the pack tends to bend adding extra weight to your shoulders, but if you are packing in a heavy load and packing out much lighter, the bending is worth it for a few miles (it pops right back to the original shape immediately, old Z pack could not do this well). Enough room for 2 bladders inside if you carry that much water. Hipbelt easily holds a camera and snacks in mesh pockets. And best yet!, when pack is fairly empty in your tent, it makes an unbelievable comfortable pillow backside up, under your sleeping bag.