Nice pack with a couple quirks....

By JP Ranked #1228 - Weekend Packs (3000-4500 cu in) January 9, 2009

I've had this pack for a while now and mainly use it for overnight to 3 day trips. I find it carries weight very well and i get a good amount of ventilation on my back due to mesh back panel. I'll post a pic soon to show the open area between the mesh and backpack frame. The pockets on the hipbelt are great for storing small items you need close at hand. I use them for my camera and compact gorillapod tripod which i also love. The shoulder straps have areas to clip small items onto, i usually clip on my knife. I also find that the strap setup for securing trekking poles to the back of the pack works well. I do have two gripes with the pack design though. One, there are no easy access pockets for water bottles. I don't know about everyone else but i don't like using hydration bladders when backpacking because i drink alot of water and don’t like having to pull stuff out of the pack just to get the full bladder back into the sleeve every time i refill it. I like my nalgene so i just purchased a fabric bottle holder and attach it to the strap that connects the hipbelt to the bottom of the pack. Works great and keeps my bottle close at hand. Second, the straps on the bottom of the pack don’t have buckles, they just have slide adjusters for the webbing. I like attaching my pad to the outside of the pack and getting my z-lite in those straps was hard when the pack was full, even when the straps were fully lengthened. I solved the problem by just cutting the straps, removing the sliders, and attaching some plastic buckles to the ends. Now i just buckle the pad on. Overall a very good pack.

View Details: Gregory Z 55 Backpack - 3112-3722cu in

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes