Almost Great.

By James Jenden Ranked #23 - Weekend Packs (3000-4500 cu in) April 23, 2011

This pack reminds me of a car that's engine is too small. The suspension is comfortable, but it's simply not strong enough. It's rated at 35 lbs, but marketed as an all-purpose Backpacking, Climbing, and Mountaineering pack. Personally, I find it hard to do even a basic multiday mountaineering trip with less than 35 lbs, especially in the winter. My second beef with the pack is that, like many internal frame bags, the back panel bows in, significantly cutting the useable space in the bag. As a result, I can't fit my camelbak and sleeping bag in at the same time, which is really annoying. With the negatives out of the way, if you're on shorter trips, summer trips where your sleeping bag isn't large, or you pack light in general, this has potential to be a great bag. The suspension is comfortable if you keep it within the correct weight range, and there are all sorts of great pockets all over this thing. I'm returning it and going back to my Marmot Matterhorn 42, as I like the heavy duty suspension system and the better space in the pack. Ironically, my 42 Liter Matterhorn holds more than my size large 60L Gregory. Bottom line, if you don't carry too much weight or volume of stuff, and like lots of organization, this has potential to be a great pack. Just make sure it fits your needs well before you pull the trigger and buy it.

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

Helpful Votes: 1 Yes