Personal Biographical Information:

Name: Ken Bigelow
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Height: 5’ 8” (1.7 m)
Weight: 205 lbs (93 kg)
Torso Length: 20 in (51 cm)
Hip Crest Circumference: 38 in (97 cm)
Chest: 47 in (119 cm)
Email: krb84108 (at) yahoo (dot) com
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
Date: May 25, 2005

Backpacking Background:

I was first dragged on a backpacking trip eight years ago a have been addicted to it ever since.  My adventures vary in length from a weekend to over two weeks.  I consider myself a mid-weight backpacker as I bring along a few luxuries, such as a tent.  From spring through fall I typically backpack in the mountains or desert, while in winter I often go snowshoeing.  I typically see a wide variety of climates ranging from 10 F (-12 C) with snow to 90 F (32 C) and sunny with just about everything in between.

Product Information:

Manufacturer: Granite Gear
Website: www.granitegear.com
Model: Stratus Access 5500 FZ Backpack
Year Manufactured: 2004
Listed Weight: 5 lbs 15 oz (2.7 kg)
Measured Weight: 5 lbs 15 oz (2.7 kg)
Volume Capacity: 5500 in³ (90 L)
Color: Burnt Brick
MSRP: $310 (US)

Testing Locations:

The Stratus FZ Pack has been tested on backpacking trips in Fish Lake National Forest, the Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument and Canyonlands National Park.  The pack has also been taken on a day hiking trips in Wasatch and Uinta Mountains.  Elevation has ranged from 5000 feet below sea level (1524 m) to 9700 feet (2957 m).  The terrain has included muddy footpaths, rocky washes, sandy routes, slickrock, snow trails and dirt paths.  The weather has varied from snow and 10 F (-12 C) to sunny and 85 F (29 C).

Field Test Information

Prior to each trip I weighed every item I would be carrying.  I also obtained an approximate volume of each item, but this measurement is by no means exact.  I recorded the weather and trail conditions that I encountered on each trip as well as the elevation range I experienced.

Trip Location: Fish Lake National Forest, Utah
Trip Duration: An Overnight backpack/Snowshoe trip
Elevation: 6200-9700 ft (1890-2957 m)
Pack Weight: 55 lbs (25 kg)
Approximate Volume: 5200 cubic inches (85 L)
Terrain: Muddy paths and snow covered trails
Weather:  Mostly cloudy with a high near 40 F (7 C) and the overnight low just below 10 F (-12 C).

This out and back trip involved hiking through mud with patches of snow gradually increasing until I surpassed about 7500 feet (2286 m) at which point it was all powdered snow and snowshoes were required.  This meant lugging in my 10 inch by 30 inch (15.4 cm by 76 cm) snowshoes for the initial and final section of the trip.  If I wear them prematurely the wear and tear will greatly decrease the life expectancy of the snowshoes therefore I had to attach them to my pack before I started hiking and later after I descended below snow line.  With my other packs this is extremely challenging and usually requires extra straps in order to fasten snowshoes to the pack.  With the Stratus FZ doing this becomes easy. 

The exterior webbing covering the Access panel is the perfect size for my rather large snowshoes.  I simply slide the three, clip buckle webbing straps between the snowshoe decking and around the frame and it is anchored to the pack.  The process is rather quick and easy and only took me a minute or two.  I did not have to wrestle with the pack or snowshoes wasting precious warmth and energy.  What’s more, with the three straps the snowshoes were immobilized on the pack.  They did not twist, slide or bounce around as I hiked.  This was a welcome change as normally my snowshoes move just enough to make annoying sounds that distract from the peace of winter hiking.
The snowshoeing trip in Fish Lake National Forest did highlight a need for an extra compartment or two.  I normally fill the lid with my jacket, emergency and first aid kit, car keys, wallet, map, compass, knife, camera, extra film and headlamp.  This does not leave much room for anything else so whenever I needed hand warmers, extra gloves, my water filter or a quick snack I would have to dig through the pack for the item.   The Access panel does help make these items fairly accessible, but a minor case of disorganization can still mean having to search every inch of the pack for smaller items.

Trip Location: Grand Gulch Primitive Area, Utah
Trip Duration: A 3-day backpack
Elevation: 5200-6400 ft (1585 m - 1951 m)
Pack Weight: 44 lbs (20 kg)
Approximate Volume: 4500 cubic inches (74 L)
Terrain: Slickrock, sand and dirt trails
Weather: Sunny with a high near 60 F (16 C). The low encountered was around 40 F (4 C).  It rained pretty hard the first day.

The Grand Gulch area is littered with dozens of Native-American ruins and rock art.  A large percent are accessible for exploring.  Maps show the location of the major ruins, but we spotted almost twice as many unmarked ruins just by keeping alert while hiking.  Most of the ruins are located above the canyon floor so the ability to look up made a big difference in spotting the archaeological sights.  Once again I found that the headroom permitted by the FZ pack made the trip dramatically more enjoyable.  Visiting these historical treasures usually requires a small side trip either up steep slickrock or a side canyon.  Carrying a 40 pound (20 kg) pack on these side excursions is an excellent way to expend surplus energy.  I, however, was not in the mood for thoroughly exhausting myself well before reaching camp.  This prompted me unbuckle the sternum and hip belt and allow the pack to literally drop to the ground before taking these detours.  More than once my hiking partner remarked about how poorly I treated the pack throughout the trip.  The pack did not say anything so I kept right on abusing it.  The remarkable thing is that the FZ pack handled whatever I dished out. 

An extremely wet winter and spring left the creek that follows the gulch flowing well above normal.  The trail crosses the creek countless times forcing hikers to engage in stream-hopping in order to keep dry feet.  The creek was wide and full enough that every group we passed had given up on keeping their feet dry and simply waded across the stream.  They apparently do not suffer from the same stubbornness synonymously associated with my personality.  When we could not jump the stream, we would walk upstream, downstream, bushwhack, backtrack or use debris in the water as stepping stones just to avoid soaking our feet.  These constant challenges added rough terrain and mileage to our trip, but we never ended a day with anything more than slightly moist feet.  All this jumping, hopping, searching and scrambling certainly cemented my opinion on the comfort and performance of the FZ pack.  I maintained my balance throughout these adventures and still only took the pack off for the side trips to explore ruins or rock art.  The pack's design is still top rate in my book as it allows me to adjust the load from my shoulders to my hips without any problems.  It certainly lives up to the manufacturer's claim of "supreme comfort" for heavier loads.

Finding a good water source in the Grand Gulch can also be an adventure.  The creek that flows next to the trail resembles mud more than water, especially after a storm.  Additionally, llamas, dogs and countless other animals use the main creek as both a bathtub and toilet, making it a hard source to extract clean water from. Several springs are located in a few of the side canyons, but this again means detouring for a bit in order to find potable water. For these water expeditions I used the detachable lid to carry my water filter, a 32 oz (1 L) Nalgene canteen and my 100 oz (3 L) hydration bladder.  The lid is a wonderful transporter for this purpose.  Initially I thought I would not have nearly enough room, but after emptying the pocket of its normal possessions I had more than enough space for the overflowing canteen, bladder and my water filter. 
On the first day of the trip it rained fairly hard for most of the afternoon and evening.  This gave me the chance to see how well the pack resisted water.  For the most part the Stratus Access FZ pack performed well.  The lid received the most of the rains assault and only after becoming completely drenched did its contents feel slightly damp.  All my items in the upper portion of the main compartment remained perfectly dry.  The one water weak spot of the FZ pack is where the top of the "Access" panel latches over the drawstring entrance to the main compartment.  When the pack is relatively full there is space for water to enter and wet everything below the opening.  This problem can easily be remedied by placing a garbage bag over the top half of the pack or wearing a pack cover.  With smaller volumes this does not seem to be a problem as the lid compresses down over the top part of the panel flap and acts as a barrier to keep precipitation out of the main compartment.

Trip Location: Canyonlands National Park, Utah
Trip Duration: A 4-day backpack
Elevation: 5000 ft -5600 ft (1524-1707m)
Pack Weight: 49 lbs (22 kg)
Approximate Volume: 5100 cubic inches (84 L)
Terrain: Slickrock, dirt paths and rocky washes
Weather: Sunny with highs near 85 F (29 C) and lows around 40 F (4 C).

Let me preface by saying that prior to staring out on a trail it helps to read all the data presented on the map.  My map of Canyonlands National Park has short trail descriptions of the trails and on my particular trail it mentions that there is a big ladder that will be difficult to climb down with a “large backpack”.  Of course I did not think to read this until I was standing at the top of the ladder trying to figure out how I was going to descend without wedging myself and the pack between the rock walls that surrounded the narrow ladder passageway.  My ego, which is often bigger than my waistline, decided I could manage and so down I went.  Halfway down, I realized that listening to my ego is not a good idea.  Unable to continue downward with the pack on, I proceeded to do what any extremely lazy backpacker would do:  Unbuckle the straps, slide out of the pack’s framesheet, climb back up a few feet, and furiously take out all aggressions by kicking the pack until it comes loose and plummets to the bottom.  The bottom proved to be too narrow to put the pack back on so I had to grab the haul loop, located between the shoulder straps, and drag the pack another ten feet over rocks and sand before I had enough room to maneuver the pack back onto my back.  When returning through the ladder section a few days later I made multiple trips using the detachable lid to hoist up small loads until the pack volume was reduced enough to make the trip up without getting stuck between the rock and ladder. 
Handling the pack like I did on this trip is not what I consider gentle.  In fact I am impressed that all the zippers, side pockets, ladderlocks, shoulder straps, haul strap and the framesheet are still attached, intact and working fine.  The side pockets were the only pack feature to show any wear-and-tear after six months of brutal treatment.  I mentioned in my field report that the durastretch side pockets had developed small holes in them after bushwhacking through thickets.  Initially the holes were smaller than a pencil in diameter, but constant rubbing on slickrock has widened the holes dramatically.  The largest hole is now more than an inch (2.54 cm) in diameter (pictured below with a ruler for scale) and the others have almost doubled in size.  I can still place my Nalgene 32 oz (1 L) canteen in the pockets with no problem, but any time I need to squeeze between rocks I always worry about the pockets staying intact.  To be fair, I'm pretty rough on my gear which tends to age my equipment fairly quickly.
Scaling ladders, rock scrambling and boulder hopping did make me appreciate the exterior webbing even more.  My trekking poles are priceless, but in places where I need my hands to grip or maneuver they can certainly be an annoyance.  The side webbing  provides an ideal storage location for trekking poles when they are not needed.  I place the handles in the side pockets and tighten the clip straps over the shaft.  This setup allows me to easily retrieve them should they become necessary.  The abundant webbing secured the poles so well I never gave their anchorage to the pack a second thought.
The same webbing I used to anchor my snowshoes to the FZ pack also provides a perfect fit for my closed cell sleeping pad.  This puts my sleeping pad in easy reach which allows me to lay on it during extended breaks.  This easy access is not without its drawbacks.  Laziness increases exponentially. When stopping for lunch I have developed a habit of unrolling the sleeping pad and using the detachable lid as a headrest which rapidly changes lunch time to siesta time and in the end I lose time and daylight just lying around.  One of my campsites in Canyonlands National Park had an ideal sized piece of slickrock for this particular setup and after a few hours of reading, eating and relaxing in this position I elected to keep the tent packed away and only moved my fat butt to pull out my sleeping bag and jacket for the night.  No camp chores were accomplished whatsoever.

Summary:

After six months of testing, I believe the Stratus Access 5500 FZ to be a high quality pack with some room for improvement.  The pack's design provides a comfortable and stable way to pack heavier loads.  Over the course of the test period I have had to jump, squeeze, scramble and twist with the pack on.  While performing these maneuvers I always maintained balance and never suffered discomfort related to the FZ pack.  I have loaded the pack in excess of 65 lbs (29.5 kg) and was still able to hike all day long.  The extreme adjustability of the pack adapts to almost any condition and its multi-functionality make leaving it at home hard to do.  I will definitely keep using this pack when traveling with heavier loads. 

With the exception of the side pockets, the Stratus Access FZ pack has proven to be quite durable.   The pack has been dropped, kicked, dragged, poked, squeezed and rolled throughout six months of testing.  Additionally it has been used as chair, pillow, footrest, lounger, card table and windscreen. The only scars to show for this abuse are holes in the durastretch side pockets.  The fact that the FZ 5500 and its components are still functional at all is a testament to its toughness and durability.  The side pockets do highlight one of the few areas that need improving on this pack.  I also believe the design could benefit from an additional side compartment or two.

Things I liked:

• Adjustable for more customized fit
• Easy access to gear
• Stable suspension
• Allows for excellent mobility
• Comfortable to wear
• Adjustable load transfer
• Removable lid
• Multi-functional
• Durable with the exception of the side pockets
• Fairly water resistant
• Lots of exterior webbing

Areas for improvement:

• Needs additional compartments for loose gear
• Durability of the side pockets
• Top of Access panel allows water into the main compartment

 

I would like to thank to BackpackGearTest and Granite Gear for giving me the opportunity to participate in this test.