Tester Bio
I live outside a small town in northeast Alabama. I have access to a good hiking area right out my front door, a large tract of woods called Pall-Mill Hollow (pronounced holler). It has a creek flowing through it with several good swimming holes. Caves abound in the area. I spent my youth climbing around the bluffs, swimming in the creek and exploring the caves. I also enjoy hunting, fishing, canoeing, and most other outdoor activities.

Backpacking is my favorite pastime. I consider myself a knowledgeable backpacker but I am not an expert. I enjoy hiking with my friends and family or solo. I limit my hiking to areas fairly close to home, usually within a day's drive of home. I hike throughout the year and actually hike the least in the hot humid months of summer. My style is slow and steady and my gear is light. However I will sacrifice weight for comfort and durability. A typical 3 season load for me is around 20 lb (9 kg) not counting food or water. I usually sleep in a hammock and cook with an alcohol stove. My backpacking trips are usually 2, 3 or 4 days in length.

Product Information

Test item	Gregory Z™ Pack
Manufacturer URL	http://www.gregorypacks.com/
Year of Manufacture	2003
Size Large	3950 cu in (65 L)
Weight Listed	3 lb 5 oz (1.5 kg)
Verified Weight	3 lb 5 oz (1.5 kg)
Load Range	25 to 35 lb (11 to 16 kg)
Color	Castor Gray
MSRP	$169 US

Product Description
The Z™ Pack is one of four packs in the Anti-Gravity Series of packs. As the name implies, Anti-Gravity series packs are Gregory's answer to the growing demand for lighter weight packs. The Z™ Pack is the next to largest pack in the series. Gregory describes the series as "The new benchmark for light weight weekend to week-long packs." A heavy packer would probably classify it as a weekend pack. However, with a volume of 3590 cu in (65 L), the individual user can put it in whatever class of packs they see fit. The web site mentions the load weight range as 25 to 35 lb (11 to 16 kg).

The Z™ Pack features 4 separate compartments not counting the hydration sleeve located inside the main compartment. There are also numerous attachment points for lashing on extra gear. The compression straps (2 on each side) can also be used to attach extra gear onto the pack. For other pictures of the Z™ Pack please see my Initial Report. To get a better picture of the pack's overall performance I encourage you to read both the Initial and Field reports. In this final report I concentrate on my most recent findings as most other experiences were similar as reported on before.

Testing Locations and Conditions
Testing was done on several overnight hikes in Northeast Alabama and a short hike in North Carolina on the Appalachian Trail. Elevations ranged from about 1000 ft (300 m) to around 4000 ft (1200 m). I also day-hiked a lot with the Z™ Pack for exercise. Trip lengths were mostly in the 3 to 5 mile (5 to 8 km) range. I experienced some precipitation on a few of the hikes. The coldest temperatures encountered were in the mid 20s F (-7 C) back in the winter. The warmest was on a recent evening hike when the temperature was around 90 F (32 C).

Long Term Testing Results
Until a few weeks ago my experiences of the Gregory Z™ Pack were consistent with all my previous Field Testing results. The pack has continued to perform admirably with my normal 20 to 25 lb (9 to 11 kg) loads. My opinion that the pack is great in almost every regard but water access (because I don't like hydration bladders) remains intact. The pack has proven durable on the trail with no malfunctions or failures of any hardware or seams ripping. I have managed to scathe off any rips in the fabric though the pack has been subjected to quite a few encounters with on and off trail pack grabbers (limbs and tight squeezes between rocks or trees etc). It never rained all that hard while I was on the trail testing the pack but the water resistant zippers kept out all moisture.

My experiences with the Gregory Z™ Pack have changed significantly in recent weeks. I have gone from a fairly respectable lightweight packer to what I consider a pack mule. In doing so I have found the Gregory Z™ Pack is not ideal for this type packing. The pack's volume was not enough for all my gear and finding places to attach what would not fit in the pack turned into a bungee cord fiasco. I must say the visual aspect was also less than appealing. The pack (and I) took on the look of a pack worn walking through a gear store with super magnet on-board. My sleeping pad alone, strapped aft, and looked like a barrel almost as big as the pack. Add to that the Big Agnes Hog Park bag taking up most of the pack's interior volume and the problem I was up against was only magnified. I found I bareley had room for my food and cook kit for a simple overnight hike and campout.

My favorite feature of the Gregory Z™ Pack has been rendered a little harder to access because I have found I need to strap the big pad across the back of the pack, right on top of the Bucket Pocket. I had previously carried two foam pads successfully on each side of the pack using the compression straps but the new pad is way to big to get under these straps. I'm speaking of the Big Agnes Hinman pad which measures (deflated and rolled up) a whopping 24 in (61 cm) circumference by 25 in (64 cm) long.

I don't want to leave the impression that the Gregory Z™ Pack is not a great little pack. In fact, it is very close to perfect when I am packing my normal "backpacking" gear. I still wish the pack sported dedicated bottle pouches on either side. But it was easy to keep my gear sorted and I could access things I needed in the daytime without unloading most of the pack, something I found aggravating when using a simpler single compartment, lidless pack.

I have recently been able to test the pack in some very hot weather. In fact on a few hikes I have waited till late in the evening to head out for the holler behind my house, hiking in right before dusk and setting up camp by headlamp. The chimney vent system helps but does not keep my back from getting hot. The pack has to make a lot of contact with my back so the vent area up the center can only offer marginal benefit. I think the design is good but to be fair I sweat a lot without a pack when hiking in hot humid weather.

And finally, I will list the Pros and Cons I found most noticeable when using the pack.

Pros: This pack has a lot going for it but I was most fond of the following.

Number one on this list would have to be the comfort of the pack. It really does move with me whether I'm strolling along a flat section or scrambling up a steep section holding on the trees etc. The hip belt fits my hips nicely the way the bottom is sloped outward. The S shaped shoulder straps are adequately padded and fit very well.

Another factor which can be attributed to the pack's "usability" is the narrow profile. The pack is tall and slim but not overly tall so that I needed to duck that often. Of course this depended on the pad I was carrying. With just a single small pad strapped to the back of the pack it is much narrower than my shoulders. I could go through tight places without having to take my pack off most of the time.

It was easy to keep certain items handy for retrieval during the day.

Last, I will mention again my favorite feature of the pack. I found I used the Bucket Pocket for something on every hike. My umbrella went here on every trip and sometimes my water bottles as well. I also used it to air out clothes and socks. More recently it was home to the poles for my tent. I carried a single foam pad in the "Bucket Pocket" when I didn't need two pads but will admit it made the pad stick up pretty high. Mostly because the pad is a full 27 in (69 cm) wide so when rolled up in a cylinder is makes for a pretty tall object.

Cons: I did find a few things to nitpick about. These issues had more to do with my preferences than actual shortcomings of the pack.

I mentioned this in all three reports but for the record, I wished for a better way to tote and access my drinking bottle.

No compression straps across the back of the pack. This has nothing to do with how the pack could be snugged around my gear but with how it limited my packing options. At times I wanted to strap something on the back of the pack. I could easily remove this item to access the Bucket Pocket if needed.

Summary
Now that I have used the Gregory Z™ Pack through all types of weather and on trails of various difficulties I have formed a pretty solid opinion of the pack. I am pleased to say that for the most part I consider the pack a real winner. It has been sweet when I kept my pack loads fairly reasonable and used gear which "fit" the pack. My troubles with some of the bulky gear I mentioned should not be a detraction as it was gear not intended for backpacking anyways.

I have thoroughly enjoyed testing the Gregory Z™ Pack and hope my findings are beneficial to anyone trying to decide if this pack is worth pursuing. Personally I would have to say the pack is outstanding for my own preferences and style of hiking. I like a lightweight pack that still offers a decent suspension system and a good way to organize my gear. I can pack really light without feeling like I'm over dressed (carrying an expedition type pack), or fairly heavy as long as I keep everything under the 35 lb (16 kg) limit given by Gregory. I like the pack better at around 25 lb (11 kg) but who wouldn't.

Read more reviews of Gregory gear
Read more gear reviews by Coy Ray Starnes

Long Term Report

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