Gregory Z-Pack Owner Review

Andrew Henrichs

October 31, 2005

 

Biographical Information

Name:  Andrew Henrichs
Age:  24
Gender:  Male
Height:  6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight:  190 lb (86.2 kg)

Email address:  a_henrichs@yahoo.com           
City, State, Country:  Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA

Backpacking Background

   Most of my backpacking has been in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming, as well as the desert in the southwestern US.  I’ve gone winter camping several times, but I still prefer backpacking in the warmer months.  Most of my trips are 2-3 days, but I have taken several trips of 5-6 days.  This past summer, I was fortunate enough to have thru-hiked the 476 mile Colorado Trail over 35 days.  Recently, I have been leaning towards the lightweight side of the spectrum. 

 

Product Information

Manufacturer:   Gregory (www.gregorypacks.com)

Year of manufacture:  2003
Listed weight (Large): 3 lb 5 oz (1.5 kg)
Measured weight (Large): 3 lb 5.5 oz (1.5 kg)

Listed volume (Large): 3,950 cu in (64.7 L)

Product description:  Lightweight internal frame backpack

 

Product Description

    The Z-Pack is Gregory’s newest addition to the Anti-Gravity Series, designed for lightweight backpacking.  The body of the Z-Pack is constructed from 140d Dyneema® fabric and is reinforced in high-stress areas with 210d HT nylon fabric.  My pack color is named Flame Red, although most of the pack material is actually Black.  The pack also comes in Castor Grey and Black.  The main portion of the pack is accessible through the typical top opening, as well as a curved zipper located along one side of the pack.  The side zipper is particularly nice as it allows me to access the contents of the pack without unpacking everything.  The top opening is closed using a traditional drawstring closure as well as a small buckle.  There is also a removable top pocket for storing small items.  The top pocket has two buckles on the front to cinch the lid down. 

    This pack also features a front “bucket” pocket.  Basically, Gregory combined mesh sidepockets with a solid fabric front pocket to create one huge pocket.  This pocket has proved to be useful for storing small items that I need quick access to, including my hat, gloves, and facemask.  There is a single buckle located at the top of the bucket pocket to secure it closed.  Located on the outside of the bucket pocket is a zipper which runs straight down the middle.  This provides access to another small pocket (roughly the same size as the top pocket).  This pocket has proved to be useful for storing trail snacks, maps, and other such items.  I should point out that all three zippers (top pocket, side access, and front pocket) are water-resistant.

    The Z-Pack has two compression straps on each side to help stabilize the load.  The straps located over the side zipper feature a quick-release buckle for easy access to the pack contents.  There are two ice axe loops located at the bottom of the pack, and there are also two small loops on the front of the pack (one on each side) to secure the ends of the ice axes.  The frame of the Z-Pack is comprised of one hollow .5 in (1.3 cm) 7075-T6 aluminum stay as well as a FOAM-X hourglass framesheet.  Both the stay and framesheet are removable, which can save 9 oz (255 g).  The waistbelt is sewn in and features approximately .5 in (1.3 cm) of foam padding.

    The Z-Pack does not feature adjustable torso length, so it is extremely important to get proper fitting instructions in the store.  The following are the torso measurements and corresponding frame size recommended by Gregory. 

Torso:                                      Frame Size:

16 - 17.5 in (40 - 44 cm)         Small

18 - 19.5 in (45 - 49 cm)         Medium

20 - 21.5 in (50 - 54 cm)         Large

    In addition, the booklet that comes with the Z-Pack contains several hints in fitting the pack.  For further fine-tuning of the pack fit, the Z-Pack features shoulder harness lift straps, a sternum strap, and hipbelt stabilizer straps.  One side of the sternum strap is made of an elastic fabric, which stretches slightly with each breath, preventing any uncomfortable constriction. 

 

Field Use

    This pack serves as my do-anything pack.  I take it with me when rock and ice climbing, winter day-hiking trips, ski-mountaineering trips, and several backpacking trips.  I put it to the true test this past summer when I used the Z-Pack on a 35 day thru-hike of the 476 mile (766 km) Colorado Trail.  I should note that I used REI sidepockets to increase the volume I could carry while on the Colorado Trail.  I have hiked with this pack across the state of Colorado (literally), as well as in the canyon country of southwest Utah.  The elevations on these trips ranged from 4000 ft (1219 m) to over 14000 ft (4267 m).  Temperatures ranged from 20° F (-7° C) to over 100° F (38° C).  Weather encountered on these treks varied greatly and included sun, rain, hail, sleet, graupel, snow, and high wind. 

    The maximum recommended load for this pack is 40 lb (18 kg).  When loaded up with my climbing gear, including a full rack, rope, harness, shoes, water, snacks, and extra clothes, I estimate my load to be approximately 30 lb (14 kg).  The Z-Pack carries this load very comfortably.  While hiking the Colorado Trail, my average pack weight was 35 lb (16 kg), although my pack weighed up to 60 lb (27 kg) after some resupplies.  When my packweight climbed towards 60 lb (27 kg), I noticed a significant drop in my comfort level.  My hips would get very red and sore, and my shoulders would ache slightly.  Even after two weeks on the trail, a heavy load still hurt my hips.  In the future I'll try to avoid carrying more than the recommended load. 

    Due to the construction of the Z-Pack, I had to alter my typical pack organization slightly.  I typically keep water bottles in the side mesh pockets of my backpacks for easy access, but due to the depth of the mesh sides on the bucket pocket, I’ve started keeping my extra water bottles at the top of the main compartment.  I have to stop and take the pack off to get my next water bottle, but I got used to taking a break.  The abundance of pockets ensures that any items which require easy access are readily available.  The multiple adjustment points also make it easy to fine-tune the fit of the backpack while I’m hiking. 

    The fabric of the Z-Pack is not waterproof, so I used a raincover while on the Colorado Trail.  Because I had so much equipment (sidepockets, Ridgerest, camera) strapped to the outside of the pack, the raincover didn't form a tight seal around the pack.  As a result, water would occasionally collect in the bottom the raincover and soak into the fabric.  The back panel also got wet fairly often while hiking in the rain.  Despite this, the pack actually dried very quickly.  More quickly than the thin sidepockets. 

    For the most part, I was very impressed with the durability of this pack.  After all, it carried my life for 35 days while on the Colorado Trail.  In the end though, the excess weight I asked the Z-Pack to bear proved to be just too much.  I began to notice significant wearing along the bottom fabric of the pack, specifically at the base of the aluminum stay.  The pack also began to develop a significant tear in the fabric at the top of the stay.  I realized that every time I tightened the compression strap along the top of the pack, it tore the fabric more and more.  At the halfway point of my journey, the zipper on the front "bucket" pocket broke.  I was able to zip it 3/4 of the way up, but then it would either jam or get off track.  I couldn't see anything wrong with the track, but I was able to live with it being a 3/4 length zipper.  The padding in the shoulder straps began to significantly compress and move laterally.  This caused some discomfort in the front of my shoulders when I had a heavy load, although it was tolerable.  The final pack breakdown came on a backpacking trip shortly after returning from the Colorado Trail.  I added some last minute items to my pack, did a double check to make sure I had everything, and hoisted the pack onto my back by grabbing the right shoulder strap.  As soon as I pulled on it, I heard a loud ripping sound.  After inspecting the pack, I realized that the outer 2/3 of the shoulder strap where it connects to the pack tore off.  It was literally hanging on by a thread.  I was able to tighten the load lifter straps to take the pressure off the tear and complete my trip. 

    After returning home, I sent the pack back to Gregory to be repaired.  Ten days later, I received the pack in the mail, fully repaired, free of charge.  They replaced the entire bottom panel of the pack, as well as the top panel above the stay.  It had a brand new zipper on the "bucket" pocket and both of the shoulder straps were reinforced where they meet the pack.

 

Pros

Excellent suspension system

Numerous pockets

Side zipper access

Outstanding customer service

 

Cons

No side water bottle pockets