| |
Gear Reviews
Documents
Tools
|
Gregory Z- Pack Backpack -
Initial Report
December 15, 2003
Thomas Vickers
35 years old
Male
5 feet 11 inches tall (1.8 meters)
170 lb (77 kg)
redroach@pobox.com
Southeast Texas, Houston Area
Background:
I grew up in the piney
woods of southeast Texas. Camping was a quick trip into the mosquito-infested woods behind
the house. I started hiking in my college
years and my style has evolved over the past 17 years - from my discovery, heavy gear
period (internal frame packs, sleeping bags and tents) to - believe it or not - heavier,
more expensive gear. Over the last 3 or 4
years, I have begun to take a lighter weight approach to hiking gear (I still use sleeping
bags and tents, just lighter versions) and I have rediscovered the pleasure that can be
involved in being outdoors with your gear. While
I have flirted with lightweight hiking, I feel that I am more of a mid-weight hiker now.
My philosophy is one of comfort, while carrying the lightest load possible
Manufacturer Details:
Website:www.gregorypacks.com
Year of Manufacture: 2003
Size: S, M, L
Volume:
Small: 3560 cubic inches (58 liters)
Medium: 3750 cubic inches (62 liters)
Large: 3950 cubic inches (65 liters)
Weight:
Small: 2 lb 14 oz (1.3 kg)
Medium: 3 lb 2 oz (1.4 kg)
Large: 3 lb 5 oz (1.5 kg)
Colors: Castor Gray and Flame
Access: Top and Side
Details from Tester:
(all measurements are approximate)
Size: M
Volume:
Top Pocket/Lid: 540 cubic inches (8.85 l)
Main Pack Body: 3132 cubic inches (51 l)
Measurements: (Depth x Width x Height)
Top Pocket/Lid: 9 x 12 x 5 inches (23 x 30.5 x 13 cm)
Main Pack Body: 9 x 12 x 29 inches (23 x 30.5 x 74 cm)
Weight:
Pack (includes Top Pocket and Stay): 2 lb 12 oz (1.25 kg)
Top Pocket/Lid Weight: 5.4 oz (153 g)
Color: Castor Gray
Initial Expectations:
After viewing the Gregory Packs web site, I felt that the Z Pack was going to be another
light-weight adventure racing pack with questionable durability. The description of
the pack was confusing (Bucket Pocket) and I was not sure how the suspension was going to
suit me.
Arrival:
A large brown box arrived on my doorstep via FedEx one evening while I was cooking.
Inside was an invoice from Gregory Packs and a size medium Gregory Z Pack.
I pulled it out, fiddled with the straps, zippers, and suspension to see just what
this pack was.
Description:(I have broken this down into several parts so that I can
cover everything I see.)
Fabric:
The Z pack is constructed from 140d Dyneema fabric with 210d HT nylon reinforcements.
I was very happy to see Dyneema being used since I think that the white grid
pattern of the fabric is attractive and I have found it very durable on other packs.
Poring over the seams and zippers I found that the Z Pack is very solidly
constructed and the Dyneema fabric makes it much sturdier than I had expected.
Lid Pocket:
The lid pocket on the Z Pack is not very large (9 x 12 x 5 inches (23 x 30.5 x 13
cm)). It does have two zipper pulls that allow me to open or close it from either
side or I can even zip them together in the middle. This is a feature that is just
an extra touch that I really appreciate. I can pack a lid pocket full and having the
ability to zip each zipper pull halfway to get it closed is going to come in
handy. The entire top of the Gregory Z Pack is removable, which gives me the ability
to further reduce the weight of the pack.
Front Bucket Pocket:
After reading the web site I had no idea what this was. Once I got the Z Pack out
and examined it, I realized just what a "bucket" pocket is. The bucket
pocket combines the mesh side pockets and the "shove it" pocket into one large,
expandable pocket. No more worrying that my fleece jacket is going to fall out or
catch on a branch. The mesh sides of the pocket and the compression straps will
actually securely hold it in. The compression straps on one side of the bucket
pocket are adjustable, but cannot be unsnapped from the pack. The compression
straps on the other side of the bucket pocket have Fastex Snaps that release to expose the
side access zipper. The bucket pocket also means that there are no separate mesh
side pockets, which will present some rethinking of how I pack this
pack.
Front Zipper Pocket:
On the front of the Bucket Pocket is a zippered pocket. The extras keep on coming.
I am not fond of zipper pockets with this placement, but it is extra space to
stuff small items out of the way. The zipper runs the length of the pocket (13
inches (33 cm)) and allows me to carry items that need to be a little more secure, but I
don't want to dig in the pack for.
Frame sheet/Stay:
The single aluminum stay is supposed to be removable. I doubt that I would ever do this
(listed weight is 1.4 oz (40 g)), but from my inspection of the Z Pack, the stay is sewn
in and cannot be removed without alteration to the pack. The Frame sheet is in the same
position. It seems to be sewn into the pack and is non-removable. I like frame
sheets because they have kept me from getting poked in the back by items in my pack and
they have provided extra stiffness to the pack when putting it on or removing it.
Main Pack Bag/Compartment:
An opening at the top, which closes by
a drawstring and toggle and from the side by a zipper, accesses this compartment. There is
also a compression strap that hooks over the top of the main compartment to help cinch the
Z Pack down when it is not quite full. The main pack compartment is unlined Dyneema
fabric and has a wonderful shape to it. Fully stuffed, I can wear the Gregory
Z Pack, swing my arms backward, and never bump the main pack compartment.
Compression Straps:
The Gregory Z Pack has what I consider to be just the right amount of compression straps.
There is one that snaps over the top of the main pack compartment to cinch it
down. The other end of this strap also snaps onto the top/end of the bucket pocket.
There are two compression straps on either side of the main pack compartment. On
one side they can be relaxed, but they cannot be removed/released completely. The
compression straps on the other side of the pack cover the side zipper and they can be
unsnapped in order to access this zipper. There are also two compression straps that
connect to the back of pack and snap into the top pocket/lid. There do not seem to
be any extra, unnecessary straps and the few that are present are well sewn, well located,
and easy to adjust. They are either adjusted by plastic Fastex sliders or Fastex
buckles and seem very functional.
Shoulder Straps/Sternum Strap:
The shoulder pads are 2.25 inches wide (6 cm) by approximately 0.50 inches thick (1.3 cm).
The shoulder pads are easily adjusted by the bottom where they attach to
straps. They not the biggest shoulder straps/pads I have seen, but they are
comfortable. They fit nicely under my arms and sit well on my shoulders. The load lifter
straps that are attached to the top of the shoulder pads are easily reached and help pull
the load in closer to my body. The Gregory Z Pack shoulder pads are also equipped
with a daisy chain of webbing along their lengths. This daisy chain allows the
sternum strap to be raised or lowered to a more comfortable level on my chest. I was
very happy with this since the sternum strap was too high as it was shipped on the pack.
All I had to do was unsnap both sides of the sternum strap, move them down one link
on the daisy chain, and then resnap them. No unhooking straps through buckles, moving the
strap and then spending twenty minutes incorrectly rethreading straps through buckles.
This was just too easy, but shows me the detail that obviously goes into the
planning of a Gregory Pack.
Waist belt:
The waist belt is padded, but not very much. What impressed me upon first donning the pack
was that the relatively thin padding was comfortable and not overly constricting around
the waist. After wearing the Gregory Z Pack around the house for an hour, I decided
that I liked the waist belt. Gregory has found a comfortable sized belt that is not
bulky, inflexible, or over-built. It is very nice to find less is actually better,
as in the case of the waist belt of the Gregory Z Pack. The Fastex buckle and
webbing that secure the waist belt are only 1.5 inches (4 cm) wide, which is a another
case of less is better on this pack.
Back panel:
After pressing on the padded back panel of the Gregory Z Pack and wearing it for a while,
I feel like it is padded just enough. The pack does not lie flat against my back due
the position of the two shoulder pads and the lumbar pads. The cooling system
has not been testing by me, but southeast Texas is going to be a good testing ground for
it. If it reduces my sweaty back by any amount, I am going to be happy with it.
Impressions:
Overall, I am impressed with the Gregory Z Pack. It appears well constructed and
well engineered after my first few days of looking it over. It has far more features
than I expected and while fully functional, it doesn't seem to suffer from being
"over" constructed.
My list of likes for the Gregory Z Pack is:
1. Shape/Size: The crescent shape of the pack body and the ability to freely swing
my elbows is wonderful. The internal volume is also very good.
2. Comfort: The suspension, shoulder pads, and waist belt all
contribute to a pack that feels very comfortable with my test load of 15 pounds.
3. Color: The Castor Gray is very subdued and not gaudy. One
thing that has put me off of a lot of packs in the past has been their colors. When
on the trail, I really do not need to see bright orange on people's backs.
Concerns:
At this point I have several concerns about the Gregory Z Pack. The first is where to put
my sleeping pad. I have always carried this on the outside of my other packs, but
the Z Pack doesn't give me a place to attach it. There are no attachment points on
the top or bottom of the pack. Finding a good spot for my pad will be part of my
testing. I am also interested to see how the lack of separate mesh side
pockets will affect my gear arrangement in the Gregory Z Pack. Hopefully I can still
put tent poles, water filters and other mesh pocket gear in the bucket pocket of the
Gregory Z Pack.
Testing Plan:
At this point my testing plan is fairly simple. I will carry the Gregory Z Pack on
weekend hiking trips, extended trips of up to five days; day hikes, and on my
training/practice hikes. These hikes will take place in southeast Texas, central
Texas, and Arkansas.
I will assess the Gregory Z Pack based on the following criteria for each load:
1. Load Contents
2. Load Weight
3. Length of Hike
4. How the load was packed in the Z Pack
I will attempt to see how much can be comfortably be carried in the Z Pack and how well
the Z Pack handles with lighter loads.
The temperatures will range from about 40 degrees F (22 degrees C) to 80 degrees F
(44 degrees C) during the testing period. I doubt I will see any snow, but rain,
mist, and fog are all possibilities in the test area. This will allow me to test the
water resistance of the zippers and Dyneema fabric as well as the ventilating ability of
the back panels.
Read more reviews of Gregory gear
Read more gear reviews by Thomas Vickers
|
