Gregory Z55 Backpack Review

This is a review of the 2008 Gregory Z55 backpack.

I've had this backpack for almost two years now, and have had an opportunity to put it through its paces. What follows below is largely a review I posted on the Mountain Equipment Co-Op (MEC) product page, with a couple of updates.

I bought this pack after using its bigger brother, the Baltoro, for a year. I've taken the Z55 on several long day hikes and a couple of overnight backpacking excursions, and it works quite well for these kinds of trips, even though it's a bit of overkill for day trips. The suspension system is well-thought-out and I found that it's very comfortable to carry as long as the bag is not overloaded. I've generally enjoyed Gregory's suspension system on my two large backpacks and found that it works the best for me in terms of fit, comfort, and adjustability of all the designs I've tried from a few manufacturers (Osprey, MEC, Arc'teryx, Black Diamond). Of course, fit is a personal thing, and obviously your mileage may vary.

The belt pockets are very handy, and the plethora of compression straps means that I can stabilize the load when the bag is less than completely full. One thing that could be improved is access to water. If I'm in an area where fresh water is available, I'd prefer to use water bottles to make it easy to refill/purify as I go, rather than using a hydration bladder which requires the removal of the pack contents to refill it. Unfortunately there's no exterior water bottle holder that's accessible when wearing the pack, so I have to remove it to take a drink. Three other things to note: first, the fabric is very thin, so you have to be careful about packing things with hard edges. After just a few excursions, the bag developed holes in a couple of places where hard objects (e.g. plastic trowel) have poked through. I guess this is the price you pay for light weight. Second, the bag is definitely not waterproof, but this isn't an issue for me since I pack all essentials in waterproof stuffsacks. Third, while my back length requires a medium size pack, with a ~30" waist, I'm at the very edge of adjustability for the hip belt - I can't tighten it much further.

Pros: Lightweight, Good Value, excellent suspension system, hip belt pockets

Cons: poor water bottle access, needs to be packed carefully to avoid hard objects against the pack fabric
Overall Rating: 4/5

I'll update this post again with pictures when I have a chance.