User Review: Gregory Z35

On the whole this pack has been excellent. I last used it for a 50-odd mile 3 day hike through the English Lakes that included some strenuous climbs. Fully loaded the pack remained very comfortable and stable. The shoulder and waist pads are very thick indeed which allow you to carry the bulk of the pack’s weight on your waist/hips. I had no discomfort whatsoever.

I carried tent and cooking gear, plus food and spare clothing, including civvies. The tent I strapped to the bottom and carried everything else inside. There was just enough room and I would say the pack is perfectly sized and featured for this.

Stuff I liked:
The pack looks good, and let’s face it we all like our gear to look cool. Gregory’s designs are slick and make you feel you’ve got a very smart and with-it piece of kit on your back.

The Jet Stream system works fairly well, although as with any of these systems their claims to keep you dry are quite spurious as you always work up quite a sweat on some of the climbs. However, it does keep a constant gap between back and pack.

The roll top hood is an excellent feature; very compact and easy to use, and helps fold the top down very snugly.

The bucket pocket is excellent with the elastic panels allowing you to stuff additional gear in there that you may need to have to hand if the weather is changeable. Also good for holding water bottles.

Pockets on waist band are very handy for mobile/money/sun cream etc.

Stuff I didn’t like:
One of the zip pulls came off in my hand, but I was able to fix it myself.

Apart from that, not much, the pack is very light and adaptable.

The pack isn’t as featured as some other brands, but you can add karabiners and bungee cords etc should you want. The weight savings offset this.

4.5 rather than 5 due to dud zipper.