Gregory Z40

Summary

it's not the lightest pack of this size, but it is very comfortable so far, and seems very durrable.

i like this pack. ive had it for about a week now and i've put probably 15 tough miles on it with about 25 lbs of gear. i've hauled it up a few 2 mile long steep mt sides and back down, through some semi-dense brush, and of course on some semi-level trail type ground. i do alot of guerilla hiking where there isn't always a trail, and this pack hugs my body very well, while still providing air flow to most of my back (great design).

it has access from the top, bottom, and the side, leaving plenty of options for you to get at your gear. a folding top flap with 2 pockets in it. the top one is much larger, the bottom (on the under-side of the flap) is more of a secret pocket. the inside of the bag has a flap and a zipper for an optional separate sleeping bag compartment, and a water bladder sleeve that goes all the way to the bottom of the pack, and 2 ports for the hose, 1 on each side of the shoulder straps.

there are 2 mesh pockets on the side of the pack, and 2 mesh pockets on the waist belt. unfortunately the waist pockets are the only part of this bag i consider somewhat of a waste due to their almost useless size. you might be able to squeeze a small camera or phone in it (my phone & camera don't fit), or handfull of candy, but that's about it.

the bottom of the bag has 2 loops and 2 well sewn on straps with about a 1/2 inch gap left unsewn for passing a small piece of rope through, for if you want to tie something to the bottom of your bag (sleeping mat, tent).

there are 13 straps total to tighten this bag to your body. the 2 shoulder straps, the 2 upper shoulders, 2 on each side of the pack, 2 hip straps, the waste belt and a sternum strap. all of these combined with the ingenious breatheable back system make this thing great for climbing over and under downed trees without killing yourself.

if you pack ultralight and have the skill you could use this for a multi-day trip, but you'd be roughing it with the bare essentials and not much more.

Summary

Most comfortable pack I have owned. Great padding without being to cumbersome. Great from travel, day and multi-day hikes.

I have had this bag for the last three months, including a cross-country road trip, with lots of day hikes. This bag has been with me to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back on a three-day trip.  Most recently I just spent the last month traveling around Turkey with this bag. It was small enough to fit under my seat during bus trips within the country, but big enough to hold everything i needed for a 3 day hike. Also worked well for day hikes using the compression straps on either sides. This bag is also small enough to fit in the over head compartments of airplanes so could be used as carry-on luggage.

Access to the main compartment was easy with the main zipper, which avoids the problem that most "tunnel" style backpacks have. Which is that you have to take every thing out to access things buried at the bottom great for trips where you sleep in different place every night. Extremely comfortable even when overloaded. Spent the last day overloaded walking around Istanbul with about 20kgs worth of gear and barely noticed.  Extremely comfortable Im 6 ft 200 lbs and the large size fit me like a glove.  an added bonus is the integrated rain cover pocket with rain cover.

I'm pretty hard on my gear and the pack seems to be holding its own. A few nicks and scrapes here and there but the construction seems to be solid.

I love this pack! I was looking for a pack that could get small enough for a day pack but also get big enough to hold my gear for an overnighter. It did the job. The crossflow system provides excellent air flow to avoid the sweaty back.  

Without a rainfly it did well in wet conditions but not in a downpour. That's why I'm glad they added the rainfly. I also like how they added the sleeping back compartment in the bottom.

Overall this is an amazing pack!