View Full Version : pack heaven or hell,did i make the right choice
got the pack i wanted today in the mail.never touched it before.z55 3660ci.
grabed all the new stuff laying all over the room and stuffed it in.some room left.not all the gear here yet,but it seams heavey as a mother scatcher.back to the drawing board.thereis no fooood in it yet.maybe i just paranoid .this might be harder than i thought.im a gear junkie.i have been known to carry all my new stuff no matter how heavey.
back to the pack,the buckles seam like mickey mouse light.
warraghiyagey
10-28-2007, 02:00
got the pack i wanted today in the mail.never touched it before.z55 3660ci.
grabed all the new stuff laying all over the room and stuffed it in.some room left.not all the gear here yet,but it seams heavey as a mother scatcher.back to the drawing board.thereis no fooood in it yet.maybe i just paranoid .this might be harder than i thought.im a gear junkie.i have been known to carry all my new stuff no matter how heavey.
back to the pack,the buckles seam like mickey mouse light.
Your gear list might help flesh out the situation.
AT-HITMAN2005
10-28-2007, 09:10
if you live in a place with a good outfitter they will let you bring in all your gear and help you find a pack that fits you and your stuff pretty well.
Frolicking Dinosaurs
10-28-2007, 10:02
got the pack i wanted today in the mail.never touched it before.z55 3660ci.
grabed all the new stuff laying all over the room and stuffed it in.some room left.not all the gear here yet,but it seams heavey as a mother scatcher.back to the drawing board.thereis no fooood in it yet.maybe i just paranoid .this might be harder than i thought.im a gear junkie.i have been known to carry all my new stuff no matter how heavey.
back to the pack,the buckles seam like mickey mouse light.I suggest you attend the SORUCK (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=27446&highlight=soruck)and get tucked (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/6/0/8/3/JimOwen-SoRuckJan07_original.jpg)......
shelterbuilder
10-28-2007, 10:11
got the pack i wanted today in the mail.never touched it before.z55 3660ci.
grabed all the new stuff laying all over the room and stuffed it in.some room left.not all the gear here yet,but it seams heavey as a mother scatcher.back to the drawing board.thereis no fooood in it yet.maybe i just paranoid .this might be harder than i thought.im a gear junkie.i have been known to carry all my new stuff no matter how heavey.
back to the pack,the buckles seam like mickey mouse light.
Sight unseen, I would respectfully submit that you have too much gear!:o (I'm a gear junkie, too - I have one entire room in my house dedicated to outdoor equipment - much of it retired after only a few uses!)
Be ruthless with your gear - get rid of every extra ounce that you do not ABSOLUTELY need. Go ahead - cut the handle off of your toothbrush. Leave that candle lantern out. Trash that extra set of batteries. Plan your meals around one pot and one spoon (or better yet, a LARGE stainless steel sierra cup - yes they still make them), and get rid of the rest of your kitchen stuff.
3660 cu in should be plenty of room for essential gear, food, and water.
bigcranky
10-28-2007, 15:03
On the continuum from traditional (heavy) backpacking to über-super-ultralight, the Z-55 is squarely in the lightweight hiker section. You'll want your base weight to be less than 20 pounds (that's the pack and all your gear, but not food or water). The total weight of your pack/bag/tent/pad ought to be under 10 pounds.
With lightweight packs, you need a combination of light weight *and* low-bulk gear, to fit in 3600ci. If you're carrying a 4-lb synthetic bag, and/or a 5-lb two person tent, you'll run afoul of both the weight and the bulk issues.
Or, if all of your gear is ultralight, but you are carrying far too many items, you'll have the same problem.
Post a gear list. Have it abused by the helpful people here at WB.
Blissful
10-28-2007, 18:16
Some great ideas already.
Always good to get your gear organized and then get the pack. But no doubt you will ditch gear or switch gear on your hike. It's inevitable. :)
Main thing is, watch your gear weight.
humunuku
10-28-2007, 21:02
if you live in a place with a good outfitter they will let you bring in all your gear and help you find a pack that fits you and your stuff pretty well.
Isn't that kinda rude, considering the pack came from the mail, not them?
shelterbuilder
10-28-2007, 21:43
Isn't that kinda rude, considering the pack came from the mail, not them?
A good outfitter will provide this service based on the assumption that, when you need more gear (or new gear), you will remember that they were there to help before, and you'll come to them and spend some of your money.
Sometimes it's true, sometimes not, but if it's true more often than not, they will keep doing it!
Programbo
10-28-2007, 21:46
got the pack i wanted today in the mail.never touched it before.z55 3660ci.grabed all the new stuff laying all over the room and stuffed it in.some room left.not all the gear here yet,but it seams heavey as a mother scatcher.back to the drawing board.thereis no fooood in it yet.maybe i just paranoid .this might be harder than i thought.im a gear junkie.i have been known to carry all my new stuff no matter how heavey.
back to the pack,the buckles seam like mickey mouse light.
That packs to light and made out of to thin of materials...Even the company that makes that pack thinks so...Think about it..Why would that same company make packs that are twice the price and near twice the weight at the same cubic inches if that pack is all it`s cracked up to be?..The packs I speak of (Twice the weight) are listed as "extended trip" packs and advertised as "PACKS BUILT FOR OPTIMUM, DYNAMIC LOAD CONTROL, BALANCE AND ALL DAY COMFORT"...If the pack they make for half the price and half the weight (Z55) also fit that bill they`d have some explaining to do...Someone said 3660 cubic inches is more than enough room which may be true but 3660 in how heavy of a pack?...I can guarantee you gear will feel lighter and carry better in a pack that is 2 pounds heavier than the one you got......In the past I spoke with Wayne Gregory personally about pack design and quality and I can only assume he got use to making a lot of money because the Wayne Gregory I knew back then would never have put his name on a light weight inferior performing pack...All his packs use to be monsters that were bomb-proof on the mountains
im a gear junkie.i have been known to carry all my new stuff no matter how heavey.
Have you done a shakedown yet? Sometimes that can cure this :)
Nightwalker
10-28-2007, 23:08
He makes that pack specifically for ultralighters. It may not be the best UL pack out there, but at least he's trying to cater to 'em as well. I've got a couple of Gregory packs. One piece o' junk Stinger from '04, and a G70 from early this year that I love. The G is a decent kinda-light pack, and carries 25 pounds as well as anything I've used. But it'll never be an Osprey! :)
I'm looking getting my 3rd Osprey, a Mariposa 50. I'm just stupid sometimes when it comes to gear goodies. I don't think that new gear helps me hike better, I just like my toys.
Edit: Going light is a whole lot more about what you leave home than what you carry. Think really hard about that statement. Put all your stuff out on the floor, and look at each and every piece with an ultra-critical eye. You'll probably be surprised at the difference.
That packs to light and made out of to thin of materials...Even the company that makes that pack thinks so...Think about it..Why would that same company make packs that are twice the price and near twice the weight at the same cubic inches if that pack is all it`s cracked up to be?..The packs I speak of (Twice the weight) are listed as "extended trip" packs and advertised as "PACKS BUILT FOR OPTIMUM, DYNAMIC LOAD CONTROL, BALANCE AND ALL DAY COMFORT"...If the pack they make for half the price and half the weight (Z55) also fit that bill they`d have some explaining to do...Someone said 3660 cubic inches is more than enough room which may be true but 3660 in how heavy of a pack?...I can guarantee you gear will feel lighter and carry better in a pack that is 2 pounds heavier than the one you got......In the past I spoke with Wayne Gregory personally about pack design and quality and I can only assume he got use to making a lot of money because the Wayne Gregory I knew back then would never have put his name on a light weight inferior performing pack...All his packs use to be monsters that were bomb-proof on the mountains.
Get Tuckerized at a 'Ruck, I thought that was an awesome tool, and an eye opening experience. :)
Mad Hatter 08
10-29-2007, 14:01
Get Tuckerized at a 'Ruck, I thought that was an awesome tool, and an eye opening experience. :)
"hypothetically";) smile if i had no idea what you mean by that could you please explain it.
"hypothetically";) smile if i had no idea what you mean by that could you please explain it.
Imagine a live, in-person version of what goes on here at WB when a newbie posts a gear list.
bigcranky
10-29-2007, 14:10
A "Ruck" is a gathering of hikers. To be "tucked" or "tuckerized" is to have other hikers look over every item in your pack, trying to reduce your pack weight. Goes back to and old story involving a hiker with the trail name Friar Tuck helping Gypsy, another hiker, lose a few pounds before starting a thru-hike.
The southern Ruck is at Nantahala Outdoor Center over the King weekend in January. It's fun.
taildragger
10-29-2007, 14:26
How much are you actually carrying?
Get that weight down, from everything that I have heard, this pack is supposed to be very nice if loaded properly in its weight range!
Is your pack sized properly?
Christopher Robin
10-29-2007, 15:09
What I was told about total weight of pack should between 20-25% pre, of the body weight. Also look at personal items, I buy trial size which Iput in a zip-lock big the smallist one. Clothes just for 3-4 days because townes near, and layer them. Check state by state for climit changes, you might be albe to mail drop some things.
My pack is about 9% of my body weight, with all my three season stuff but without food and water, and I'm not fat nor am I a big gram weine.
earthbound
11-01-2007, 00:04
I'll chime in too-
The Z55 is a decent pack, it is designed to carry a max of 30 lbs, so make sure your weight is less than that. If its more than that, the suspension system just isn't designed to carry it- hence, it will feel heavy. Some basics- make sure the pack fits right, the torso length on that pack is not adjustable- so, you should have the waist belt arranged so that the top of your hip bones are in the middleish of the hip belt and the shoulder straps should be on your shoulders. The weight should not be on your shoulders, if it is you need a larger pack (ie longer torso length). Also make sure that you've pulled the over-the-shoulder straps in so that the weight of the pack is closer to your back. That said, what I've noticed about that particular pack and the osprey atmos/ aura packs is that because of the curved backframe design, to many people it feels like 1. the pack's weight is digging into the lower back disproportionately or 2. it feels like its pulling you backward. Both of those things will make a pack feel heavier than it should.
Proudfoot
11-01-2007, 14:12
This neat little program allows you to visually see what each item weighs and check and un/check items (ie see how big a difference switching from a synthetic bag to a down REALLY makes.) Which means you can add up all your current items and then add wish list items to check your load before you buy it.
Blissful
11-01-2007, 14:27
Isn't that kinda rude, considering the pack came from the mail, not them?
Not at all - my son got his pack checked at MRO in Damascus and he didn't get his pack from them. Any good outfitter will do this - they want to help hikers.
Tipi Walter
11-01-2007, 18:57
Buying a pack thru the mail is not easy, maybe impossible, since a pack is the single most important piece of gear to get. An uncomfortable pack is like a crappy boot, you'll know it quick and it won't get better. A whole trip can be ruined with a ill fitting pack.
On the other hand, getting a pack that is too small especially if you're a gearhead, will be frustrating when planning long trips without resupply(and in the winter, too). I'd go with something bigger and haul more, take what you want and laugh at the current ultralight faddists.
A heavier, beefier pack will help to make a heavier load seem lighter, it's all in the framing and support, etc. A 3660cubic inch pack is to me a weekend pack, suitable for a couple of nights out and a light food bag. Perhaps it is big enough for the AT hiker who depends on resupply every 4-5 days, but even now it sounds like you have it bulging without even adding the food or water. And heck, maybe you'd like to hike the AT in 12-15 day uninterrupted intervals between resupplies so it's alright to be eyeballing bigger packs.
All is not lost though. Take the pack you have and make a charitable donation to a worthy fellow backpacker, and then start your online research for a bigger backpack. After searching, go to an outfitter and start asking questions. It ain't easy, but finding the perfect backpack(for you)can be done.:)
And if you do buy a pack through the mail, make sure the company you but it from has a fantastic return policy, that way if you dislike it, you can return it. Go-Lite has a great return policy, as do most outdoor stores.
Kirby
ric2hunt
11-02-2007, 18:07
I have used the Z55 for the last two years. Works great-keeps my back cool and carries very well. My last hike was five days and packed out less water the weight was 17 lbs.
The Pack Mule
12-03-2007, 22:10
Just used a Z55 for first time on a weekend trip after putting the better part of my kit on a weight loss program. Still a good ways to go but with a 35 lb. load (tent, water, synthetic bag, cold weather clothing. . .) the pack handled OK. Comfort was close to my old reliable Gregory Robson Pro.
whykickamoocow
12-07-2007, 21:11
The words that may of you use are strange to me, here in Australia the ruck is a position on the field in a game of Aussie Rules football. It is the job of the Ruck to palm the ball down to the rovers and midfielders around him at stoppages and centre bounces.
Tucked is something your mother might say to you, "is that shirt tucked in". Or a close relation might be the word tucker, which over here means food.
I am here to confuse. I jsut went to the US consulate in Melbourne Australia to get my visa for the US in 2008, and it got approved, so i shall be seeing many of you soon.
I also have a Z55, Ive spent several good trips now using it with about 30-35 lbs loaded in it. It's always been comfy and im very pleased with it.