The Gregory Zulu 55 is a ventilated, adjustable frame backpack designed for carrying big loads with or without a bear canister. Weighing 4 lbs 2 oz, this new version (2023) is about a half pound heavier than its predecessor due to increased hipbelt padding enabling the pack to carry up to 50 lbs, or 10 more pounds than its predecessor. The new Zulu 55 is also made with heavier-duty, PFC-free recycled polyester to improve its durability and reduce its carbon footprint. However, this latest model does not include a rain cover, a feature that was once standard on Gregory’s multi-day packs but has been discontinued on some models to reduce waste, since according to Gregory, many people don’t require one.
Specs at Glance
- Weight: 4 lbs 2 oz
- Volume (liters): 55L (65L, 45L, 30L also available)
- Gender: Male, the corresponding women’s model is the Jade 53.
- Frame type: Internal
- Frame Type: Alloy Steel Frame
- Adjustable Torso Length: Yes
- Ventilated: Yes
- Pack Access: Top/Front Panel/Sleeping Bag
- Exterior Pockets: 6
- Rain Cover: Not included
- Load lifters: Yes
- Hipbelt pockets: Yes
- Hydration-compatible: Yes
- Bear Canister Compatibility: While a BV500 can fit horizontally in the main compartment, it makes the side pockets difficult to use and I’d recommend using a BV475 size instead. A BV500 also fits under the floating lid when stacked over the main compartment.
- Torso Sizes: (M/L: 18″ – 22″ / 45.7 – 55.9 cm), (S/M: 15″ – 19″ / 38.1 – 48.3 cm)
- Hip belt sizes: (M/L: 27″ – 53″ / 68.5 – 134.2 cm), (S/M: 25″ – 48″ / 63.5 – 121.9 cm)
- Pack Body: 40% Recycled 400D Polyester Ripstop with PFC-Free DWR; Pack-Bottom: 420D Nylon with PFC-Free DWR
Backpack Frame and Suspension
The Zulu 55 is an internal frame backpack with a ventilated, adjustable-length torso. It’s designed to carry heavy loads, up to 50 lbs, including bear canisters if required, so it has a much beefier hipbelt and suspension system than you’ll find on packs designed to carry substantially lighter loads in the 30 lb range. In addition to its steel perimeter frame, it comes with an anti-barrelling stay which is a horizontal bar in the frame that prevents a bear canister from poking you in the back if you have to carry one.
The Zulu frame has an adjustable-length torso, so you can dial in a custom fit, which is quite helpful on larger-capacity backpacks because keeping the weight off your shoulders and on your hips is even more important. The length of the torso is easy to adjust by releasing the velcro yoke that connects the shoulder straps to the frame. Sizing is marked on the yoke so you can keep track of your preferred torso length and adjust it accordingly. The velcro holds firmly when reattached and won’t slip under load.
The shoulder straps are connected to the frame by load lifter straps and are covered by breathable mesh. The shoulder pads are S-shaped, so they’ll be comfortable regardless of your upper body physique, including men or women. The shoulder straps have external sunglass holders and hydration loops, while a sliding sternum strap makes it easy to adjust the strap height depending on your preference and chest size.
The Zulu 55 is also ventilated with a mesh backing that flows seamlessly over the pre-curved hip belt and gently wraps around your waist. While the area behind the mesh is curved to enable airflow, it doesn’t intrude noticeably into the pack’s main compartment or interfere with packing. The Zulu hip belt has a single center buckle and closes with pull-forward straps for mechanical advantage.
The Zulu’s frame is a 360-degree loop that terminates in the hipbelt behind your hips for excellent load transfer. It flexes naturally when you walk and scramble, providing excellent torsional flex and stability. The bottom lumbar area at the base of the frame is covered with free-floating padding that adapts naturally to your body shape and doesn’t cause any unwanted pressure in this sensitive area. When the pack is loaded, the ventilated mesh wraps gently around your mid back and shoulders, so the pack is aligned with your torso and not pulling you backward as some ventilated backpacks can. The hipbelt wings are also designed to adapt to changes in your hip angle, for example as you scramble, to provide a body-fitting hug that keep the load better aligned with your core muscles.
Backpack Storage and Organization Setup
The Zulu 55 is a conventional alpine-style backpack with a floating top lid. The top lid has two zippered pockets, one on top and one on the underside of the lid with a key fob. The floating lid is attached to the pack with four webbing straps and can be raised 4 inches if you need to overstuff the pack and use the extra extension collar at the top of the main compartment. You can also use the lid to hold over-size items between the lid and the top of the main compartment including a BV500 bear canister, since the lid is wide enough to cover it lengthwise: doing this does compromise the packability of the top lid pockets however.
The main compartment can be accessed in one of three ways: from the top through a drawstring closure under the top lid, through a front panel that zips closed around the front mesh pocket, and through a sleeping bag hatch. Panel access is very convenient for travel because you can access deeply buried gear without having to unpack the pack’s contents. There’s also a separate sleeping bag hatch at the base of the pack with an optional shelf in the interior to wall off a sleeping bag compartment if you want one.
The pack has two side mesh pockets that can be used to hold gear or water bottles. The mesh covering these pockets is quite robust and tear-resistant. The front of these pockets has a holster-style opening so you can reach back and pull a bottle out one-handed or replace it while wearing the pack. This feature works best with 1L Nalgene bottles: longer soda and water bottles have a tendency to pop out of the pockets when you bend over or set the pack down on the ground. You can still carry taller water bottles, but you have to position them vertically toward the rear of the side pockets to do so.
The front stretch mesh pocket is fairly narrow and best used for stuffing coats and other layers into. But it’s not wide or large enough to store a pair of crocs in, for instance. It too is covered with the same heavy-duty mesh found on the side pockets, with a small weave that won’t catch on overhanging shrubs and vegetation.
Finally, the hip belt has two oversized zippered pockets. Both are hard-faced for better durability and water resistance. They easily fit a Smartphone, point-and-shoot camera, or a days-worth of snack bars. They really are huge.
Backpack Compression and External Attachment System
The Zulu 55 has two tiers of side compression straps that both close with easy-to-use and glove-friendly squeeze buckles. This makes it a lot easier to secure gear, including snowshoes, to the sides of the pack if you need to carry heavy or bulky objects that won’t fit in the pack bag. You can also carry items between the top of the main compartment and the floating lid such as sleeping pads, tent bodies, or rope coils.
The Zulu 55 also comes with a pair of sleeping pad straps that originate at the base of the pack and connect to buckles just above the sleep bag hatch pocket. These are not removable straps, but it’s still a nice feature that helps extend the range of this 55L backpack.
The pack has a single ice axe loop on the front with an elastic shaft holder that can also be used to carry trekking poles on the front of the pack. There are however no daisy chains on the exterior of the pack because they’d interfere with the panel access zipper. The only exception to this is two gear loops on the top lid that could be used to hang a solar panel to the top of the pack.
Comparable Ventilated and Adjustable-Length Backpacks
The number of ventilated and adjustable-length backpacks available today is quite small, as you can see below.
Recommendation
Weighing just over 4.1 lbs, the Gregory Zulu 55 is a great pack for multi-day trips or overseas travel, with a variety of organization options and access methods that make it easy to pack and extract gear. It has a comfortable and lively backpacking pack with a back-hugging ventilated and adjustable frame. While its integrated mesh back panel and hip belt are comparable to Osprey’s AntiGravity (AG) suspension system, the Zulu is substantially lighter weight than the AG packs and has a less intrusive ventilation cavity that doesn’t pull you backward or interfere with packing the main compartment. But the thing about the Zulu 55 that really stands out for me is how natural it feels when you strap it on, especially the hipbelt. It doesn’t slip, at-all, and doesn’t create a lot of pressure on the hips, even when you pack really heavy. The new Zulu 55 is a keeper. Highly recommended!
