ZPacks Blast help

I've got a Zero + options on order. It should be sewed this coming week.

It seems like for a lot of people the Zero + Options is going to be the better buy, unless you're the sort of person who wants a lot of options and then the Blast is a better deal.

Regarding size, I would say go for the 26 size rather than the 32 (or a Zero size large, which is the same). Opting for a larger pack then you need is tempting you to overpack and a physically larger pack is less nimble in the woods. If you get the 26, you'll find a way to get all your stuff in there and if you can't, you probably have too much stuff for a frameless pack.

I opted for a simple webbing belt. When using a frameless pack, I don't really need a belt for carrying the load (it's fine on my shoulders) but a simple webbing belt is nice to keep the pack secure.

I didn't get the lid. It just seems to add complexity and when you're outdoors simplicity is king.

This is what I ordered for 1-3 night 3-season trips with a baseweight in the 6-9 lbs range:

Zpacks Zero Cuben Medium + Two Side Pockets + 1" Webbing belt + mesh Center Pocket.

Total weight is 4.6oz IIRC. The side pockets are essential for water, fuel bottle and fishing rod. The 1" webbing belt adds load control for 1.1oz. The Center Pocket might have been the wrong call because it adds complexity and these sort of pockets are more vulnerable to damage, but sometimes these large stretchy pockets do save my butt when I just can't quite fit everything back into the pack or if I want to push this pack on a longer trip.

I have a Zilch XL (stripped down blast 32) in white cuben with the padded waist belt and cuben center pocket. The weight is 160g. The center pocket is key for a couple reasons. When you get the center pocket it comes with the upper shock cord anchor points. With this you can roll the lid and tuck the edges in. This by far my favorite way to close the pack. I keep data sheets, map, water treatment, flashlight, and a couple energy bars in the center pocket. Also layers can be stashed there easily. I had a blast 26 and I really prefer the additional size of the zilch xl. My base weight is 6.5lb, but I carry a 1/4" full length foam pad which is bulky. I have room in the pack for six days of food and two liters of water. I have been very happy with how the hipbelt is working. I considered eliminating it, but it transfers the weight very well.

Brian, so when you want to drink water do you have to stop and open your pack to get out a water bottle for a drink? You don't have side pockets or a hydration port it seems.

Correct, I open the pack. It only takes a couple seconds. There are no straps to undo and I leave the drawcord open. I carry two 1L platypus at the top of the pack. I stopped using a tube about a year ago. A drinking tube would easily work with this setup though. I usually hike 12-14 hours per day, and will stop for a 5-7 minutes every couple hours to eat drink and take my shoes off if it is warm enough.

Brian – You said you have a padded belt yet I don't see that as an option from which to choose when I scroll down the Zero Pack options. Was this a "custom option"? At Joe's website it specifically says that if you want a padded belt "choose

Also, I'm curious why neither you nor Dan chose to add any straps (medium, bottom or top).

I contacted Joe and told him what I wanted and he responded quickly with a price quote. My pack as pictured cost $138 shipped. base pack $95 + cuben center pocket $15 + padded hip belt $25 + shipping $3. Joe has always responded quickly to emails and been easy to talk to.

If you look closely in the photo you can see the upper side straps which come with the cuben center pocket. Other than those I did not want any straps. I really like the clean minimalist aesthetic of the pack and did not want to clutter it up with straps. If I had straps I would probably use them, but I can do fine without them. This is also my first pack without a sternum strap which I was nervous about at first. I find that it works very well without it.

Hello

I got the small zero with rear pocket and top strap option. Using shoulder strap pocket(s) for water bottle(s) and small stuff. I carry rolled 3/8 torso pad on top of pack. This allows me to load pack to better fit my back.
This pack is only 19" tall. Joe lengthed padded section of straps fits my 20.5 " torso perfect. This small cuben pack and 5 x 8 cuben tarp are the basis of my sul kit.
When I figure out how to post a photo I will show the whole kit. Joe is very helpful and great to work with.
Jim

That would be very helpful to see your pack. Thanks!

When trying to decide between the two sizes you need to look at the main pack body which is 2000ci vs 2600ci. The 32 has a little extra width and is two inches taller to the top of the extension collar. I typically go on trips at least one week long, so I need some flexibility in capacity. I don't like to carry a lot of food, but if resupply is not convenient I will carry six days worth. In the 2000ci pack six days food plus all my gear and a liter of water filled it to the max. I had to very carefully pack everything and all the outside pockets were filled. If weekend hikes were the norm for me the 26 would be a perfect pack. With the 2600ci pack I can fit everything inside without any trouble at all. Six days of food will fill up most of the extension collar but with everything inside the main pack.

Some items in my base load are fairly bulky. I hike mostly in the fall, winter, and early spring. I carry a full length 1/4" ccf in addition to a kookabay torso pad and a gg nightlite sitpad (for my feet). Carrying just a single torso length inflatable would save a ton of space.

The Zero XL (2600ci) is the perfect pack for me. I am very happy with it. Having only the cuben center pocket helps to keep the profile low.

I won't be going on any week-long excursions. Overnight and possibly a weekend so it sounds like the Blast 26 will be the best choice. Thanks Brian.

I just got a Zero size large which is just like a Blast 26 but without the padded hipbelt. I started with the simple Zero and added a rear cuben pocket, side pockets, middle side compression straps, top side compression straps (which double as the strap for the top of the rear pocket), sternum strap, one cuben shoulder pouch and a detachable 0.75" webbing hipbelt. Without the hipbelt it weighs 5.0 oz, 5.7 oz w/ the hipbelt.

I like the detachable hipbelt so I can use the pack without it for light loads or add it for better weight transfer w/ 'heavier' loads. I ordered some thin padding and .72/oz cuben from Quest Outfitters to make a detachable padded hipbelt later.

There is plenty of room for my base weight gear (usually around 5.25 lbs) plus a bear canister w/ food for up to 7 days if needed. I also use it for weekend training day hikes and it carries very comfortably with 14 lbs so far. I use a small neo-air partially inflated to create some structure. I usually carry just under 13 lbs total for a 4 day trip so this is the perfect UL pack for me. Even with a fresh 7 day resupply on a thru hike I'm still carrying under 18 lbs.

The craftsmanship is great and the material seems a lot more durable than my GG Murmur (silnylon). It is WAY more durable than it looks. Joe is very responsive and easy to work with on special orders.

Here's a few photos. I'm only using the middle strap on one side for now. I replaced some of the heavier shock cord that it came with for lighter 1/16" & mini cord locks, we'll see how it holds up. I hope this helps. Andrew.

That's a very nicely-designed pack.

1) Both you and Brian chose the cuben rear pocket instead of the mesh. Was that to protect it's contents from the rain or for a more durable pocket?

2) You have attachment points on your left and right shoulder straps which don't appear on pictures of the basic Zero. Was that a custom add on?

3) I really wish there was a way to have the cuben-padded waist belt, on the Blast 26, made to be detachable.

FWIW, I choose mesh for the rear pocket on mine because I find I can fit a lot more stuff in a stretchy pocket. With a non-stretch cuben pocket, if you fill up the main pack bag there often isn't much room left in the rear pocket. A cuben pocket would likely be more durable and it's lighter (0.35oz vs. 0.7oz).

I'm sure you could get Joe to make you one with a detachable cuben padded belt. Just email him and ask.

The attachment point at the top on the side of each shoulder strap is the anchor point for the shock cord which runs through the top of the back pocket. When you add the back pocket you automatically get the upper straps with it.

Dan is correct, the cuben pocket holds less than the mesh. However I can fit everything I need to in the cuben pocket. One note about the side pockets: If you fill the main pack tightly it will be a very tight fit to get either a bottle or water bag into the cuben side pockets.

Thanx, I'm glad you like the pack.

I chose the cuben rear pocket because it's lighter than the mesh. I was concerned about it collecting water if it was used to store wet items, but there is a small circular metal grommet at the bottom to allow for drainage.

The attachment points on the shoulder straps come with the sternum strap option. There are three on each side for various sternum strap positions. There is an additional fourth attachment point on the left side for the shoulder pouch.

I added a small piece of 1/16" shock cord w/ a mini cord lock to attach a drinking tube on one of the unused attachment points. I prefer the side pockets for water storage just in case of a leak and for convenient refills on the trail. I also like Brians sleek design without the side pockets. That's the good thing about these packs, we get to essentially custom design the pack to our preference. . . for the same price of a traditional pack at REI. It's worth the 4-6 week wait time.

I created a short term solution to the detachable padded hipbelt while waiting for the smaller foam and cuben material. I just attached some pieces of foam from a GG sitpad using adhesive velcro. It's not pretty, but it works for now. I would have asked Joe to make one when I ordered it but it's one thing I hadn't considered. Like Dan mentioned it seems like he would be willing to make one for you. A Blast 26 w/ a detachable padded hipbelt sounds like a great pack. Andrew.

Trying to wrap up my final configuration and wanted to get your thoughts about three different add-ons and whether any of these make sense:

1) Shoulder pockets? Are they helpful or do they needlessly get in the way? Would a water bottle in each shoulder bag help, in some small measure, to counterbalance the pack?

http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/shoulderpouch.shtml

2) Top pockets on side? They seem to be a good place to put a hat and gloves or perhaps a map. Would these be marginally helpful or just a waste of space and weight?

http://www.zpacks.com/large_image.shtml?backpacks/options/top_side_pocket_l.jpg

3) Belt pockets? Some people swear by them. I've never had them so I couldn't intelligently comment one way or the other.

http://www.zpacks.com/large_image.shtml?backpacks/options/belt_pouches_l.jpg

W wiwb,

All three of these options seem to be addressing basically the same goal….handy storage for smaller items. At most, I would go with one of these options.

None of these options are essential in the sense that anything you could fit in these small areas would likely also fit into the main bag. The question is really if they are worth the weight and complexity for the additional convenience.

I personally haven't used the 'top pockets on the side', but from the looks of it, they appear not ideal for more technical or off-trail hiking. These pockets effectively widen your pack and make it harder to duck under fallen trees etc. Since items in these pockets aren't readily accessible when you are wearing the pack, I would opt to skip these and just put the stuff inside the main bag.

Hipbelt pockets can be really handy if you have some smaller items that you frequently utilize while hiking (ie. camera, water purification etc). I do find these handy for my camera and water tablets, but I like the hipbelt pockets to be quite small. If they are bulky then you can wind up hitting them on stuff or hitting them with your arms when you walk. IMO, the Zpacks ones are a little big at 1 liter each. Most hipbelt pockets from other brands are about half that. If you're never used hipbelt pockets before, then you probably don't need to start using big ones like this. If the pockets are too big then they become a 'catch all' for your small misc. gear and then you start needing to empty out the pocket just to find what you're looking for.

To me, the shoulder strap pockets look to be the best of the three options. The size is more reasonable and you're right that you could carry water here to move your center of gravity slightly further forward, which would mean a we bit less forward lean when hiking (ie. the Aarn idea). This effect would be pretty small with just 2 x 0.5L of water, but it can't hurt. On the downside, if you weren't going to get daisy chains, now you need to add them so you can use these pockets. The weight and complexity can add up. You might be able to cancel this out by omitting the side pockets. You could skip the side pockets and carry 2 x 0.5L in these front pockets and then if needed carry a bladder in the main bag for additional water capacity. This would save weight overall, but if you don't like having the water bottles on your chest then you're kinda screwed if you omit the side pockets also. You also wouldn't have place for your alcohol bottle, and these shoulder pockets wouldn't be that useful for other stuff if you have them filled with water bottles all the time.

I personally decided to keep things more simple and go with none of these options. I can use my pants pockets for my camera and water tablets. I don't need a pack cover handy since I'll seam seal the pack so it's waterproof. Everything else can go in the pack. If you start to have too many options for putting stuff, then you'll forget where you put it. A bit of small stuff storage is nice, so the shoulder pockets are decent way to go. I kinda wish Zpacks offered much smaller hipbelt pockets. You could contact Joe and ask for some. Joe's pockets are 1L in size and I find my 0.5L hipbelt pockets on my ULA pack to be plenty big.

BTW: My Zpacks Zero shipped out Tuesday! I'm excited to get it, even though I'm not sure I'll be able to use it for a while. Winter is in full swing here.

I've had a stripped down, no-frills original Blast 18 for almost two years now & it's been my go-to pack for 1-2 night trips (I think I could do 3 but haven't yet). It's a full pack, but it's worked just fine–this usually includes fishing gear and a book to read in addition to clothes, sleeping gear, shelter, cooking gear, personal items, food & water.

No extra pockets, no hip belt, nothing added. I think it weighs a bit under 4 oz.

I might add a frill or two if re-ordering now, but just from the standpoint of space, it's been just fine.

We are fond of our family's size L Zero that is 2.8 oz. stripped and ~6.8 oz. with lid, sternum strap, shoulder pouch, hip pockets, belt, and waist pockets.

The lid has been nice for organization and keeping rain out (to an extent), but not always used.

When I use the pack, waist pockets are for water bottles, when the kids use it, we go with a bladder and hose.

I find that the bungee lashing allows for great versatility and is my preferred option over a back pocket. If I want a pocket there, I just insert a stuff sack (mesh or cuben).

Would the Blast 20, or the medium Zero, be capable to handle an overnight? My backpacking/overnight experience is limited to a McHale monster pack, with tons of space, so I have no frame of reference other than that.

Whether or not the medium would work for an overnight depends on how compact your kit is. It may be difficult to switch directly from your Mchale pack to the 1400ci blast. Bulky items such as your sleeping bag or quilt, sleeping pad, and any insulating layers would need to be minimized.

I can fit a summer overnight kit into my small zero. I just got this pack recently and intend to use it for my daily commutes to work.

With a Zero XL on each side for comparison. The one on the left I have had for a while. The one on the right is brand new and measures a couple inches larger in width and height than the older XL.

Thanks for the photo Brian. I believe the small is a 1,000 ci pack. There a significant difference between it and your two other 2,600s.

I know Joe V. did the PCT and CDT in a Blast 26 (2,000ci main cavity), so I thought I might have room for just overnight provisions in the Blast 20 (1,400ci main cavity).

The small Zero clearly won't work for me. I suppose it's best to have space, not need it and roll it up (or tuck it away), than to need it and not have space. The alternative of hanging items from the pack is not my first preference.

Last month I did a 1 niter in BSP. I used a large zero with low tie downs and padded hip belts with pockets. I wanted a sleek pack that wouldnt get hung up on branches. No side or front pockets.I had a large self inflating thermarest on the bottom ties that stuck out but that will be soon replaced. the belt pockets are set back so they're out of the way, but a little harder to access.

I had plenty of room. For the frame I used 5 sections 0f z rest and the weight was about 20 pounds total. For liquids I bought 2 quarts of gator aide and stuffed them in the top corner of the z rest.

Second day hike out I did a 13 mile hike up 3,000 vert feet over Hamlin peak,a difficult hike for me considering the previos 4 years my longest hike was about 5 miles due to injuries, but because I took my time and had such a lite pack it was a most enjoyable hike.

If I want to backpack more I have to do 1 or 2 niters and with my minimalist mind set I find it really easy to do.

grog

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