Umpqua’s Surveyor 2000 ZS is sure to have you more organized and prepared for the day ahead. The Zero Sweep pack was designed with the angler in mind first. Everything on this pack has a function and brings innovation with fixes to some of the struggles of fishing with backpacks. In its efforts to bring you a great product and get you the right pack for fishing, Umpqua’s collaborative efforts to work with a special ops veteran pays off! It’s all been thought of, and truly makes hiking and fishing with a back pack enjoyable. Let’s take a look at this pack in detail…
Comfort:
It seems Umpqua sat down and made a list of all the annoyances and complaints from anglers about carrying a pack when fishing, and then addressed them all with their design. First and foremost is comfort and how the pack will feel when making the long hikes to your favorite fishing hole. This pack protects the back featuring an inlayed back frame and suspended back panel keeping you cool for the long trails. A sturdy padded waist belt lightens the load and doesn’t dig into the hips. The narrow design of this pack allows the arms to swing free and gives ultimate freedom when casting a rod.
Straps:
The most annoying thing about fishing with gear is when line gets caught on just about everything. The shoulder straps were designed to hide the line catchers but still give the angler options for accessories with web looping integrated into the straps. The center chest strap can be removed if you do not use this accessory, a very nice innovative detail. The waist belt is wide and is equipped with a sturdy buckle. Both sides of the waist belt have a stretchy belt loop to tuck away the excess.
On the back of the pack there is additional web looping for accessories which is nice and hidden. The rod holder straps feature a sticky inlay and hold rod tubes solid for the ups and downs on the trail, a very cool a well thought out design to keep your rods safe. If you carry a net usually hooked to you, there is a hidden d-ring attachment near the top and center of the pack as well, when not in use the d-ring is tucked away.
Pockets:
Lots of cool things going on here! First, the waist belt features 2 soft zippered stash pockets, perfect for indicators, weight, floatant, and other quick grab items on the river. The sides of the pack are equipped with two water bottle holders and measure close to ten inches deep keeping your water safe and the forest clean. On the outside of the pack there are 2 flat individual zippered pockets big enough to hold spare reels, fly boxes, snacks, and warming layers.
The clam shell opening of the main pouch allows the angler to access gear from the bottom without having to open the top, big thumbs up! Inside the main pouch there is a separate pocket for a hydration bladder and is a very nice feature to have the option of carrying one or not. On the very top outside of the pack there is a loft pocket which has an inside mesh zippered pocket perfect for keys, wallet, and flashlight. Pockets are equipped with YKK zippers and feature an easy to grip and zip pull tag for when the weather gets tough and the fingers are numb.
The Umpqua Surveyor 2000 ZS Backpack comes in two colors - Copper (shown above) and Granite. It is available now and retails for $179.99.