Kelty Zyro 54 Backpack for Women (Fully Adjustable & Ventilated)

Kelty Zyro 54 Backpack for women is a pack from a brand new series with a steel frame, fully adjustable harness and hip belt, and with excellent ventilation. Keep reading.

Key features

What this is about

This Zyro 54 is from Kelty’s new series they launched recently, this is the smallest pack from four of them, the series includes packs of 54 and 64 liters for women, and 58 and 68 liters packs for men.

This is a top-loading pack with a removable top lid and collar. But the pack also comes with a separate zippered sleeping bag compartment with a strap and buckle inside to compress the load inside of it.

The pack is hydration compatible so you have an inner sleeve for a reservoir in the main compartment.

Suspension system

Here you have an adjustable suspension supported by a peripheral semi-internal steel frame. You will see the terms NadaTech and Nada Zone used, the same harness system is in their Zyp 48 pack and other packs from the Zyp series.

So what is NadaTech?

Essentially, they have decided to remove the material from the middle of the back panel so in this area the pack is completely separated from the body. But you will notice that the contact zone above is rather large. It is best to see more about this concept in this video:

Here you have a fully adjustable suspension system and this means:

• Adjustable torso size.
• Adjustable hip belt size.

Adjustable torso size is based on Kelty’s PerfectFit system. This term should be taken literally because there is nothing better on the market. The system works so that you adjust the harness with the pack on your back. There are two straps on the sides which you pull and move the harness to your desired position. Note that this is done with the full pack on your body so you have the best possible feeling about the proper position of the hip belt.

The hip belt adjustability implies that you can move the padding forward or backward so that it fits your body perfectly. You simply undo Velcro connection which is behind the lumbar area visible in the picture above. After that position the hip belt where you want. You will see how this is done in the video below, there are some markers that help to dial your size.

The picture above shows one more great feature here, the V-shaped front hip belt straps on both sides, left and right, for an excellent hugging of the hip bones. When you tighten the hip belt, these straps tighten upper and lower sections of the hip belt padding so you have an excellent fit where you need it most.

As usual, here you also have an adjustable sternum strap and load lifters. With such full adjustability, this pack can be used by several family members with different body shapes and sizes. See a bit more about the Zyro packs for women in this short video:

Other features

Pockets

• There are 2 zippered pockets on the lid (shown below), one very large from outside and one underneath it.
• Two large zippered pockets are on the hip belt, see the picture below.
• One large zippered pocket is on the front, also shown below.
• Two stretch pockets are on the sides. Here you can carry lots of stuff and you can fix it in place with the side compression straps.
• Two smaller stretch mesh pockets are on the sides for water bottles.

Here are some of the pockets mentioned above:

Compression straps and attachment elements

• There are dual (lower and upper side compression straps) on both sides (visible in the picture below).
• Dual straps are also on the bottom compartment. Here you can attach a sleeping pad or a tent, see below.
• Dual tuck away trekking pole loops for poles are on the bottom, and they are paired with bungee tie-offs higher on the front.

How to properly adjust Kelty Zyro 54 pack

So everything is adjustable in this pack, you have sternum strap, load lifters, and the mentioned torso and hip belt adjustability elements. So to see how to adjust all this, I think it is best that you see this video, all steps are presented in detail:

Specifications

• Weight: 4 lb 3 oz (1.9 kg).
• Volume: 3295 in³ (54 L).
• Dimensions: 27 x 13 x 10 in (69 x 33 x 25 cm).
• Torso fit range: 14.5 – 20 in (37 – 51 cm).
• Weight capacity: 30 – 50 lb (14 – 23 kg).
• Colors: 2.
• Body fabric: 210D nylon.
• Reinforcement fabric: 420D nylon.
• Frame: sprung steel.
• Warranty: Limited Lifetime.

Kelty Zyro 54 Pack for Women vs Competitors

Here I give this Zyro 54 pack side by side with two other packs for women, from top brands. So its Volume/Weight ratio is better than in the famous Osprey Aura 50 AG, but it is inferior to the Gregory Jade 53 pack which is a much lighter pack.

On the other hand, Zyro 54 has adjustability in the torso and in the hip belt and this puts it in the same level as Osprey Aura 50 AG pack, while Gregory Jade has this adjustability only in the torso length. The prices are high for all three packs, please follow the links to check for updates.

Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons

This pack is expensive but it is in the rank of some other top-notch packs, so the price is normal. Please see how I rate this pack against my standard set of criteria, this allows for easy comparison with the other packs here in the site:

Kelty Zyro 54 Women's Hiking Backpack

$199.95

9.3

Volume/Weight ratio

8.8/10

Features & Bonuses

9.5/10

Comfort

9.7/10

Pros

• Great suspension.
• Excellent ventilation.
• Quality materials and workmanship.

Cons

• Expensive.
• No rain cover.

Check on Amazon

Check at REI

I have included this pack in my list with best women’s backpacking packs. For more options in this size range, please visit my page with packs up to 55 liters. Check this strongly built Mountainsmith Women’s Apex 55 Hiking Pack with two access points.

Note that I am not paid by the brand and this is not a sponsored text. What do you think about this pack? Please share your thoughts, there is a comment box below.