Review: Zentauron – Sprinter Pack and pouches

Introduction

Zentauron is a tactical gear company based in Germany that has been producing Cordura Gear for 15 years now, and is well known within the German speaking tactical realm. By now, they not only produce their own products, but also act as an OEM manufacturer for other brands.

They also carry Phantomleaf Camouflage in their portfolio, and as soon as I saw that WASP II Z1B was added, I reached out and asked if I could take a look at those new items. Some of you might already have read the article about the Zentauron Hip Bag Modular. This time, I will give you some more insights about the Sprinter Daypack 13l and the GP Pouch, as well as the Sprinter Pack Side Pockets.

So, let’s do the overview and specs before going into more detail.

Overview

The Sprinter Daypack is designed as a 13-litre hydration pack with added MOLLE for further customisation and expansion using MOLLE-style pouches. Zentauron offers optional side pockets that are specifically designed for the Sprinter Bag, as well as a general purpose pouch that fits the front dimensions of the pack. The materials used comply with Mil-Spec and German TL specifications.

The pack features a padded back and contoured, padded shoulder straps, as well as a sternum strap.

Specs

Overview of the Zentauron Sprinter Pack

The Zentauron Sprinter Pack is designed as a hydration pack, first and foremost. At the same time, it functions as a practical daypack. Starting on the outside: the front is covered with 5 lines of PALS/MOLLE webbing that provide 6 channels to attach MOLLE based accessories to the front of the pack. Usually, Zentauron uses Mil-Spec webbing for the MOLLE, but in the case of this particular model in Phantomleaf WASP II Z1B, they had to make the webbing themselves, using Cordura. Reason for that being the lack of webbing in this particular camouflage – so if you want to provide the full camouflage effect, you gotta go that way.

The webbing is nicely done and adds to a full camouflage effect, as intended. The sides of the pack feature 6 lines of MOLLE as well, to be able to attach the already mentioned Side Pockets. These 6 lines consist of 3 lines providing just the one channel on top, as a result of the available space, and 3 lines with 2 channels on the bottom.

A Velcro area in the upper front, with the Zentauron branding, provides the option to attach unit insignia, morale patches or other identifiers on there. Another slim Velcro tab to the bottom allows for name tabs to be attached, or similar identifiers.

Two compression straps not only help to compress the pack when fully loaded, but also with jackets or other items that you want quick access to and attach quickly. To the top, you have a generous hydration port and a decent grabbing handle made of webbing.

The main compartment of the Zentauron Sprinter Pack

Now, let’s take a look inside. The Sprinter Pack does not open fully and only opens to 50%. This helps to prevent items from falling out, bearing in mind that this is a hydration pack first and foremost. The zippers are equipped with large, looped zipper pulls that make them easy to grab while wearing gloves.

This is also the reason for the pragmatic interior design of the pack. You will find a sleeve on the back for the hydration bladder, Velcro loops at the top to attach the bladder, and a small Velcro pocket for essentials – that’s it.

The Velcro pocket can be detached and is large enough to hold small notebooks, water purification tablets, etc.

Load distribution system

The back of the Sprinter Pack is lightly padded with mesh and has no frame sheet. The same applies to the shoulder straps, which are padded with just a few layers of mesh. However, they are contoured to fit the torso. A sternum strap helps to keep the straps in place, and quick-release buckles make it possible to take the pack off quickly and easily.

Although there is no waist belt, there are buckles to attach a 2.5 cm (1 inch) webbing belt for stability.

Sprinter Pack Side Pockets and GP Pouch

The Sprinter side pockets are designed specifically for this pack. They are slightly asymmetrical in shape to fit the body of the pack without getting in the way of the upper opening. The two-way zip runs from the top of the back to the middle of the front, providing easy access to the inside. The pockets have no internal organisation, and it would make no sense to put sleeves, pockets or webbing in there.

These pockets are perfectly sized to carry bottles and other long items. Insulated canteens (Stanley, etc.) with capacities of up to 0.75 litres will fit perfectly. Standard 1-litre Nalgene bottles will fit, but they will create bumps that press into the pack. I also carried larger blades (up to six inches) in there with no issues.

However, attaching the side pockets is a bit difficult. Due to the placement of the MOLLE lines, finding the right position is tricky, and there will always be some slack at the bottom.

The General Purpose (GP) pouch is a very practical pouch with two mesh sleeves on the inner front and a line of elastic webbing on the back of the compartment. The elastic webbing is divided into 12 cm, 4 cm and 8 cm loops to secure items of various sizes.

There are two more lines of MOLLE webbing at the front of the GP pouch, featuring six channels. This allows you to attach either another MOLLE-based accessory or a carbine.

Level of Manufacture

Zentauron’s manufacturing standard is somewhat rougher than that of larger companies such as Tasmanian Tiger, Direct Action and Vanquest. That being said, their products are solidly built and will serve you well.

The materials used are high-quality, military-spec materials, and all the seams are straight with no loose threads. Seam tape is used to finish the corners, and stress points are reinforced with zigzag stitches.

It is also worth mentioning that all items are produced in Germany, so supply chain issues are not a concern.

The Zentauron Sprinter Pack in use

In everyday settings, the Zentauron Sprinter Pack is a highly practical backpack for commuting, short hikes and other everyday uses. For more tactical applications, it can also be used as a hydration or assault pack. The extensive MOLLE webbing allows for plenty of modifications and expansion using MOLLE accessories. In this context, the side pockets and GP pouch are excellent additions to the setup, providing additional organisation and the ability to carry more.

Despite having no frame sheet or substantial padding, the Zentauron Sprinter Pack is comfortable to carry. This is thanks to its decent size and good design. Of course, it should be noted that the pack is designed as a hydration pack for soldiers, who would carry it over their body armour, thus making extra padding unnecessary and bulky. However, they have succeeded in making it comfortable for civilians to carry in everyday settings.

Conclusion

The Zentauron Sprinter Pack is an excellent example of decent gear, manufactured in an EU member state using high quality materials and a no-nonsense approach. The pack and its accessories provide what they are designed for – a solid possibility to carry your essentials without having to worry if your gear will fail you.

Both the Side Pockets as well as the GP Pouch are very useful in extending the capacity of the Sprinter Pack and giving the user more options to carry hydration and other essentials. The use of high quality materials adds to the overall good impression, and Phantomleaf WASP II Z1B doesn’t disappoint as well. Hopefully, there will be some matching Phantomleaf webbing at some point to improve the overall impression, however, if users go with solid colors or other camouflage patterns, this is not an issue anyway (if at all).

With that being said, I want to thank Zentauron once more for making this review possible.

Many thanks for reading!

Take care!