Gregory Alpinisto Backpack

 (photo from Gregory.com)

Description:

The Alpinisto is a 50L pack specifically for climbing. It can be stripped down from it's starting weight of 4lbs. 11oz. to 3lbs. and 11oz. by taking off the waistbelt, framesheet, stay, and bivy pad. It also has a hydration sleeve and port, a crampon patch, tool holsters, a contoured top loader to accomodate a helmet while climbing, as well as gear loops on the side of the pack. Gregory also makes a 35L version that is about a pound lighter.

During the period described in this review, I used the pack five to six days per week cragging and guiding and twice per month on longer trips.


Price: * *

At $229 retail, it's the most expensive climbing pack that I've seen in this size range. It does have some features that other climbing packs don't, however. If I would have had to pay retail then I would have probably waited until this pack went on sale or looked around for a different pack. But I was able to get it cheaper through a pro-deal, so I bought it that way instead.

Comfort:* * *

When I first purchased this pack I used it quite a bit for cragging and guiding, neither of which require extensive back country travel. Gregory gives this a comfort rating up to 35lbs. and I agree with this, although if one built a simple survival pack with webbing and tarp then one would find it isn't really uncomfortable with only 35lbs. in it. I used the Alpanisto as a crag pack for a summer, and by the end of the season I decided to do some scrambling on Pikes Peak for a weekend. I was probably carrying around 25lbs., and for the first three miles it wasn't too bad. But after a while I noticed a sore spot developing on my tailbone. The problem was the synthetic patch at the bottom of the back panel. I had to hold the pack away from my back to alleviate the pain the entire weekend as a result of this annoyance.

I must have an odd shaped back because since I've taken the stay and framesheet out I haven't had the same problem. The synthetic patch at the bottom still rubs a little bit, which can cause a little soreness, but it is not as bad as it was that weeked on Pikes Peak.

Durability:* * * *

I beat the crap out of gear, and after owning the pack for a little over a year I finally had to send it to Gregory to fix the zipper that came apart at the seams. I haven't been super impressed with the durability of the pack since I bought it. The first time I filled it and picked it up by the top loader (a bad habit) I popped some stiches, but even though I continued to lift the pack by the top loader the stitches never ripped out completely.

I've dragged this pack up cliffs and dropped it off others in addition to the normal wear and tear of walking around in it. All that sliding and grinding adds up, and it eventually developed a dime-sized hole in the bottom and the top loader. Eventually the seams on the zipper blew out and it would no longer close. That's when I sent it back to be repaired.

Overall I think the pack held up pretty well to my abuse, though. The last pack I owned gave up the ghost with similar treatment in about six months. So despite the fact that I abused it in ways it wasn't meant to be abused, it lasted twice as long before I had to send it back.

Customer Service:* * * *

Customer service at Gregory was very helpful when I finally sent the pack in for repair. I only had to pay to have it shipped and it was promptly shipped back to me with all repairs done free of charge, including the things that were damaged due to my abuse. I was hoping they'd just give me a new pack, but that didn't happen. Despite that, their service was prompt and the work done was quality, so the pack should last another year or so before it requires repair again.

Overall: * * *

This pack has a number of features that I like when climbing such as the hydration sleeve and the contoured top loader that allows me look up while climbing with the pack on. It's better comfort wise as a ruck sack and it has plenty of padding for that purpose. In my opinion, the framesheet and stay are just extra weight that don't really make the pack any better. Overall, it took a beating and Gregory took care of me when it didn't. It's a good pack, but I'm still keeping an eye out for something better.

Best Use:

This works best as a multiday alpine pack in the summer. It's OK for multi-day winter climbs, but it becomes cumbersome when having to strap things on the outside. It's also OK for cragging, but I rarely fill it up with climbing gear, and when deciding whether to bring a pack along or not for day use I usually don't because it's big and cumbersome for free climbing where a smaller pack would suffice.