I’m a bigot. My longstanding prejudices sometime get the better of me, so I owe Gregory an apology. I’ve always thought of Gregory as a “backpacking” brand, rather than a maker of technical packs. After several months climbing and skiing with a Gregory “Alpinisto 35” ($199; 3 lb. 11 oz. stock, 2 lb. 10 oz. stripped), I’ve been proven wrong. The bright-yellow do-it-all pack is versatile, durable, thoughtfully designed, and (another) great choice for a quiver-of-one midsize pack.
I raved about Deuter’s “Guide Lite 32” last week, calling it “near perfect” and only harping on a couple details in its design. My opinion of the Alpinisto ends up in the same place, though the details differ. On the whole, this is a very, very good backpack, with only a couple details I’d change. It also comes in a 50 L version, sized up and the only appreciable difference I can discern from the website is a removable top lid (more on that in a sec).
Walking into Frankenstein Cliff, New Hampshire. Rope, screws, draws, puffy jacket, food, water on the inside. Crampons, tools, helmet on the outside.
The Alpinisto (and its older bro, the 50) come in a bright yellow color, no other choice. The color definitely brightens the interior when searching for little stuff and I didn’t mind the look. Some folks thought it a bit loud, but I appreciated something other than black. It seems a true 35L in terms of volume, and some smart design lets it carry a bit larger, as long as you don’t mind having gear on the outside of your pack.
To wit: a streamlined, innovative crampon pouch on the front folds flat when not in service or pops out to accommodate any set of spikes. My Black Diamond Cyborgs were plenty happy hiding within. Beneath the carrier is a burly TPU/Hypalon-like patch to protect the pack from sharp crampons.
Crampon pouch deployed, holding BD Cyborgs
Crampon pouch folded down. You can route the single-closure webbing (hands-free buckle, nicely crafted) over the crampon pouch or beneath. Seems well made, with tight stitching and fabric ends trimmed over to prevent fraying.
Some folks might like this feature, others might eschew in favor of saving a few ounces. For cragging, I liked it. Handy, secure, and when not in use it folds away and disappears. For longer approaches or climbing on rock, though, I prefer to have something as heavy as a set of steel crampons tucked inside, closer to my body.
The Alpinisto is full of well designed, well executed features like the crampon pouch. The top lid was a “hit” and “miss” for me, offering great storage and easy access, thanks to a full-length zipper, but it’s fixed to the pack body, making it impossible to remove. I love being able to walk into a climb with all my gear, then easily strip a pack to use it for summitting. While the Alpinisto does have a truly functional “occipital cut out,” (it tends not to bump you in the back of the head, even when wearing a helmet), this is only true if the pack’s main body isn’t overstuffed. As soon as you put your helmet inside and push up the top pocket, it cants forward and begins limiting your range of view when looking up. If you’re not overstuffing the pack, the top pocket’s awesome, perfect. I’d still like to have the option, though, of extending the lid for big loads or for removing the lid altogether–to save weight. A niggling detail, but one to consider if you want to use the Alpinisto as an approach pack and summit pack on the same trip.
Full-length, two-way zipper swallows an oversized guidebook and then some. The Deuter and Black Diamond Speed packs position the zippers in such a way, they won’t take a guidebook. I’m not sure why, but it’s an annoyance. Not so on the Gregory. Make the top lid removable and it’s perfect.
The rest of the Alpinisto is strippable, meaning you can remove the bivy pad (I’d just replace with a NeoAir and call it good), the suspension (single aluminum stay and plastic sheet), and the comfortable waist belt (stock with gear loops and slots for ice clippers), saving 1 lb. 1 oz (for a stripped weight of 2 lb. 10 oz.).
The Alpinisto gutted
Other thoughtful details include a tiny wand pocket on one side and a haul loop that’s doubled-over and sewn for durability. Ski slots are durable, old-school webbing, and higher set of ice-ax holders are wide hook-and-loop closures, securing tool shafts well.
From bottom you can see my fingers holding open the ski slot, a pen inserted into the wand pocket, the tool-shaft holder built into the compression strap, as well as the crampon pouch folded away. Overall the Gregory seems a little better in terms of construction/quality when compared to the Deuter, but you’re also paying $50 more.
Foam padding in the waist belt and shoulder straps is dense, minimalist, and comfortable. I think I’m between the “medium” (what I tested” and “large” sizes, as the shoulder strap began to thin a bit soon for my chest. I tried on a large version of the Alpinisto and this didn’t happen. The straps are sculpted and comfortable, as much as any pack I’ve used.
I swear that’s not a man-boob. It’s just my hulking musculature. Anyway–the large Alpinisto’s pack strap drops another inch or two, making it perfectly comfortable. I found the rest of the suspension capable of loads upwards of 30 lbs. and overall really good. Size your Alpinisto carefully and you’ll get a custom fit, no sweat.
I only had two complaints with the Alpinisto, the first being the non-removable top lid and the second being the tool carriers. These are “modern” in the sense they use a short piece of aluminum inserted through the head of the (through the “clip-in” hole). For Black Diamond tools, they work well, bomber, no drama. Problem is, I have a set of C.A.M.P. X-All Mountains and the clip-in hole is more oblong than round. The Alpinisto’s aluminum bar is maybe one millimeter longer than the opening on the tool, meaning it tends to jiggle and pop through after five or ten minutes of walking.
C.A.M.P. on the left, Black Diamond on the right. Bomber with BD, but rattly and insecure with the C.A.M.P.
Thirty seconds of jostling on the couch and I got the holder on the left to back out of the tool. Walking into Frankenstein Cliff (on railroad tracks for about 15 minutes) at least one of the holders tended to do it, too. The upper shaft holders are bomber enough I don’t think you’d lose a tool, but I wouldn’t count on it if you’re bushwhacking or slogging for hours. No sweat if you’re a BD user (didn’t try it with Petzl tools), but an annoyance for C.A.M.P. users.
I used the Alpinisto about 20 days on everything from my ice-instructor course in New Hampshire to a couple day sessions in Rocky Mountain National Park to rock cragging above Boulder. The Alpinisto definitely excels with a heavier load on your back. If you’re willing to spend a few minutes stripping it, then it’s a workable climbing/summit pack, too. I only skied a day with it and it carried well (I used it without the framesheet/stay in it). It’s not designed as a ski-specific pack, but the ski slots give it the option to carry approach skis or get by as a skimo pack if you’re going huge and need the suspension. Nice to have the versatility.
I’d give the Deuter Guide Lite and Gregory Alpinisto grades of A-minus. My only gripes with the Alpinisto were the top lid and tool holders, but beyond that it’s a great option as a quiver-of-one pack. Since having twins our house has gotten painfully small, so I’ve been selling off packs and gear, trying to streamline. I’d love to get down to a summer and a winter pack for most of my skiing and climbing. The Gregory Alpinisto is certainly a worthy candidate for replacing a few packs in my gear closet.
