For the 2018 season, Gregory gets set to release two new ultralight packs — the Optic for men and Octal for women. Weighing in at just over a kilo, these trekking packs will help you shave some grams on your next long hike but it won’t sacrifice on comfort.
The Optic and Octal feature Gregory’s AeroSpan suspension system — the ultralight version of the VaporSpan suspension system. It gives you 360-degree moisture wicking ventilation with tensioned perimeter frame load management thanks to the ultralight aluminum frame. Both the hipbelt and shoulder harness use body-mapping to eliminate any hotspots without over padding the whole thing.
The packs are made from a 100-denier high tenacity nylon with 210-denier at the base for extra durability. The lid is removable if you want to shave even more weight off your setup — the packs come with an ultralight weather cover which can be used instead. Further features include a large stretch mesh pocket on the front of the pack, an easy-access side bottle holster, integrated raincover (also removable), quickstow for your sunglasses (super cool idea), and internal hydration sleeve and port.
The men’s Optic comes in two capacities — 48L and 58L. The women’s Octal comes in 45L and 55L capacities. All four packs come in three different back lengths so you can be sure to get the proper fit. The stripped weights of the ultralight packs are just 1.08/1.01 kg for the 48-litre and 45-litre versions and 1.1/1.02 kg for the 58-litre and 55-litre versions.
Expect the Gregory Optic and Octal packs to retail for an affordable $190-$210 and start shipping next spring.