For 2012, Gregory has improved upon the classic Alpinisto mountaineering pack, revamping the suspension, materials, and overall feature set. First released back in the 1980’s, the Alpinisto has become a favorite amongst climbers ever since.
Gregory updated the Alpinisto with their new Fusion Flex suspension system, allowing you to comfortably carry loads of up to 35 pounds without adding a ton of bulk or weight. A full side zipper, on the body of the pack, lets you get at your belay jacket that is most likely stuffed down at the bottom.
New to the Alpinisto, Gregory added a stowable crampon pocket on the front of the pack, a great feature that is sadly lacking on many ice climbing or alpine packs. The crampon pocket is constructed out of a durable TPU fabric, so you won’t have to worry about any errant crampon points tearing your pack.
Taking a cue from Lowe Alpine, Gregory added head locker ice tool attachments that simply loop through your tool heads, securing them in place. The picks are covered beneath the crampon pocket to keep from snagging your apparel or other gear. Instead of shoving the tool handles under your compression straps, separate velcro closures secure your tools in place, allowing you to unsnap the compression straps without fear of losing a tool.
If you are headed to Denali or Antartica, the Alpinisto waist belt features integrated sled-pull attachment points to create a stable pulling platform for your heavily loaded sled. This integrated system saves you from wearing a separate harness or girth hitching your mountaineering pack with webbing.
A small bivy pad is hidden in the back panel for use during an emergency or to sit on while you are having a quick snack and a rest. For the fast and light set, you can remove the waist belt padding, frame sheet, back stay, and bivy pad to shave 35% off the pack weight. On the 50L pack, the lid is also removable to make it even lighter (2 lb 2 oz) than the fully stripped 35L version (2 lb 4 oz).
The Gregory Alpinisto will come in a 35L ($199) and 50L ($229) size, available for Fall 2012.