ProView – Gregory Climbing Pack Kit Review

For someone who considers themself a connoisseur of backpacks, some might say an outright addict, it might come as a surprise that this was my first experience with any product from the pack company Gregory. I have to say that their products live up to the reputation, as I found nothing but great design and top-of-the-line build quality. The Alpinisto packs have been a renowned series for many years, and this latest iteration of them continues to deliver with all the features needed on a pack to get you and your gear comfortably into the alpine.

Fit of the Alpinisto 30

I have had issues in the past with upper size range packs not fitting my torso well, and I would say that for my height, I don’t have an exceptionally proportioned upper body. Thankfully for this review, the size M/L pack I received fit my 6′ frame perfectly. As a thinner guy, albeit with an increasingly growing gut, the hip belt accommodated my size very well. It has two buckles on each side of the belt, which allow you to position and tighten the belt padding to wherever is most comfortable for you. The padding on the hip belt and shoulder straps was great, and the air cushion back panel was way more comfortable and breathable compared to the normal climbing pack back panels I am used to.

Features of the Alpinisto 30

Don’t get me wrong, I love a simple climbing pack that is nothing more than a back panel with a tube attached to it, but sometimes it is nice to have a pack with a few more features to make things easier. The Alpinisto comes with the full suite of alpine pack features, but with the option to strip down and remove nearly all of them easily if needed for the mission. Two straps on each side allow you to compress that pack down if empty or attach things like foam pads, boots, skis, or whatever you can’t fit easily inside the pack.

I will note here that the pack carries skis quite well, even when nearly empty. In addition to the side straps, the pack sports two other straps which are located down the center back, but can be relocated anywhere along the sewn daisy chains that run the length of the back. These are great to carry crampons when you need to take them off quickly between snowy sections.

The pack comes with a helmet carry net that works great on this pack, and any other pack with 4 attachment points. The lid of the pack has an extra strap hidden underneath it to help secure the rope, but I found this unnecessary.

Of all the features this pack includes, my favorite has to be the ice axe carry system. As someone who often has two ice tools or an ice axe on their pack, I get a lot of use out of tool attachment. On the Alpinisto the t-bone aluminum sliders that go through your axe head are great and the bungees higher up that hold the shaft down are very easy to use with gloves on, but the real star is a much more unassuming part. If you have even had to jam two ice tools onto the back of a climbing pack, you may have run into the blade sleeves being too tight, torqued in weird directions by the blades, and cut up by their sharp edges under pressure.

On the Alpinisto, the blades sit easily and securely in the beefy handle-like sewn strap. I weirdly loved this feature, as it made putting my tools back on the pack less of a wrestling match and allowed for easy removal of my ice axe with one hand while the pack was still on my back.

The Final Work on the Alpinisto 30

When it comes to construction, Gregory seems to be on top of their game. The Alpinisto is made of strong 100D nylon material to help it scratch through alpine trees and up rocky chimneys, with the extra strength 210D nylon placed on the bottom of the pack where most of the abuse occurs. The twin side zippered pockets and external access zipper allow for easy organization and access to your gear, and both are well sewn into the pack body to avoid any tears or weak points. The top cinch and additional weather flap help to keep snow from blowing in on a windy day or leaves from piling up on a few nasty bushwhacks. An interior water bladder system worked great with the Hydro 2L bladder that Gregory sent me along with this pack, and the bladder itself seemed bombproof when shoved in a pack full of lumpy metal climbing gear.

Water Bladder and Gear Tote

In addition to testing the new Alpinisto 30 pack, Gregory sent me their Hydro 2L Reservoir and the Alpaca Gear Box 25. The gear tote was awesome to have as car organization is a constant struggle for my buddies and I when the climbing week progresses with clothes and kit strewn around our old rigs. The 4 clasps on the Alpaca tote each serve as hinges, which mean you can open the box lid in either direction or remove it entirely if desired. Compared to some other cheap totes I purchased, the hinge-clasps are much easier to line up for closure and have much stronger joints.

I’ll be perfectly honest about the Hydro 2L water bladder: I am not a huge fan of carrying a water bladder in my pack. As someone who does a lot of cold weather climbing, I have seen many people carrying liters of water back down a mountain, unable to drink it due to a frozen hose. That being said, on a few warmer trips I was able to take this reservoir out and I did really appreciate the instant and continuous access to my water. An easy-to-attach magnet on the shoulder strap keeps the hose from bouncing around and the locking mechanism on the bite valve did not allow a single drop out.

The Final Word

Overall, as my first experience with Gregory, I was more than happy with the products I received. I had often thought of them as more of a bike/hike pack brand, but with its thoughtful design features and excellent build quality the Alpinisto proved to me that Gregory knows its way around the climbing world as well.

The bladder wasn’t for me based on personal preference, but if that’s your thing I would say you couldn’t find any problems with the Hydro 2L. And if you need a quality gear tote to keep your gear organized, visible, and easy to access, the Alpaca Gear Box series are the way to go. For the outdoor enthusiast, Gregory will meet and exceed your packing and storage needs.

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