If your holidays lean more towards couloirs than pool loungers, Gregory's refreshed Alpinisto line deserves a spot on your gear radar. Alpinist's Mountain Standards editor, IFMGA guide Mike Lewis, spent the winter and spring of 2025-26 putting the updated 25-litre ($199.95) and 50-litre ($299.95) versions through their paces on a six-week Canadian ski trip, backcountry laps in Colorado, and cragging days around Rocky Mountain National Park.
The headline feature is versatility without the usual penalty in comfort. Most serious alpine packs use a paper-thin back panel to hug the spine, which means a sweaty, uncomfortable carry. Gregory's AirCushion panel keeps the pack close to your body while staying airy and soft — Lewis loaded the 50L with 41 pounds on a training slog in the Flatirons and found the suspension could comfortably handle more.
The 50L's real trick is modularity. The zippered lid pops off via carabiner-style clips and a metal hook, leaving a drawcord closure protected by a large flap, with cinch straps above or below it for ropes and pads. Side shove-it pockets swallow pickets, wands and ski poles; ice tools attach via bungees, toggles and a pick stow-sleeve; front straps move around the pack to carry skis. The removable hip belt even comes with a gear loop and ice-clipper on one side. Fabric is a PFAS-free C0 DWR 100D recycled ripstop nylon, with tougher 210D on the base, plus a stowable helmet carrier.
Two gripes: the bladder hanging clip plays nicely with Gregory's own reservoirs but fought a CamelBak, and the cover flap's stow pouch lets the flap slide out — Lewis suggests the hollow flap should have been zippered into a usable pouch. His wish-list addition: a lid-and-belt combo that pairs into a summit hip pack, a 1990s idea guides still miss.
The 25L shares the stable carry and adds a padded, zippered bladder pocket that doubles as laptop storage for rest-day cafe stops, plus a stretchy elastic waistbelt you can step into without unbuckling everything. Its trade-off: a stiff back panel that won't roll up small for stuffing inside a bigger pack, and front and side pockets that go unusable when the main compartment is full. Neither pack is the lightest in class, but both should carry heavy loads better than most rivals.
For travelling climbers and ski tourers, the takeaway is simple: the Alpinisto 50 works as a single quiver pack for expeditions, ice climbing, long approaches and overnight tours, while the 25 suits multi-pitch days and doubles as road-trip luggage. Plan on budgeting for a Gregory bladder if you run a hydration system.