Pack recommendation

I am looking for a pack in the 45-55 liter range. Mostly going to be using this for alpine routes, ice and snow. Needs to have a good ski carry. I am looking at the Gregory Alpinisto 50, the Mountain Hardwear Direttissma 46, and the Osprey Variant 52. I was wondering if anyone has used these, have good or bad things to say about them.

I was excited about the Gregory, however, I noticed on their website they quote the comfort carry load is 35 lbs. Seems pretty low to me for a 50 liter pack, especially if I have skis strapped to it. Anyone use one, loaded it beyond 35 lbs and had good/bad experiences?

Thanks

yo paul,

i'm currently testing the alpinisto 35...and i love the way it carries. my biggest complaint is the lack of a floating lid--but i think the 50 has one, so no worries. i'm surprised they say 35 lbs..i've carried that much in the 35 and felt it carries well. i bet the 50's even better. i had a mtn hardwear diretissima and it carried exceptionally well, though it was more than a pound heavier than the gregory. i've also been testing the Deuter Guide Lite 32--it's 2 lbs 10oz, has a floating lid (extends to probably closer to 42L), and is a nice pack. it doesn't carry as well as the Gregory, but it's far lighter...kind of a trade off.

the Gregory carries skis well in a-frame. i'm sure you could rig a diag carry, too. i'm really liking it--it strips down (framesheet, bivy mat, waist belt all come off) pretty well, carries great, seems durable so far, though i only have 5-6 days in it.

anyway, hope that helps. my fave packs right now are the Deuter Guide Lite 32 and the Gregory Alpinisto. CiloGear's "30-30 Guide Service" looks cool, too, but it doesn't have a dedicated ski carry....though you could rig one pretty easily. they also have a ski pack coming out, but i haven't seen it.

good luck! rob

The Alpinisto is a great pack and i really love the Direttissma, but i am loving the Black Diamond Mission 50 right now. I loved the old BD Predator and the Mission is a great improvement. I highly recommend it and the Alpinisto the most because of the external crampon pouch. I wish BD still did the helmet trap on top of the floating lid though! Oh well.

bv
www.whiteknuckled.com

I picked up a FA alchemist 45/55 in the spring during a big sale and it's been the titties so far. It's a solid pack with a lot of features for pretty cheap. If you're willing to spend the cash, my brother got the nozone 55 from arcteryx....i'm pretty jealous of that thing.

I used the new Alpinisto 50 in the Himalayas this fall. Carried big loads to high camp and it was perfect and climbed technical terrain. I would pull the trigger and get one. You won't be disappointed.

Thanks everyone for the opinions, I am looking at the exact same packs. Hard time deciding between them.

Anything new on how the BD Mission's are holding up? I recall issues with stitching durability.

Have you thought about Cilo Gear. Graham makes really great packs. I have a 40 liter that I love and use almost every day. I have a NWD that is brand new that I want to sell off because I just don't have a need for another pack...

buy the Direttissma...you wont be disappointed at all.

I'm also still searching for a 50-55 liter pack. I had all but settled on the Cold Cold World Chernobyl, but I couldn't get over the lack of frame since long Sierra approaches will be one of the main uses. I also haven't heard enough about the Alpinisto 50 or the Nozone 55 to convince me. The BD Speed 55 is also in this category, but their gimicky suspensions always scare me...

Avery-

I own a Chernobyl. It is a great pack. You can really stretch it out with the top lid and ice-bib and turn it into a decent 3-4 day-ish pack, and it compresses down to a good pack to climb with too. I have done many long approaches and overnights with it and haven't had issues with it lacking a frame. I feel it carries weight as well as any internal frame pack I've ever worn. Very durable. Did I mention it is built to last? :D

coop wrote:Anything new on how the BD Mission's are holding up? I recall issues with stitching durability.

I have the smaller Gregory Alpinisto. Not at all psyched on it. Brought it to Patagonia. Using my partner's spare pack (Cilo) instead. The Cilo is so far superior, in my opinion, that there isn't even a comparison to be made between the two. The Cilo is much lighter, carries way better. I don't even plan to bring the Alpinisto back home after this trip. That said, it might work much better for others...