Gregory's '07 Packs Scoop

We had a sneeky look at what's new for 2007 from Gregory yesterday and we were impressed with what they've done to upgrade some of their existing packs.

The brand is big in the States, but relatively small in the UK despite producing some very neat and effective packs. The good news is that they seem to have taken things to another level for next year and could provide a real alternative at the top end of the pack market.

The lightweight, 55-litre Z-Pack - Z55 - has been extensively re-worked for spring/summer 2007 and we think it looks great - it's Gregory's best seller in the UK and is a part of their 'fast and light' range of lightpacking sacs which, for next year, look to be going head to head with Osprey's impressive Atmos series.

There are a whole host of changes to what was already a good pack. For a start, the entire back system has been revamped and now features a semi-trampolene type cavity 'Jetstream' back system for improved ventilation along with perforated EVA foam straps and hip-belt.

The lumbar pad is Gregory's characteristically chunky item designed to transfer weight efficiently onto the lower back area. Foam density of the straps is increased for better support and the yoke uses the company's cantilever attachment points for better mobility.

The rest of the sack looks great as well with rip-stop nylon body fabric plus tougher reinforcement on more vunerable areas like the base. Plus you get water-resistant zips, a massive, stretch 'bucket pocket' on the back of the sac and lots more besides.

All looking good with some really neat touches and at 1500 grammes for a 55-litre pack and promisinig to carry with classic Gregory efficiency, it looks like a contender. Price will be £125 when it appear in the shops early next year.

To complement the Z55, the company's also introducing a new women's-specific version, the Jade 50, same features, same price but a women's-specific fit with narrower yoke, shorter back, different hip fit etc. That's the Jade on the left, the Z55 on the right below.

There is one major difference. Gregory's research shows that women are more likely to use a water bottle than men, so the Jade features extra bottle-specifc, easy access pockets for rapid access to fluid. Price, again, is £125.

Also coming your way is the Z35, a smaller version of the Z-Pack that should be fantastic for weekend packing, hostelling or trekking between tea houses in the Himalaya.

It uses the same back system as its bigger brother, but looks quite a lot funkier thanks to a roll-top top closure - think dry-bag type system, though Gregory has also thoughtfully included a top pocket for those who can't function without a lid stowage space.

It looks lovely and will cost £110.

Gregory's daypacks haven't really hit the spot over here before, but the new frameless 'Anti-Gravity' range looks pretty good and is extremely light with it.

Biggest in the range is the 35-litre Advent Pro at £100 and a claimed weight of 1200 grammes in medium. It's a feature-packed daysac explosion with the same impressively stable Wraptor stabilsers as the G-Pack we tested on OM. That also allows big , fat hip-belt pockets.

Lots of other neat stuff too. The fabric is called G30 and it's a self-healing siliconised nylon. What that means is you can stick, say a pen, right through the fabric and because it's not conventionally coated, once you remove the pen tip, the fabric's fibres close right up again and normal service is resumed - below for before and after pic.

There's a huge bucket pocket and one feature we really like, a very neat hidden compression system where the compression cord is housed in a channel for a smooth, non-catching side profile. There's a versatile accessory cord system as well, tool holders and more. Looks really neat.

There's also a smaller 20-litre Iso pack using the same principles plus the little Reactor which is a £50 lightweight 11-litre tiddler already available from Cotswold - test to follow soon.