Gregory Packs are well known in the States but have a lower profile over here. We check out the impressive new for 2006 Pingora backpacking sac.
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Gregory Pingora Pack - First
Look
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Price:
£150.00
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Weight: 2495 grammes
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Features 54-litre
pack with new Response suspension technology, cross-over
compression system, front bucket pouch, compression
stiffening system, snow-lock double closure, 3D pre-cruved
waist belt and harness, single 7075-T6 stay, Auto Cant
Harness system, waterproof tarpaulin bottom, 630D / 210 D
high tenacity Nylon body fabric, hydration sleeve with dual
ports, side stretch pockets. Dual ice axe / pole
attachments.
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Nicely made, great
carry, classic US build quality.
A little on the heavy
side, waist belt way too long.
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What's It For? Gregory Packs are massive in the States where
they're one of the market leaders, but less well known over here,
which is a shame. Their new for 2006 Pingora is a classy backpacking
sac which uses some neat back system features to promise a pack
'ideal for those seeking a basic pack with sold suspension'.
We'd take the 'basic' bit with a pinch of salt though, the Pingora
may be basic in the US market but over here's it's anything but and
the back system is designed to be both automatically adjusting and
offer enough movement for increased comfort and mobility. Think
Berghaus Bioflex or the new MHW packs, but a little more muted.
The Techy Bits There's a lot going on with the Pingora, much
of it in the back system which has a pivotting hip-belt and the
Auto-Cant harness system both of which adjust to the angles of your
body. Harnesses and waist belt use pre-curved, dual density foam and
there are a selection of frame, shoulder and waistbelt sizes to
choose from.
The rest of the pack is conventional in US terms but fully
features with a full-on compression system, hydration facility,
waterproof base, stretch pockets et al.
How It Works We have to confess to a certain amount of guilt
over the Pingora. It's been sitting in the office looking at us
beseechingly for ages, but with no backpacking on the agenda, it's
been a bit of a wallflower. Eventually though, we stuffed it full of
heavy things and simply took it for a walk.
Empty it's heavier than you might think with a weight of around
2.5 kilos, but the pay-off is a solid sturdy feel that inspires
confidence. The same holds true of the chunky hip-belt and shoulder
straps, which are fatter than we've come to expect, but felt
supremely supportive and comfortable.
Gregory says that the pack adjusts automatically to fit body
shapes and angles and to be honest, after making basic fit
adjustments the whole caboodle just seemed to sit comfortably in a
no-nonsense, put on and forget way. Both the hip and shoulder
attachments pivot and are claimed to 'mirror your body's
movements'.
It's all vastly better and easier to use than the over-complicated
MHW pack we tried a few months back and the bottom line is that we
walked all day with a medium heavy load - the pack is comfort rated
for 20 kilos by the way - and simply didn't notice it.
That's a real compliment to Gregory's design. It didn't feel
restrictive, nor did it feel weird or loose, just comfortable,
stable, supportive and, well, right really.
That's down to the back system, or 'suspension' as the Americans
tend to term it, but we have no complaints about the rest of the pack
either. The detailing's great with a simple but effective compression
system, three large elasticated stuff pockets for sundry storage and
a neat lid pocket with curved, water-resistant zip offering easy
access. No inside lid pocket though.
Overall, we found the Pingora hard to fault in a seamless fit and
forget sort of way.
The Pingora isn't exaclty a lightweight at 2.5 kilos odd, but
it's a fantastic carry and works in a solid, unobtrusive way making
it a great backpacking companion. You don't really notice the
pivotting, self-adjusting bobbinses in use, but they seem to work and
we never felt restricted in a way that's possible with some
backpacks.
Faults? The waistbelt is too long and needs trimming, which is no
great problem, and ideally we'd shed a little weight. On the other
hand, the thick foam and build quality help make this a quality pack
that's up there with brands like Osprey, plus the availability of
different back system components should means you can tailor it to an
optimum fit.
Yes, it's expensive, but it's a top notch bit of kit that we'd
recommend to anyone looking for a good backpacking sac. Gregory is
available in the UK through ESCX Outdoor, e-mail: info@esc-outdoor.com
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