Now that winter season is rapidly approaching, I think its time to talk about some backpacks that were made for snow and ice.
Grivel came out with a slick new line of alpine rucksacks this year, the Lightest Series. Not only do these packs contrast perfectly with the white snow and blue ice, they are also lighter than their sister packs and made with a light eco fabric from 100% recycled PET bottles and fiber products.
Already this year, we’ve seen a ton of people using these packs on their adventures. In fact,
Alpine Mentors uses these packs for everything, like the climbs they did in
Canada and Switzerland.
The Grivel Lightest Series consists of four backpacks that differ in volume and some features: Tofane (45 liter), Lavaredo (35 liter), Brenta (30 liter), and Marmolada (28 liter).
I got to personally do a side-by-side comparison of these packs to see how they are similar and different. The first thing you’ll notice when looking at all four of these packs is that the Tofane and Lavaredo have front crampon pockets. The cool thing about the crampon pocket on the Tofane is that it can be stashed away when not in use. The Marmolada is the only one that has a zippered panel opening instead of being a top loader equipped with a drawstring drift collar and a double-pocketed lid.
The Brenta uses zig-zag compression straps that minimalizes the bulk on the sides of the pack while also making it quicker to compress or decompress the pack. All four packs do a wonderful job at securely holding ice axes and poles, however the Tofane, Lavaredo, and Marmolada are the only ones that have the straps needed to carry skis. The Tofane, Lavaredo, and Brenta feature Grivel’s Air Tech suspension system and the Marmolada uses a flexible padded back panel.
These packs are a great compliment to Grivel’s trusted line of ice climbing and mountaineering hardware. Let’s stop trying to strap our ice axes and crampons onto our old trekking packs and let’s start using a specialized backpack that will efficiently hold the gear it was made to carry.
More about each pack:
Grivel Tofane 45
The Grivel Tofane 45 appeals to both the professional mountaineers and weekend warriors. This pack is ideal for climbing pursuits that entail rock, snow, and ice. Carrying ice axes, crampons, a hydration bladder, water bottles, and even skis with this pack is a breeze with their respective built-in components. The Tofane’s crampon pouch was appropriately designed so that it can be stashed away when not in use. The sturdy Air Tech back panel makes this pack not only light but also highly breathable as it creates a tunnel for air to pass between the back and pack. In colder temps or for more flexibility, the back panel’s support rod can be removed to collapse the air tunnel and provide additional range of motion. The packs breathability continues with the padded and extremely vented shoulder straps and hip-belt. The Tofane is a top loading pack equipped with a drawstring drift collar and a double-pocketed lid. The Grivel Tofane is made of lightweight Eco Fabric from 100% recycled materials, i.e., PET bottles and fiber products.
- Weight: 1340 grams/47.3 oz
- Volume: 45 Liters/2750 cu in
- Material: Light ECOFABRIC
- Suspension System: Ventilated Air Tech
- Hipbelt: Wrapping aired hipbelt with 1x gear loop and 1x zipped pocket
- Shoulder Straps: Soft edge straps with sternum strap
- Accessories: Stretch side pockets, front crampon pocket, 2x ice axe loops, ski protection in hypalon underneath the side compression straps with stops for the skis, retractable elastic pole carrier, side compression straps to reduce the volume, dedicated interior pocket for the hydration system
- Area of Use: Summer and winter alpine
- MSPR: $199.95 Dealer Site | Retail Site
Grivel Lavaredo 35
The Grivel Lavaredo 35 was built to provide comfort and convenience in the mountains. This pack is ideal for climbing pursuits that entail rock, snow, and ice. Not only is the Lavaredo a top loading pack equipped with a drawstring drift collar and a double-pocketed lid, but it also has a U shaped zipper on the front that provides instant access to the contents at the bottom of the pack. Carrying ice axes, crampons, a hydration bladder, water bottles, and skis with this pack is a breeze with their respective built-in components. The sturdy Air Tech back panel makes this pack not only light but also highly breathable as it creates a tunnel for air to pass between the back and pack. In colder temps or for moreflexibility, the back panel’s support rod can be removed to collapse the air tunnel and provide additional range of motion. The packs breathability continues with the padded and extremely vented shoulder straps and hip-belt. The Grivel Lavaredo is made of lightweight Eco Fabric from 100% recycled materials, i.e., PET bottles and fiber products.
- Weight: 1260 grams 44.4 oz
- Volume: 35 Liters 2135 cu in
- Material: Light ECOFABRIC
- Suspension System: Ventilated Air Tech
- Hipbelt: Wrapping aired hipbelt with 1x gear loop and 1x zipped pocket
- Accessories: Stretch side pockets, Front crampon pocket, 2x ice axe loops, ski protection in hypalon underneath the side compression straps with stops for the skis, retractable elastic pole carrier, top compression straps to reduce the volume, dedicated interior pocket for the hydration system
- Area of use: Summer and winter alpine
- MSRP: $169.95 Dealer Site | Retail Site
Grivel Brenta 30
The Grivel Brenta 30 does all the work when it comes to managing all the gear so that the climber can focus solely on summiting the peak. The sturdy Air Tech back panel makes this pack not only light but also highly breathable as it creates a tunnel for air to pass between the back and pack. In colder temps or for more flexibility, the back panel’s support rod can be removed to collapse the air tunnel and provide additional range of motion. The packs breathability continues with the padded and extremely vented shoulder straps and hip-belt. The Brenta is a top loading pack equipped with a drawstring drift collar and a double-pocketed lid. The unique zig-zag compression straps along the sides of the pack truly shrinks the entire bag down to nothing. Carrying a hydration bladder, water bottles, and ice axes with this pack is a breeze with their respective built-in components. The Grivel Brenta is made of lightweight Eco Fabric from 100% recycled materials, i.e., PET bottles and fiber products.
- Weight: 1130 grams/39.9 oz
- Volume: 30 Liters/1830 cu in
- Material: Light ECOFABRIC
- Suspension System: Ventilated Air Tech
- Hipbelt: Wrapping aired hipbelt with 1x gear loop and 1x zipped pocket
- Accessories: Stretch side pockets, 2x ice axe loops, retractable elastic pole carrier, top compression straps to reduce the volume, dedicated interior pocket for the hydration system
- Area of use: Summer and winter alpine
- MSRP: $169.95 Dealer Site | Retail Site
Grivel Mormolada 28
The Grivel Marmolada 28 gives climbers of all types the needed features to climb light while carrying gear on the wall. The Marmolada is constructed with a flexible padded back panel and a pack shape that tapers at the bottom that promotes unobstructed range of motion and keeps the bulk away from the waist. Carrying a hydration bladder, water bottles, and ice axes with this pack is a breeze with their respective built-in components. The main zippered compartment is accompanied by two other zippered pockets at the front and on the top of the pack to keep things within reach without taking off the pack. Front and side compression straps not only keep the gear from sloshing around inside, but they help to externally secure ropes and other gear to the pack. The Marmolada’s hip-belt features a zippered pouch and gear loop. The Grivel Marmolada is made of lightweight Eco Fabric from 100% recycled materials, i.e., PET bottles and fiber products.
- Weight: 890 grams/31 oz
- Volume: 28 Liters/1708 cu in
- Material: Light ECOFABRIC
- Suspension System: Formed cushion
- Hipbelt: Wrapping aired hipbelt with 1x gear loop and 1x zipped pocket
- Accessories: stretch side pockets, front mesh pocket for the helmet, carrier for ice axes, ski protection in hypalon underneath the side compression straps with stops for the skis, retractable elastic pole carrier, top compression straps to reduce the volume, dedicated interior pocket for the hydration system
- Area of use: Rock climbing and summer and winter alpine
- MSRP: $109.95 Dealer Site | Retail Site
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