Montane Trailblazer 44L

[gidivet]

Hi Everyone

I would like to "lighten up". (my pack)
My Osprey Kestrel is around 1.5 kg.
I'm looking at the Montane Trailblazer 44L, which is 980g.
It should be good for up to 12 kg, so my base weight of around 8kg plus water sounds ok.
The harness is designed for fast and light type activities but in this size it is marketed as a crossover into hiking as well.
The straps are thin, to my eye similar to the Osprey Talon 44, which many people have used successfully.

Has anyone got this pack, and/or have you used it for long distance hiking like the Camino routes?

Gideon

Trailblazer 44

CONSTRUCTION RAPTOR Cross Lite 70 Denier fabric RAPTOR Resistance 210 Denier base panels CONTACT Air Mesh Plus on harness CONTACT Open Mesh back panel HALO lining FEATURES Customisable, body-hugging COVALENT harness Structured, easily adjustable ZephyrAD back system Pre-curved, lightweight...

www.montane.com

 

[trecile]

Hi Everyone

I would like to "lighten up". (my pack)
My Osprey Kestrel is around 1.5 kg.
I'm looking at the Montane Trailblazer 44L, which is 980g.
It should be good for up to 12 kg, so my base weight of around 8kg plus water sounds ok.
The harness is designed for fast and light type activities but in this size it is marketed as a crossover into hiking as well.
The straps are thin, to my eye similar to the Osprey Talon 44, which many people have used successfully.

Has anyone got this pack, and/or have you used it for long distance hiking like the Camino routes?

Gideon

Trailblazer 44

CONSTRUCTION RAPTOR Cross Lite 70 Denier fabric RAPTOR Resistance 210 Denier base panels CONTACT Air Mesh Plus on harness CONTACT Open Mesh back panel HALO lining FEATURES Customisable, body-hugging COVALENT harness Structured, easily adjustable ZephyrAD back system Pre-curved, lightweight...

www.montane.com

Looks good to me. I like the pockets on the shoulder straps.

 

[Helen1]

I have the Montane Trailblazer 30, used it for the first time on the Corfu trail this summer replacing my 45l Exped lightning. I think the Trailblazer 30 has a different lid to the 44 but otherwise they are similar. Couple of comments:

• It’s nicely made but I am not sure how long the big mesh pocket will last. I can see it going in holes pretty quickly but being useable for a long time
• The space is very useable so the bag seems very spacious
• Liked the top pocket (30l only) and pockets on straps (good for phones)
• I disliked the waist belt, unlike the Exped which has a lovely padded waist belt there’s not too much to the Trailblazer belt. It wasn’t uncomfortable as such but I think it would have been more comfortable if I had been a lot slimmer! You can switch between having it round your waist or round your hips and the 30l would be easy to trail run with.
• I am usually pretty lazy with water, I used to pick up a 1.5l bottle and stick it in the side pocket of the Exped, job done. On the 30l you can’t do this unless the pack is pretty empty, the side pockets are too tight to the bag and not that stretchy. You can put squeezy 500ml water bottles in the chest straps (like a runner would) but you have to buy them. I think you could also put water bottles in the stretchy zippered side pockets but they aren’t easy to get into with the pack on.
• Pack got pretty sweaty against my back, wouldn’t say the mesh system made a lot of difference
• After 2 weeks I had some aches and pains that were pack related. The bottom of the rucksack was kind of in the small of my back (hard to explain) and I am not sure I could have adjusted it enough to avoid this. In hindsight I might have been better with the 44l one as it might have fitted me better with the weight would have been in slightly different place, but the 30l is lovely and compact and was the right size for my things.

 

[gidivet]

I have the Montane Trailblazer 30, used it for the first time on the Corfu trail this summer replacing my 45l Exped lightning. I think the Trailblazer 30 has a different lid to the 44 but otherwise they are similar. Couple of comments:

• It’s nicely made but I am not sure how long the big mesh pocket will last. I can see it going in holes pretty quickly but being useable for a long time
• The space is very useable so the bag seems very spacious
• Liked the top pocket (30l only) and pockets on straps (good for phones)
• I disliked the waist belt, unlike the Exped which has a lovely padded waist belt there’s not too much to the Trailblazer belt. It wasn’t uncomfortable as such but I think it would have been more comfortable if I had been a lot slimmer! You can switch between having it round your waist or round your hips and the 30l would be easy to trail run with.
• I am usually pretty lazy with water, I used to pick up a 1.5l bottle and stick it in the side pocket of the Exped, job done. On the 30l you can’t do this unless the pack is pretty empty, the side pockets are too tight to the bag and not that stretchy. You can put squeezy 500ml water bottles in the chest straps (like a runner would) but you have to buy them. I think you could also put water bottles in the stretchy zippered side pockets but they aren’t easy to get into with the pack on.
• Pack got pretty sweaty against my back, wouldn’t say the mesh system made a lot of difference
• After 2 weeks I had some aches and pains that were pack related. The bottom of the rucksack was kind of in the small of my back (hard to explain) and I am not sure I could have adjusted it enough to avoid this. In hindsight I might have been better with the 44l one as it might have fitted me better with the weight would have been in slightly different place, but the 30l is lovely and compact and was the right size for my things.

Thank you Helen
I pulled the trigger on this pack tonight. I'll test it out with full load around my neighbourhood for the following weeks. I use a hydration bladder plus a small bottle, so should be ok with the smaller side pockets. Everything depends on if I can get comfortable with this pack. I also seriously considered the Osprey Talon 44 and possibly the Osprey Levity 45, but liked the idea of the very adjustable harness on the Montane pack.

 

[Seabeggar]

Used it to carry up to 9 kg. Like it. Few quibbles, like the hydration hose hole letting rain in and the small side mesh pockets. Otherwise very comfortable.

 

[gidivet]

Used it to carry up to 9 kg. Like it. Few quibbles, like the hydration hose hole letting rain in and the small side mesh pockets. Otherwise very comfortable.

Hi Seabeggar
The pack certainly doesn't look waterproof in the least. (Still waiting for mine to arrive). How did you handle rain? Pack cover (which one fits?).
I use the inbuilt cover for my current pack, as well as small dry bags to organise my stuff inside.

 

[Seabeggar]

Hi Seabeggar
The pack certainly doesn't look waterproof in the least. (Still waiting for mine to arrive). How did you handle rain? Pack cover (which one fits?).
I use the inbuilt cover for my current pack, as well as small dry bags to organise my stuff inside.

Yes needs a rain cover as the hydration tube hole gapes and directs rain inside.

 

[gidivet]

Yes needs a rain cover as the hydration tube hole gapes and directs rain inside.

Received my Trailblazer 44 yesterday. I can see the problem with the H2O port. The only way I can think to prevent water coming in is to close the roll top in a forward direction and push it over the back panel, then clip it in place. Then the hole is covered and it appears comfortable that way.
I've spent the last 2 evenings trying to figure out how to get comfortable with the pack, and I think it is going to be ok. The padding is rather thin but it sits on you like a gilet - so contact is achieved in all areas, which I like. The metal frame down the spine might need bending a bit. The only way is going for some walks, which will happen on my next day off - working this weekend.
I do have my pack cover from the Kestrel 38 which should work.

 

[Seabeggar]

Both my Mrs & I have one and find it a pretty comfortable pack for multi day trips. My Mrs added some extra padding to waist strap (shoulder pad straps available on eBay) I don't find I need them.