UKC

Marmot Does... Mountain Packs

© Marmot

The mountain pack. Whether you are hiking up to the base of a route, climbing multi-pitch madness in the mountains or stuffing as much kit into one place as possible for the adventure of a lifetime, a good mountain pack/rucksack is a wonderful & crucial thing. How do YOU, define it?

Some of us are into the super minimal; the lightest fabrics, no fuss, barely any features – two straps and a way of stopping everything falling out will suffice.

Some of us prefer an abundance of features; waterproof covers, masses of attachment points, straps, zips, buckles, ventilation system, lid, stuff pouches … and the rest.

Most of us, thankfully, sit somewhere in the middle. When the Marmot product development team are spending hours poring over zip types, fabric choice, back systems etc, you can rest assured that we are creating products that balance somewhere between the two, to ensure that you have everything you need for a memorable day out in the mountains, and nothing you don’t.
 


EIGER 42

Brand new for Spring 2015, the Marmot Eiger 42 is a formidable pack. We wanted it to be lightweight, simple and functional – aiming it at the true enthusiasts amongst us. Tailored specifically to the needs of alpinists and mountaineers we chose a new fabric which is exclusive to us here at Marmot. The 300d Pertex Dyneema was designed to be ridiculously efficient and was chosen due its super durable nature and very light weight. As if this wasn’t enough, we then added areas of reinforcement, because we know how rough it can get, 420d HD nylon is placed on the most commonly abraded areas.

Marmot Eiger 42   © Marmot
Carrying system for Marmot Eiger 36 (same as 42)  © Marmot


So the fabric choice is solid. We know that much. But what of the features?

We included a removable lid to maximise storage space and it also assists the rope strap in pinning down your rope to the top of your pack, but when you need to be as fast and light as possible, you can unclip it, stash it with the rest of your gear and utilise the wide mouth, roll top opening to make sure your gear stays in. We know how important it is to support the spine and the hips when carrying a heavy load and so we created an aluminium ‘stay’ fixed to a polyethylene frame sheet to spread the weight, paired with a comfortable padded waist belt with added gear racking loops. Of course these are both removable, so when you need to strip back the grams, or want a sledge to ride off the mountain*, it’s an easy option. And then finally, when you have stripped all that weight back, left all the unnecessary gear stashed at your bivvy and are going hell for leather to the summit, you’ll be left with a half empty pack and so we included compression straps on the key areas of the pack that are also reinforced for carrying skis.

*if you decide to use the aluminium stay & PE sheet as a sledge and it breaks, then it isn’t covered by our lifetime warranty, similarly, if you do it and end up breaking your leg because you were having too much fun, you aren’t covered by the warranty either. Just saying.

Also available in 36 litre version.
 


Marmot Eiger Summit  © Marmot
EIGER SUMMIT

So, remember we talked about the folks that have to have the most stripped back pack out there. It almost seems to defy the laws of construction because there’s so little on it, right? Well, that’s where the Eiger Summit comes in. Weighing in at a ridiculous 340g, the 18 litre pack uses the same fabric as our Eiger 42 and 32 for maximum durability with minimum weight, 300d Pertex Dyneema. It folds away into its hood for easy storage inside a bigger bag, ready to be deployed on the crucial day.

It is perfect for summit pushes (clue is in the name) or as a super minimalist day pack for the ultra-committed lightweight enthusiast. There is enough space for a spare layer or two, water, a spare pair of gloves and maybe even a packet of malt loaf. There’s an attachment point on the outside for your ice axe (so you can put it away when you are sprinting to the summit like that really fast Swiss bloke and then for your summit selfies).

 


KOMPRESSOR VERVE 42

Not a climbing pack per se, but definitely a solid cragging option, the Kompressor Verve 42 is perfect for long days in the mountains. Designed for lugging a load around the mountains for an extended period of time, the ‘lightweight backpacker’ or even ‘fastpacker’ will have enough space for a well packed bivvy/tent, layers, food, and sleeping bag.  

We included a strong ‘J’ shaped zip that covers the whole length of the pack. It is a really handy feature for getting to gear that is stashed at the bottom of the bag and makes organising your kit much easier because you don’t have to worry as much about the order in which things go in. And then you’ve stuffed the Kompressor Verve 42 with all the gear you need, the load will be carried on a dynamic tubular aluminium suspension system and a padded waist belt to make sure your energy goes into getting you to your final destination and not into trying to battle with your rucksack – we put a huge ventilation panel in there too to encourage airflow between your kit and your clothing helping to solve the problem of the sweaty back.

On top of all this, the pack is kitted out with a hydration port and clip, removable lid, adjustable pole/tool attachments, compression straps and stash pockets.

One of our UK team members was testing the Kompressor 42 as a cragging pack in Vietnam before we launched it. Fully committed to the test, they even tried it out as a back protector* in a motorcycle accident. Almost 40mph across tarmac and gravel and a few tumbles too, there wasn’t a scuff on it – our team member, however, wasn’t quite as durable. In other words, the fabric is flipping durable.

* Please don’t try this at home or anywhere else for that matter, this bag is blummin’ strong, but it is not PPE. Be safe folks.

Also available in 28, 36, 38 (wms only) and 52 litre versions.

 


LONG HAULER DUFFLE XL

Ok, you caught us, this isn’t technically a mountain pack – well, not in the sense that you’d be carrying it around trails and crags for days on end.

We had to include the Long Hauler Duffle in this article because when it comes to getting all your gear in one place, whether it’s in the hold of a plane, the boot of the car or even on the back of the donkey – the Long Hauler Duffle is our go-to piece. Oversized storage with a capacity of 110 litres is big enough to stuff pretty much everything you will need into it for your expedition or month long dream trip around Europe.

There are handles on all four sides of the bag to make it super easy to grab off the luggage belt and there are loads of reinforced attachment points to make sure it is totally fixed to the roof rack of the dodgy ‘minibus’ that you need to catch.

We use a really cool, quick release buckle on the carry handles which also double as padded shoulder straps, removing them is almost effortless making it super easy to store them for travel too. The buckles is mega durable and it’s incredibly easy to reattach the straps when you need to go between your plane, train, ferry and car. The Long Hauler Duffle is the ultimate travel companion, we absolutely love it, and by now, we think you get the jist.

And if all that wasn't enough ... we do it in five different colours to make sure it stands out in a crowd.

Also available in S, M & L versions.

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For our full specifications of all of the packs listed above, and for our complete range of packs, including hydration packs, running vests, urban backpacks and snowsports collection visit www.marmot.eu

Keep an eye out for more of the “Marmot Does …” series to learn more about the huge range of Marmot products that are out there for us all to enjoy ... next up we are bringing out the big guns, expedition clothing.


For more information Marmot



16 Mar, 2015
This seems to be missing info? The Eiger Summit, how many litres and what's the weight, I'm not sure what _g means......
16 Mar, 2015
Indeed, and also that was the worst example of that horrible 'matey/faux comedy' advertising genre speak I've seen for ages. Sack the advert writer.
19 Mar, 2015
Well spotted - thanks for pointing that out. It would seem that we uploaded a version without those details added (We will change it asap). FYI Eiger Summit weighs around 340g and is an 18litre pack. All the best, Marmot UK
19 Mar, 2015
By 'that really fast Swiss bloke' you will want everyone to think 'Ueli Steck', but by not mentioning his name presumably he doesn't get any money. Does that seem right to you?
19 Mar, 2015
Hi Andy, Thanks for the message. That certainly wasn't our intention. The reason we didn't name drop Ueli Steck was because we thought "...that really fast Swiss bloke" was more fitting with the tone of the article. Hope that clears it up for you. Thanks again, Marmot UK
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