UKC

Marmot Centaur 38 Pack

© Toby Archer
The Marmot Centaur 38 is modern-looking but, in other ways, a rather old-fashioned pack. For both these reasons I rather like it. It sometimes feels like British outdoor shops want us all to look like ninjas in the mountains, taking only the black option from the various colours made available by manufacturers in their ranges. But the Centaur I tested is a semi-luminous lime green colour, very early 90s (rave on!) and you are unlikely to be missed wearing it. It is also available in a an equally cheery orange, and a far more sensible grey for the, well, greyer types.

Ice climbing in Abisko Canyon, Arctic Sweden  © Toby Archer
Ice climbing in Abisko Canyon, Arctic Sweden
© Toby Archer

The Centaur 38 ready to climb  © Toby Archer
The Centaur 38 ready to climb
© Toby Archer
But the actual design is far more conservative, although not in a bad way. The Centaur is a single compartment pack with a lid done up by a single buckle, two compressions straps on each side, and not much else. As a result the pack is simple, uncluttered, streamlined and light. Nothing fancy, but just a well-proven design.

The pack is designed from the ground up for climbers. One of the design features that I haven't seen before is that rather than sewing the shoulder straps directly into the body of the pack, Marmot have connected them with some of that indestructible rubbery, vinyl material used on duffle bags and whitewater rafts. Not only does this probably save a few grams of weight of unnecessary padding, it actually means the whole shoulder straps moves more with your body. This is the sort of thing you hardly notice when just walking, but once you have your arms in the air hanging onto your ice tools, excessive thickness at the top of the shoulder straps can become a real pain.

I recently sold on a Lowe pack that I had had for more than a decade. The pack was made out of some indestructible Cordura-type material and lasted superbly, but after a few attempts Scottish winter climbing with it when new, it had been relegated to traveling and lugging-stuff-to-the-crag duties. Its shoulder straps were too wide to climb comfortably with. Marmot's design with the Centaur 38 completely avoids this problem. In fact, the Centaur is one of the better packs of its size I have used to climb with both in terms of shoulder mobility and stability: it worked well for XC-skiing also, which, like climbing, needs good balance. UKC editor Jack Gellard recently used his Centaur for an ascent of the Eigerwand with full bivvy kit, and for routes needing one or two bivvies, the Centaur would be a real contender.

"...The pack is designed from the ground up for climbers..."

Back padding  © Toby Archer
Back padding
© Toby Archer
Marmot Centaur 38  © Toby Archer
Marmot Centaur 38
© Toby Archer
The back system is minimal but comfy and for me the right balance between support and light weight. There is no metal involved, but a removable plastic sheet provides quite a lot of stiffness. I generally find that many packs include more stiffening and hence weight than I need, but the Centaur hits the sweet spot. It carried the weight of a full rack, tools, rope and food, drink and clothes for a big day of ice climbing in Arctic Norway well, but is still light and unobtrusive when the bag is empty. The waist belt has some padding and definitely helps spread heavy loads. It has karabiner holders on one side and a gear loop on the other, if you need to climb with hip belt done up. I always avoid this if at all possible so never used them, but the hip belt is also designed to tuck away in the lumbar padding. This is neat but does make a noticeable bump there. I was just as happy with the old school method of keeping the hip belt out of way around the body of the pack.

The pack has a number of tiny, but very nice features – the ends of webbing straps have bits of rubber on them to make them easier to grip when tightening. The chest strap is the integrated whistle design, just in case you forget your Perry. One of my favourite features is that all the compression straps are done up with clip buckles meaning clipping things to the side is a breeze. With certain types of ski bindings and with snow shoes, this is an improvement from the more tradition design of just the upper compression straps having clip buckles. There is an inside little zip pocket, perfect for wallet and keys. This is great as the lid compartment has a three quarter zip on it meaning it opens wide for access, but you need be careful that valuables don't fall out. The pack has Velcro ice axe holders that work perfectly in all conditions, despite the ardent disbelief of some of UKC's otherwise sensible and experienced commentators!

Marmot Centaur 38   © Marmot
Features:

  • Back Panel: Molded foam with stretch woven Nylon. Molded channels increase breathability.
  • Loader Lifter Straps: featuring Silicon gripper for easy pull.
  • Waist Belt: Contoured/ergonomically designed waist belt. Minimal padding to help keep your pack close to body. Also includes a tuck away system allowing the waist belt to be tucked away whilst climbing.
  • Dual Density Foam: The outer foam is dense to provide structure and prevent the belt from rolling under load. Softer closed cell inner foam creates a far more comfortable fit.
  • Waist Belt Stabilizer: Pulls the bottom of pack up and into the waist belt. This helps bring the center of gravity and weight closer to the body.
  • Tool Loops/ Carabiner Holder: Located on the waist belt to hold additional climbing equipment or ice axes during awkward moves.
  • Dual Velcro Ice Tool Loops: Hypalon reinforced and silicon grippers at the end of the strap.
  • Haul Loops: Bonded, Hypalon reinforced.
  • Haul Clip Points: located at the front and top of the hood.
  • Compression Straps: reversed for full body compression
  • Top Compression Strap: Rope Strap under hood.
  • Weight: Medium: (38 Litres) 1276g Large: 1332g (41 Litres)
  • Colours: Dark Coal/Black, Russet Orange/Dark Coal, Vermouth/Dark Coal

The only concerns I have about the Centaur is the strength of the chosen material and the layout of the lifter straps. As more and more climbers become conscious of getting lighter equipment, companies look to thinner material for making products and whilst most are still strong, they can't be as strong as thicker, heavier fabrics. After a few months of use my Centaur has a some scuffs and scrapes on it, one or two of which could almost be counted as holes.

This doesn't mean the pack is about to fall apart – indeed I have a twenty year old Berghaus pack made out of similar material which has numerous small holes and scrapes in it, but these have never enlarged – but it's kind of annoying on new pack. It may well have been strapping my snowshoes to the pack that is to blame, but then that's the type of thing that the Centaur is designed for. I also managed to clumsily half break one of the side-strap Fastex buckles. The non-broken half still holds it closed, but these are again a lighter design suggesting a bit more fragility.

Secondly, the lifter strap buckles tend to sit under the floating lid in an odd way making them a bit fiddly to adjust whilst on the go. I don't actually use them much with moderate loads that this type of pack will carry, but it seems a point where the design doesn't quite work.

Summary

Overall, the Centaur is a good, light all-round mountaineering pack. Just the sort of thing for Chamonix in July, the 'Gorms in December, Cogne in January and the Ben in March. Due to the lighter weight body material it might not be the best for week in, week out for cragging use where it gets dragged around at the bottom of cliffs; the Centaur's natural home is in the mountains. The Centaur 38 retails for a little more than £100, by no means cheap but very much in the same ball park, and even a little less, than many similar packs from Marmot's competitors.



Marmot Genesis softshell jacket: Toby ice climbing in North Wales  © Toby Archer

About Toby Archer

Toby Archer is based in Finland.

He describes himself as an "international politics think-tanker, perennial PhD student, hopeless but enthusiastic climber, part-time gear reviewer, often angry cyclist, idealist, cynic."

Climbing keeps him from getting too depressed about politics. He blogs about both at:

Light from the North - chilled thoughts from the top of Europe.


For more information Marmot



8 Aug, 2011
Good review. I have the Zelus 25 - this pack's smaller brother - and really like it. However, I too broke one of the compression strap buckles. Again, one side holds, but it did break easily. I phoned Marmot and they said they would replace the entire pack no hassle, but I'm loathe to send it in since I use it so much! One feature you missed is the rope carrying system, which I assume is the same on the Centaur as the Zelus. At first I didn't think there was one, but they claim there is. Indeed there is one - it's just unusual. If you unclip all 4 compression straps and bring the long ends together you will see they have opposite buckles on. Therefore you can clip them together and cinch a rope vertically down the front of the pack beneath them. It's a little floppy on the 25l but may be better on the 38l pack. Not the world's best rope-carrying system, but it adds no extra weight at all, really. Then again it seems the Centaur also has a rope strap under the lid, which the Zelus lacks due to the zipper opening...
8 Aug, 2011
Thanks! Just checked - yes you can do that with the Centaur 38 as well - interesting. There was no mention of it in the features list but I guess it could hold a rope or would also hold something bulky like a snowboard. On a pack the size of the 38 I think I would probably put a rope under the lid if I couldn't fit it inside though, and there is a strap there. But still useful to know, thanks again.
8 Aug, 2011
You must have worn this pack out by now...
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