--- title: "Tested: Montane Trailblazer 30 backpack" description: "Take a look at our testing of the ultralight Montane Trailblazer 30 backpack, which also comes in other volumes. The backpack appeals with a reasonable price and plenty of clever details." canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/tested-montane-trailblazer-30" last_updated: "2020-01-06" --- # Tested: Montane Trailblazer 30 backpack Authors: David Czempka Date: 2020-01-06 Take a look at our testing of the ultralight Montane Trailblazer 30 backpack, which also comes in other volumes. The backpack appeals with a reasonable price and plenty of clever details. At the beginning of last year Montane introduced the new Trailblazer range of backpacks, which fits their #furtherfaster style far more closely. The packs target people who like to move through the terrain at a brisker pace and need everything nicely to hand at all times. That naturally caught our attention right away. The packs launched in three versions at once, in 44, 30 and 18 liter sizes, and they come with a whole range of clever features. Thanks to a price several times lower than other packs, they'll also appeal to a wider audience. The question is, does that mean we're in for some compromises? [Montane Trailblazer 32 (2024)](/p/montane-trailblazer-32.md) ## **The 30-liter version** At first glance it looks like a hybrid between an ultralight backpack (the kangaroo pocket on the back) and a running vest (the pockets on the shoulder straps). With its 30-liter volume, the pack was tempting me mainly for weekend crossings. What was the reality, and how did it prove itself out in the terrain? - [Montane Trailblazer 44 (2024)](/p/montane-trailblazer-44-2024.md) - [Montane Trailblazer 32 (2024)](/p/montane-trailblazer-32.md) - [Montane Women's Trailblazer 30 (2024)](/p/montane-womens-trailblazer-30-2024.md) - [Montane Trailblazer LT 28](/p/montane-trailblazer-lt-28.md) - [Montane Trailblazer 25 (2024)](/p/montane-trailblazer-25-2024.md) - [Montane Women's Trailblazer 24 (2024)](/p/montane-womens-trailblazer-24-2024.md) - [Montane Trailblazer LT 20](/p/montane-trailblazer-lt-20.md) - [Montane Trailblazer 18 (2024)](/p/montane-trailblazer-18-2024.md) - [Montane Women's Trailblazer 16 (2024)](/p/montane-womens-trailblazer-16-2024.md) - [Montane Trailblazer 8 (2024)](/p/montane-trailblazer-8-2024.md) ## Weight vs. volume I weighed the pack at roughly 830 grams, which is quite a lot for a 30-liter volume. That's mainly the price you pay for the adjustable back system, cheaper (heavier) materials and a whole range of clever features. So this definitely isn't a pack you could label ultralight. The higher weight doesn't 'hurt' that much here, though, because even a completely full pack will come in at 5–8 kg, which is still a very comfortable weight. ## Comfort The adjustable back system lets you slide the shoulder straps up and down, so you can adapt the pack to your own back length. That makes choosing a pack considerably easier, and you can really feel it in the comfort. The pack has no internal metal frame, only a back panel that keeps the contents from digging into your back. Well-padded wide shoulder straps and the hip belt wrap around you nicely, and everything sits great when you move. Using the load-lifter straps you can pull the load closer to or further from your body's center of gravity as needed. The pack really carries well, and the maker definitely deserves credit for that. If you attach everything properly and stop small items from rattling annoyingly, it'll be comfortable for jogging too. ## Clever features Probably the thing that pleased me most was the **kangaroo pocket on the back**, which easily swallowed a warmer down jacket or a waterproof jacket along with smaller items. Its material is **stretchy and at the same time durable enough** not to bag out straight away and to take some abuse. All the other outside pockets on the pack are made from the same material. **The lid of the pack** can't be adjusted or detached in any way; on the back side it's permanently attached to the pack, and you close the pack by clipping the buckles on the sides. On the outside of the lid there's a **stretch pocket** that's **roomy enough** to hold all the little things you normally carry (headlamp, spoon, first aid kit, toothbrush, …). **You'll find the second lid pocket on its inner side**; that one is handy for things you won't use so often but still have to carry (house and car keys, documents…). Before you get into the pack, you still have to get past the **protective liner**. The opening system is fairly intuitive, you just grab both sides and pull. There's also a strap with a buckle running across, which **helps compress the contents of the pack when it's full.** **The pockets on the shoulder straps** are ideal for a phone, wallet, tissues and the like. I mainly wanted to use them **for running soft flasks.** At first it looked like the bottles simply wouldn't fit. After a while it turned out I just hadn't tried hard enough. Even though it's a tight squeeze, with a bit of precision it works. It's better to drink a little from the bottle first, then it goes much more easily. **The chest straps,** which sit right next to the shoulder pockets, can easily be unclipped and left at home if you don't use them. The **hip belt pockets** are built in a fairly unusual way. They run from your hips all the way back to the body of the pack. Thanks to their length and the stretch material you can easily fill them with snacks for a whole weekend. A small drawback is that they're **positioned quite far back,** so you can't see the contents and you have to roughly know where everything is. Between the pocket itself and the pack there's room for a small bottle, but you have to make room for it. If you stuff the pack completely full, you won't squeeze the bottle in there any more. The body of the pack is rather narrow at the bottom and widens towards the top. Inside you'll find a **loop, a hydration bladder sleeve** and of course **an opening to route the hose out.** **The compression straps on the sides** help reduce the volume of a half-empty pack, so it comes in handy even when you're only carrying a snack and an extra layer on a day trip for two. ## Durability The body of the pack uses a sufficiently durable 70 denier fabric. To be on the safe side, the bottom section, which is in contact with the ground when you set the pack down, is reinforced with a tougher 210 denier fabric. Stretch material is usually one of the first things to start going. It doesn't look like that'll be the case with this pack, though. The stretchy material used on most of the pockets is fairly robust. After more than three months of active use the pack still looks like new and none of its areas show any wear. For long-term loading I'd recommend a maximum of 8–9 kg. Honestly, you wouldn't get much more in there anyway, unless you poured lead into it. On the durability side you don't need to worry about any compromises. (In short, denier is a unit expressing the thickness of the individual threads / fibers.) ## Verdict The 30 proved itself to me as an ideal choice for weekend crossings of 1–2 nights. The pack comfortably swallowed a [Quilt 450](/p/cumulus-quilt-450), a [NeoAir XLite](/p/therm-a-rest-neoair-xlite-nxt), an [STS Tarp Poncho](/p/sea-to-summit-ultra-sil15d-nano-tarp-poncho), food, sleeping clothes and a few odds and ends. I didn't take cooking gear on weekends, but volume-wise the pack would still handle a smaller cook set. Even though I personally prefer structurally simpler packs, the Trailblazer 30 won me over mainly thanks to its comfort and the option to adjust it exactly to my needs. If you're tired of hauling a half-empty 50-liter pack on weekends, you can live with the slightly higher weight and you want a comfortable pack at a reasonable price (around €75), the [Trailblazer](/p/montane-trailblazer-32) will be the right choice. - [Sea To Summit eVac Compression Dry Bag](/p/sea-to-summit-evac-compression-dry-bag.md) - [Liteway Sleeping Pad Cover](/p/liteway-sleeping-pad-cover.md) - [Liteway Wash Bag](/p/liteway-wash-bag.md) - [Sea To Summit Camp Cutlery Spoon](/p/sea-to-summit-camp-cutlery-spoon.md) - [Sea To Summit Frontier UL Cutlery Set 2P](/p/sea-to-summit-frontier-ul-cutlery-set-2p.md) - [Freeze-Dried String Cheese – Chilli 50 g](/p/freeze-dried-smoked-cheese-strings-chilli-50-g.md) - [Moonvalley Nuts and Dates Bar](/p/moonvalley-nuts-and-dates-bar.md) - [TOAKS LIGHT Titanium 550 ml Pot](/p/toaks-light-pot-550-ml.md) - [Gramino SagiFlow](/p/gramino-sagiflow-ultralight-bidet.md) - [Sea To Summit Airlite Towel – Medium](/p/sea-to-summit-airlite-towel-medium.md) - [TheTentLab DirtSaw Deuce #2 UL Trowel](/p/thetentlab-dirtsaw-deuce-2-ul-trowel.md) - [Sea To Summit Guide TPU Map Case](/p/sea-to-summit-guide-tpu-map-case.md) This post is also available as [HTML](/blog/tested-montane-trailblazer-30). ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.