Montane Trailblazer 25 Rucksack Review - “A versatile, comfortable daypack; it's a fantastic choice for outdoor pursuits like day hiking and summer summit trips.”
Posted by Andy Neil on Apr 09, 2024
The Montane Trailblazer 25L is a meticulously crafted backpack to elevate your hiking experience. This innovative pack seamlessly blends comfort, functionality, and sustainability, making it an ideal companion for day hikes, gym sessions, and daily commutes.
With its 25-litre capacity, I found the Trailblazer 25L a perfect-sized day pack for hiking and hill walking. It was large enough to carry what I needed for a day in the hills—extra layers and waterproofs, food and water, and extras like gloves and a hat. This enabled me to carry and organise my essentials without feeling weighed down and kept everything I needed close at hand. However, what truly sets this pack apart is its exceptional comfort.
The Trailblazer 25L backpack's vest-style harness, which is wide and well-padded, enhances comfort while providing additional storage. These broader straps evenly distributed the pack's weight across my chest, while the integrated pockets offered convenient access to items I needed close at hand, such as my phone and sunglasses. While the pockets are large enough to store a thin, soft water bottle, I would have liked to have seen a dedicated space for a solid water bottle.
Designed for optimal performance, the Trailblazer 25L Backpack boasts a streamlined silhouette and ergonomic construction, ensuring a snug fit that meant I felt the bag hugging me as I moved over challenging terrain. I did some scrambling without ever really noticing I had the pack on. The 3D-molded foam back panel, combined with honeycomb mesh, offered excellent ventilation and support, which kept me cool and my back sweat-free. Additionally, two click-and-go sternum straps (the best I have used on any backpack) and a wraparound hip belt enhanced the stability and support, allowing me to adjust the fit precisely.
The Trailblazer 25L makes organisation effortless thanks to its thoughtfully designed storage options. The minimalist lid features zippered pockets, which provide quick access, while stretchy mesh pockets on the back of the pack and the two that wrap around the hip fins ensure easy access to gear. Moreover, the bag's modular "T-hooks" can be moved around to customise where you store your external gear, such as trekking poles. However, I found the T-hooks a little tricky to move when I first got my hands on the pack so the pack may require some breaking in. Despite the multiple laser-cut attachment points, the bag only comes with two T-hooks, which is disappointing; four would have been ideal.
In keeping with its commitment to sustainability, the Trailblazer 25L has been constructed from a blend of recycled materials, including the Raptor Cross Lite 70D outer material, which is crafted from 100% recycled ripstop nylon.
Available in a range of sizes, from the 3L Waist Pack to the more spacious 44L overnight rucksack, the Trailblazer series also offers women-specific options to cater to diverse needs and preferences.
In short, the Montane Trailblazer 25L is a versatile, comfortable daypack; it's a fantastic choice for outdoor pursuits like day hiking and summer summit trips.
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Andy Neil |
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Andy has been a keen long-distance hiker and wild camping enthusiast since he completed the Cleveland Way in 2015. Since then, he has walked thousands of trail miles all over the UK and is an active member of the Wild Camping UK community, being an admin of the largest wild camping community on Facebook. He strongly advocates for responsible wild camping and believes it is important to leave no trace when camping in the wilderness. He joined the UOG team in 2021 and works as a website developer and content creator. |
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