Best for fast and light tramping with minimal loads

Plusses: Super comfortable and stable, lots of pockets, very light.
Minuses: Limited overflow capacity, pole and hip belt pockets could be improved. 

980g / 44 litres

Features: The roll-top closing Trailblazer is built around the Montane Covalent harness, which is designed to hug the body for stability and load distribution. It’s done by using wide, breathable shoulder straps and hip belt, dual sternum straps and a form-fitting frame that has just one alloy stay. Dual device/food pockets on the shoulder straps, large stretchy hip-belt pockets and a mesh overflow sleeve keep gear handy, while Z-style compression straps lock your load firmly. There aretwo walking pole attachments. 

Fit: The pack is only available in one size, but with an adjustable back length. It fitted very well and could be fine-tuned quickly and easily. Taller people might find it too short. 

Comfort: In a nutshell, this is a very comfortable pack. It looks a little like a running vest with a large pack attached to the back. This is due to the wide shoulder straps and a finned hip belt and low profile sack shape, all there to pull the load in close to your body. The design is oriented towards absolute stability, evidenced by the way it moved with me over obstacles and never threatened to throw me off balance. The harness breathes well, although it could do with greater lumbar airflow. 

In use: Due to its rounded shape, the pack requires a careful approach to packing, but once all my gear was in, it fastened securely with the roll-top closure. The compression straps locked the load down well, but it could also use an over-the-top cinch strap to further compress the top or provide overflow capacity in addition to the two daisy chains. The pack does not have a tall throat, so apart from the daisy chains there is no potential to expand it.

The pack is hydration-compatible and there’s a deep external zippered pocket  and overflow sleeve. I really liked the large hip-belt pockets for on-the-go snacks, but they are quite far back and awkward to reach, even when I was stopped. The shoulder strap pockets are excellent for keeping food or phone in easy reach. There are pockets at the back of the hip belt too but they are tight to get anything into once you have filled the pack: you can slide tent poles in, but not a water bottle. 

Value: Compared to other packs of this capacity, with similar features, the Trailblazer is excellent value. 

Verdict: This is a highly evolved example of this class of pack – designed for light loads and high stability. If you envisage trips of three to four days (10kg max load) and are carrying other ultralight gear to keep your base weight low, the Trailblazer could be the ideal pack.