The Mammut Trion Norwand 38 is an alpine pack that’s nice for winter mountaineering, mountaineering, climbing, and ski touring. It has a vest-style harness, a rolltop closure with a detachable floating lid pocket, twin side-compression straps, aspect ski straps, twin ice axe/trekking pole holders, and even a detachable hip belt if you wish to use a climbing harness. Whereas it might carry a ton of substances, I’ve been impressed with how good its wishbone body carries, using near the physique in order that your actions should not hampered even once you’ve obtained plenty of gear strapped to the surface of the pack. This can be a nice pack, significantly for winter use, and one I plan to maintain round for a very long time.
Specs at a Look
- Quantity: 38L
- Weight: 2 lbs 2 oz (964g)
- Inner Body: Sure
- Pockets: 3 closed and a pair of open on shoulder straps
- Hip Belt Pockets: No
- Hydration Prepared: Sure
- Floating Lid: Sure
- Rolltop Closure: Sure
- Ice Axe Holder: Twin
- Trekking Pole Holders: Sure
- Facet Compression Straps: 2 (with buckles)
- Load lifters: Sure
- Rain Cowl: No
- Pack Entry: Prime
- Materials: 100D Nylon Cordura Physique, 210D Nylon Base
Backpack Storage and Group
The Mammut Trian Norwand is a hydration-ready rolltop backpack with a detachable floating lid pocket. It has two zippered pockets within the lid, one on high and a mesh pocket beneath. There’s additionally a small zippered safety pocket with a key fob behind the appropriate shoulder that’s giant sufficient to carry a pockets, keys, and passport together with two open pockets on the vest-style shoulder straps.
There’s a huge hydration pocket inside the principle compartment with an inner hold loop and hose port above the appropriate shoulder. Whereas I don’t use a hydration reservoir, the hydration pocket is completely sized to carry 4 sections of a Therm-a-Relaxation Zlite foam pad for emergency use in winter, one thing I all the time carry.
The primary compartment closes with a rolltop that has a stiffener on the high so you will get a superb strong wrap for further compression. The rolltop solely buckles on the highest (not alongside the edges) and has a single webbing strap that can be utilized to carry it down if the highest lid shouldn’t be in use. In any other case, that webbing strap secures the highest lid to the entrance of the pack.
Backpack Body and Suspension
The Trion Norwand 38 has a springy wishbone-style steel body that slots into the lumbar pad on the waistbelt and runs alongside the edges of the backbone, with horizontal cross items to anchor the pack’s load lifters. This produces a really full of life carry that sticks to your torso throughout dynamic strikes when climbing, scrambling, or snowboarding.
The shoulder straps are greatest described as a vest-style with load lifters, hydration hose keepers, and stretch pockets on the entrance for holding gels or snacks. The pockets are a little bit small for securely holding a smartphone although and my iPhone 14 tries to flee when I attempt to stash it there.
The sternum strap is optimized to be used with a vest-style harness and may be adjusted by shifting the buckle up or down daisy chains sewn to the entrance of the straps. In case you’re used to traditional shoulder straps it takes a little bit getting used to the vest harness because it rides a bit increased than regular above the breast bone. However the upside is that the pack rides very near your higher torso and the load is evenly distributed throughout your chest and fewer on the shoulders, making it extra comfy and responsive to hold. I want all vest-style shoulder straps labored as nicely, however many don’t.
The hipbelt is kind of easy and solely flippantly padded, offering a superb hip wrap that pulls the pack near your core. It’s held in place with velcro behind a modest lumbar pad and detachable if you wish to use a climbing harness. The middle buckle is giant sufficient that it received’t jam if it will get full of snow, which is a vital element for winter use.
Backpack Compression and Attachment Factors
The Trion Norwand 38 compression system and attachment factors are unusually robust and versatile for a winter alpine pack. It comes with a pair of aspect compression straps made with webbing that shut with buckles and are giant sufficient to strap snowshoes to the aspect of the pack simply. The buckles make it a lot simpler to make use of whereas sporting gloves. There are additionally bolstered ski straps situated beneath the decrease compression strap the place you may relaxation a ski binding for an A-frame carry.
The backpack is configured to hold twin ice axes and has buckles which you could run by way of the axe heads to safe them. There are additionally shaft holders, which may be moved up or down two daisy chains on the entrance of the pack and might accommodate shafts of various lengths. Those self same shaft holders can be utilized to hold trekking poles, with the information slotting right into a pair of standard ice axe straps on the base of the pack.
Lastly, for the reason that high lid pocket floats, which means that it may be raised or lowered (about 5″), you may scrunch gear beneath it on high of the principle compartment. That is significantly helpful if you’ll want to carry a rope, draping it over the principle compartment and securing the lid over it to carry it in place so it doesn’t fall off.
Suggestion
The Mammut Trion Norwand 38 is a rugged alpine-style backpack that’s optimized for winter use however can be utilized year-round. With 38L of closed storage, it’s a superb dimension for technical winter day hikes, hut-to-hut journeys, and even overnights should you can dial down the quantity of the gear you’ll want to carry. Whereas it sports activities a Swiss military knife set of capabilities together with twin aspect compression straps, ski-carry straps, a detachable hip belt, a floating lid, roll-top closure, and two sorts of ice axe holders, it’s nonetheless a streamlined pack that’s very responsive and strikes with you. I significantly just like the vest-style shoulder straps and hip belt, which although flippantly padded, maintain the pack very near your torso making it surprisingly straightforward and pure to hold. That is the primary Mammut pack I’ve reviewed and I’m fairly impressed with its versatility and match.
Disclosure: Mammut donated this backpack for overview.
