Mammut Pro RAS 35L Backpack

Pockets and Organization

For me, the zippered back access panel is what makes this pack great. Everything is right there in front of you, so no rooting around. There’s also a semi-clamshell zippered opening for top access. It opens super wide, so finding things is a breeze.

Mammut Pro RAS 35 Back Panel Access, Blister Gear Review
Mammut Pro RAS 35 Back Panel Access

And the pull-tabs are giant, so they’re easy to use with gloves on. I should note too that the back panel has two zippered pockets on the inside so that when you open it up, you can grab snacks and supplies. Pretty convenient.

Mammut Pro RAS 35, Blister Gear Review

The top features one large pocket and one smaller fleece-lined goggle pocket. I’ve used it for my goggles, and it works, but it’s cramped. So instead I put my goggles in my helmet, which can be conveniently stored on the outside of the pack in a detachable mesh sling. Many packs don’t have any concession for helmets, so they either dangle on the outside or take up valuable volume in the bag. Not so with the Pro RAS 35L.

There’s also a dedicated sleeve for avy tools. Access is somewhat awkward with load compression straps and the bend in the zipper, but it works well and is roomy enough for my kit. My Black Diamond Transfer 7 shovel fits as long as I separate the handle and blade. There are even sleeves to hold the probe and shovel handle so things don’t rattle around. It is far from the most generous avy tool pocket out there, but it works for my average-size shovel and probe. But stowing the kit did initially take a bit of figuring out, and I think that in terms of the zipper-access, Mammut has some work to do in this department.

Matching elastic-corded side pockets and one small—but surprisingly roomy—hip-belt pocket top off the storage options.

In all my trips with this pack, the only thing I have found that it doesn’t really do well is hydration bladder storage. There’s a small vertical pocket inside the pack that zips closed opposite the sleeve for the RAS canister for a hydration bladder, but I have yet to find one that fits well. I usually jam bottles in the side pockets, though lately I’ve put a small 1.5L bladder in one side pocket and routed the hose up to the pack strap. It works well, though primarily for above-freezing, late-winter and spring trips.

Real-World Testing

I’ve used the pack quite a bit since getting it in December. My first time out with it was a quick afternoon tour in Big Cottonwood Canyon. I went light: no RAS/canister, an extra layer, some snacks, and water. I was worried that the load would flop around, but I cinched down the straps and didn’t think about it again until I was at the top and it was time to layer up and re-do the straps. Simple.

Mammut Pro RAS 35, Blister Gear Review
Dana Allen with the Mammut Pro RAS 35.

The one thing that isn’t simple about the compression system is the straps themselves. Mammut has a penchant for including compression strap buckles, friction-buckle locks, and other attachment gizmos to their straps. This can sometimes be super convenient when you want to get into the pack quickly and need to undo the compression, but it can also be a bit awkward, especially with gloves on. A minor gripe, but one that I’ve always had with Mammut bags.

This pack will ski-mountaineer, too. I carried skis (on the pack), crampons, ice axe, skins, camera, plus all the usual layers and food, on a long slog up a couloir. The pack did a great job of keeping the load secure and close to my back. You can A-frame them, but this will get in the way of the airbag. There is a loop for diagonal carry, but then you can’t really use the helmet-sling. There’s always a trade-off.

I would hesitate to call this a true multi-day pack in the 35L version. The airbag takes up quite a bit of space in the top, and getting a few days’ worth of food and gear in there would be a stretch. Perhaps for Euro multiday trips where a hut reservation substitutes for a tent, sleeping bag, and freeze-dried food, “multiday” might be a little more apt.

 

10 comments on “Mammut Pro RAS 35L Backpack”

  1. Hi Dana,

    Thanks for this great review. I have just purchased this pack myself and look forward to testing it in the upcoming ski-season 2013/2014 (yeah…there is still summer and fall 2013 in between and I really look forward to some serious mountainbiking before hitting the snow backcountry again ;-) ).

    All the best from Vienna, Austria

    Stefan

  2. Nice review Dana!

    You commented about the refill seals, are you saying you go to a scuba shop and have to provide some sort of mammut proprietary seal for the canister? This is not something you would buy directly form the scuba shop doing the refill?

    Thanks
    Marcel

    • You have to purchase the seals from Mammut directly (or at a shop that deals Mammut). This is worth doing up-front as tracking them down is likely a pain. You then take the seals to the scuba shop and have them fill and seal the tanks.

  3. Very detailed review. Thanks for the biner tip on the underleg strap, i might find an old dmm phantom and try this myself.

    • I used an F-Stop Shallow Series Medium ICU. Fits my Canon 5DMKI and MKIII perfectly, with space for lenses, flash, etc. Won’t really allow for a larger DSLR or adding a battery grip, though. I’ve done it and the fit is really tight.

  4. I’ve been looking at this pack but the hydration reservoir system doesnt seem ideal, as you mentioned. I looked at one, and it seemed like the pouch for the reservoir is on one side of the pack (Right or left, cant remember, but not against the back panel). Water is kinda heavy, does carrying all the water on one side kind of throw off the weight balance in the pack?

  5. I just received my carbon cylinder through snowinn.com and I am super stoked! I sold my old ABS unit and bought the ride protection 30L. Combined with the carbon cylinder this is way lighter.

    My question though is this…. What will I do with the carbon cylinder if I deploy the airbag? Is there a way to have these refilled in the US or am I out $115 for a cylinder? It would be nice to be able to practice the deployment a few times but that isn’t really an option if I have to absorb the cost of buying a new cylinder through snowinn and waiting two weeks for it to arrive.

    Cheers!

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