Mammut Light R.A.S. 30 Review
January 9, 2013
84 The Good
- Very lightweight pack fabric
- Has the looks of a non-avy airbag pack
- Easily removable airbag system (pretty much any airbag can be removed from any pack)
- Great size for a minimal day tour
- Ability to use nitrogen or compressed air canisters
The Bad
- Single compartment without separate avy gear area (saves weight).
- Little backpack structural support (saves weight).
- Unpadded hip belt (saves weight).
- Minimal gear attachment straps and buckles (you guessed it – saves weight).
As the second-lightest but most stripped-down avy pack in our test, the Mammut Light R.A.S. 30 is good option for those seeking to save every ounce they can, and—because it uses either nitrogen or compressed air—those who often backcountry ski in Europe. In order to save weight, Mammut skimps on a few features many backcountry users might appreciate, and uses lightweight pack cloth that might wear quickly under regular abuse. But Mammut has partnered with a solid avy airbag company, Snowpulse, to produce a quality airbag pack at about an average price.
Safety System
The Mammut Light R.A.S. 30 comes with a Snowpulse airbag system, which offers a choice of nitrogen or the U.S. standard, compressed air canisters. (If you are planning on spending a lot of time in Europe with your avy pack, then the option to use a nitrogen canister is a plus, as the canister is much smaller and more readily available in the Alps than in the U.S.). In the U.S., you’ll be rocking compressed air. It’s a very high quality system, easily removeable and dependable.
Pack Quality
Mammut’s pack itself is high quality; it outshines Snowpulses’s own packs. The lightweight pack cloth (maybe too light for rough use) is backed up by solid construction and features—the zippers, buckles, straps, and webbing are all top quality. I did not tear the pack fabric, though it seems too light for backcountry ski abuse.
Pack Features
This Mammut Light 30 doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that the other packs in our test did. This one gets the K.I.S.S. award—Keep it Simple Stupid. You can carry skis or snowboard on it. You can put your shovel and probe in it. What else do you really need besides the airbag system? Organization freaks (or, say, guides with lots of little safety and snow study knickknacks) might feel underserved. Only the Snowpulse pack came in with a slightly lower weight.
Pack Fit
I am a healthy and fit guy with not much natural padding. So without a padded hip belt this pack felt a little more uncomfortable than others in the test. But that just goes along with the minimalist approach this pack takes. Other than that, its small size was sweet on the downhills—a close fit that keeps things stable during aggressive riding.
Airbag System Durability
The valve/trigger combo is bomber—well protected and dependable. The canister itself rests in a minimal sleeve inside the one main compartment. Mammut has organized their airbag/canister/trigger system inside the pack better than the rest of the packs in the test. It’s neat, out-of-the-way, and wont catch anything when pulling your lunch or layers out of the pack.
Value
This pack is near the average price for avy airbags on the market for the Winter ‘12/’13, and given its admirable performance, that equates to a slightly above average value overall.
No reviews have been posted for this product.
