Backpacker Magazine – 2010 Editors' Choice/Gear Guide

Gear Review: Mammut Trion Guide 45+ Weekend Pack

Soft shoulder blade and lumbar pads ensure comfort no matter the payload.

by: Steve Howe

Tags:
• Gear
|
• Backpacks
|

---

Toughest
The Trion developed rabid fans among our desert-rat and alpine testers—two groups who place durability at the top of their priorities—for its tanklike construction. After a weekend trip up the Grand Teton, one tester said: “It’s a stable, versatile mountain pack for high-thrash users.” The 330-denier ripstop fabric warded off all of the granite couloir and slot canyon grinding we could throw at it, and the pleated front pocket is rubberized for crampon resistance.

The pack proved stable when one tester boulder-hopped down from 12,804-foot Middle Teton, thanks to the Butterfly Suspension that focuses weight on your hips while flexing torsionally with upper-body movement. Another tester adds, “The hipbelt supported 35 pounds while I was mantling and chimneying my way through Utah’s Burro Wash.” Testers love the extendable three-compartment top pocket, bottom pad straps, and a single daisy chain that let them overload the pack, as well as the ability to cinch it down for dayhikes.

Soft shoulder blade and lumbar pads ensure comfort no matter the payload. It’s a little pricy for the capacity, but it’ll pay dividends to gear beaters down the road. $190; 2,750 cu. in. ; 3 lbs. 8 oz.

Subscribe to Backpacker magazine
Sign up for our free weekly e-newsletter