Welcome to my Montane Trailblazer 30 Review.
As described by Montane:
The Trailblazer 30 is designed for rapid, long-distance mountain trails, where low-weight, stability and quick access to your kit is essential.
As someone who was new to fastpacking (fits the above description) a few months ago, this all sounds great.
I was overwhelmed with the number of variables there are for a good fastpacking pack so in the end, I chose the Montane Trailblazer 30 as my first fastpacking pack.
I don’t have many photos of me with my pack! Need to change that 🙂 But here I am taking it up the Rees Saddle.
This post will be a review of the Montane Trailblazer 30 having used it on awesome overnight fastpacking adventures like the Rees Dart Track and the Gillespie Circuit.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Why Did I Buy The Montane Trailblazer 30?
2. What I Like About The Pack
3. What I Don’t Like
4. The Finer Details About The Pack
5. Where To Buy The Montane Trailblazer 30
MY MONTANE TRAILBLAZER 30 REVIEW
1. WHY DID I BUY THE MONTANE TRAILBLAZER 30?
I’m currently based in Queenstown, and while it’s a great hub for fastpacking adventures, there isn’t a large selection of fastpacks to choose from in the local shops.
So I was faced with having to buy a fastpacking pack online without ever trying on a bunch. And so while online reviews are great (why would I write this otherwise), my main goal was to get one I wouldn’t hate.
My best option was to try out a friend’s Montane Trailblazer 30 pack for a couple of hours. This seems to be the most popular fastpacking pack for guys in Queenstown.
My goal was to make sure I at least didn’t hate it. It was certainly weird running with a decent amount of weight in a pack…and of course, I couldn’t compare it to any other pack, but I at least gave it a go. And didn’t hate it.
I asked a couple of other friends what they thought about the pack, one loved it, and one wasn’t a huge fan as he found the straps would come loose throughout his run (I didn’t experience this).
That was good enough for me, and with the price tag being on the cheaper side I went ahead and ordered a Montane Trailblazer 30 from FurtherFaster.co.nz.
2. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE MONTANE TRAILBLAZER 30?
The big mesh pocket: This is a great pocket to stash things in that you put away and may or may not need again in the near future, like your rainjacket (I use the Macpac Tempo), snacks, or anything wet.
Seems durable: I’m certainly not precious with my stuff, and given the nature of the trails in NZ, I’m often throwing the bag on some pretty rocky terrain with all sorts of sharp/rough points. So far the bags held up well and there’s no obvious sign of wear and tear. This could change of course…if it does I’ll remember to update the post.
The click and go chest straps are sturdy:
My first impression with these straps wasn’t good (they’re in the photo above)…but that’s because I wasn’t using them properly when trying to clip them on the bag. Now? I like them a lot. They’re super simple to use and never come loose mid adventure.
The big opening is a good shape: From behind, the Montane Trailblazer 30 looks like a small version of a traditional NZ tramping pack. And it kinds of is. The main compartment doesn’t have any weird kinks in it, and I find it easy to store everything inside and then find it again as needed.
The compression straps work a dream: On my first fastpacking adventure, I couldn’t help but notice the constant noise of my food bouncing around inside the pack…this could be annoying.
It turns out the straps weren’t all tightened up :p My friend made sure everything was pulled tight and everything was much quieter. She had said the sound was noticeable but was being nice and not saying anything until I mentioned it haha.
No bruising or skin abrasions from the straps etc.: I’ve got a few running packs/vests now, and one of them, in particular, doesn’t quite sit right and digs into the shoulder. Despite only weighing 800 grams, I’ve had zero issues with the straps on the Montane Trailblazer 30 which is great.
3. WHAT I DON’T LIKE ABOUT THE MONTANE TRAILBLAZER 30?
The mesh pocket on the top lid: In concept this pocket is great, any additional storage is a winner. But I’ve lost two items out of this pocket while on adventures…a toothbrush and something else that I can’t recall. You could put bigger lightweight items in this pocket, like gloves, and I reckon nothing will fall out. But do make sure the zips are done up entirely. For now, I won’t store anything in there.
The pockets on the chest straps:
This was something friends did mention as being something they dislike, and I agree. You cannot fit 500ml soft flasks in them. Perhaps a 350ml flask with straw could work? I do like that the pocket fits my Samsung S10 on one side at least and does feel secure fully zipped.
The best solution I’ve found is to stash the bottles in the side wrap-around pockets…but again, this isn’t easy when they’re full and if you don’t let them sit quite right I’ve had the bottles start squeezing out water which isn’t exactly fun.
4. THE FINER DETAILS ABOUT THE PACK?
These are taken directly from the Montane website so I don’t get the details wrong 🙂
Construction:
- RAPTOR Cross Lite 70 Denier fabric
- RAPTOR Resistance 210 Denier base panels
- CONTACT Air Mesh Plus on harness
- CONTACT Open Mesh back panel
- HALO lining
Features:
- Customisable, body-hugging COVALENT harness
- Easily adjustable ZephyrAD back system
- Two off-centre Montane Click and Go chest harness straps
- Two harness pockets with security zips
- Accessible, wrap-around wand pockets with security zips
- Bivi opening with Cord Lord quick release adjustment
- Front stretch pocket for external storage
- V’ side compression system
- Front daisy chain with reflective detailing
- Multiple pole attachment points
Materials:
- Main: 100% Nylon
- Reinforced Base: 100% Nylon
- Shoulder Straps / Hip Fins: 100% Polyester
- Back Pad: 100% Polyester
- Lining: 100% Polyester
5. WHERE TO BUY THE MONTANE TRAILBLAZER 30
I got mine online in New Zealand from Further Faster. If you’re a Wild Things VIP, don’t forget to use your discount.
You can buy it on Amazon here. Or for people in the UK, from UltraLightOutdoorGear.co.uk or CotswoldOutdoor.com.
At the time of writing this review, they were all sold out on the official Montane website.
Now that’s my Montane Trailblazer 30 review complete. But the big question is, would I recommend the pack to you?
I could go with the weak answer and say it depends. But if you’re new to fastpacking, and don’t need a top-of-the-line bag to get you started, then I would recommend buying the Montane Trailblazer 30.
I’m more than happy with mine and have no plans to ditch it for a new pack anytime soon.
If you have any specific questions about the Montane Trailblazer 30, feel free to ask in the comments below or email jub@churnewzealand.com.
WANT TO READ MORE PRODUCT REVIEWS?
You can check out my thoughts on the:
- Macpac Pisa Jacket
- This awesome little lantern that’s great for camping and hut life
- And much much more
Hey, it’s Jub here. I’m the guy behind Chur New Zealand, helping you have the best time hiking, trekking, walking…whatever you want to call it…in NZ. I’m based in Queenstown and am always out and about exploring trails, old & new. If you have any questions, reach out.
thanks for the review bud
No worries Andy! Enjoy your adventures.
Hi Andy, just got back from a trip on the AV2 in the Dolomites using the Trailblazer 30. Overall a comfortable pack but disappointed in some design and quality issues as a Montane devotee.
The chest pockets as you point out are fairly useless for bottles, even the 350ml bottles were not easy to use and the zip on one of the pockets burst. Not sure why Montane didn’t use draw cords on these pockets rather than zips. This would make them far more usable and of course they need to be bigger to take 500ml flasks and even an IPhone comfortably. As a broader runner, 42” chest, the pockets didn’t sit well either, almost under my armpits despite numerous adjustments.
I also noticed one of the chest straps fasteners had worn a hole in the mesh chest pocket.
My final gripe about the pack is that the stitching of the shoulder strap connection has failed.
I’ll be sending photos of the issues above to the retailer when I get back home to hopefully get a refund.