Montane Cobra 25

Here is my review of the Montane Cobra 25 backpack.  The pack comes in at a decent 819g but is robust enough for just about any use on the mountains.  I have used mine during the summer months and it has never let me down.  I've used it for straight forward hiking and trekking and have also used it for climbing and scrambling and it has proved to be an excellent bit of gear.

Initially I felt it moving about when I was scrambling at the higher grades, however, cinching the chest strap as tight as possible solved this issue.I have comfortably carried first aid kit, survival bag, spare hat and gloves, spare layer, wetproofs, food, 2lt bladder, harness, climbing rack and helmet and the pack has dealt with it all, although on one occasion I had to put my helmet on the outside after a day on the crags - this was mainly due to me cramming everything into the pack at the end of the day, instead of packing carefully.  If I was carrying a rope then it would have to go on the outside, although I have carried one in the pack when I was carrying a much cut down rack that I use for scrambling.

I find the pack very comfortable indeed.  It sits on my back well and there is very little movement.  It has one zipped pocket on the right side of the hip belt which I use to stash a couple of snacks.  On the left of the hip belt there is a gear loop which I've never used for that.  The pack has a small pocket on the top of the lid which I use sparingly.  Initially I found the main opening a bit awkward as it flops open, as opposed to opening out into a standard "hole". This just needs getting used to and I have not found it to be a major issue.  The pack has a good profile and does not get in the way when scrambling or climbing - in fact, I forget I've even got it on.  I've used it on 5+ hour hills walks only taking it off to get my lunch or gear and its felt great throughout.  The build quality is very good, as you might expect from a company like Montane and again, mine has been thrown about a fair bit of the last few months.  I will certainly be using it for winter walking, although I suspect I will have to go up in size for winter mountaineering - but you never know.

So in summary, the Montane Cobra is a great piece of kit, which I have found sits very comfortably on your back and does not move about when your scrambling or climbing.  I would certainly recommend it.