Fundamentals
The Stache UL is a super-light pack meant for alpinists and multi-pitch rock and ice climbers. It has two ice-axe attachments, two facet compression straps, a rope strap, an exterior mesh facet pocket, an interior zippered pocket, and a removable waist belt. It weighs merely 340 grams with all these tools and 240 with out. The Stache UL’s face fabric is a hybrid of UHMWPE (the chemical compound biggest acknowledged by the mannequin determine Dyneema) and a “extreme tenacity nylon,” the marriage of which provides an particularly lightweight, pretty sturdy, and surprisingly low-cost backpack.
Our Concepts
The hyper-minimalist Stache UL joins a rising legion of featherweight, UHMWPE-infused decisions, nevertheless, personally, it performs significantly better than most of what is at current accessible.
Dimension Reviewed
One dimension
Weight
340 grams (12 oz)
Price
$110
Mannequin
Blue Ice
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The Consider
Climbing-pack lovers took uncover earlier this 12 months when a certain (very well-known) alpinist began posting photos of themselves climbing in Blue Ice’s new Stache UL pack instead of their most important sponsor’s 30-liter offering.
New sponsorship? I puzzled. Solely a rattling good pack?
I ordered one up.
I examined the Stache UL on numerous alpine-rock routes this summer season season and was persistently impressed with the thoughtfulness that Blue Ice put into each attribute’s design. On an prolonged, glacier-accessed 5.6 ridge in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains, the pack’s exterior elastic-mesh pocket allowed me simple accessibility to a small water bottle and fast vitality all by way of the day. The pocket is simply not aligned vertically, nevertheless slanted in direction of the once more panel so that I’d entry its contents whereas approaching and climbing with out eradicating the pack. I favor this mannequin of exterior pocket over the model new sample of together with running-vest-style pockets to climbing packs; whereas these flimsy pockets will snag on rock and easily tear, the Blue Ice system is further protected—though neither risk is acceptable for hauling.
The pack’s streamlined choices saved my transitions momentary all through that day’s various glacier crossings, significantly due to the neatly designed ice-axe attachments. The axe take care of slides by way of the facet compression strap, whereas the highest will get threaded by a fundamental metal t-bar that has an elastic with cord-lock to cinch it tight. (Later that day, when lightning compelled me off the ridge and down a really broken pocket glacier, I’d merely seize my axe for a speck of security whereas leaping all through a gaping bergschrund.) I’m really shocked I haven’t seen this cord-lock design sooner than: the t-bar is a fundamental attachment system, nevertheless, counting on the width of your axe head, it could possibly present a free, wobbly match. Remaining December I walked 9 hours into Patagonia’s Torre Valley with my affiliate’s Nomics clang clang clang-ing in direction of each other every step of the way in which by which. The Stache UL’s cord-lock, nevertheless, ensures that any ice axe can match on the pack… after which shut the hell up.
I moreover stuffed the Stache UL to its carrying limit whereas approaching the Northwest Ridge (5.8; ~900m) of Mt. MacDonald, forcing it to hold a tent, sleeping bag, pad, vary, and double rack, plus a 60-meter rope draped extreme. The unpadded, 2.5mm-wide waist belt positively didn’t scream “comfort” all through the multi-hour technique, nor did the equally unpadded shoulder straps, nevertheless I did finish the technique with none bruising or chafing.
The plus facet to all this unpadded nonsense, in truth, is that the pack climbs terribly properly. I found the thin, air-permeable shoulder straps virtually unnoticeable whereas climbing 5.10+, considerably since they enable a full range of shoulder movement. Within the meantime, you presumably can protected the facet compression straps at one amongst two heights, allowing your pack to expertise as low profile as attainable whereas busting by way of skinny squeezes or burly roofs.
After various months of testing I’ve expert no holes or premature placed on with this pack. I give it some thought is as a result of (1) I’ve not hauled it, (2) I’ve not climbed better than 100 meters of chimneys carrying it, and (3) the burly physique fabric with UHMWPE is designed to hold fast in direction of powerful use. I depend on to hold the Stache UL into the mountains for some time to return again.
Buy the Stache UL (at current 25% off!) on Backcountry.com
Professionals
- Presents a safe, quiet carry for two ice axes
- Secure, removable facet compression straps
- Burly physique fabric
- Elasticized facet pocket is straightforward to entry whereas approaching
- Breathable, low-profile shoulder straps
- Internal zipped pocket
Cons
- One dimension once more measurement
- Cinch excessive closure is NOT waterproof. Be conscious if climbing in areas with spindrift.