Mountain Hardwear

Scrambler 35L Backpack

Definitely get the updated version

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I do really like this pack. I've brought this pack up Mt Hood, St. Helens, South Sister, and will be adding a ton more to the list. The outside of is it durable and holds up being scraped on sharp rock or by a wayward ice tool. This pack has all the features I need to bring my gear up any PNW volcano I want, and if I really pushed it, I have been able to carry enough for an overnight. The synch isn't my first choice for how to close the main compartment, but it works, and I haven't had it slip. That said, what stops me from giving a five-star rating is how this bag carries weight. The only closure around the waist is a small strap that serves only really to hold the pack close, but can't transfer any weight to your hips. Carrying decent loads like climbing or mountaineering gear adds weight quick, and in my experience, once this pack exceeds 15-20lbs, it really begins to hurt the shoulders. If you're really going fast & light, this probably won't impact you much, but then again, you probably don't need 35L for fast/light unless your pack is almost all layers. To MH's credit, the newest version has a hip-belt, which should dramatically help with this.

Quality craft-person-ship!

Great pack. Attention to detail is excellent, fabric is tough (not really waterproof, but a solid outer layer), design is simple basic yet covers all you need; very functional.

Reliable.

I have the scrambler 30, which I have used and carried around the world for over 5 years now. The bag has been 100% rain proof in some of the harshest climates, including literal rainforests. Its kept my valuable electronics dependably dry. Its comfortable and easy to adjust for the range of carrying styles you'll find necessary on 1-3 day hikes. They call it a day pack but the the quantity of exterior tie on points made the bag useful to me on many 5 day camping trips. If the rubberized coating on the lid wasn't failing, I wouldn't be saving for a new scrambler 35.

Love It

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Really love this pack. It?s well featured and provides a big range of applications. Climbing, Skiing, Hiking Smartly designed exterior connections for ice tools and other add ons. The gear loops can be used for ski carry and I?ve used this pack lots skiing. For hiking this makes a perfect day pack. Exterior side pocket for water is great and the streamlined exterior doesn?t have anything to get snagged on. The suspension is fine for a small pack and the fit is contoured and feels solid. Climbing - let?s roll. This is where this pack shines. Interior gear loops make keeping my rack sorted nice and easy and stops things falling to the bottom or just getting messy. Expandable lid leaves space for my rope. Overall lots of space for what I need and light and sturdy enough to take on a multi pitch. The dyneema really holds up. Regarding waterproof - I never expect it from any pack. Use a liner or a cover. Thanks Mountain Hardwear. Another quality piece of kit.

Love, Lightweight & Climbing

I love this bag. It is lightweight and the excellent size for all climbing equipment. I like that the hip belt is narrow so that it does not harm when we wear our harness at the same time. The inner pocket for the Hydrapak and the two outer pocket, allow to carry 4L of water really easily.

Love, Lightweight & Climbing

I love this bag. It is lightweight and the excellent size for all climbing equipment. I like that the hip belt is narrow so that it does not harm when we wear our harness at the same time. The inner pocket for the Hydrapak and the two outer pocket, allow to carry 4L of water really easily.

Love this bag!

This bag has it all; from its nifty features and stylish looks. Because of the bags unique looks and amazing colour scheme (glacier teal), I get a lot of positive comments about the bag, and questions regarding the bags quality. Personally, my favourite features are the interior gear organizer and the amount of clipping locations on the outside of the bag. With all the different clipping locations on the out side I have been able to strap on all sorts of equipment such as snowshoe gear, climbing gear and skates. I am excited to see what else I can do with this bag in the years to come. 10/10 would recommened getting this pack.

Almost perfect

Love this backpack. A significant improvement over the Scrambler 30 in my opinion (has more space, more features, better weight/volume ratio). Lightweight, quality construction, well-thought-out design, overall quite comfortable. I'm 5'10", 175lbs and went for the larger option just for that bit more space it provides. I used this pack hard for 3 weeks in the Peruvian Andes and it is still in pristine shape. I'd have given it an enthusiastic 5 stars if not for one or two small gripes: The first and biggest is that the small metal hook that grabs the webbing loop on the lid to keep it locked down over the main body of the bag simply does not do its job very well; it always comes out. I can hook it and cinch it tight and then when I toss the bag onto the floor or ground or wherever, it simply comes out instantly and the lid is flopping around again. I'm tempted to modify mine to use the old male/female plastic clips that lock together, the ones you have to squeeze to open. The other minor improvement that I feel could be made is regarding the waist-belt. This is simply a thin piece of nylon webbing with no padding. This is great because it is compact and keeps the weight down, etc, but I feel the tiniest, I mean tiniest bit of padding, or even a slight widening of the webbing, where it comes out of the bag near my hips would keep it from digging into my body near my pelvis bones when on a long trail with a heavy load. Overall though, I am still in love with my Scrambler 35. It kept my ice tools securely in place, it was easy to overload (had to strap boots, sleeping pad, and a bunch of other gear to the outside, and it handled it all wonderfully), and it looks super cool. I highly recommend it and look forward to using it for many more adventures on many more mountains.