Montane Valen 40+5 Review: A Light, Hard-Wearing Mountaineering Pack

Introduction

The Montane Valen 40+5 is a technical mountaineering and climbing pack built around a deliberately simple idea: keep the outside clean so nothing gets ripped off, but keep enough detail that the pack stays comfortable and quick to use. There is no lid and no top pocket, and very little webbing hanging where it can snag on rock.

What you get instead is a 40 litre roll-top body that can be stuffed closer to 45 litres when the top is left unrolled, then compressed back down once you start climbing and want to feel more nimble. The pack feels light in the hand and tough enough to be set down on wet stone without a second thought.

For climbers, that combination is the whole point. The Valen swallows a full load of rack, rope and harness on the approach, then stays quiet and out of the way on the route itself.

Who This Pack Is For

The Valen is designed with Scottish winter climbing and mountaineering in mind, and that shapes almost every decision in the design: a durable fabric, a simple roll-top entry, and a harness that does not fight with a climbing harness.

It also works well as a cragging bag. Some lightweight packs feel too delicate to be dumped at the base of a route and dragged around, while this one takes that treatment comfortably. Ski tourers should also find it appealing, because the side straps hold skis or walking poles securely, and the ice axe attachments use metal components that are less likely to break.

The capacity is generous for a pack this light. Close to 45 litres is more than enough for winter climbing days and for cragging in the UK, which means one pack can cover most of a season rather than sitting in a cupboard between trips.

Main Strengths

The strengths here are mostly about durability and load control rather than a long feature list. The details that do exist were chosen for climbing, and they hold up well under closer inspection.

Raptor Grid Fabric and Weather Shedding

Montane uses a fabric called Raptor Grid, a 200 denier construction that is described as incredibly strong for its weight. Montane states that it is 15 times stronger than steel of the same weight. The material is built from 88% recycled nylon and 12% polyethylene, and the ripstop structure gives it a genuinely tough feel while staying light.

The practical upside is a fabric that sheds water well and does not soak up much moisture. Snow packed against the outside or sweat against the back panel does not translate into meaningful extra weight, and the pack keeps its shape when it is loaded and pressed against rock.

360-Degree Compression and Load Stability

Montane describes the compression system as 360 degree, and the webbing supports that description. Straps run all the way around the body of the pack and around the sides, so a full load can be cinched down tight.

That matters in two places. On a hard pitch, a loose water bottle or a shifting pile of gear rattling behind you is a distraction you do not want, and squeezing everything tight keeps it silent and secure. On long walk-ins, the same compression stops the pack bouncing around, which makes a heavy carry far less tiring.

There is also a top buckle that is useful when the pack is already stuffed to the maximum, since it gives you a place to carry a rope over the top. The side straps double as ski or walking pole carriers when the ice axe slots are empty, and the metal components on the ice axe attachments and the waist belt buckle are a sensible touch: they are easy to operate with gloves on and much harder to break if the pack is stood on or slammed in a car door.

Roll-Top Entry and Pocket Layout

Roll tops are not for everyone, largely because many of them lack a pull cord and are slow to close when the pack is bulging. This one has a pull cord, so you can cinch the strap over the top and secure the load without rolling it every single time.

The roll top comes into its own later in the day. Once you reach the climb and most of the gear, rope and harness are out, the pack is nearly empty, and rolling the top down keeps everything dry and stops snow getting inside.

Because there is no lid, Montane handles small-item storage with a side pocket that includes a key clip. It is the right size for keys, a wallet or a phone, and the clip means those items stay attached rather than being lost on a belay ledge.

Hip Belt, Back System, and Carry Comfort

The hip belt uses thin, malleable fins that carry a load well without feeling bulky. Because they are so flexible, they fold neatly around the back of the pack when you want them out of the way, and they do not interfere with a climbing harness.

One side has a gear loop for clipping items on. The other side has a small zip pouch, which is handy for ski touring and for small items on a sunny day, though it is the one feature that could catch on rock while climbing. Montane has accounted for that: the pouch is detachable, held by two small buckles at the top, and it can be reattached inside the pack as an internal pocket using a strap, so it stays with the bag rather than being left behind.

The hip belt itself is stitched in rather than removable. That is not a drawback in practice. It feels secure, carries weight well, and removes a potential point of failure.

The back system is simple but effective. The outer sheds moisture, so snow or sweat does not soak in and add weight, and the pack stays stable with a big load on the walk in. An aluminium stave runs the full length of the back, which transfers weight onto the hips when the pack is heavy. For days that involve more climbing than walking, that stave can simply be removed, which brings the pack much closer to your back, makes it feel more nimble, and lets you roll it up and pack it inside another bag. The trade-off is that it no longer carries weight as comfortably.

Elsewhere, the sternum strap is elasticated, removable and repositionable to wherever suits you. The shoulder strap foam is comfortable and thin, so it spreads weight without feeling bulky while climbing, and it handles moisture without any trouble. The Valen comes in a single back length, but the tension straps at the top of the harness allow a fair amount of adjustment, so shorter and taller backs can both find a workable setting.

Things to Consider Before Buying

The pack weighs 730 grams. That is not the lightest on the market, and it is far from the heaviest. It sits comfortably in the light category while still being genuinely burly.

There are a few other points worth weighing up. The hip belt cannot be removed, which some packs allow, although the stitched-in design feels more secure and carries a load well. The hip belt pouch is better suited to ski touring than to climbing, where it could catch on rock, though it is detachable. There is only one back length, adjusted through the top tension straps rather than a full size range. And because there is no lid, there is no top pocket for quick-access items, so the side pocket does that job instead.

Buying Advice

This is a versatile pack rather than a single-purpose one. It is designed around Scottish winter climbing and mountaineering, but it works just as well as a cragging bag, and it is sturdy enough to be treated roughly without worrying about it.

Compared with many technical packs that carry similarly clever features, the Valen is quite affordable, though not cheap, and the build quality justifies the outlay. If you want a durable, light, no-nonsense pack that carries a heavy load on the approach and then gets out of the way on the route, it is an easy one to recommend.

Conclusion

The Montane Valen 40+5 keeps things simple in the places where simplicity helps and adds detail only where it earns its keep. The Raptor Grid fabric is tough and light, the 360 degree compression keeps a load tight and quiet, and the removable aluminium stave lets the same pack shift between heavy load carrying and technical climbing. The 730 gram weight and the capacity together make it a sensible choice for winter climbing, cragging and ski touring, and the price is reasonable for a pack this well made.