Page 51 - 2018 AMA Winter

No problems in the Alps; enough space for hut kit and storage options for gear on the walk-ins
the bag is not overpacked. The remaining drawcord has a little pocket into which it must be stuffed and I thought that this might be more of a faff than it actually proves to be.
What this bag does do fantastically well is addresses many of the issues that have annoyed me about other bags and I’ll outline a few things.
I am astounded at how many rucksacks claiming to be ‘mountaineering bags’, don’t allow you to look up, whether wearing a helmet or not. Too many bags have shoulder straps that meet the back of the rucksack too low down, especially true on packs that have extensive top pocket space or a floating lid. This bag absolutely nails it, even with the inclusion of synching adjusters, the shoulder straps hit the rucksack at the top of the back panel. There is no more rucksack above shoulder level!
I wrestled with one particular un-named, top spec bag for a while. On paper, it is the Alpinist’s dream; breaking apart the enduring conundrum of weight versus durability, by producing bombproof, Kev- lar-reinforced packs, with credible back systems at less than a kilo. However, with all this going for them, I still to this day don’t understand how the resulting bag was the most unfriendly thing ever to use. Cry-me-a-river for the ‘teardrop shape’ that puts the load close to the climber’s body: You just need something that is rectangular in cross-section, with a big opening so that when it is blowing a gale and snowing or raining, you can get stuff in or out easily. Simond Alpinism 33, tick!
The Simond Alpinism 33 comes with a high specification. I wasn’t expecting much of a back system on a bag at this price, but this actually has a moulded plastic sheet, which both adds rigidity, making the bag easy to pack, and stops metalware digging in. There is also a metal stay to transfer weight between hips and shoulders. The ice axe storage system is as good as anything on the market, albeit similar to many other bags on the market; as I said earlier, if ain’t broken..... The lid is amply served with pockets, both an internal and external one, which can at a push take an OS map. The simple
‘What this bag does do fantastically well is addresses many of the issues that have annoyed me about other bags’
webbing hip belt is appropriate for a bag this size and can be stored well out of the way in the ice axe storage. I also like the added touch of reinforced plastic tubing around the base of the shoulder straps, which allows karabiners to be clipped easily here, increasing racking options especially when using lightweight harnesses. The bag comes in two back sizes, with contrasting colours, strangely interpreted as ‘men’s’ and ‘women’s’ when I looked in Chamonix. I would advocate the smaller back for anyone up to 6ft (and the turquoise colour is better than black). Surprisingly, the white back panel is still white on mine despite some hard usage.
Reflecting back to my VW Polo starting point, there will always be people out there
who will be seduced by the ‘top brands’, but I would really urge you to scrutinize the features. Thinking of some of the obvious competitors for this market (without naming names), ask the following: How is that drawcord closure going to work out for you when most of your walking is in wet Wales? Can you really make do with a small zip pocket instead of a proper top pocket? Although it might be expected from a product that was designed in the foothills of Mt Blanc, I was reassured by the number of serious-looking people using this pack in Cham this season. All I can say is that for £40, take the risk if you are in the market for a new daysack!
SIMOND
MODEL: ALPINISM
33L
PRICE: £39.99
ONLINE
DESIGNED
FOR: ROCK CLIMBER OR MOUNTAINEER DOING CLIMBS OVER ONE OR TWO DAYS, ON ALL TYPES OF TERRAIN, ROCK, SNOW OR ICE.
CAPACITY: 33L
SIZES: S/M (FOR USERS UPTO 170CM HEIGHT - TURQUOISE), L/XL (FOR USERS OVER 170CM HEIGHT - LAVENDER BLUE OR BLACK)
WEIGHT: 980G
DIMENSIONS: H 52 X W 25 X D 23 CM
RATINGS:
FEATURES: 4.5/5 VALUE FOR MONEY: 5/5 PERFORMANCE: 4.5/5 WEIGHT/SIZE: 4.5/5 OVERALL: 4.5/5
Cruising on Tower Ridge; the Alpinism 33 is full of useful winter mountaineering features and offers a sleek profile
ARMY MOUNTAINEER / 51