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The first impression is the most important, at least that’s what they say. And if that also counts for backpacks, then Ortovox did a really good job with their Trad climbing backpack. At the first sight, the Trad looks very sleek, simple, and cleaned up and the color choice is just typical for ORTOVOX – bright and loud. These design features are characteristic of the Bavarian outdoor specialist and made the brand very popular over the past years. So what is it about this backpack, and what innovations is ORTOVOX bringing us in the field of climbing backpacks?
To find out, I headed for the outdoors and tested the medium-sized Trad in the 25L version for about a month. Some easier climbs and shorter multi-pitch routes were on the program. This is of course not enough for a final verdict but a decent way to get a first deeper impression of this backpack. Naturally, this short period of testing has not been suitable, among others, to evaluate the durability of the product.
Ortovox Trad 25 climbing backpack – A true back HUGGER
The definition of lightweight
The first that catches your attention when you pick up the Trad is the weight. With its 750g, this backpack is the definition of lightweight. At least compared with my good old Deuter Guide Lite 24, which weighs 1100g. Weight to me is one of the key facts when picking a climbing backpack, especially when shaving off the grams doesn’t mean less wearing comfort. And that’s what impressed me the most about the Trad. The backpack fits perfectly on the shoulders and the straps felt super comfy. Even though the material feels soft and light, it doesn’t lose its much-needed sturdiness.
To give things a relaxed go I took the Trad for a little spin on the trails with my bike and used it as a classic hiking backpack. Just to see how it performs. And even though the Trad is not meant for this kind of action, in particular, its slim fit, lightness, and high wearing comfort were convincingly great for that kind of activity.
Allround-zipper makes you happy
With this feature, the Trad got another huge plus – the new zipper which opens to 2/3 of the volume of the whole backpack. It makes it much easier to access equipment buried deep down in the depths of the pack. So you don’t have to dig around your backpack for too long, no matter what you are out for and how neat and tidy you packed it. Yet another reason why the backpack has its all-around qualities, at least as long as you don’t overpack it. That wasn’t an issue with the 25L Trad, but it would be something to consider with its bigger brother, the Ortovox Trad 35L. With 10L more it is designed for longer alpine climbs was a load of 10kg and more is most likely.
Innovative lid opening
The ORTOVOX Trad 25 comes with an innovative lid that can be closed with one pull. This new closing system works perfectly when you keep the pack’s volume in mind. Because if you tend to over-stuff your bags, this system might become a bit problematic. The downside is that you cannot “cheat” with the volume of the backpack and stuff things between bag and lid. Which in reality means, that you need to answer one question beforehand: what is the activity I am taking the Trad for, and how much storage do I need? In case of doubts, rather go for the larger 35L version. This means a mere hundred grams more weight but you gain 10L of loading capacity.
With this limitation in mind, I personally would have preferred to have the Trad featured with the classic top lid pocket (and a small inner pocket) because it offers more flexibility when it comes to packing.
Simple and clean – inside and outside
Apart from the top lid pocket, the ORTOVOX Trad doesn’t have any other pockets which can be accessed from the outside. A small pocket for your valuables or keys is placed on the lid side of the bag. This makes it super fast and easy to access. A nice feature for the weight-fetishists: you have the possibility to easily pull out the flexible aluminum frame from the back system of the Trad. This way you can save some weight and turn the Trad into a flexible climbing “sack”.
Moreover, with the Trad 35L version you can also remove the waist strap and therefore save additional grams.
Heavier objects such as hydration systems can be strapped central inside the backpack with an elastic strap for optimal weight balance. Gear loops, ski straps (A-Fix), and ice ax loops make the Trad suitable for all-year mountaineering and a good option for ice climbing and ski touring.
The rope is meant to be adjusted to the top of the bag. There you can fix it neatly, choosing a side or top hook for fixation (see photo below). This works fine, apart from slightly interfering access to the lid pocket. Another set of straps would have been nice if just to keep the option for additional load on top AND lateral but that idea might not fit the sleek look of the backpack.
Integrated Recco safety system
Trad 25 backpacks have an integrated Recco Reflector, which reflects signals e.g. rescue helicopters to allocate people in case of emergency much easier and faster. Originally, the Recco Rescue System was developed for avalanche accidents and it is well known for its presence in skiing clothing. Newly, ORTOVOX uses it in its Trad backpacks. It is a nice-to-have feature that might be helpful in case of emergencies.
ORTOVOX Trad 25 – conclusion
The Trad 25 is a real climbing expert with a focus on multi-pitch climbing. There it turns out to be the great companion you have been looking for. Considering allround aspects like weight, wearing comfort, and handling, it even may become your next go-to backpack.
To sum up, ORTOVOX developed a great new backpack with some innovations which work out fine for climbers – and not only for climbers.
The Trad is available in different variants of 18L, 22L, 24L, 26L, 28L, 33L, and 35L. The backpacks are available in different colors and also in size S with a shorter back length:
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