Millet Pro Lighter 38 + 10

This spring I received one of Millet's lightweight mountaineering packs, the Pro Lighter 38 + 10, and I have been using it nonstop since.

I got it to replace my worn out 35L pack. Normally I would use a smaller pack for day trips, but I had two other requirements in mind for this pack other than light weight. I wanted it to work for overnight ski and mountaineering trips, and it needed to be big enough to hold climbing rope inside of it while approaching climbs.

Here are my thoughts after 4 months of using the pack everywhere from mountaineering trips in the Joffre Group and Rogers Pass to ski mountaineering in Argentina. First off, I like its clean design. It has no extra junk hanging off it, which is part of what keeps it light. The other main reason for its light weight is its internal fibreglass frame. I also like how you can remove your ice axe without having to take off the pack. After all, the more time you stop to fuss with gear, the less time you are climbing or skiing. The inside of the pack is constructed with a light coloured fabric, which helps to brighten things up so you don't need a headlamp to see what is in your pack in the middle of the day. The hip belt, top lid, and fibreglass internal frame are all removable, which allows you to customize the pack to your chosen objective. I, for one, will commonly remove the top lid for short day trips requiring less gear. There are purpose built ski carry points under the lower compression straps, so if you want to have only one pack for summer and winter this could be the one for you.  

Hiking with a heavy load through bamboo in Argentina

You may want to go with the 30L version if you are not planning on using it for overnight trips as, like all packs, the Pro Lite functions better when it is full. If this was going to be my main ski pack I would also build a diagonal ski carry for it as I think this is a handy feature. Thank you to Millet for the support.