Montane Medusa 32 Rucksack / Backpack / Pack Review

Update October 2017 - this has been hammered, battered, bruised, used all over the UK and beyond and it's still my favourite pack most of the year round. Genuinely can't fault it, despite getting a bit sweaty at times! Will buy another one when it dies.


What an awesome pack. I could sum up the review in those four words but I'm guessing you'd like to know a bit more...?

Oh go on then... 

Having had a 30 litre Karrimor pack before, this is more of a quality pack with a number of neat touches, some of which you'll use and some of which you won't. Nice to have the opportunity though...

Picked up the pack for around £50 on offer which was great as it retails for around £65-£75. 

Montane Medusa 32

The pack has a single top opening with Montane's unique 'pull system' which means you grab the two sides of the top cord and pull it open. I like this system of opening and have found it pretty easy, even in snow with cold fingers and gloves on. To close, you hold one side of the pull cord and tug the other side.

Looking down on the pack (drawcords left and right)

The back of the pack has a foam padding in a delightful orange colour. The pack fits fairly close to the back so inevitably sweat can be a problem on your back. But this is something you learn to live with if you're like me and don't like 'mesh' or 'air gap' type packs that make you feel like you're falling backwards as the pack sits so far from your back! It's also proved pretty effective at shedding snow which is a nice bonus.

Back of the Montane Medusa 32

There is a 'buddy' pocket at the top of the pack which (as you can see) can be opened by your 'buddy'. The 'rim' (lip) of the pocket is reinforced so when the pocket is opened, items don't come cascading out. The minor 'downside' (if that's a fair term) is that when empty the top pocket 'sags' slightly as you can see.

The top stiffened pocket

Montane Medusa 32 'in action' !!

The pack fastens via a single clip that some have argued looks slightly flimsy (you can see it in the picture above in the centre of the pack). I haven't found it too bad at all.

Down to the underside of the pack, the pack is reinforced from the normal Raptor material. I did manage to put a small hole in it when I was crossing a river and slipped onto the rock and landed on my pack. But that would rip any pack. However, it is reinforced and this is a great touch. I fixed the pack with some Tenacious Tape inside and outside and it's worked fine.

On the 'back' of the pack (where the Medusa 32 logo is) there are a couple of tool loops which can also be tucked away into the pack.  These will take a couple of ice axes and will hold them in. There are youtube videos on how to do this, if you choose to stash ice axes in this way. The side compression straps can also be used to put the ice axe through and keep the axes upright.

Talking of compression, the Medusa features two compression straps on each side of the pack to compress the pack or hold in equipment etc. These are neatly placed and spaced helpfully. The sides of the pockets also see two stretchy pockets that will hold part of a bottle / flask etc and the lower compression strap can be used to secure such an item.

There is a waist strap and a chest strap. The waist strap is fairly padded and the right side features a pocket, again with a 'lip' to avoid items falling out. The left side has a loop on to stash any karabiners etc.

As with most packs, the main straps can be adjusted in terms of length and with a top adjustment to help align the pack with your body and your needs. 

The rucksack is hydration compatible with an inner hydration pack section and a feed out of the pack on the underside of the top left side of the lid. I've actually stopped using hydration bladders as just found them to be a bit of a nuisance!

Looking down into the pack (hydration bit just about visible!)

My overall conclusion of the pack is that it packs (boom boom) the perfect punch and really suits me. I've not fully packed it except in Winter so it does sometimes have a wee bit of a sag, but that's nothing unusual with most packs. The back of the frame is pretty stable and I'd say about the perfect balance for the size of pack. It's without doubt the best pack I've worn and useful for all year round. This has travelled across the Moors, across the mountains and in every season.

Not being someone who misses having a thousand pockets, it suits me perfectly. Minimalist and probably just about the right balance of weight and durability (although if you want ultra-durable and more weighty, you're better off looking to things like the Deuter Guide range). But for me this is a great pack. I've also got its older sibling - the Torque 40 but the Medusa 32 is my go-to pack for almost all 'proper' walks, outside of full winter conditions.

One final thing to mention is that the back material / waist strap material has been designed by Montane so that it is very easy going on fabrics like baselayers, being non-abrasive. So if you're like me and take good care of your outdoors clothing, this pack scores even higher!

Bear Grylls Survivor Trousers / Pants Review

So the Bear Grylls trousers have been in my kit bag for around 3 years or so now. Overall, they're lightweight, pretty breathable and pretty tough too.

Here's the manufacturer's spec:

• Fabrics: SolarDry polyamide supplex with stretch panels
• Weight: 450g
• Active fit
• Drying loops
• 9 pockets
• 2 with zip-fastening
• Tough supplex combined with stretch panels for unrestricted movement
• Heel tape

Stock image

And here's my impressions...

The trousers are very solidly built. I like the reinforced areas around the bottoms of the legs, the crampon protection (although I'd probably recommend gaiters as well if using in snow). There are pockets on either side and on both legs. Polyamide is a strong material.

However, the pockets on the legs of my version aren't quite big enough to easily hold a laminated (active) OS map. It does fit, but it's a bit of a squish (unlike the Craghoppers equivalent stretch / Craghoppers Kiwi originals)... 

Another downside that existed in my version (since corrected I believe) was that my 'waist' pockets were made of 'parachute' type fabric. This has unfortunately meant it's worn through (with keys / compasses / penknife etc) in there at various times. I believe the newer version pockets have stronger material.

The inside of the slightly mauled pocket

The material itself does seem durable and the stretchy parts are such an asset, having had the original kiwi crag hopper trousers (which are good for what they are, but not great). The reinforced areas are really well reinforced and this does help hold down the trousers on the 'shoe' area.

I was recommended to get the waist one size above my regular size when I purchased them (by online reviews on the Craghoppers site) and this was a good call. My legs are usually somewhere between the 29" and 31" sizing which many trousers seem to come in and these are no exceptions in terms of length.

The other thing about them is compared to say the brilliant Kiwi Stretch trousers, these Bear Grylls ones are noisy to wear and noisy when you move - they rustle, unlike the stretch pants... If this makes any difference.

However, they do look quite good (and a bit like the Montane Terra pants). I paid £25 for these and that was a good fair price. I expect them to last a while. I'd like the legs to be slightly longer but hey, you can't have everything!!

In use 'in the field' (well, on a fell)

Bear Grylls Long Sleeve (Half Zip) Base Top Review

So a baselayer is a baselayer hey?

Well, pretty much, yes. But there are some differences.

This review is of the Bear Grylls half zip baselayer (made by Craghoppers).

Close-up of our strange pose (well, me at least...)

For some reason, three of us decided to strike a pose near the top of Scafell and this is my 'third' of the picture - showing the Bear Grylls baselayer in all its glory.

The baselayer is a polyester one. To my knowledge there's no 'anti-pong' treatment to it as you get with some baselayers.

In use it's absolutely fine and no better or worse than most baselayers. I did found it made me feel slightly warmer as especially in the top half it's got a slightly 'closer' fit than some. Bu that's good in terms of wicking potential, getting that moisture out more quickly!

So the downside. The downside is a very poor fit. A few years ago, England football team brought out a red shirt which was very tight around the shoulders and quite loose around the lower half. This top must have had the same designer. The top doesn't quite have enough room around the shoulders, but has way too much material for the lower half. This means moisture won't wick so quickly but I guess does allow the breeze to blow up your back!

I'm a medium and wearing a medium in the picture. I'd suggest that the design was made on someone with small shoulders and with a very large belly as that's the kind of fit! Maybe I bought a second, not sure. The top has been upgraded recently but with this one I'd recommend trying on first.

However, in terms of baselayer performance it is perfectly adequate!

The silly pose

Marmot Tempo Softshell Review

What is a softshell?

Top of first part of Lord's Rake

Some say it's a marketing ploy. Others say it's a great piece of kit.

Basically it's another layer in your outdoors kit arsenal that provides some wind resistance, varying levels of insulation but usually fairly thin and something that is water resistant, dries relatively quickly and is incredibly breathable. They are often pretty resilient material too! The key word is usually 'breathable'.

The Marmot Tempo ticks all the boxes and is without doubt one of my favourite pieces of kit. The Marmot site says it is 521.6g in weight so it isn't ultra lightweight. However, it does what it does extremely well.

I've worn this all over the place in all kinds of weathers and have found it to be ultra-breathable and very durable indeed.

The Tempo is part of Marmot's range of soft shells and comes in their M3 range of clothing.

"M3 Softshells are the most breathable softshells in the collection, best for high aerobic activities in drier, milder conditions."

This means the Tempo excels when you're moving fast especially in fairly dry conditions. I've worn this piece of kit scrambling, climbing, walking and more. I love it.

My version of the Tempo has a slight 'two-tone' effect as you'll see in the picture of me below, pulling a ridiculous face (and holding a tissue for some reason) in the car park near Wasdale Head.

Wasdale Head looking ridiculous - me, not Wasdale...

The top left of the Tempo has a small pocket for valuables. The Tempo also has two easy to access pockets that I'd say are semi harness compatible. 

You'll see on the Marmot site that the top only has 4/5 and 5/5 reviews. People extol how breathable it is and that it's pretty wind resistant and I'd say amen to that. I've had no scuffs or anything in some varied use and that's a testimony to the fabric. It's not the absolute hardiest fabric but for me it strikes a great balance. 

If I were winter climbing more in this jacket I'd be tempted to go to the M2 fabric which is hardier, although less breathable. For the UK climate, I'd say the Marmot Tempo is a perfect top!

In terms of sizing, it's a regular and accurate fit. The top is slightly 'athletic' in terms of fitting. To give you some idea, I'm 5'11" and have an athletic type of build (not a lot of fat praise God). The medium fits me perfectly!

Top of the first part of Lord's Rake