Montane Ultra Tour 40 Backpack Review

I’ve had the Montane Ultra Tour 40 since around 2016, and it’s still the pack I reach for on trips when I need something relatively small, simple and very lightweight. Despite the fabric being quite thin, it’s stood up well over time, having been on trips to Austria, Croatia, France, Germany, Montenegro, Slovenia and Switzerland, from hiking and cycling to photographing carnivals.

The soft but well-padded back system (Montane’s ‘Comfort Vent Back Pad’) is simple but effective, and providing you pack carefully fits well against the back. At 734g it’s certainly light enough. The roll-down top is excellent, and I’ve found the cinch straps on the sides very effective at compressing loads – with the top rolled right down and the side straps pulled tight, I’ve taken the Ultra Tour 40 as hand luggage (maximum height 55cm, max depth 20cm or 25 cm) without any problems. There’s a nice attention to detail – small zipped pouches on the hip belt, a small stretch pouch on the shoulder strap, roomy stretch pockets on the sides (good for a water flask without it falling out). The huge exterior stretch pouch on the front is useful for throwing anything in from a jacket to a tote (if I’m taking the Ultra Tour as hold luggage, I tend to throw in an old, lightweight tote to protect the thin fabric). I found the fabric wets through very quickly even in light rain. All in all, I’ve found this to be a versatile little pack.

Review date: October 2021 | Back to reviews