It’s impossible not to be impressed by this incredibly lightweight, durable, ski touring backpack
Why We Chose Klattermusen Ull Blot Backpack: Durable build, environmentally friendly, versatile
It seems strange to say that Klattermusen, who have won multiple industry awards in recent years, have been flying under the radar but there’s just something about the Swedish mountaineering brand that screams ‘if you know, you know’, something about them that’s a little bit ‘best kept secret.’
Klattermusen, which means ‘climbing mouse’ in Swedish’, are experts when it comes to knowing what’s needed by people who live for getting vertical. Their lightweight, and funky-looking, Ull Blot backpack really underlines their quality. Ideally suited to mountain missions, it’s a product that went straight into our OD 100 list when we saw it at ISPO 2020.
Who Is The Klattermusen Ull Blot Backpack For?
The Klattermusen Ull Blot backpack doesn’t literally have the words ‘ski touring backpack’ stamped all over it, but it might as well have. Everything about it is made with backcountry adventures in mind, and it’s a serious bit of kit for serious mountain explorers.
Metal buckles have been used to improve durability. Photo: Mike Brindley
If you’re a South Downs hillwalker, looking for a daypack to carry your packed lunch, you’re best off looking elsewhere as a number of the Ull Blot’s best features would be made utterly redundant in such a casual environment.
Materials
If you’re looking at the photos of the Ull Blot and are feeling like you like the look of it but would prefer it in forest green, sunshine yellow, or day-glo orange, we should point out here and now that the backpack only comes in one form. This isn’t merely an aesthetic choice from Klattermusen though, it’s also an environmental one.
The Ull Blot is made from undyed, 100% recycled polyamide. Photo: Mike Brindley
The backpack is Fluorocarbon-free. Photo: Mike Brindley
The roll top design gives adjustable storage space. Photo: Mike Brindley
The Ull Blot is made from undyed, 100% recycled polyamide and is reinforced with durable Aramid and Kevlar. Speaking of its environmental credentials, this backpack is also Fluorocarbon-free.
Features
Starting from the top and working our way down, the Ull Blot has a cinch closure system for easy one-handed access. The ability to roll the top to compress it, in order to keep it close to your back, is another nice touch in this area.
Move into the guts of the backpack, which offers the user 30L worth of storage, and you’ll find a safety pocket for avalanche tools. The internal space offered by the backpack, it’s worth adding, can be adjusted via the Ull Blot’s compression straps. This means you can optimise the pack’s shape to suit your situation.
The roll top ensures the load is well compressed, no matter the pack size. Photo: Jordan Tiernan
The distinct loop webbing on the outside of the backpack is ideal for attaching equipment like ski poles and ice axes. Your climbing rope can be easily attached to the side of the Ull Blot, and the hipbelt pocket here is great for storing smaller items. While we’re on the subject of storage, the side zip on the Ull Blot is good because it allows for quick, easy, access to your essentials when you’re up on the mountain.
Other features worth shouting about include the S-shaped shoulder straps for maximum movability, the removable backplate to make the already lightweight 850g backpack even lighter, the top tension locks for increased stability, and the padded back with ventilation channels (useful on those bluebird days when you’re really working up a sweat).
Lightweight and Durable
When it comes to outdoor kit, making something that’s durable and lightweight is no mean feat. Credit then to Klattermusen, who’ve married the two factors together here in an item that can more than hold its own in rocky, craggy, terrain.
The compression straps can also fit a sleeping mat. Photo: Jordan Tiernan
Thanks to the Ull Blot’s streamlined, and stripped back, design – as well as that removable backplate – this product comes across less like a backpack and more like one of those mega tough military jeeps that’s had a load of the unnecessary extras stripped off it.
The Aramid reinforcement and use of Kevlar fibres – which also features in bulletproof vests – are two of the main reasons this product brings such reassuring durability to your big mountain adventures.
Conclusion
With an RRP of £300, and a ‘love it or hate it’ aesthetic (we love it), there’s no getting away from the fact that the Klattermusen Ull Blot won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. That’s ok though. It’s not designed for the everyman, not designed for everyday outdoor missions. It’s a specialist product for specialist adventures. If that sounds like your kind of thing, we can’t recommend it enough.
Tester’s Verdict
Holly Burns, Outdoors Magic gear tester
“The Klattermusen Ull Blot has joined me in the wild Scottish Highlands, over classic Lake District scrambles and simple hiking in the South Downs. Throughout these trips, I’ve become a big fan of the simple, yet functional design of it.
“Although originally designed for ski touring, on first inspection, I was very impressed with all its different features that also make it suitable for a wild camping adventure for those who prefer to pack lightweight. I really like the simplistic / clean design which means that there’s less to go wrong or break on this pack.
The Ull Bolt remained stable for our test team, even over challenging terrain, with large loads. Photo: Jordan Tiernan
“For me, a roll top is the best way to design a backpack. It means that I’ve been able to pack it over its basic capacity and when it’s not full, it’s great to be able to cinch it down to keep the load stable.
“Internally the bag has a waterproof pocket, In winter you could use this for avalanche gear but on a wet day in the Lake District it was perfect for putting extra dry clothes / layers. There is also another smaller internal pocket which is great for smaller items such as your head torch / first aid kit / valuables to stop them floating and keep them all in one place.
“The shape of this bag, to me, is aesthetically pleasing and when packed to full capacity it’s very easy to fill small pockets of space.”
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