Black Diamond Speed 30 Pack | Performance

Compared to other technical packs we’ve reviewed – the Patagonia Ascensionist 30 and the Lowe Alpine Ascent 32 – which have been stripped back and lidless, the Speed 30 is a more traditional design complete with a detachable floating lid, a spindrift skirt to stop snow sneaking into the main compartment and all mod cons including a hydration sleeve and full weight axe attachments.

It’s still reasonably light even so thanks to selective use of fabrics: 210d lightweight fabric on the main body, but thicker, tougher 420D on the base of the pack, where abrasion is most likely.

The upside is that you get not just some padding in the thermoformed, anti-snow back-panel, there’s also a (removable) frame plate come foam pad with a metal cross-tube that means heavier loads don’t overwhelm things.

It’s hardly a luxurious carry, but it’s stable and well supported and stays close to your back. The floating lid means you can overload it more easily if you need to and there’s also a simple rope-carrying strap under the double closure, spindrift-cheating lid.

You also get two lid-pockets – handy – twin ice-tool attachments – see images above – and, although they’re not pictured, 20cm removable straps to allow you to lash your crampons to a reinforced section of the front centre of the pack.

There’s a low profile padded hip-belt with two dinky gear loops and a couple of ice-screw carrier attachment points too.

In standard trim, it’s a comprehensively specced, all-round pack, but you can shed a bunch of weight by taking off the lid and removing the frame-sheet (easy) and the padded section of the hip-belt (fiddly). Do that and overall weight falls from 1230g to just under 800g, though of course you lose some support and functionality at the same time.