Montane Women's Azote 30L Backpack review: functional and light for easy overnights

Montane Women's Azote 30L Backpack: first impressions

This women's hiking backpack is billed as a “go-anywhere, do-anything daypack” by Montane owing to its versatility. It’s designed to be small and light enough to be used for a longer day hike where you’re carrying a lot of extra layers, lunch and even safety gear such as an emergency shelter or ice axes. That said, it’s roomy enough that you can also load it up with lightweight camping gear for a minimalist backpacking adventure too. The main compartment is enhanced by three stretchy external pockets plus a large lid pocket for smaller gear, and the hydration bladder sleeve saves you room on water bottles. 

The women’s-specific fit, breathable back panel and padded straps make for a comfortable carry even when you wear it all day long in warmer weather. The top lid is designed to be removable, though we can’t imagine when we would need to remove it and found that its design was a little unwieldy if the main compartment isn’t packed full, but other than that we found this to be well-designed for hiking and plane travel. We only wish it had an integrated rain cover for wet adventures.

Montane Women's Azote 30L Backpack: in the field

I’ve been seeking the perfect 30 liter pack for a while. I have a few daypacks in the 20 liter region and a couple that are in the 45 - 65 realm and nothing in between. So needless to say, I was pleased to have the opportunity to get my hands on this mid-sized pack. I’ve been hiking with it for a few months now, on longer day trips where I’ve been doing a section of the West Highland Way, one night backpacking trips over the summer and I even used it as my carry on for a few flights to Geneva this fall.

Here’s how it performed:  

Comfort and breathability

I can definitely recommend this bag from a comfort standpoint. This design is women's-specific and even though it doesn’t come in different sizes, I’ve found I’ve been able to adjust it to fit really well and the breathable mesh back panel was a relief during our summer heatwave.

Weight and storage

For how much this pack carries, it’s really light and doesn’t add any notable weight to my load. The main compartment is roomy enough to load up with my overnight gear and has a big top opening so it’s easy to pack and rummage through. In addition, two stretchy side pockets easily fit water bottles and rolled up sleeping pads, while a further stretchy pocket on the front is great for sliding in books and maps.

The lid pocket is also giant and has two zipped compartments for smaller pieces of gear. I did have a bit of an issue with the lid pocket, however. It’s designed to be removable, but I can’t imagine why I’d ever do that, and the design means it’s a bit annoying if the main compartment isn’t completely stuffed. It sort of hangs half way down the pack and swings around a bit. I’d recommend they lose a little unnecessary versatility there and just go with a regular design.

Straps and versatility

I've definitely tested a Montane pack in the past where I was a bit baffled by all the straps and buckles, but this one is more straightforward.

The main shoulder and hip straps are padded, comfortable and easy to adjust and there are plenty of compression straps to contain a heavy load. I have trouble with the so-called off-center Click and Go chest harness which I’ve encountered with other Montane packs too. I tend to think all chest straps are “click and go” and can’t quite figure out how the design of this makes anything easier (if anything, it’s more fiddly than a regular buckle) so I tend not to bother using it. 

It appears that it’s designed to slide up and down so that if you have breasts, it doesn’t get in the way, but I have yet to figure out how to move it.

Value 

This is a good price for the quality and how much storage you get and you could easily use this for overnight adventures and save quite a bit on a larger pack if you’re willing to travel lighter.

Montane Women's Azote 30L Backpack: the bottom line

Have I found my perfect 30 liter pack? Not quite, but I like this for a lot of reasons. For a mid-sized pack that can be used on both a day hike or an overnight, this is a worthy contender featuring great storage and lightweight versatility. That said, the lid pocket can get annoying if the main compartment isn’t full, so if you’re planning on using this primarily for day hikes, you might want to keep looking.

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