 |
OMM description: An advanced mountaineering pack from Mike Parsons of OMM.
|
I wanted to try the OMM Villain 45+10 pack and matching Trio 4l chest pouch for a couple of reasons:- firstly I'm interested in the advantage of splitting a load between front and back, and secondly my continuing quest to find a better solution for carrying the camera. I telephoned BackpackingLight and checked that it was ok to try them at home and return them if they were not suitable, and I duly added them to our order.
After a good inspection and trial at home I returned the Villain and kept the Trio pouch for further experimentation. This is therefore just a brief summary of my observations about the Villain and how it compares with the Golite LiteSpeed, my current solo pack which is roughy the same weight: just over 1.1kg. Technical information can be found on the OMM website which has a downloadable product manual.
First impressions of a pack and poking around a bit give an instant vibe about its overall build quality, and the Villain inspired confidence right away - it feels very well made.
The pack designer Mike Parsons is a climber and skier, and this technical background is highly apparent in many aspects of the Villain, indeed the product manual describes it as a climbing pack and mountaineering pack. There are under-lid attachment points for ropes and a plethora of ways to carry a wide range of climbing equipment. All this is of no consequence to general backpackers apart from the ice axe loops.
The body is unusually slim, a trait of alpine packs to assist scrambling through narrow gullies I think, but it doesn't need to be that narrow for general backpacking. In fact it's slightly better to be wider and shallower - that would move the centre of mass inwards towards the body a little. The only packs that might cause difficulty on the occasional scrambly bits are those monsters with large side bellows pockets that stick out a mile and make the unfortunate wearer look like he's being crucified.
The overall feel of a pack is a highly personal thing: as we always say, you don't carry it, you wear it. The Villain is designed to be strippable down to a much lower lean weight by removing components, but most of the optional weight is the main shaped backpad that forms the pack frame, which I would never remove. The removable lumbar support pad that cushions the base of the back is a separate thick square pad, and I could feel it as a pressure area, unlike the LiteSpeed which has a conventional all-in-one shaped frame/lumbar pad and I'm completely unaware of it. Modular systems are versatile, but in some respects are not as good as integrated ones in my experience.
I'm not sure of the thinking behind the side pockets:- I noticed that they stay in the open position normally and have a drawcord to pull them closed. I found it considerably harder to retrieve and replace my water bottle with this arrangement than on the LiteSpeed, which has simple mesh pockets with elasticated rims - they don't need any cord mechanism and are easier to use, and no less secure even for small items.
The Naase cord was something of a headscratcher and I failed to think of a use for it with my gear, a component I would very probably remove!.
The item of most interest on the Villain was the MSC (Multi Sport Compressor):- an area of tough material attached to the pack body with adjustable straps and buckles that can be extended outwards enough to accomodate bulky things like a climbing helmet. I hoped that this would be logically equivalent to the large external pocket on the LiteSpeed where I now carry the tent and other items that I want outside the main compartment. With the top end secured below the lid strap, I found that the tent could be carried very effectively behind the MSC, but nothing else. The area is too small, but even if it was bigger I couldn't carry any more items in it because the sides are open. Once again the simplicity of the LiteSpeed made it far more effective and versatile for my backpacking: that simple large pocket securely holds my tent, windshell, overtrousers, gloves, gaiters, trowel and rolled mapcase, while the bungee cord can easily accomodate waterproof and fleece when required. It's so good that I would be reluctant to buy a pack without one now.
The standard pull-over lid was fine, the only feature sadly lacking on the LiteSpeed but it's not a big deal. The UGR (Universal Gear Rail) is a grandiose name for a system of straps that enables a variety of equipment to be attached securely with minimal weight, a feature that I probably wouldn't use and I didn't try any of its configurations.
I had assumed that the Villain would have custom attachment points specifically for the Trio chest pouch, but apparently not (unless i've missed something). I pondered how to attach the Trio for quite a while and came to the conclusion that it's just the two velcro loops that attach through the D-rings on the main straps, on other packs they can loop through anything convenient. They fitted to the LiteSpeed through the reflective strips but I might try to rig up a better connection.
The Villain seems to be a very high quality lightweight pack that proudly boasts its climbing and winter sport origins, and a great deal of thought has obviously gone into the meticulous design from that viewpoint. As a backpacker with no interest in carrying such equipment I found it a bit fussy and technical. Some of its clever design aspects could be made simpler and more effective for my general backpacking.