As of 2016, the Mammut Light Protection is Discontinued
REASONS TO BUY
Super light
Slightly adjustable torso length
Great airbag system
Comfortable
REASONS TO AVOID
Preformance on the down is average
Skiing carry system is just okay
Mammut Light Protection Review
Mammut Light Protection Airbag pack
Credit: Mammut
Our Verdict
Our Analysis and Test Results
Airbag Features
Travel Considerations
A big advantage of the Mammut Light Protection Airbag pack for air travel is the use of compressed air rather than compressed nitrogen. TSA and the FAA let you fly with empty compressed air canisters if they are in your checked baggage.
When flying, put your empty canister in the box it came in. This way TSA will know it is a compressed air canister and not full of nitrogen. You can go the extra lengths to put a note saying it's empty and that it's for an avalanche airbag pack.
Comfort and Fit
A cool feature of the Mammut Light Protection Airbag and other Mammut PAS ready packs is that there are two to three inches of adjustment to the height of the frame. This is important to the PAS system because you need to have the airbag line up with your head for effective protection. This also gives the pack a wider range of people who it will fit. On the flip side one, of the first things you'll notice when you put on the Mammut Light Protection Airbag pack is how wide the shoulder straps are. This does a great job of spreading the weight out and the shoulder straps feel great even after a few days with a 35-pound load. However, narrow shouldered people may have a hard time fitting into them.
Performance on the Down
Performance on the down measures how well the pack moves with us and hugs our bodies while descending while skiing or snowboarding. The Mammut Light Protection Airbag does pretty well on the down, but some of our testers think it felt a little stiff when fully loaded and it didn't quite ride as well as the ABS Vario 40L. We think the performance on the down is comparable to the Ortovox 32 + 7.
The full length side access zipper on the Mammut Light Protection avalanche airbag pack.
Credit: Ian Nicholson
Backcountry Utility
The Mammut Light Protection Airbag, like the name indicates, is a lightweight pack and doesn't have as many features as many other packs we tested. However, it does have almost all the key features and is a solid all-around touring and ski mountaineering pack. It doesn't have a separate zippered pocket accessible from the outside for snow safety gear, but other than that it has everything we like in a backcountry touring pack. The Mammut Light Protection Airbag is a traditional top-loading pack with a non-removable lid. The avy gear/dry pocket is on the inside. At first, we thought this was going to be a pain to skin in and out of, but after using it for a few days, we found it wasn't a big deal. We also think that Light Protection Airbag pack feels bigger than it's 30L would have you believe. The top lid is well designed and is easy to access even when the pack is pretty full. For the touring/ski mountaineering minded users, the Mammut Light Protection Airbag is one of the few packs that have two ice tool holders. There is one small pocket on the waist belt that easily fits a few Gu's or a ski strap, but it will only fit smaller than average point-and-shoot cameras. Another nice feature of the Light Protection Airbag is that when you take the airbag and canister out it is a pretty darn light pack. It even makes for a great summer mountaineering pack, which adds to this packs versatility.
Showing the internal snow safety gear pocket on the Mammut Light Protection airbag pack. This pock is large and fits nearly any size probe and shovel and features plenty of room for skins but wasn't as convenient as other outside zippered avy gear pockets
Credit: Ian Nicholson
Carrying Skis/Snowboard
The Mammut Light Protection Airbag can carry skis or a snowboard fairly well, and scored average well in our side-by-side comparison. Something that very few other airbags can do is A-Frame skis on the sides, using its compression straps. This is great for long carries through the woods, but is not recommended in situations where there is even slight possibility that you will have to deploy your airbag — the skis will obstruct the airbag. The straps on the back of the pack can be used to diagonally carry skis. The Mammut Light Protection Airbag pack held tightly in our comparisons. They also worked pretty well for carrying a snowboard; like other Mammut airbag packs were among the best for this purpose. We like the ski carrying system a little more than that of the ABS Vario 30 and 40, but it wasn't as easy or as quick as the Backcountry Access Float 22 or Float 32.
The Ski carrying system on the Mammut Light Protection avalanche airbag pack.
Credit: Ian Nicholson
Overall Cost Breakdown
The cost of airbag packs can be confusing because some manufacturers include the cartridge in the price while others do not. Some companies sell options without the airbag system or base unit, so make sure you know what you are buying. With the Mammut Light Protection Airbag you can buy it with the airbag in it for $900 but that doesn't include the canister ($200). They are sold separately for $700 for the PAS system and Mammut Light Protection Airbag Ready for $309, so it's a better deal to buy it prepackaged.
—
Ian Nicholson
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