If you're after a rugged mountaineering-style rucksack for winter or alpine use, the Berghaus Extrem MTN Guide 45 is hoping to pitch for your business. Here, we put it to the test to see if it's a purchase worth making...
The Berghaus Extrem series is the brand’s premium range of outdoor kit: true ‘top of the mountain’ gear designed for technical outdoor use in the most demanding conditions.
First conceived and launched back in 1986, Extrem clothing and equipment went on to kit out a number of expeditions in the world’s great ranges, from the Alps to the Himalayas.
In recent years, however, it hasn’t always been a constant in the Berghaus line-up, appearing and disappearing from the British brand’s extensive range as they've seemingly focused on more accessible ‘entry level’ gear intended for casual or weekend outdoor use.
In fact, before the latest releases, the last dedicated Berghaus Extrem collection came back in 2016. The autumn/winter 2022 season, however, saw Berghaus revive the Extrem brand and produce a capsule collection of clothing and equipment.
A welcome addition to the brand’s outdoor offerings, it’s designed to prove that Berghaus is still very much one of the big-name heavyweights when it comes to manufacturing elite mountain gear.
The line-up included the MTN Guide 45, a burly winter-ready technical pack with customisable features that can be stripped back for fast and light alpine adventures.
Pros
- Tough and weatherproof
- Secondary access to main compartment
- Available in two torso lengths
Cons
- Not the most comfortable to carry
- Slightly awkward hipbelt
| Weight: | 1.62kg (1.15kg stripped) / 3 lb 9 oz (2 lbs 9 oz stripped) |
| Volume: | 45L |
| Sizes: | Reg or Short back lengths (unisex) |
| Materials: | 100% recycled 400D nylon and 600D dope-dyed polyester ripstop. External TPU coating, with recycled nylon components. |
Design and features
This is a true ‘bomber’ mountain pack that's both extremely tough and very weatherproof. It has a clean and streamlined look but is fully featured.
The big main compartment has a drawcord closure protected by a floating lid, which fastens with a chunky single metal buckle.
If desired, however, you can remove the lid and fold over the top of the pack to create a secure, weatherproof roll-top closure instead. A removable rope strap doubles as top compression.
The sides of the pack feature dual-buckled side webbing straps, which can be used as compression or to lash extra kit. Again, these are removable if you want to strip the pack to save weight. There are also ski carriers at the base.
The front panel has extended daisy chain webbing and multiple attachment points for ice axes or trekking poles, plus an oversized grab handle/haul loop. The pack is also supplied with a mesh net, which enables you to carry a climbing helmet on the top or front.
As all these features suggest, this is a pack aimed at climbers, alpinists and mountaineers rather than hillwalkers – though if you prefer a no-nonsense design and are hard on your gear, the MTN Guide 45’s robust build quality and fuss-free strippable approach will doubtless appeal.
Harness and back system
The pack has a U-shaped internal wire frame for load-carrying grunt, with Berghaus’s Biofit back panel.
It’s made from moulded foam overlaid with fabric, designed to offer stability and support as well as shedding snow and ice easily. A central channel helps it to contour to the shape of your spine, but it’s certainly not the plushest back system.
Nor is the harness, which has fairly minimalist shoulder straps and hip fins. They’re designed to offer maximum freedom of movement on steep or vertical terrain, but don’t expect too much in the way of padded comfort.
On the other hand, the shoulder straps are fitted with load lifters and a sliding chest strap, which offers considerably more adjustment than many other mountain packs. The buckle on the chest strap also has an excellent safety whistle.
The hip fins can be removed if you don’t want anything to obstruct a climbing harness, but for general winter hillwalking and mountaineering, you’ll probably want them to help with load transfer.
They can be cinched in tight with a forward pull system, but on test I found it a little awkward, leaving a lot of excess webbing to tuck away.
The plastic waist buckle could also be a little easier to use with bulky winter gloves on – I wish Berghaus would go back to their excellent old-school Berg Buckle for their technical packs…
As a plus, it’s worth noting that unlike many rivals, this pack is available in short (16”) and regular (18”) back lengths, which expands the fit range to suit different users.
Pockets and storage
The MTN Guide 45’s technical focus means it lacks the usual side stretch pockets or zippered hipbelt pockets typically found on a hiking pack, but it does have two pockets in the lid. The outer lid pocket is roomy enough to take gloves and a Buff, and also has a plastic key clip.
You’ll find another handy zippered pocket inside the main compartment, along with a hydration sleeve and two Velcro loops for stashing tent/trekking poles, an avalanche probe or a snow shovel handle.
There’s a central exit port to thread a drinking tube through, too, so you could use a water reservoir if you wanted.
However, doing this obstructs what is otherwise one of the pack’s standout features: the zippered back panel, which allows you to get to the main compartment via the back of the pack.
This allows you to get to your gear without having to unbuckle the lid or unstrap kit that might be lashed to the front and sides of the pack.
Performance and comfort
If you’re a climber or mountaineer, you’ll doubtless appreciate the pack’s technical features, as well as the ability to customise it as desired, by stripping away stuff you won’t use or need. It’s particularly well suited for winter use, thanks to its super-tough build quality and excellent weatherproofing.
As such, it also makes a decent winter hillwalking pack, and though some of the more technical elements might be overkill, other design details like the rear zippered access are very practical when out on the hill in snow and ice. It’s nice and roomy, too, which means it easily swallows a full array of winter kit.
Comfort is a mixed bag. On the one hand, the pack’s streamlined shape and low-profile harness give excellent stability when moving across steep or technical ground, even when fully loaded.
But the shoulder straps, back panel and hip fins aren’t built with comfort in mind. There is a little padding, but we wouldn’t exactly describe it as plush.
Sustainability
The MTN Guide 45 scores well on the sustainability front. The main body is made from TPU-coated 400-denier nylon. This fabric is 100% recycled, as is the plastic hardware.
Other panels are made from 600D ripstop polyester, which are dope-dyed to reduce water waste. TPU lamination is also more eco-friendly than traditional water repellent finishes. It’s great to see top-end kit being manufactured sustainably.
Price and competition
This is a premium pack priced at £200 (UK RRP) and, although it’s been on the market for a couple of years now, we haven’t seen it heavily discounted yet.
Is it worth the money? Well, it’s undoubtedly one of the toughest and most well-built packs I've tested.
Thanks to its array of strippable features, plus the immense practicality of that handy rear zip access, it’s also user-friendly for a technical pack. If those are your priorities, it’s a good choice for climbers, mountaineers and winter hillwalkers – but more casual hikers should look elsewhere.
In terms of the competition, I think this pack trades punches with the best, but in my opinion it is just shaded by the Mammut Trion 50, our best-in-test winner for 2024. That pack shares many of the same features but also adds even more all-round versatility.
Having said that, the fabrics aren’t quite as robust, so if you’re particularly hard on your gear, then the Berghaus might be the better choice.
Verdict
The Berghaus Extrem MTN Guide 45 is a very tough and weatherproof technical pack built to handle rock, snow and ice – but the design prioritises durability and functionality over carrying comfort.
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About the author
Matt Jones is a freelance journalist based in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, he’s a vastly experienced gear tester and self-confessed outdoor kit geek. Matt’s been one of our main gear testers for the last couple of years and is the first person we call with any complicated kit queries that need in-depth and forensic analysis.