Mammut Light Protection Review

Name: Mammut Light Protection
Brand: Mammut

mammut light protection avalanche airbag review — Mammut Light Protection Airbag pack
Credit: Mammut

View at Mammut

Price: $900 List

Manufacturer: Mammut

By Ian Nicholson ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ Nov 12, 2015

Our Verdict

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

The Mammut Light Protection Airbag was nearly one of our OutdoorGearLab Top Picks for multi-day and hut-to-hut adventures and although it was barely edged out by the Black Diamond Saga 40 JetForce it remains a strong contender in this category. At 6 lbs for everything (airbag/canister/pack) the Light Protection Airbag is one of the lightest airbag packs on the market and far lighter than almost everything in this volume category. The only pack that is lighter is the Mammut Light Removable 3.0 at 5 lbs 10 oz, which is also modular, but only features Mammut's RAS system and not their PAS system. Despite these two packs claiming to be 30L, the Light Protection feels noticeable bigger. On top of its weight-to-volume ratio the Mammut Light Protection Airbag also features Mammut's PAS system, which we think is the second best airbag system available, just barely being edged out by the Black Diamond JetForce electric powered fan system, which offers a few but maybe not deal-breaking differences. We also love its adjustable length back frame. While it doesn't adjust much, it fits a wider range of users. The downside? Like many lightweight packs, the Mammut Light Protection Airbag has minimal features. While we feel it has all the key features of a good lightweight touring pack, it certainly doesn't have any extras. If $900 is out of the budget, check out our Best Buy winner, the Backcountry Access Float 32 ($550).

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.

mammut light protection avalanche airbag review - the full length side access zipper on the mammut light protection... — 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.

mammut light protection avalanche airbag review - showing the internal snow safety gear pocket on the mammut light... — 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.

mammut light protection avalanche airbag review - the ski carrying system on the mammut light protection avalanche... — 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