Aiguille Alpine Cirrus

I’m not a gadget man at the best of times, but if there is one thing I loathe it is gimmicky features on rucksacks. As far as I’m concerned a rucksack should basically consist of a hardwearing bag with a drawstring closure, two padded shoulder straps, a lid with zipped pocked, a hip belt, a bit of back padding and not much else. Okay, a simple way of attaching ice axes and crampons to the outside is useful and a plastic clip inside the lid pocket for attaching one’s car keys comes in pretty handy, but most other features are seldom used and unnecessary. Features like mesh back systems, hydration tube pockets and in-situ crampon bags, just add weight, bulk, cost and complexity to any sack, and in my view are definitely superfluous to requirements.

Aiguille Alpine’s Cirrus is a simple rucksack, which encompasses all the features mentioned above and not much else. It has a 33 litre capacity, which in my view, is the perfect size for cragging. I can fit in everything I need for a day in it with ease and with a bit of patience can squeeze in an extra rope.

Many climbers believe that for winter and alpine climbing a jump to a 50 litre rucksack is suddenly necessary to fit everything in. However with a bit of careful packing (top tip – pack the night before) I find that I can fit everything I need for a day out on the Ben inside my Cirrus, with the only exception being ice axes, which are shoved down the compression straps. The same theory can be applied to alpine routes too. I’ve managed to squeeze all my food, bivi gear and climbing clobber, for two days, into my Cirrus.

But why bother, is it not easier to fling it all in a bigger bag, I hear you ask? The simple answer is yes. However there a two distinct advantages of using a smaller rucksack. First all the climbing equipment gets removed at the bottom of the route, therefore there should only be food and bivi gear inside you sack, which should not even come close to filling it. Secondly having a limited amount of space, forces one to only take what they need for the climb, rather than what they think they need – remember the lightest piece of gear is that which is left behind. For those looking for more tips on alpine rucksacks this page, provides a wealth of sound advice and information: http://www.aqvi55.dsl.pipex.com/climb/alp-gear.htm.

The main body and base of the sack is made from 1000 denier fabric. The fabric is super hard wearing and after three years of daily abuse, there are no holes in it. Features wise Aiguille has kept its’ design nice and simple. A sewn in piece of foam makes up the back system, which even with heaviest loads, if packed carefully, is pretty damn comfy. The Cirrus’ hipbelt is just plain 500mm webbing. I was initially pretty sceptical about this, assuming that the lack of padding would make it uncomfortable. However the wide belt is plenty comfy enough – even with just shorts and tee shirt – and it is much easier to fold away, whilst climbing, than a conventional hipbelt. The bag has two daisy chains that run vertically down it front. I’ve retro threaded a piece of shock cord through this, which is very useful for storing crampons or a Karimatt. It also has four compression straps, which are great for stuffing your axes down. The bag compresses down super small, making it almost unnoticeable if you need to climb with it on. Despite using top quality, heavy duty materials, Aiguille have kept the Cirrus’ weight (and cost) down, by resisting the temptation to add unnecessary features. It weighs around 700g.

After three years of almost daily use, the Cirrus is beginning to look worn. The fabric is pretty faded, but the bag still works perfectly. There are no holes in the fabric and all the buckles are still in one piece.

The Cirrus is made by Aiguille Alpine. Aiguille is a made to order company, based in Staveley near Kendal and run by Adrian Moore. They are one of the very few climbing companies who still make all their stuff in the UK. http://www.aiguillealpine.co.uk

The Aiguille Alpine Cirrus, a robust rucksack with a well thought out design. It is the perfect size for cragging, but is also a pretty good size for alpine and winter routes, being large enough to fit in everything you need, but small enough to prevent you from bringing the kitchen sink. Also, even when fully loaded, the bag is still small enough to take as carry-on on whilst flying. After three years of almost daily abuse, around the globe, I am still yet to put a whole in it. Whilst still being tough as old boots the Cirrus hardly tips the scales, weighing a meagre 700g and at a cost of £59.99 it presents fantastic value for money.

Weight: approx 700g

Size: 33litres

Fabric: 1000D

Price: £59.99