Highlander Vulkan Mountain Rucksack 45 review: a reasonably priced, rugged pack for technical mountain missions

Scottish outdoor brand Highlander has recently launched a host of new backpack models. There’s the fast-and-light Vega, the versatile Ivar and the expedition-ready Novar. And then the Vulkan: a slightly pricier pack designed to cope with the rigours of winter walking and mountaineering in the often challenging environment of the Scottish Highlands. Highlander also states that it’s 'a versatile, all-season pack', so in theory it should be a good option for year-round adventures.

While the Vulkan is slightly pricier than its cousins, it is still an affordable pack, which is designed to do everything the likes of Osprey’s Mutant and Berghaus’ MTN Guide can, but with a significantly lower price tag. This is central to Highlander’s main mission and has been so ever since it was founded in 1985. The brand states that: ‘enjoying the challenges and beauty of the outdoors should be available to everyone’.

I’ve tested several pieces of Highlander kit over the years and have usually been impressed with the quality, especially given the affordability of most of the gear. The brand backs itself with a 282-year warranty – one year for each of Scotland’s Munros, the country's prominent peaks above 3,000ft (914m).

As such, I was excited to shoulder the Vulkan and head for the hills.

First impressions

Having tested Highlander’s flagship hiking backpack, the Ben Nevis, it was immediately obvious that the Vulkan was a more specialized tool. Giveaways include the ice axe attachment points, the ice axe slot for securing the pick, the daisy chains for attaching gear, the rolltop opening and the additional straps for securing items like rope.

Its bright orange straps and loops make it more visible in the case of an emergency, and there’s a handy integrated whistle on the chest strap too. Then, on the inside of the lid is a brief emergency guide with distress signals and emergency phone numbers for the UK, EU, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, the US and Canada. It seems this is a pack that Highlander wants you to take into the high mountains.

Once I’d tensioned all the straps appropriately, the first wear was comfortable and it was clear this was a supportive pack. There’s nothing revolutionary about the harness system – it has the usual padded hip belt, chest strap and zoned padding on the back panel. That there’s no suspended panel nods towards suitability for colder adventures.

A feature set geared for mountaineering

The Vulkan has many features dedicated to mountaineering and climbing. Above the rolltop closure is an adjustable strap for securing a climbing rope, while the ice axe attachment features elasticated toggles and a reinforced slot that securely holds the pick and stops it from poking outwards or shredding the pack. Towards the top, you get one elasticated, adjustable loop for holding the spike flush. Highlander state that the pack is intended for 'lightweight mountaineering'. Indeed, it's clear that it’s designed for one walking axe, rather than twin technical ice tools. Hence, why there’s just the one loop at the top of the pack.

When it comes to helmet storage, there’s space in the large elastic panel on the front of the pack. It stretches just enough house a helmet, though it’s a real squeeze when the pack is full. It’s a decent alternative to the removable helmet holders seen in some winter packs. When not used for helmet storage, this front mesh panel is great for storing items you might want quickly to hand, such as fleece on a changeable day. I often used it to hold the dry bag containing my food, allowing me to access it quickly without having to open the whole pack up.

Unlike on lighter summer packs, there’s no suspended back panel for ventilation here. Instead, there are five strategically placed regions of squishy foam, one providing lumber support, the others higher up the back. Stretched over the top of these is a breathable mesh, while beneath is a back panel with triangular holes. This is Highlander’s Airvent system and it does a decent job of being reasonably airy in summer, without the need for suspension. The gaps between the foam provide at least some degree of airflow.

The harness system is fairly standard, with a chest strap and hip belt. The chest strap features the same position-adjustment slider seen on the Ben Nevis backpack. This enables you to move the chest strap up and down, in order to find the best fit. My worry here is that I’ve broken these kinds of strap before (with both the Ben Nevis pack and the Osprey Hikelite) and they’re nigh on impossible to reattach. So, don’t be too heavy handed.

Other storage

The main compartment is large and straightforward, with an elasticated sleeve for a reservoir (or anything you wanted to keep separate). The rolltop closure protects it from adverse weather better than a drawcord or zippered closure. It does mean accessing the top takes longer than with most packs, but the main compartment can also be accessed from the side via a reinforced zipper.

This side access is great for quickly grabbing items like a crampon bag or a group shelter – basically things that may be towards the bottom of the pack but that you might want in a hurry. Its 45-liter capacity just about hits the sweet spot for winter, when you’ll be carrying additional items like crampons, a blizzard jacket (or a survival blanket), emergency shelter and extra layers.

The pack is topped by a lid with both an exterior and interior zippered compartment, as well as four loops for attaching gear. The exterior compartment features a little mini-carabiner on a strap for clipping valuables into. Both are large enough to take a topographical map. If you don't need the lid, it can be removed, which is nice.

Being geared towards winter, there are no hydration pockets in the harness system like those seen in running inspired fast hiking packs like Salomon’s Aerotrek 30 or Montane’s Trailblazer. However, there are a couple of side mesh pockets that are well-sized to take water bottles or an insulated flask. Such items can be reached and liberated while hiking, for supping on the go. There’s also the usual hydration bladder system, with a Velcro tab to hold the bladder in place and a portal for the tube. All of this adds to the packs versatility: you can fill it with a bladder and bottles for summer adventures, or take a thermos in one of the side pockets for winter.

The other bits of on-the-go storage the pack provides are the two small, zippered hip belt pockets, ideal for small items like headlamps or snacks. One is elasticated, while the other is a bit more robust, woven from the same ripstop nylon as the main pack.

Hidden at the bottom of the pack is the zippered raincover compartment. I’m not a huge fan of these raincovers, as they make accessing the pack difficult when fitted and have a tendency to blow away in gusty conditions, thus littering the backcountry. However, kudos to Highlander for dealing with at least one of these issues by designing the cover so that it stays permanetly attached to the pack. However, I still think a better alternative is to arrange the contents of the pack into colored dry bags, keeping everything both dry and organized inside.

On the trails

I’ve been testing the Vulkan during the summer months on hikes in the Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons) National Park, and I'm looking forward to taking it out in the peaks during the coming winter season too. My hiking adventures have allowed me to assess its suitability as a versatile, all-season pack.

I enjoyed putting the Vulkan to the test on the trails, finding it to be functional and comfortable in the same breath. From a functionality point of view, it did everything required and I appreciated many of the design features, such as the integrated whistle and front and side mesh pockets.

I’m quite a slim chap, at least at the moment anyway. A qualm I’d had about Highlander’s Ben Nevis rucksack was the amount of spare strap that remained once I’d tightened up the hip belt. With the Vulkan, I’m delighted to say that there’s a solution to this problem. Two lengths of material, almost like grab handles, run on top of each of the hip belt pockets. I found that I could take the excess strap and wrap it around this a couple of times to tidy it out of the way. It all held in place while I was on the move and it was easy enough to unravel whenever I needed to take the pack off.

The concern when buying budget outdoor kit is that it may not be as durable as some of the more expensive competition. It's often the quality and strength of the fabrics and the components that you're paying for, after all.

It was a shame to find that one of the compression straps tore away from its stitching after only a few outings with the Vulkan. Time will tell whether the pack will suffer from other such issues but it’s not an ideal start. However, don’t forget the 282-year warranty – I’m sure you’d be within your right to get a replacement if the above happened to you.

All in all, this is a thoughtfully designed pack with features that’ll suit winter walkers, mountaineers and climbers, while also ticking a lot of boxes for general hiking use too. It’s comfortable to carry, gives plenty of storage options and has a number of nice little touches. My main concern is around its durability (having already broken a compression strap) and the fact that there’s no mention of recycled materials.

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