Mammut Ophir Rope Bag
- July 2016
- Climb
We all have different preferences for gear, and especially for rope bags: for me, the Ophir is the rope bag I’ve been looking for all my life (my previous favorite was an Ikea bag, because I like it as simple and light as possible, but the Ikea bag doesn’t do so well for packing inside a pack, strapping on the outside of one or for long carries over the shoulder). I love the Ophir because it’s minimal and light, and exactly what you need to do the job and no more. Just how I like it 🙂
I don’t think I’ve ever gone climbing and found myself carrying ONLY a rope bag, and I’ve never enjoyed having a big ball swinging around my backpack over my shoulders, which is why I haven’t really loved my previous rope bags with the more standard design. You can pack the Ophir + rope inside a large backpack or strap it to the outside of one, because it can either be rolled up or kept in a flat envelope shape–this is the first rope bag I’ve had that I can do this with. Or you can just carry it over your shoulder with a backpack on, and since it’s small and streamlined, it’s not as bulky and annoying to walk with. The straps are simple flat 1″ webbing, no extra bulk with padding or big buckles, and usually if you’re carrying it over your shoulder, the webbing is sitting over your backpack strap anyway so padding is unnecessary. The tarp is also smaller than most rope bags I’ve had, and I like this because it’s quick and easy to stow and pack up.
As with all rope bags, I always think the tab for tying the top end of the rope is on the opposite side from where I’d sew it, but aside from that, there’s really nothing I’d change about this bag!
