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A very unique framed ultralight backpack from Rab, my little Rab Muon 50 review will cover everything you might want to know about this pack!
I’ve used it for backpacking around Thailand, paragliding in the Arctic, skiing, hiking, and more with up to 18kg/40lbs in it. I have very high demands of my gear, and I expected a lot out of this pack.
Lets go right into it then!
Table of Contents
Build quality & durability
Aluminum frame, robic nylon body, etc. It’s one of the lightest framed backpacks out there, and certainly one of the only ultralight framed backpacks with running-vest style chest straps!
It’s not waterproof and you will want a waterproof pack cover if you anticipate more than a drizzle of rain. The Spectra fabric seems like your standard tough ripstop/gridstop nylon. It’s tough and I’m sure it’ll last a long time
The only damage I have done so far it is one of the water bottle cords snapped off after a couple days when I was cinching it down.
Overall it has held up quite well and shows no signs of wear after 3 months of frequent use in -30 to +30 – flying, skiing, hiking, stuffed to the brim, falling on it etc.
Still, I will update this section at the 1- and 2-year mark to update the durability, but, so far so good!
Comfort
Now, I’m 190cm (6’3”) and about 83kg (185lbs). With the load lifters fully cranked down and the hip pad sitting snugly on my hips, I am able to get about 80% of the weight off my shoulders.
The rest sits more on the chest, since, this backpack has trail running style shoulder straps.
Unfortunately, with those load lifters cranked, the vest cords lay quite high on the chest, and if I do up both sets of them then they’re pretty much on my collarbone/neck.
So, if you are over 185cm/6ft maybe I’d look at a pack with a bit longer frame and lower sternum strap.
With that being said, it’s actually quite comfy even loaded with 18kg if you really crank those hip straps down and do your adjustments just right. Would I recommend a different pack for carrying that sort of weight all the time? Certainly! But, for reasonably loads it’s actually very wonderful even if it doesn’t fit me the best at my height.
Performance
Wonderful lockdown I’ve never had with a pack this size! I’m able to overfill this thing to over 60 liters with all the stretch pockets on it. If you properly adjust and secure the belt, straps, and chest vest, then it becomes more like a part of you.
It does fantastic with trail running, providing minimal bounce and sway thanks to that chest vest. Considering its sub 1-kg weight, it barely adds much mass while giving much more stability and load distribution with the frame. Compression straps throughout can help secure a low-volume load, and the brain can be removed to shed some mass.
I do prefer the airy suspension on the Osprey Exos Pro 55, but I took the running-vest chest as a trade-off, which, I think was a nice trade to make in my case.
Organization & storage
Basically, it’s a large top-loading tube with no internal organization, with a double-compartment brain, and 3 large stretch outside pockets. Two small phone-sized chest mesh pockets are there instead of hip belt pockets, and an internal hydration bladder slot & tube routing is there.
I’m an enormous fan of big stretch pockets and so to have 3 is great! This is at sacrifice of having even one single good water bottle holder…
I was able to cram in my paraglider, boxing gloves, snorkelling gear, climbing gear, action camera gear, camping gear, clothing, laptop, food, and more into it! I think at fully-stuffed it must be around 70 liters capacity, which was quite remarkable!
The cons
So, the Rab Muon 50 has one glaring flaw – the freaking water bottle slots. I don’t know who on earth was the designer who did this and thought “yep, that’ll work just fine”, because it is, in fact, absolutely not fine.
Bending over to tie your shoes? Bottle falls out. Putting your pack on? Bottle falls out. Putting your pack into the overhead compartment? Bottle falls out (onto someone). You get the picture.
The stretchy side pockets are enormous and can easily accommodate a jacket or small watermelon, which, is nice, but, my water bottle has no secure way of staying in there, aside from fiddling with placing it under the cord and attaching it to some other lines with a carabiner so when it does inevitably fall out, it’ll just dangle instead of rolling away to under the parked bus where you cannot reach it.
Too, the chest cords are certainly fiddlier than a standard chest strap and oftentimes get tangled, and harder to engage/disengage, and are sometimes annoying. If you put on/off your pack frequently during your hikes, it will certainly bother you after a while – keep that in mind.
Lastly, not having hip belt pockets does kind of suck. Yes, the chest pockets are really great to have, but, why not both??
Overall
I think it’s a very versatile and well-made pack. For moving fast and having a tight, secure, load it does great! It also carried surprisingly well for heavy 18kg+ loads, though I’d recommend a stronger pack for that weight for longer distances.
The running-vest is really where it’ll either make or break it for you – you gain good amounts of stability and reduce sway a lot, but, also adds a small chunk of annoying every time you remove/put on the pack.
Also, the water bottle holder (or lack thereof) will infuriate you. Not a problem if you use a Camelbak or put squishy water bottles in your chest pockets, but certainly the worst I’ve had on any pack in the modern age.
Anyways, hope this review helped you out! A really good tool is https://UltralightPackPicker.com – basically helps you find the best backpack in 4 questions. Give it a shot!
Questions? Leave em down below! Thanks and peace
Sealskinz Lyng
Overall some excellent gloves which have good dexterity, protection from the elements, and warmth, though can be subject to wear and tare.
Product Brand: Sealskinz
4.4
Pros
- Warm and dexterous
- Comfortable
- Waterproof
Cons
- Subject to abrasion
- Price