The Mammut Lithium 40 pack is a high-quality lightweight backpack with an internal frame, an adjustable torso length, a removable hip belt, a bonus rain cover, and plenty of useful pockets.
Key features & benefits
- Two access points.
- Bottom compartment.
- Hydration compatible.
- Rain cover.
- Internal frame.
- Adjustable torso length.
- Unique removable hip belt with three pockets.
- Ladder type sternum strap.
- Reversible side straps.
- Lightweight.
- 9 Pockets.
- Bluesign approved.
- High level craftsmanship.
- Gender specific versions.
What this Mammut Lithium 40 is about
The Mammut Lithium 40 presented here is a medium-size pack, it has been on the market for a number of years, but here you have its latest version.
The backpack is with a classic top-loading design, so you have an adjustable and removable lid with buckles, see the picture, and a collar with a drawstring underneath it.
Below you can see the collar with its closure, and the inner lid pocket:
But there is also a bottom zippered compartment with an inner divider equipped with a cinch cord, that separates it from the main compartment. These details are visible in the picture:
The pack is hydration compatible, and this means you have an inner sleeve in the main compartment, with a pipe port on the side, and with loops on the both sides of the harness to pass the pipe.
It comes with a bonus removable rain cover stored in its dedicated zippered pocket on the bottom shown in the picture below.
Suspension system
This backpack is designed to stay close to the body, so you have a padded back panel with ventilation channels covered with a breathable mesh. The picture below shows how it looks. This all is supported with an inner metal V-frame that transfers the weight directly to the lumbar zone with a good padding visible in the picture.
The shoulder harness is anatomically contoured and with a good padding, very similar to the one that you have on the hip belt. A few details are visible in the picture below.
As you see, on the shoulder harness you have a ladder-type adjustable sternum strap with four different positions. Some describe this type as PALS (pouch attachment ladder system) loops.
So when you use one pair of loops, you still have three pairs more, and you can use them to attach something on the chest. In other words, you can use them as daisy chains. Observe the emergency whistle here.
The hip belt front straps are pull-forward type, the picture below, and this is the type I like because it is far easier to tighten the belt when you pull forward than when you pull to the sides.
I find the foam used for padding a bit hard, and I can feel this clearly when I compare it with my other packs from Deuter and Osprey. But with a full load, and after carrying the pack recently for 4 kilometers to the camp and back, it worked great and I did not have any pressure spots or pain.
Below you can see the complete hip belt with its padding. Observe the lumbar padding and the ventilation channels underneath the fine mesh.
In my view, they should have made the hip belt fins longer. They work great for me, but perhaps this may not be so for users with a larger body. This is currently my only objection to this design.
The torso length is adjustable. You have an easy to use system with Velcro connection behind the harness, so just disengage it and move the harness to your estimated length and then press to connect it. There are letters M, L, and XL to guide you, the letter M is visible in the small window behind the mesh in the picture below.
Load lifters straps are in place, so do not miss to use them to stabilize the pack and to bring its top closer to the body. For this backpack I keep them completely tightened.
Removable hip belt
The hip belt is designed so that you can remove it when needed. It attaches through Velcro connection behind the lumbar padding.
Now you can understand why on the right hip belt side you have a low profile mesh pocket. This is on purpose so that you can pull out the hip belt when you dis-engage its Velcro connection.
Actually, they do not explain this feature on their site. But I am sure it is added here so that you can use the backpack as a technical climbing pack. As you know, in such situations you use a climbing harness with its own belt, and it does not work well together with the pack’s hip belt.
Pockets
Regarding pockets, this pack is remarkable. It has them 9 in total, and some of them are unique.
- The lid is with two zippered pockets, and one is with a key clip inside.
- Two side stretch mesh pockets are of a standard size.
- However, the front shove-it pocket shown below is huge and with stretch parts on the sides. Here I keep my clothing that I may need on the go. Note that the side straps are connected to it.
Padded front pocket. - The hip belt is with a unique design regarding pockets. On the right side is the mentioned simple but large mesh pocket. But on the left side you have a zippered mesh pocket with an inner drop-down fold-out waterproof pocket for a smartphone. I have never seen such a design in any other pack, see it here:
Unique drop-down pocket for a smartphone. - As mentioned, there is also a bottom zippered pocket for the rain cover, but you can use it for whatever you want.
Attachment options and straps
The Mammut Lithium 40 backpack has the usual dual upper and lower side straps. It is interesting that all of them are with quick-release buckles (clips) instead of the usual lock slide adjusters that can be annoying, so you can release them with one click. As mentioned, the upper straps are connected with the front pocket.
But here too you have something specific; when you release the lower straps, you can redirect them and connect on the front of the pack, as shown below. This may be useful to attach some item on the front.
There is also a pair of bottom straps, they are shown in one of the pictures above with the rain cover. Here you can easily attach your tripod or anything similar.
There are two lash points (loops) on the bottom front, for trekking poles and ice axes, and they are paired with two bungie tie-offs on the top of the pack. The picture below shows the set on one side, the same is on the other side.
- There is also a light attachment element on the front-bottom area of the pack.
Materials
They claim that the pack is made from over 89% recycled materials, so it is Climate Pledge Friendly and bluesign approved. The fabric is 100% polyamide, so this is a sort of nylon.
Note that they offer it in two colors, my pack is a great combination of blue and black, but there is also a black pack available.
I could not find any info about its D-value. But it is surprising that the large front pocket is with something that looks like a padding on its front panel, and I have no idea why they added such a detail here.
The same feature is on the outer rim of the lid, in the area where you see the brand’s logo. It gives the shape to the lid, the picture below shows how thick it is.
These are indeed rare features in modern packs where everything is reduced to thin stuff to reduce weight. Yet this pack is still quite light for its size and features.
The frame looks strong, most likely this is steel but I could not find information about it.
The buckles are all rather tiny and the same holds for the straps, I am surprised how narrow the front hip belt straps are. So this is where they reduced the weight.
Please see more in my video:
Who is the Lithium 40 pack for
Regarding gender, my pack presented here is for men, but they make separate version for women with the same features.
Regarding the size & features, I have used this 40-liters pack for an overnight outdoor sleeping tour, so all can fit inside even if you use standard inexpensive equipment. I did not have to attach anything outside.
If you are on a hut to hut tour, this pack will be perfect. It will also be a nice choice if you are on a long day tour with lots of stuff in the pack.
You have seen its technical features, so when you remove the hip belt you can use this pack together with a climbing harness. This makes it a pack suitable even for alpinist and climbing tours.
Regarding the weight, my own measurement gives around 1350 grams, but I am not sure if this is completely correct. On Amazon you will see 1380 grams. The official number is 3.15 lb (1.43 kg).
Taking the official number, the volume to weight ratio is 28 liters/kg, and this makes it a moderately light pack.
Regarding the load weight capacity, there is no official information about it, but it is better to rely on experience in any case.
I had a load of around 9 kg (20 lb) on my initial testing, and I carried it comfortably to the camp area at a distance of 4 kilometers and back. In the picture below you can see what I had in the pack.
Later, when I go to the mountains I shall add more about its performance, and I shall definitely make yet another video, so stay tuned.
Specifications
- Official weight: 3.15 lb (1.43 kg).
- Volume: 2441 in³ (40 l).
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 29.5 x 12.2 x 10.2 in (75 x 31 x 26 cm).
- Torso range: M, L, XL
Shipping, delivery & returns
On their site they write about the delivery lead time generally 3-5 business days depending on the delivery country. I could not believe how fast my backpack arrived.
You also have a free shipping for orders above 50 E. Below this amount, expect 5.95 E shipping costs.
Regarding return period, on their site you fill have this statement: “We offer returns within 30 days for full-price items and 14 days for sale items.”
Final thoughts & rating
To summarize this preliminary review of my new Mammut Lithium 40 pack for men, my first impression is very positive, craftsmanship and attention to details here is on a very high level. But I guess this is expected from a Swiss brand that has been around since 1862.
The hiking backpack has some unique features, and some of them make it a technical backpack that can be used for climbing and for ferrata tours. I shall definitely use it for my ferrata tours, and later you will have updates here. Fully recommended.
Below you can see how I rate this pack against my usual rating criteria so that you can easily compare it with other items of this type:
Mammut Lithium 40 Pack for Men
Pros
- Versatile backpack.
- Many pockets.
- Removable hip belt.
- Adjustable torso length.
- Rain cover.
- Quality craftsmanship.
Cons
- Hip belt fins may be short for larger users.
- Not very soft padding.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY
For more options, please check under the category Mid-Size Packs. Check how this pack compares with the Osprey Talon Pro 40 backpack.
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