My summary

How do I use the Simond MT 500 Air backpack?

The volume of the Simond MT500 Air backpack for women is 45+10 liters or 55+10 liters (50+10 or 60+10 for men). The one I have is the 45-liter version. This means that it can hold 45 liters at the base, with an extension (extra fabric on the top of the main pocket) to hold a further 10 liters. This makes the backpack a good companion for hikes or multi-day trips.

Beware, however, of its dimensions if you want to take it with you on the plane: it’s too long to fit in the cabin according to the dimensions of most airlines. Even if it’s lightly loaded, you won’t be able to compact it all the way, as the rigid frame in the back of the net prevents this.

Features

• Dimensions (H/W/D): 65/35/30 cm for the 45+10 and 70/35/35 cm for the 55+10
• Volume: 45 + 10 liters for women’s version, 50 + 10 liters for men’s version
• Carrying capacity: up to 15kg for the 45+10
• Weight: 1.8kg claimed by the brand and weighed at home
• Price: €110 for 45+10 and €120 for 55+10

Our MT 500 Air field test

As you’ll see from the photos, the bag I have is the old Forclaz model, but from what I’ve seen the more recent Simond model is similar.

Material

The MT500 Air backpack is made from the following materials:

• Main fabric and yoke: polyamide
• Lining: polyester
• Strap: polypropylene
• Bag cover: polyester Enduction

The material is quite thin, and I’m not sure whether both the fabric and the closure clips, which seem fragile, will be strong and durable. So far, I haven’t had any problems, but this will have to be confirmed over time. On a positive note, it’s easy to clean with water.

On a negative note, because of its thinness, I find that the fabric tends to “crease” when the bag is not fully loaded: nothing at all annoying in practice, but it’s not very aesthetic in my opinion (you’ll see it in the photos, by the way!).

Comfort

The overall comfort of carrying the bag is good, and I immediately felt at ease with it on my first hike (a 3-day snowshoe trek in the Vosges).

Back adjustment

It’s easy to adjust the straps to suit your back height: just pull the strap, adjust the straps to the right height and release. This makes it easy to experiment and find the right height for you.

I’m 1m68 tall and have a fairly short back, so I’m wondering whether the bag might be suitable for people under 1m65: the bag is built more lengthwise than widthwise, which I think could be awkward (it’s not very pleasant to get the top of the bag in your head!).

I’ve read a few different opinions on this subject on the net, and I think it depends not only on the person’s height but above all on the length of their back: if you’re under 1m65, you’ll have to do the test and see, some will find it too long and others not. Once properly adjusted, I find the bag comfortable and supportive.

Suspenders and belt

The shoulder straps and waistband are padded and, although the padding isn’t very thick, I found them comfortable. If you like quite a lot of padding, this might be a bit tight though. I also found the waistband straps very long. I’m not skinny, but I had to tighten them almost to the maximum, so I have several layers of webbing, which is rather odd and not very pleasant.

One of the drawbacks of this bag for me is the handling of the plastic fasteners, clips and closures. You can see that the Décathlon team has kept these to a minimum, no doubt to make the bag lighter, but also for ecological reasons.

While we can only applaud the fact that we’re trying to use less plastic, I have to say that it’s a bit too much for me on this bag, as I find the fasteners very hard to handle and have to go over them several times to close them, even though I don’t have particularly big hands 😉 It’s hard enough with bare hands, but with gloves it’s almost mission impossible!

Back net

The back net is one of the advantages of the MT500 Air backpack: a net stretched across the back allows air to pass between your back and the pack, resulting in better ventilation and less back perspiration. This is something I appreciate in a backpack, as long as the mesh is comfortable, which is the case here.

On the other hand, this stretched net also has its drawbacks. On the one hand, it doesn’t make it easy to stow away inside the bag, as it has a curved shape inside. On the other hand, it means you can’t fold the bag or reduce its size, even if it’s only lightly loaded: it will always be quite bulky, which is problematic if you want to travel with it in the cabin, for example.

Bag organization

Main compartments

The bag’s main pocket is a little surprising at first glance, given its curved shape due to the MT500 Air’s back mesh. You get the impression that you won’t be able to fit much in it, and it’s true that it doesn’t hold that much, but that’s not such a bad thing in the end, as there are plenty of other pockets to complement it. I’d perhaps have preferred it to be a little wider than it is long, to accommodate some of the larger items, such as a sleeping bag… But you can store the latter in the compartment at the bottom of the bag, which is really quite roomy.

One big advantage, however, is thefront opening into the bag’s main compartment, which is really practical for easy access to the contents throughout the day, without having to unzip the whole bag. I don’t think I could do without this kind of opening!

There’s room in the main compartment for a water pouch. I haven’t used it, but I’ve read concurring opinions: it’s not practical, as you have to empty the bag to get it out. What’s more, it’s too small, so you can’t fit a 2-liter water bag in it… I’m not surprised, as I’ve already used this bag for other things and complained as soon as I had to take them out again. It’s really not practical to use.

Side compartments

There are also two spacious side compartments: you really can fit a lot of stuff in them, and they’re easy to access and organize.

Belt pockets

On the belt, there are two handy side pockets for a phone, compact camera or other items. There’s also a small mesh pocket on the left side for cereal bars, for example, and a pocket for a water bottle on the right. This pocket is well thought-out, as its angle makes it easily accessible.

It’s just a little too far back for me, so I have to be a little flexible to grab my water bottle, but it’s still very practical! There’s also a little elastic strap attached to this pocket, which I use to avoid losing the water bottle if I take a thinner one/if I have a big climb.

Other compartments

There’s also a non-zippered front compartment, which can be handy for carrying a floor mat or other items.

The backpack is equipped with a rain cover in a dedicated pocket at the bottom of the bag.

Finally, the top of the bag includes a pocketaccessible from the back and one underneath, with a key hook in the latter. Note that this bag hat can be completely detached, which can be practical for carrying it in “handbag” mode if you have valuable things inside, or in toiletry bag mode, for example.

Straps

When it comes to straps, the bag is well supplied: the straps at the bottom of the bag make it easy to attach a tent, for example, and can be stowed away when not in use. The straps can be attached either to the bottom of the bag or to the underside. Side straps also make it easy to attach walking sticks. At the top of the bag, elastic straps keep a rain jacket close at hand, for example. There are also compression straps inside and outside the bag, which are handy for stabilizing all your gear and ensuring comfortable walking.

Weight

The advertised weight is 1.77kg, and indeed I weighed it at 1.8kg on my scales. It’s not particularly heavy for a hiking bag of this volume, but it’s not particularly light either, and I admit I find it a little heavy when empty… But it’s also a compromise when you want a back net, so I’m happy with it.