Who are Blue Ice?

Blue Ice, based at the foot of Mont-Blanc in Chamonix, France, are a small team of skiers, climbers, and mountaineers with a traditionalist philosophy of returning to the basics: produce simple, strong, and effective products that can stand the test of time. Still in their infancy, Blue Ice started in 2008, and their backpacks, harnesses, and ice axes have been developing a reputation in the outdoor community for being durable and trustworthy on rock, ice, and snow.

The Backpack-

The Blue Ice Dragonfly 25 is an Ultra-light (462g) backpack designed for fast alpine missions. Hydration and helmet carry compatible, two ice axe holders, rope carrying system, mesh side pockets and a zipped front pocket. The chest strap and belt are fully removable for additional weight-savings (371g). It is a versatile, minimalist backpack that only carries the essentials.

First Impressions-

A simple design, yet with all the accessories needed for full-on days in the mountains. The colour is outrageously bright, brilliant for being seen and for great photos! When I first ordered the Dragonfly 25 I was a little worried about size (I usually go for a 30l backpack for summer trad & alpine days), as soon as it arrived it was clear this wasn’t going to be an issue, I found the rucksack to be on the spacious size for a 25l pack. Overall a great first impression.

Out in the field-

Whilst guiding clients on the Cuillin most days this summer, I have used the Dragonfly for 95% of the time. The gabbro on the Cuillin has a reputation for destroying kit and I have retired many backpacks that have lost this battle! This backpack had to endure an entire season of long days exposed to harsh conditions in this unforgiving environment and passed the test with flying colours.

Design-

Simple but brilliant. Many people will want pockets and pouches galore but for technical climbing and mountaineering, one single large compartment with a couple of pouches is definitely the way forward! The rucksack has one zipped pocket at the front (handy for storing your keys or a snack in) and I’ve found the side pouches very useful for quickly popping my pole or banana skin in without having to take the rucksack off. If you are after a rucksack with more storage options than the dragonfly, make sure to check out the Warthog also made by Blue Ice (read more about it here: https://inspiredguides.co.uk/blog/gear-review-blue-ice-warthog).

Comfort-

I’ve used a couple of rucksacks of similar design to the dragonfly, all of which have one major issue in that when being fully loaded they become very uncomfortable to carry. The wide yet breathable mesh straps on the dragonfly distribute the weight evenly and I haven’t had any issues with stuff pressing into my back when not packing it perfectly. An impressive performance for such a lightweight backpack!

Durability-

A summer full of abuse, getting scraped against abrasive gabbro every day (To give you an idea of how rough this rock is, I’ve destroyed a pair of La Sportiva Mid TX4’s in 4 months!) and this rucksack is only showing a couple of small signs of abrasion. It looks like I won’t need a new one anytime soon!

Verdict-

The dragonfly will handle all the abuse you can throw at it, make you look brilliant with the bright colour options and not break your bank. The ultimate day bag for climbing & mountaineering missions!