Can I get the Montane Ratio Rock 36 Backpack on a Ryanair flight for free?
I’m an outdoor enthusiast from Scotland currently living in the North East, growing up in the Cairngorms I had plenty of amazing mountains to choose from to go hiking and climbing in. I wanted to take the Ratio Rock to the Spanish hills as my main carry-on luggage/hiking backpack, really test to see if you could get 36 litres on a Ryan Air flight, with their stricter rules for baggage.
As long as you don't have another small back and it is fully strapped to your back so it looked as small as possible, you can absolutely get this 36-litre bag on a Ryanair flight as a free carry-on! I had enough stuff in this backpack for an entire week in Spain, where we hiked, swam, and explored the southern Spanish hills.
Tip: Wear all your heaviest items of clothing and shoes on the plane to minimise the bulk and weight of the pack. Really maximise the use of space!
Watch full TikTok Ryanair test here
Review of the pack:
The Ratio Rock 36 is such a versatile backpack, as well as having useful climbing features like the gear loops inside and the top loop for external rope, you can pack a week’s worth of adventure clothing in it and get it onto a flight as carry-on.
What sets this pack apart from anything I’ve used before is the suitcase-style opening, you can unzip the entire pack to see all the contents inside without having to rake through all of your neatly folded things. The lid of the bag also has extra zipped pockets, to keep certain items separate and organised.
We took it hiking in the southern mountains of Spain in March, which presented a mixed bag of weather, some moments glorious sunshine and then the next moment a sudden rainfall. The bag has plenty of room for spare waterproof jackets, waterproof trousers, lunches, and warm fleece layers as well as climbing gear.
The removable harness straps and click & go chest straps help distribute the weight of the pack evenly so the shoulders don’t get sore even if you wore it all day with lots of gear inside. This pack was worn by a few different people, with different heights and body proportions, the adjustability of all the straps allowed It to be comfortable for everyone.
The Ratio Rock has an external pocket and bottle pockets on each side, which is handy for quick and easy access to drinks, snacks, accessories, and maps (very important!). It also had a separate padded sleeve that can fit a large laptop in, keeping it separate from all the potential dirty climbing gear in the other pocket (nothing worse than chalk in your keyboard!).
The kit I wore on this trip was the Montane Women’s Fireball Insulated Jacket, Spinon Fleece Hoodie, Ineo Lite Pants, and Dart T-Shirt, I was incredibly warm and comfortable all day. Putting on and taking off layers when needed, I would highly recommend this kit for anyone that is into a lot of different activities, all these pieces are so versatile.
The Ratio Rock 36 is perfect for climbing, hiking, commuting, and traveling. Super handy if you’re going straight to the crag after work, or going abroad for a walking/climbing holiday.