Lets talk about packs

Started out on that Dakine Heli-Pro DLX way back in high school.

Pros:
-Every little skier kid has one
-Can carry skis or a snowboard in diagonal or A-Frame (of course so can everything else)

Cons:
-Small
-Sucks with any kind of load, hip strap doesn't do much for me at all
-Just generally sucks for anything halfway intense.

Now I mostly use it for biking with my camera

Then I got a BD Mercury 70L backpacking bag and pressed it into service as a mountaineering bag

Pros:
-Sooooo comfy
-So much support, barely feel the weight of skis and boots and camera on my back
-More waterproof than the Dakine
-Tons of room, especially for camera gear

Cons:
-Umm, who really needs a 70L pack for most trips?
-It's so long that it can be a little cumbersome in tight climbing situations
-Way huge
-Straps are not meant to hold skis in A-Frame, wore mine out with an unbalanced load, BD warranty is killer though.
-Not the best for caring axes and crampons
-Did I mention it's freaking huge?

Then I got a used BD Axis 33

Pros:
-It's actually made for skiing
-Ice Axe loops and little patch thing for crampons
-Not freaking huge
-Pretty comfortable and supportive
-Gear loops on waist belt

Cons:
-I can't bring the kitchen sink into the BC
-It has this little helmet holder thing that really sucks and is unnecessary, probably gonna just cut it off
-My used one is not as waterproof as my BD backpacking bag, probably gonna Nik wax it before the season
-Not quite as comfy as my bigger BD bag, might swap waist belts between them and see if that helps.
-Only opens in the top 1/3 kind of a pain to access some stuff
-Not a lot of organization options.


I might need to try an F-Stop bag in the future, I'm tired of hauling all my camera stuff around in jimmy rigged inserts, if anyone has any BC camera bag input I'd be stoked to hear it!

Currently using a Cactus Patrol pack 45L for a Ski-touring pack. Way more bombproof then those Chinese pieces of shit, lightweight for a burly pack. Price tag is a bit steep but the they are fairly weather proof still stuff everything in dry bags

Have a Tacgear Patrol Pack for summer hiking the venting system on it is the best especially for when it gets to hot a little bit on the heavy side for a 40L but can be configured to attach straps for carrying skis on the MOLLE

Marsupio 45L Alpine pro been using these packs as pretty much my drop bags when touring, very cheap bags and are durable enough to be abused

Macpac 50L Serac One of the better packs that I've had to use carrying 40+kilos similar to Macpac Ravines pretty bomb proof packs especially for more than 3 dayers gets a bit heavy when wet though after it loses its water proofing at 2 years but that is doing 20km missions every weekend for a year and a half

Arcteryx Khamski 38L
The best pack out there if you just starting to tour, easy to set your kit into just wish it was bigger as carrying survival bivvys and first aid kit takes up space with a camera in a hard case. If you can find one of these on special anywhere you've hit the jack pot. No real need to have dry bags with kit, easy to carry skis as well with the loops

Wouldn't even use a Dakine bag for a schoolbag knowing how shit that quality is

For civilian side skiing I have used a Mammut Nirvana Ride for all my day stuff for the last few years.

great pack. Carries really well. Can be a pain to get to the bottom of the main compartment of it has the safety gear pocket full with shovel and prove. hydration pocket won't fit shit. Could use an additional exterior pocket for stashing a water bottle and trail mix.

Bd Revelation 35 Litre, Nice pack, fits great carrys ski's well and with some packing skills can work in a pinch for ultralight overnight missions. Once You start having to toss Tech glacier gear in though with overnight gear and a fair amount of food it just doesn't make the cut, but for day trip-2day mountaineering missions it totally works great.

Some Mec 50 Liter thing, parents got it for me years ago for couch surfing and backpacking, thing is ok but doesn't carry loads very well, and Feels only slightly bigger then my 35 liter pack, I have used it on many missions and its held up but Its definitely not my favorite pack at all.

Just Picked up a Gregory Denali 75 liter pack, damn is it nice and big, loads of room and with my very limited use of it I tossed 50lbs into it in the store and it felt like 20, will get back to yea on that one. Taking it to Chile for 5 weeks in October where it will see some serious abuse I am sure.

Taking my first trip with an EVOC CP 26L ATM. I'll have a review on Blister at some point, I'll have some aggressive things to say about touring with this thing though...

I'm about ready to give up on camera specific bags and take a needle and thread and scissors to my BD ski bag to make it more camera friendly...

Well, day 1 impressions of the Denali are, carrys weight like a champ, carrys skis fairly poorly, going to have to replace the straps for sure, they don't get tight enough on skis even when they are 115underfoot(the pack is not designed for skiing though) also, not ideal to have a ski bashing you in the backof the head while you front point up glacier ice trying to get to somewhere marginally ski-able. definitely a good pack if you need to haul a ton of gear into an area to set up camp or if your rocking tech gear and ski boots. With a few mods I'm sure I can get this bad boy rocking!

cydwhitTaking my first trip with an EVOC CP 26L ATM. I'll have a review on Blister at some point, I'll have some aggressive things to say about touring with this thing though...

I'm about ready to give up on camera specific bags and take a needle and thread and scissors to my BD ski bag to make it more camera friendly...

Most camera bags aren't durable enough for serious outdoor use. Most outdoor packs aren't focused on photographer problems, which is a decently small market anyway. My friends who have gone the FStop route don't seem too jazzed on it after a while.

ShredMasterPlusWell, day 1 impressions of the Denali are, carrys weight like a champ, carrys skis fairly poorly, going to have to replace the straps for sure, they don't get tight enough on skis even when they are 115underfoot(the pack is not designed for skiing though) also, not ideal to have a ski bashing you in the backof the head while you front point up glacier ice trying to get to somewhere marginally ski-able. definitely a good pack if you need to haul a ton of gear into an area to set up camp or if your rocking tech gear and ski boots. With a few mods I'm sure I can get this bad boy rocking!

I've had a Denali 105 for a few years, and that thing is a straight up beast of a backpack. The old versions allowed you to slot your skis under the water bottle carriers, but maybe that's not a thing anymore.

Da Kine Chute 16 L for day sidecountry or short bc missions (usually under 4 hours)

Da Kine Poacher 45 L for longer/overnight missions (over 4 hours touring)

Chute is perfect for mountain biking too.

Anything over 45 L I feel is overkill.

LiteratureI've had a Denali 105 for a few years, and that thing is a straight up beast of a backpack. The old versions allowed you to slot your skis under the water bottle carriers, but maybe that's not a thing anymore.

Yea, It seems to carry pretty well when I have it fully loaded but the issue is I've been doing some long approaches with boots, rope glacier gear in pack but when I take all that out when i hit snow and then ditch all no essential shit at the base of the line the pack carry's like shit when its not filled out. just a lot of empty space moving around. Never owned a pack this big before and while I absolutely loooove it for carrying heavy loads on long approaches i need to figure something out for when i strip down for climbing the Gnar.

ShredMasterPlusYea, It seems to carry pretty well when I have it fully loaded but the issue is I've been doing some long approaches with boots, rope glacier gear in pack but when I take all that out when i hit snow and then ditch all no essential shit at the base of the line the pack carry's like shit when its not filled out. just a lot of empty space moving around. Never owned a pack this big before and while I absolutely loooove it for carrying heavy loads on long approaches i need to figure something out for when i strip down for climbing the Gnar.

That issue of scalability really blows--totally feel your pain there.

I typically crank the compression straps in as much as possible, and pull the lid too. That sometimes helps. You might look into one of the lighter options (like the Patagonia Ascentionists or similar) in the 25L range for a day bag--I'd consider that worth a pound or a few more on the approach for greater comfort out of base camp.

Cilogear seems to have a really nice system for that as well--several people I know have had success there.

Does anyone use avi vests such as North Face Powder Guide or Dakine BC Vest? I am looking for a new side country pack to replace my Dakine Helipro and I am curious to know more about the vest system and if it's a suitable alternative to standard packs.

My everyday backcountry pack is the MHM Slay22.
Pros:
-22L is a perfect size for most day tours
-More of a 'tall and skinny' design than a 'short and fat' one (it fits and contours to my back better throughout the day)
-Great pocket array; the pack seamlessly transitions between tours in and out of avi terrain (VT versus out West), and for daily urban use
-Very durable: daily use for over a year and it shows little or no wear

Cons:
-More spendy than some similar packs (~$165 retail)
-Non-adjustable and under-engineered ski carry system (what were they thinking?!?)
-No helmet net and no easy way to fit helmet into the pack (can be retrofitted with a detachable helmet net from another company as I have done)

So...
If you plan to keep your skis on your feet for the entire tour (no bootpacking);
if you want to track down a helmet net from somewhere else or tour without one;
...then this pack would work great.

LiteratureThat issue of scalability really blows--totally feel your pain there.

I typically crank the compression straps in as much as possible, and pull the lid too. That sometimes helps. You might look into one of the lighter options (like the Patagonia Ascentionists or similar) in the 25L range for a day bag--I'd consider that worth a pound or a few more on the approach for greater comfort out of base camp.

Cilogear seems to have a really nice system for that as well--several people I know have had success there.

Grabbed the Ascentionist 35l for the trip day before I left. Quite a nice system for some multi day missions in chile, but it is a ultralight pack and as such already has 2 holes in it within 3 weeks of owning it. avalanche shovel does not agree with it. Still love the Denali when its loaded up though, carrys like a dream and super beefy!

If you can swing it, go for an air bag.

I use a Mammut SnoPulse Light Protection 30L bag. Not only does it hold all my gear and my lunch... but its saved my life.