I'm in the market for a pack to use for backcountry skiing day trips in the Northeast. The pack needs to be capable of occasionally carrying ski's, plus on a regular basis carrying all the normal "stuff" one would carry for day trips into avalanche terrain.

My friends seem to use packs of around 25 to 35 liters (1500 to 2100 cubic inches).

Should I be looking for something light weight, or would a heavier pack do better when carrying ski's?

Are there any companies that specialize in lightweight packs designed for this use?

It seems the ones available from companies like Dakine weigh about 3 to 3.5 pounds. I'm not sure if that's reasonable or if there are much lighter but still functional packs available in this niche.

John,

For backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering I value durability over weight, especially since the pack is often exposed to ski edges, not to mention rocks and trees. The best (by far) packs I've found for this come from Mystery Ranch, see http://www.mysteryranch.com/recreation/skiing-snowboarding-packs Company is owned by Dana Gleason, formerly of Dana Design.

A bit heavier than Dakine (a very good gear maker), and more expensive, but indestructible and designed for skiing/boarding. I've been using a Broomstick/RIBZ front pack combination, but if buying a single pack I'd go for one of MR's.

Richard

Check Dynafit or Ski Trab packs, cheap light and good daypacks. Salewa makes good randonne packs, but I think they aren't available in the USA. For me the only necessary feature is diagonal carry.

But for me, the best without doubt are Cilao packs http://www.cilao.com/14-sacs-izi-custom

I always used to favor very basic climbing-oriented packs for skiing, but the Dynafit packs changed my mind:
http://www.wildsnow.com/3828/dynafit-backpack-review/

One thing you may want to scrutinize is the waist belt. Some ski/snowboard packs aren't equipped with a sturdy belt, so if when you attach your skis or board (which you probably won't do in the shop), the belt will sag or warp.

Thanks for all the info guys. Despite some of the other suggestions probably being better packs, I ended up going with the Dakine Blade 38L which I found for $78. It weighs just under 3.5 pounds which includes a pretty beefy hipbelt and frame.

Jonathan, your posts on T4T helped convince me to go with Dynafit bindings once I decided to switch to AT from tele!

Edited by JohnnyBgood4 on 03/30/2012 12:09:59 MDT.

Check out the new Eddie BAuer 1st Ascent convertable pack. Great design & quality AND garantee.