What Day Pack Do I Want? (non airbag)

[John_B]

The CiloXalpPoacherTargeeKamber 30 is way better. Only jongs use the CiloXalpPoacherTargeeKamber 35.

[toast2266]

So was there a winner?

The wife needed a pack too, so we bought one thule upslope 35, and one gregory targhee 32. In a perfect world, I'll love one and she'll love the other. In a realistic world, we'll both like the same one and return / sell the other one.

The Gregory hasn't shown up yet. Got a short tour in the thule yesterday. It's comfy and the huge hip pockets are great - really nice to be able to grab a water bottle without removing the pack. I wish it had a little more internal organization - just some pockets to stash things like a first aid kit and multi tool that I don't use that often. Still too early to tell whether I like it on the whole though. Better review to come...

[Ted Striker]

I'm kinda in the same boat this year, but the problem has been nobody local has any selection. Actually, the real problem is that local barely exists anymore. Even Backcountry Essentials, the only go-to local store for human propelled everything has a wall of mostly osprey this year. I hate the order a bunch only to return all but one game, but it's looking like that might be the only option.

I like Gregory packs in general, and I've never seen the Thule irl, so I'll be interested in your impressions.

[optics]

If anyone's still looking for a smaller Kamber...

https://www.tetongravity.com/forums/...d-dakine-packs

[camberordie]

x2 for cilogear super high quality and Grants the man.

[Lexi-Bell]

Considering these packs are bomber, made in the USA, and by a maggot, they are worth checking out. williegear.com

[mall walker]

Anyone know of any packs / manufacturers with an insulated shoulder strap for a hydration hose? My Cotopaxi Cayembe 22L has this. I've seen it, I think, on some of the Dakine packs, but I don't really like anything else about the Dakines I've used.

I'm looking for my goldilocks pack... ~30L, insulated shoulder strap, crampon pouch, avy tools compartment. Diagonal ski carry is nice, but I can ghetto rig my own like I did on my Cayembe, because I am particular about it. But the crampon pouch and the insulated sleeve are hard to improvise. I would be 100% happy with my current pack, it's just a little bit too small at times.

I also am not super keen on looking at any custom $500 nonsense... surely one of the gazillion extant winter sports brands makes a day pack you can wear in the winter without your damn camelbak freezing?

[dfinn]

BD Dawn Patrol?

[mall walker]

BD Dawn Patrol?

ooh snap did not realize that had the sleeve. ty!

[whyturn]

Anyone know of any packs / manufacturers with an insulated shoulder strap for a hydration hose? My Cotopaxi Cayembe 22L has this. I've seen it, I think, on some of the Dakine packs, but I don't really like anything else about the Dakines I've used.

I'm looking for my goldilocks pack... ~30L, insulated shoulder strap, crampon pouch, avy tools compartment. Diagonal ski carry is nice, but I can ghetto rig my own like I did on my Cayembe, because I am particular about it. But the crampon pouch and the insulated sleeve are hard to improvise. I would be 100% happy with my current pack, it's just a little bit too small at times.

I also am not super keen on looking at any custom $500 nonsense... surely one of the gazillion extant winter sports brands makes a day pack you can wear in the winter without your damn camelbak freezing?

BCA stash packs are great and insulated


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[Full Trucker]

Anyone know of any packs / manufacturers with an insulated shoulder strap for a hydration hose? My Cotopaxi Cayembe 22L has this. I've seen it, I think, on some of the Dakine packs, but I don't really like anything else about the Dakines I've used.

I'm looking for my goldilocks pack... ~30L, insulated shoulder strap, crampon pouch, avy tools compartment. Diagonal ski carry is nice, but I can ghetto rig my own like I did on my Cayembe, because I am particular about it. But the crampon pouch and the insulated sleeve are hard to improvise. I would be 100% happy with my current pack, it's just a little bit too small at times.

I also am not super keen on looking at any custom $500 nonsense... surely one of the gazillion extant winter sports brands makes a day pack you can wear in the winter without your damn camelbak freezing?

Osprey Kamber 32 also ticks all of your boxes including insulated shoulder strap, save the dedicated crampon pouch. This is the pack I tour with, and I do like it a lot. Others have already posted likes/dislikes. I think it carries nice, is big/small enough for day touring, and is well thought out. The back-panel-only access to the main compartment doesn't bother me like it bothers other people. The avy tools compartment is easily accessed and large enough to stash skins in when skiing, keeping them away from things I want to stay dry. Diagonal and A-frame ski carry, neither of which interfere with the helmet carry. Big ass hip belt pockets hold lots of snacks.

[mall walker]

Just picked up a BD Dawn Patrol 32 today, as I liked the way it swiveled on my waist / the way the main compartment zipped open (the osprey one was kind of annoying to unzip with the waist strap on because of the way the zipper goes under the shoulder straps). Couldn't find a BCA to demo, anyway BD is local so it's easy to get their stuff. So far so good, I have certainly mashed all of my shit in there. I wish the bladder holding pouch thing was bigger but no matter.

I have already modded the pack with a rando style ski carry so should be good to go

[Huskier]

Just picked up a BD Dawn Patrol 32 today, as I liked the way it swiveled on my waist / the way the main compartment zipped open (the osprey one was kind of annoying to unzip with the waist strap on because of the way the zipper goes under the shoulder straps). Couldn't find a BCA to demo, anyway BD is local so it's easy to get their stuff. So far so good, I have certainly mashed all of my shit in there. I wish the bladder holding pouch thing was bigger but no matter.

I did like my BD pack at first, but found the buckles to be sub-par. Not enough strength and would let go easily when diagonal-carrying Skis + boots (i.e dirt-walking + bushwhacking approach mode). Also, that swivel feature you enjoy relies on a steel cable running the width of the pack bottom. Mine decided to fray a few seasons in just the right spot for poking love-handles with pointy frayed wire bits with every "swing". Pretty not fun.

[mall walker]

you have a dawn patrol pack? there’s not really a swivel “feature” it’s just easy to swivel the thing around with the waist strap buckled is all. I replaced buckles on numerous packs before so that is, while annoying, not a dealbreaker for me

[toast2266]

Been meaning to follow up on this. I bought the Thule Upslope 35, wife bought the Gregory Targhee 32. I've mostly used the Thule, but I did take the Gregory out for a tour. Here's my take on each:

Thule Upslope 35

Generally speaking, it's well put together. Good quality zippers, the material feels burly and so far hasn't shown even the slightest sign of wear, and pretty much everything on the pack seems well thought out.

The side pockets are awesome. It's really nice to be able to access stuff without taking the pack off, and they're big enough to fit a lot of stuff. I use them differently for longer tours (mostly food and water in the side pouches) vs. sidecountry runs (Cast toe pieces, maybe some water, maybe skins), but either way, they're fantastic and I like them a lot.

The main compartment is roomy, and it expands out nicely. I can fit 2 waterbottles, spare gloves, a small first aid and tool kit, a micro-puff jacket and a hardshell jacket in there without too much trouble. The top pocket is also pretty big - it easily fits spare goggles, lunch, gloves, a hat, and some other assorted junk without issue. The avy tools compartment is fine and is adequately separated, although it's not quite tall enough to fit my 2 piece Voile shovel handle with the 2 pieces together. It is nice, however, that there aren't any buckles or straps in the way of the avy compartment zipper - it's immediately accessible.

The pack can take an airbag, but I don't have one installed. I was worried that the airbag accommodation would be in the way when using the pack without an airbag installed, but it's really not.

The diagonal ski carry is excellent - super easy to adjust, quick to use, and carries well. It's one of the best I've seen. But the pack won't really do an A-frame carry (apparently the old version did, but mine doesn't). I'm sure something could be rigged up, but I haven't tried.

The helmet carry system works well and is pretty easy. It's nice to be able to mount the helmet on the back (where I usually put it), or on the bottom (if you need to get it out of the way of the diagonal ski carry). Both positions work well.

Downsides:
-the waistbelt uses the standard metal buckle that you see on pretty much every airbag pack. While I'm sure it's more secure in the case of an avalanche, it's also annoying and fiddly to use, especially with gloves on. And there's no easy way to remove it and swap for a plastic buckle without a considerable amount of sewing.

-while the adjustments on the shoulder straps are burly and will take a beating, they're also a bit loose, and I find the shoulder straps tend to loosen over time. This is gradually improving as the straps get worn in and dirtier / stickier.

-The shoulder straps are fairly widely placed on the pack, and work better on broad shoulders. I have fairly narrow shoulders, so they're not ideal. It's not uncomfortable, but the pack can swing around on my back a little more than I'd like - I usually have to keep the sternum strap cranked down to keep everything situated.

-no A-frame carry

-The pack is fucking expensive. (Thanks to Cy for helping with that issue!)

Gregory Targhee 32

I don't have nearly as much time in the Gregory, so I won't say as much. But, like the Thule, it seems like a really well made, well thought out pack. Buckles and zippers are all high quality and I'd expect them to last a long time. Layout and size of the main compartments are roughly comparable to the Thule, except the Gregory doesn't have the big side pouches (which probably more or less account for the 3L of stated volume difference).

The Gregory's A-Frame and diagonal ski carry systems are both excellent. Easy to use and burly fasteners that won't break. The helmet carry is also great and easy to use, but it doesn't have a bottom carry option like the Thule, so you can't diagonal carry + helmet carry at the same time. The upside is that the Gregory's helmet carry sits a bit higher, so your helmet gets less snowy when you put your pack down.

The Gregory is a fairly tall pack - it sticks up above the shoulder straps a fair amount. My wife found it to get in the way of shouldering her skis. I'm a bit taller than her and didn't have that problem, but I did notice that the pack made my hood bunch up behind my head a bit weirdly.

I find the shoulder straps on the Gregory to be much more anatomical for my narrow-ish frame. The waist belt is nicely padded, so combined with the shaped shoulder straps, it carries better than the Thule both up and down. And the waist belt uses a normal 2" buckle, which is easy enough to operate with gloves on.

Overall Winner

I like the Thule better for functionality - the side pockets are super handy, and it also gets the nod in terms of helmet carry and (by a small margin) diagonal ski carry, both of which I use pretty often.

The Gregory wins for fit, comfort, and stability of the pack while skiing. If I was carrying heavier loads, the Gregory would be my choice. And it can do an A-Frame carry, which I use less often, but I prefer for longer hikes.

[swissiphic]

I have a Gregory Targhee 45 with lots of seasons of heavy ski touring use under the belt. Showing some signs of wear, the back panel zipper has few sticky points, had to reinforce some wear on shoulder strap to main body attachments with Aquaseal, but overall the damn thing just keeps trucking... Only things I'd change; bigger volume top flap pocket, taller/bit bigger volume shovel/probe compartment to fit long probe sections, maybe waterproof fabric for my coastal ski touring zone environmental conditions, a pair of easy access larger volume saddlebags mounted on hip belt...that's about it, the fit is perfect for my body...the pack just kinda disappears while ski touring, which is da name of da game.

[taoslcl]

Anyone try out the new Mystery Ranch Saddle Peak?

I have a Kamber 32 for day tours and like it a lot. It checks all the boxes and the back panel zipper doesn't seem to bother me too much but I would prefer another point of access. It is the most adjustable and comfortable pack I have tried on so far and I can also vouch for the Osprey warranty which is great. I lost a chest strap last weekend somehow and put in a parts request yesterday and one is in the mail today.

Considering adding a Saddle Peak for smaller sidecountry and occasional lift days. Skiing big sky next weekend for 3 days and sounds like I need avi gear in-bounds. Anyone have any other recommendations on a pack that can canny avi gear and ski in-bounds well, isn't too annoying to wear on a lift? Maybe a Dakine Poacher 22L?

[Full Trucker]

I’m also considering getting a small pack for inbounds and gate-access backcountry laps. I’m thinking sub-20L though, to really make it lift friendly.

I’ve also considered starting a separate thread, since this one seems pretty dedicated to info in 30-40L packs.

[plugboots]

I’m also considering getting a small pack for inbounds and gate-access backcountry laps. I’m thinking sub-20L though, to really make it lift friendly.

I’ve also considered starting a separate thread, since this one seems pretty dedicated to info in 30-40L packs.

The classic:
D-Route

https://www.mysteryranch.com/d-route-pack

Although there are only hundreds of packs in this category, and I bought 2 cheap somethings from somewhere.

[Full Trucker]

The classic:
D-Route

https://www.mysteryranch.com/d-route-pack

Although there are only hundreds of packs in this category, and I bought 2 cheap somethings from somewhere.

Sure, literally hundreds of sub-20L packs. Probably far fewer that have ski carry and a dedicated place for avy gear inside the pack, I suspect. Ideal would also have insulated shoulder strap for a hydration bladder, but not a deal-breaker. That D-Route looks real nice. Others I've seen that look pretty good are the Dakine Poacher 14, Salomon QST 12, Osprey Kamber 16, and Black Diamond Dawn Patrol 15.

[taoslcl]

The classic:
D-Route

https://www.mysteryranch.com/d-route-pack

Although there are only hundreds of packs in this category, and I bought 2 cheap somethings from somewhere.

I've considered this. Does this have a dedicated any gear pocket or at least organization or do you just stick your shovel and probe jn the main compartment?

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[Larix]

Does anyone have any experience with the Black Diamond Cirque 45? If so what did you think?

[scrambledbacon]

I've considered this. Does this have a dedicated any gear pocket or at least organization or do you just stick your shovel and probe jn the main compartment?

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No seperation. Just the main compartment and lid/brain one.

My only ski pack and have only done resort days but found it perfect.

[North]

Anyone have any other recommendations on a pack that can canny avi gear and ski in-bounds well, isn't too annoying to wear on a lift? Maybe a Dakine Poacher 22L?

Dakine Poacher Vest is best I've used in this category. Very comfortable, and as an added bonus feels a bit like a suit of armor. Lower profile than any pack and avy bag compatible if that's your style.

[Lindahl]

I’m also considering getting a small pack for inbounds and gate-access backcountry laps. I’m thinking sub-20L though, to really make it lift friendly.

I’ve also considered starting a separate thread, since this one seems pretty dedicated to info in 30-40L packs.

The new Mammut Flip is pretty sweet.